Chapter 159: Assimilation, Rebirth
Somewhere in the Land of Grass, inside a hidden cave chamber.
On a stone bed lay Li Yao—previously presumed dead by Ōnoki's Dust Release—his body naked, half of it from the neck down having turned into a white, Zetsu-like flesh. The other half remained his original form, making him appear like a patchwork of yellow and white.
A white tube extended from the mouth of a nearby statue, inserted into the white half of his body, maintaining his physical stability.
The faint rise and fall of his chest proved that Li Yao was still alive.
But he had not regained consciousness.
Two White Zetsu crouched by the bed. The spiral-faced one who called himself Tobi poked at Li Yao's half-white, half-yellow body with curiosity. "Is this where poop comes out? But he's been lying here for a year and still hasn't pooped. I really wanna see him poop!"
Tobi rambled on, continuing to study Li Yao's so-called "poop center." The other White Zetsu, however, was focused on sensing the cellular fusion within Li Yao's body.
"Hasn't this brat's body fused yet?"
Suddenly, a deep, magnetic voice echoed through the silent chamber—it was Uchiha Madara.
Without hesitation, Tobi replied, "Nope! This brat's poop hasn't come out yet, Lord Madara."
White Zetsu scoffed, "Idiot, Tobi, that's not what Lord Madara was asking."
Turning to face him, the other White Zetsu answered, "Not yet. His chakra possesses a strong sense of self. Forced assimilation would likely result in cellular collapse and death."
"I see," Madara responded calmly. "So in the end, he's just another ordinary human."
"Should we dispose of him?" White Zetsu asked.
"Let's see what kind of capacity he has." With that, Madara released the Gedo Statue's control over the white Zetsu cells inside Li Yao's body.
Instantly, the white cells began aggressively invading the remaining half of Li Yao's original body.
Now, only two outcomes remained for Li Yao:
He would either die.
Or his chakra would let go of its self-protection, fuse with the Zetsu cells' chakra, and allow his body to assimilate with them.
Only then could he survive.
White Zetsu and Tobi turned their attention to Li Yao on the bed. The white tissue was creeping over the yellow half of his body—but so far, no signs of successful assimilation.
"Looks like he'll just become food after all."
White Zetsu shook his head slightly. He'd thought Li Yao might be special. But it seemed he was just another ordinary person.
Back during the Five Kage assault, at the last moment, White Zetsu had wrapped Li Yao's body and dragged him deep underground to escape Ōnoki's Dust Release.
Coincidentally, only half of Li Yao's body had been destroyed, so they kept him alive using Wood-Style-based Zetsu cells created by the Gedo Statue.
At first, White Zetsu had assumed Li Yao's ability to use Wood Release meant his body contained wood-based cells—meaning they could merge with Zetsu cells.
But upon closer inspection, they discovered that Li Yao merely had the chakra to produce Wood Release. His actual body was still composed of ordinary cells—not Wood Release cells.
Because of that, his body couldn't withstand Zetsu cell invasion.
If Madara and Zetsu hadn't controlled the rate of fusion, Li Yao would have already become food for the Gedo Statue.
In that sense, Li Yao had little value.
If it weren't for Madara's interest in the strange, strong-willed nature of Li Yao's chakra, he would've died long ago.
Madara had tested his genjutsu—it could control the Third Mizukage but was completely ineffective on Li Yao.
Faced with chakra that seemed utterly immune to illusions, Madara grew curious. He wanted to see if he could invade it.
So, for an entire year, Madara maintained Zetsu cell control—keeping Li Yao alive while gradually attempting to coax his body into adapting to the invasion.
If Li Yao's cells could finally merge with the Zetsu cells, then his chakra would carry traces of Madara's will—allowing him to invade Li Yao's chakra through assimilation.
But after a year, Li Yao's cells continued to resist due to the strong will embedded in his chakra.
Madara now knew: waiting longer wouldn't change anything.
It was time to let Li Yao choose—life through assimilation, or death through rejection.
Inside Li Yao's body, Zetsu cells continued their invasion. His own cells were dwindling. His chakra was fading.
Death or survival!
With Li Yao's consciousness dormant, operating purely on instinct, his will chose to survive—to be assimilated by the Zetsu cells and live on.
"Eh… it's starting to assimilate!"
Just as White Zetsu was preparing to recover the Zetsu cells from Li Yao, he suddenly saw it—Li Yao's nearly pale-white skin was beginning to gain a yellow tint again.
At the last possible moment, Li Yao's body began fusing with the Zetsu cells—and quickly.
"Ah!"
Tobi gasped, watching as the strip of material he was fiddling with also turned yellow-and-white. Excited, he shouted, "Is the poop finally coming? Should I catch it with my hand or my foot?"
Tobi tilted his head in thought.
"Shut up, Tobi. You're blocking Lord Madara's view." White Zetsu yanked the overexcited Tobi away.
From the brown stone throne, Uchiha Madara looked over calmly. As he sensed the Zetsu cells fusing into Li Yao's chakra—now carrying traces of Madara's own will—he smiled faintly, the corners of his lips curling with satisfaction.
Madara felt he had conquered Li Yao.
The moment Li Yao's cells accepted the assimilation and allowed Madara's chakra to invade—that was proof.
That feeling of conquest—he hadn't felt it in a long time.
Li Yao had given it back to him.
As a reward, Madara would let him live. He would become a pawn in Madara's future plans.
"Too fast…"
White Zetsu suddenly felt something strange.
The assimilation process was moving too quickly.
It felt… not like Zetsu cells were assimilating Li Yao's body—but that Li Yao's cells were assimilating the Zetsu cells.
"Thankfully, the Gedo Statue's chakra has already merged with his," White Zetsu reassured himself.
Sensing the Gedo's chakra present in Li Yao's now-transformed chakra, he relaxed.
After all, Li Yao was the first person in history to produce Wood Release chakra without having Wood Release cells—some abnormality was to be expected.
As long as that chakra contained the Gedo's essence, his body remained under Madara's—and White Zetsu's—control.
With the continued spread of assimilation, Li Yao's chakra began to grow, and the soul awareness embedded within it started to awaken.
Soon—
After about ten minutes—
Assimilation was complete. Li Yao's body had returned to its previous state, no longer split between yellow and white. His skin was even smoother than before, his face softer and more youthful.
He now looked like a teenager just shy of fifteen.
With his body fully restored, Li Yao—lying on the stone bed—finally opened his eyes slowly.
(END CHAPTER)
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