As Hane Genma tuned into the "Voice of the Ninja World" broadcast through the White Zetsu network, he was in the midst of training to master the transformation of his Yang chakra.
Thanks to the tireless support and resources from the Akimichi clan over the past few months, combined with his own relentless effort and sweat, Genma had now proficiently grasped Yang chakra manipulation.
However, at this stage, he could only utilize the basic functions of Yang chakra, primarily enhancing his physical strength during combat. Beyond that, he hadn't made significant progress in other applications.
After all, Yang chakra manipulation and Yang Release were not the same thing.
Using Yang chakra to directly reinforce his body was, frankly, a bit soft—not robust enough. In fact, this enhancement provided less raw strength than the Earth Spear technique Genma had encountered in the past.
Genma wanted to develop new body-enhancement ninjutsu using Yang chakra, but he was struggling to come up with viable ideas.
For now, he shifted his focus to studying medical ninjutsu, one of the most practical, effective, and valuable applications of Yang chakra.
With a solid foundation in chakra transformation, learning medical ninjutsu wasn't particularly difficult—it was merely a matter of further unlocking the vitality within his chakra.
This meant Genma no longer had to worry about injuries in battle.
As long as he didn't suffer instantaneous fatal wounds like decapitation, heart removal, lung punctures, or kidney stabs, he could potentially recover from injuries quickly.
In other words, as long as he had enough chakra, Genma could evolve into an unkillable cockroach.
With the foundation of a White Zetsu body, combined with Yang chakra and some medical ninjutsu skills, whether or not he mastered Wood Release seemed less critical now... Though, if possible, Genma still wanted to acquire that Bloodline Limit, even if it wasn't as urgent anymore.
After all, White Zetsu, as a product of the God Tree, inherently carried some "wood-like" properties. Wood Release could rapidly induce "wooden proliferation," further boosting Genma's recovery speed.
While he was engrossed in his training, he received another summons signal from the White Zetsu collective.
The information, transmitted over long distances, was still abstract in its delivery, but its unique coding and logic allowed Genma to instinctively understand its meaning.
More importantly, Genma noticed this summons wasn't a blanket call to all White Zetsu—it was targeted, with specific intent.
After a moment's thought, he deduced that this call was likely for White Zetsu "lieutenants" capable of long-range communication, acting as regional hubs for information and intelligence.
As it happened, Genma was one of those summoned.
Without much hesitation, he decided to attend this "radish meeting."
For one, understanding the White Zetsu's movements would give him a head start on predicting the ninja world's trends. Such a covert and accurate information channel was something Genma couldn't afford to ignore.
For another, wasn't he still aiming to gain more experience points—perhaps even new chakra natures or Bloodline Limits? He couldn't waste the White Zetsu's "generosity."
Some might argue, why not study chakra natures on his own? Why go through the trouble of exploiting the White Zetsu?
But human energy and time were finite. While Genma worked on other combat skills, plundering the White Zetsu's cultivation results was a two-pronged approach—why not make things twice as efficient?
The White Zetsu were such a valuable resource; it'd be shameful to let them go to waste.
Whether it was Black Zetsu or White Zetsu, as long as they could provide Genma with "upgrade experience," they were good Zetsu.
Fortunately, after a round of wartime conflicts, the Firefly Organization was currently in a relatively calm consolidation period. No major events were likely to occur in the short term, so Genma didn't need to keep a close eye on internal affairs.
Using the excuse of scouting the surrounding area, he made short-term development plans for the organization and left Kikyo Castle alone.
In theory, a leader like Genma should bring bodyguards when embarking on missions—for his own safety and the organization's stability.
But given Genma's unique circumstances, escorts were unnecessary. He excelled at infiltration and escape, making solo missions the safest option.
Genma wasn't lying either. After leaving Kikyo Castle, he scouted the Kawagen Country for signs of war. Finding none, he headed to the rendezvous point.
When he arrived, if he wasn't mistaken, this location would later be known as the Land of Rain... It seemed the mastermind behind the scenes had a particular fondness for this place.
The Land of Rain, situated at the continent's center, should, by all accounts, either have become a major nation or been absorbed by one, given its strategic position. It shouldn't have remained a fragmented, independent small country.
Where there's something unusual, there's bound to be trouble. Genma suspected this was the work of Black and White Zetsu, who had likely been entrenched here for millennia.
