To be honest, from the moment Uchiha Madara appeared to when he was driven off by Uchiha Nanami, he barely said a few words. Yet, Hane Genma couldn't shake the feeling that Madara had been belting out a rendition of "Too Wronged" the entire time.
Where's your domineering aura? Where's your commanding presence?
No doubt about it—despite the age discrepancy that flipped the natural order, Uchiha Nanami was Madara's elder, and not just any elder, but one closely tied by blood.
In fact, Nanami's birth predated Madara's by quite some time.
Genma had been munching on metaphorical popcorn, piecing together plenty of truths from what he overheard. He couldn't help but wonder if Nanami had practically raised Madara, wiping his nose and changing his diapers… It wasn't entirely impossible.
After Madara slunk away under his elder's orders, Nanami lingered quietly in place, seemingly collecting her thoughts.
But about fifteen minutes later, she suddenly spoke up. "Are you there? Come out. I know you're here."
Genma's body froze. He was certain Nanami was addressing him—she knew about his exceptional stealth and tracking skills.
He felt a rare pang of embarrassment. Eavesdropping on a friend's family drama wasn't exactly honorable.
Still, he couldn't be sure Nanami was talking to him. Maybe Madara hadn't gone far?
Even if Genma was certain she meant him, he wouldn't reveal himself now… because those four White Zetsu were still lurking nearby.
As expected, the four White Zetsu were tasked with monitoring Uchiha Madara. Their presence here had nothing to do with Nanami—they were simply ensuring Madara didn't slip out of sight for too long.
They hadn't left with Madara because they wanted to confront Genma, this "White Zetsu," and figure out why one of their kind was in this godforsaken place.
So, when Nanami spoke, the four White Zetsu froze as well. For a fleeting moment, they wondered if this Uchiha shinobi could see through their Mayfly Technique's stealth.
Fortunately, after waiting without a response, Nanami gave up and turned back toward Kikyo Castle.
Only then did the five White Zetsu—Genma included—gather in the shadowed corner of the desolate village. Genma had already fully transformed into a White Zetsu, using the Transformation Technique to conceal his bandages, clothes, and ninja tools.
"Why are you operating in a backwater like this?" one of the White Zetsu, clearly the "leader," demanded the moment he saw Genma.
As expected, just like the other White Zetsu Genma had encountered, they didn't suspect he was an imposter.
Genma wasn't sure if White Zetsu had a hierarchy, but since this was a team, he figured he'd better answer honestly.
Luckily, he'd prepared an excuse. "I spotted an Uchiha shinobi here and had some suspicions about her Sharingan."
"Hm. We all saw her. From her conversation with Madara, we can infer some intel… Can you confirm she has a Mangekyo Sharingan?" another White Zetsu asked.
Genma shook his head firmly. Out of caution, he wouldn't share specifics with these creatures. "Not yet. It's just a suspicion for now."
The lead White Zetsu spoke up. "If it's true… heh, that'd make it the fifth pair of Mangekyo Sharingan. This era's a goldmine. The dawn is closer than ever."
Genma blinked, caught off guard. From what he knew, Senju Tobirama and Uchiha Izuna were around the same age. Even if Izuna awakened his Mangekyo at this point, that'd only account for the Uchiha brothers—two pairs. Add in their clan's elder patriarch and Nanami, and that's four pairs at most. Where was this fifth pair coming from?
Wasn't the Uchiha clan just a bit too strong?
"Confirm her eye situation as soon as possible. Also, dig into her bloodline…" the lead White Zetsu instructed.
Genma wasn't surprised by the response and quickly backpedaled. "The biggest focus should still be on the Uchiha brothers. My intel here isn't solid yet. We can't put the cart before the horse."
"We get it," the lead White Zetsu replied. "But if we can find a spare pair of eyes, that'd be ideal."
His tone carried a hint of excitement. "Even just the possibility is good news. I'll report it to the main body immediately."
Then, like a plant caught in a trance, the White Zetsu stood motionless for a few seconds, looking like some kind of antenna.
Genma froze, realizing this White Zetsu could transmit intel over long distances!
This was beyond his expectations.
As he'd always said, the Naruto story wasn't some sacred text. Even if it was, Genma hadn't been a believer in his past life. He'd read and watched it, sure, but he didn't memorize every detail. Beyond major events, a lot of his knowledge was fuzzy at best.
So, he hadn't known White Zetsu could send messages remotely. What was this, the Ninja World Internet?
In truth, some White Zetsu could indeed act as communication nodes. They could connect with the main body over vast distances. The mechanism wasn't complicated—similar to the Mayfly Technique, it used underground water currents and root systems as a medium. The difference was, instead of moving their bodies, they transmitted information.
Not all White Zetsu had this ability, but certain specialized individuals could ensure messages were sent across great distances without loss or distortion.
Experience fodder, oh experience fodder—why couldn't you just stick to being simple experience fodder? Why did you need these extra abilities?
"Has the intel been sent?" Genma asked the lead White Zetsu.
"Yeah. But the main body reminded us to focus on the Uchiha brothers. Even for backups, we've got better options. This Uchiha Nanami can be a backup's backup…" the lead White Zetsu said.
Genma let out a quiet sigh of relief. Good—the main body wasn't too fixated. Otherwise, he'd have screwed up, drawing the attention of the ninja world's shadowy mastermind to Nanami.
He was overthinking a bit, though. Despite not knowing how Nanami's Mangekyo Sharingan had initially evaded White Zetsu's surveillance—after all, they'd been watching the Uchiha for a millennium—she'd inevitably re-enter their sights after this encounter with Madara, regardless of Genma's involvement.
After all, Madara's words had been heavy with emphasis on Nanami's Sharingan. The implications were easy to guess.
"Are you all capable of transmitting information?" Genma asked cautiously.
The lead White Zetsu shook his head. "Just me. The others are regular units, like you."
Genma relaxed a bit more, but the urgency to grow stronger burned hotter.
Indeed, in this era, you could love peace, but you'd better not forget to worship at the altar of firepower.
--
Support me & read more advance & fast update chapter on my patreon:
pat reon .com/yuuwand