Black Zetsu, the son of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, possessed Yin–Yang Release. Using his spiritual possession technique, he took over the body of a soldier.
With his own power amplifying the vessel, he allowed it to fully reproduce Wood Release.
Now, he was using that power to tear through the shinobi blocking his path.
"Damn it! That's Wood Release, isn't it?!"
"What else could it be? Wind Release! Wind Cutter Technique! Stop him! Don't let him get through!"
"Everyone attack together! Hold him back!"
The Allied Shinobi Forces were stunned that this half-black, half-white creature could use Wood Release, but they had no time to question it.
His intention was clear—he was after the Jinchūriki.
At this moment, Gaara was being protected by a squad of ninja.
"Damn it! Wasn't Kazuyama Gekkō supposed to be guarding the Jinchūriki?!"
"And he ran off to fight instead??"
The squad leader was a tall, heavily built man with bulging muscles—a figure of pure brute strength.
It was Kitsuchi, son of Ōnoki. He had been leading a team to clear out the White Zetsu and other strange creatures when the Sensor Division suddenly warned him to protect Gaara.
Nara Shikaku had also informed him of Kazuyama's movements.
And because of that, Kitsuchi had already cursed Kazuyama half a dozen times in his mind.
As the enemy approached, Kitsuchi had no choice but to lead Gaara into retreat.
"One-Tailed Jinchūriki!"
"With you captured, everything will fall into place once more!"
Black Zetsu wasn't satisfied with how things were unfolding, but he had no choice.
To complete his mission, he needed Madara Uchiha.
Originally, he had no intention of acting personally. But though Akatsuki had been established, their manpower had suffered repeated losses.
If they hadn't used the Reanimation Technique to revive Madara, their situation would be even worse.
And all of it was because of that bastard Kazuyama Gekkō.
Black Zetsu had already decided—once his mother was revived, he would make Kazuyama suffer a fate worse than death.
"Stop! I won't let you pass!"
"Earth Release: Fist of Stone!"
Kitsuchi suddenly leapt in front of Black Zetsu, his massive frame blocking the path. His right fist hardened into rock and slammed forward with full force, sending Black Zetsu flying.
Momentarily distracted, Black Zetsu was knocked back hard—but branches erupted from his body, anchoring him in place.
"Hmph. The son of the Third Tsuchikage?"
"Attacks like that are useless on me."
"Wood Release: Cutting Technique."
Stabilizing himself, Black Zetsu whipped the branches around his body, unleashing a storm of wooden spikes like shuriken.
Though simple in form, the attack's power was nothing to scoff at.
Kitsuchi dared not underestimate it.
Wood Release—the First Hokage's Wood Release—was legendary. It had long been enshrined in the textbooks of every other village, feared as a bloodline limit powerful enough to challenge all Five Great Villages at once.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
Avoiding a direct hit, Kitsuchi raised a massive wall of earth.
Countless wooden spikes hammered into the wall, spraying shards of stone everywhere. Hiding behind it, Kitsuchi felt the oppressive strength of the attack.
But he failed to notice the subtle changes happening on the ground behind him.
Wood Release: Mayfly Technique—Black Zetsu's specialty—allowed him to merge with the earth and move swiftly.
While Kitsuchi focused on the wooden spikes, Black Zetsu slipped underground and bypassed him entirely. His target wasn't a fight—it was Shukaku, the One-Tail.
To delay Kitsuchi further, Black Zetsu intensified the Cutting Technique before leaving, ensuring the barrage continued even without him.
The storm of wooden spikes continued for nearly a full minute. Kitsuchi had no choice but to remain behind the earth wall.
But when the minute passed and the attacks finally halted, he felt something was off. Why had it lasted that long?
Realizing the danger, he turned sharply—what he saw made his breath catch.
"Not good!"
He cursed inwardly and sprinted toward the rear.
Not far away, countless branches and roots erupted from the ground again.
"You've noticed? Too late."
"One-Tailed Shukaku… is mine."
In Black Zetsu's line of sight, Gaara and his escort unit finally came into view.
Gaara's guards immediately closed in around him.
Though elite shinobi selected specifically for this task, their enemy was far beyond their level.
A single Wood Release technique overwhelmed them.
With barely an exchange, the squad collapsed.
"Damn it, Gaara! The enemy's after you!"
"I know. But I won't surrender. Shukaku, help me."
Despite being targeted, Gaara showed no fear. Raising his hands, he channeled chakra, the surrounding sand swirling protectively around him.
"Gaara, I'm lending you chakra—hold steady."
"I can sense someone heading this way. If we can just—"
"Watch out!"
Shukaku cut himself off. He had seen Black Zetsu move.
Massive roots burst from the ground, their tips sharpened to deadly points.
"Sand Coffin!"
Gaara thrust both hands forward, sending a torrent of sand rushing ahead in an attempt to halt the attack.
But Black Zetsu's roots grew too fast. Even when Sand Coffin constrained them, they split, regenerated, and pierced forward.
The newly grown roots, moving as if alive, reached straight toward Gaara.
"Damn! He really is using Wood Release!"
"Gaara, fall back! Use a wide-range technique!"
Shukaku's warning came at just the right time.
The way the opponent wielded Wood Release reminded him of none other than the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.
That overwhelming Wood Release… the nightmare of every tailed beast.
Hearing the warning, Gaara didn't hesitate. Sand lifted his body into the air, carrying him backward at high speed.
He clasped his hands together and shouted with all his strength:
"Sandy Waterfall!"
Massive waves of sand surged upward, rising like towering dunes.
Ever since reconciling with Shukaku, Gaara's control over sand had skyrocketed.
Even as a child, his strength no longer lost to an average jōnin.
And with Shukaku assisting him, he had already surpassed most jōnin entirely.