And then, Genma encountered Black Zetsu.
Among the dozens of White Zetsu at the rendezvous, the lone Black Zetsu stood out starkly. Attached to a White Zetsu body, he exuded an oily charisma that could captivate at least two aircraft carrier fleets.
The moment Genma saw him, his nerves tightened.
His disguise was flawless—there was no way the White Zetsu could detect a traitor in their midst. But Black Zetsu was different. There was something eerie about him.
While Black Zetsu hadn't displayed direct combat prowess, ordinary ninja couldn't hope to deal with this thousand-year-old embodiment of Kaguya's will.
If Genma couldn't eliminate Black Zetsu and his cover was blown, he'd be the one eliminated.
What to do? A little scared—what to do?
Expressionless, Genma kept his nerves taut, blending into the crowd of White Zetsu, minimizing his presence. Under normal circumstances, no one would notice anything off about him.
In the depths of this lush primeval forest, the pattering spring rain carried a lingering chill from late winter. From a distance, one could see massive "white mushrooms" sprouting from the soil, atop boulders, and along tree trunks.
The scene of the White Zetsu meeting was, no matter how you looked at it, tinged with an eerie, unsettling vibe.
"There's important news."
Once all the "mushrooms" were in place and the appointed time arrived, Black Zetsu took charge of the meeting.
"After repeated confirmation, the chakra of Indra's reincarnation has indeed attached to Uchiha Madara."
"Correspondingly, Asura's chakra resides in Senju Hashirama of the Senju clan."
"In other words, the conditions to execute the plan have been met once again."
This was indeed significant news, but Genma already knew... He wondered if Black Zetsu had gathered the White Zetsu just to announce this, perhaps to boost morale?
Standing at the heart of the ninja world's greatest conspiracy, surrounded by the gloomiest cabal, Genma felt an absurd, almost comical sensation.
Wait a minute—this should be the kind of top-secret, final-boss-level meeting, right? So how did he, Genma, infiltrate it so easily?
A high-level spy like him must be one of a kind in the ninja world's millennia-long history, no?
"The bad news is that our surveillance units around Uchiha Madara have been wiped out again. Although we've dispatched new units, there's still a gap in our monitoring."
The White Zetsu host, speaking from its other half, chimed in.
Huh, Genma suddenly noticed something. The White Zetsu obsessively monitored every generation's Indra chakra host but paid far less attention to Asura's. Wasn't that a bit unfair?
There were hordes of White Zetsu around Uchiha Madara, but why was it so clean around Senju Hashirama?
Were they bullying Indra's hosts because, historically, they weren't the sharpest tools in the shed—easily deceived? Were they treating them like people who'd fangirl over idols in their youth, fall for scams in middle age, and buy health supplements like crazy in old age?
Oh, wait, no Indra host ever lived to old age.
"No choice. Indra's chakra hosts tend to unleash large-scale ninjutsu in battle. If we're not careful, we get caught in the crossfire. Maintaining close surveillance means constant losses," said a White Zetsu half-buried in a tree trunk.
"Since we've confirmed Uchiha Madara as the target, maybe we don't need to tail him so closely," suggested another White Zetsu, perched on a moss-covered boulder.
"No, we can't ease up on him. I have a feeling this is our closest shot at success. We can't afford to drop the ball," Black Zetsu immediately countered.
To Black Zetsu, were White Zetsu lives worth anything? They were mere expendables—die, and so be it, as long as they didn't all die out.
"But our numbers are dwindling. That's a real problem," the White Zetsu host added.
Genma could only think he'd played a small, humble role in reducing White Zetsu numbers and maintaining the ninja world's ecological balance.
"When can we retrieve the Gedo Statue? With it and Asura's power, we could replenish our population," said a White Zetsu standing beside Genma.
Of course, they had some understanding of the Gedo Statue. After all, White Zetsu were fruits born from the God Tree's vines, and after the God Tree was drained, it became the Gedo Statue.
So, the God Tree was their mother, and the Gedo Statue was their... dry mom. A shriveled-up mom, at that.
Now they wanted to free their millennium-sealed dry mom. Talk about filial piety.
"As soon as the plan's first step is taken, we'll soon reclaim the Gedo Statue," Black Zetsu said.
No one wanted to kick off the "Moon Heist" more than him, but retrieving the Gedo Statue from the moon's core required the power of the Rinnegan.
