"Because my Beppyōjin (Otherworldly God) control has reached its absolute peak, even someone with your cells can be easily dominated by me!"
At this point, Kazama wasn't holding anything back anymore.
With the Shinobi World War already underway, to force Hei Zetsu (Black Zetsu) to revive Ōtsutsuki Kaguya for him to absorb, Kazama was ready to lay all his cards on the table.
Hearing Kazama's words, Hei Zetsu felt utterly powerless before him, like a mere ant. In all his millennia of existence, he had never felt this way.
Facing the relentless attacks from Obito and the others, Hei Zetsu dodged desperately but was still torn to pieces. Thanks to his unique body structure, though, he managed to pull himself back together in mere moments.
"Hmph! Kazama, you think you can kill me with these traitors? Dream on!"
"I never planned to kill you," Kazama shot back. "I just want to toy with you!"
"You bastard!"
Hei Zetsu knew he couldn't gain the upper hand against Kazama. With no other choice, he fled in a panic, leading his ragtag remnants of defeated soldiers.
"Kazama, you little punk, don't get too cocky! I may not be able to touch the Land of Fire where you are, but the other four nations won't be so lucky, haha!"
Hearing Hei Zetsu's parting threat, Kazama didn't get angry—he laughed.
Kazama had deliberately let Hei Zetsu escape, planning to dismantle his schemes step by step. This would corner Hei Zetsu, forcing him to use half of the nine Tailed Beasts' chakra to revive Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
"Deidara, Sasori, Kisame…"
As Kazama spoke, he summoned Kakuzu and Hidan from his Kamui (Divine Authority) dimension. These two had previously been revived by Yakushi Kabuto's Edo Tensei (Impure World Reincarnation), but now they were under Kazama's control.
"We're here!" they responded.
"You guys head to the ninja villages of the Lands of Wind, Lightning, Earth, and Water to provide support!"
Though Kazama had let Hei Zetsu escape on purpose, he couldn't let him slaughter innocents unchecked. Since Obito could move quickly with his space-time techniques, Kazama tasked him with monitoring the movements of Hei Zetsu's army.
"If you spot any Kage-level Edo Tensei shinobi, report back to me immediately!"
Kazama knew Yakushi Kabuto held a trump card: an army of past Kage-level masters, including Uchiha Madara. Though Kabuto hadn't summoned them yet, as the war progressed, it was only a matter of time before he did. When that happened, the current Five Kage wouldn't stand a chance—Kazama would have to step in himself.
Truth be told, Kazama had long wanted to test his skills against the legendary Kage of the various nations, especially Uchiha Madara. When the time came, he could absorb their abilities.
As Obito and the others departed, Tsunade, watching from the rear, was left dumbfounded by Kazama's maneuvers. She had always worried that Kazama wouldn't be a match for Hei Zetsu and the Akatsuki members. Their power was so overwhelming that even she, as Hokage, struggled to compete.
Yet Kazama had turned the tables without lifting a finger, making Akatsuki members defect mid-battle. He not only drove back Hei Zetsu's army but also saved Konoha from crisis.
Tsunade was completely awestruck by Kazama's feats.
Meanwhile, Koharu and Homura, seeing they'd lost their bet, tried to slip away. But before they could take more than a few steps, Tsunade blocked their path.