Fortunately, Black Zetsu believed the pieces for creating the Rinnegan were starting to fall into place.
With the Rinnegan, did White Zetsu numbers even matter? Once their real mom was revived and the Infinite Tsukuyomi plan was enacted, wouldn't they have as many White Zetsu as they wanted?
At that moment, Genma suddenly spoke up:
"I have a question. Is there really enough time? When will Uchiha Madara awaken his eyes? Considering a ninja's lifespan... the sooner we get the Gedo Statue back to the ninja world, the better."
Black Zetsu was awfully optimistic. Madara didn't even have the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan yet, and he was already dreaming of the Rinnegan and "Mommy, love me again." Talk about wishful thinking.
"For caution's sake, once we retrieve the Gedo Statue, we should indeed boost our numbers immediately," the White Zetsu host quickly added.
...?
Why did it feel like these guys weren't as cunning as they seemed? Genma's interruption had somehow revealed they were just winging it.
"Then we'd face the risk of intelligence leaks. Can the new White Zetsu resist powerful genjutsu like we can? If not, they could be controlled by ninja and have their minds read," Genma pressed further.
White Zetsu produced by the Gedo Statue might not match the quality of those from the God Tree. The latter, after all, were from an established brand, some even bolstered by the "mental enhancement" of Infinite Tsukuyomi. They weren't the same.
Suddenly, the black markings on the White Zetsu host vanished as Black Zetsu melted into the ground. The next moment, he enveloped half the body of the White Zetsu next to Genma.
"Relax. The new White Zetsu won't know much intel. Even if some leaks, it won't harm our plan. Got it?"
Controlling that White Zetsu's body, Black Zetsu stared directly at Genma.
"Got it."
Adjustable factory settings, huh? Why didn't you say so earlier?
Genma was startled. Facing Black Zetsu's mental pressure wasn't pleasant. The only silver lining was that Black Zetsu had possessed the poor sap next to him.
If it had been Genma, the consequences would've been unthinkable.
Could Black Zetsu detect something off about Genma's psyche and realize he wasn't a true White Zetsu but a spy?
All Genma could say was that he'd talked too much. Under Black Zetsu's glare, he immediately shut up, not daring to say another word.
Honestly, he now understood how the ninja he'd assassinated felt. Having this black, slimy thing suddenly appear in front of you was bad enough, let alone behind you.
Black Zetsu's actions weren't due to suspicion toward Genma—he was just irritated by Genma's questions. He was fantasizing about a heartwarming reunion with his mom, and Genma kept reminding him how far reality was from his dreams.
Couldn't he read the room? Who could stand that?
Seeing Genma fall silent, Black Zetsu returned to the White Zetsu host.
"In short, we need to intensify our surveillance on the Uchiha clan, especially Uchiha Madara..."
Black Zetsu continued brainwashing the White Zetsu.
Genma, meanwhile, reined in his emotions. Thanks to his ability to suppress his White Zetsu signal, he'd initially planned to sneak a few more experience packages, but now he decided against it.
Doing that under Black Zetsu's nose was too risky. There'd be other opportunities later—Genma didn't need to walk this tightrope.
So, after Black Zetsu reorganized the White Zetsu's surveillance operations across the ninja world, Genma obediently chose to leave... Black Zetsu's orders didn't concern him anyway, as he had no intention of following them.
Heck, Black Zetsu couldn't even tell which White Zetsu followed orders and which ones slacked off.
Genma felt this trip hadn't yielded much—no experience packages, no valuable intel.
But if he'd lingered just a bit longer...
"The time is ripe. We can start weakening the Uchiha clan."
With the other White Zetsu gone, Black Zetsu continued discussing the next steps with the White Zetsu host.
If they didn't act against the Uchiha, how would Uchiha Madara's Mangekyo Sharingan "evolve" into the Eternal Mangekyo?
Without pressure, how could he grow?
"Should we keep stoking the conflict between the Uchiha and Senju?" the White Zetsu host asked.
"No, it's time to start clipping the Uchiha's wings... It's risky, but I've decided to throw out that important bait."
"You mean..."
"Yes, make them turn against each other as much as possible. Honestly, there are few things that instinctively make me feel disgust and nausea... Whether I see it, hear it, or notice it, it makes me physically ill. So, they'd better disappear."
"Got it. I know what to do..."
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