"Boom!"
Nawaki's devastating punch slammed into the unsuspecting black-clothed ninja.
Perhaps due to the sheer force of the blow, the opponent soared further and further away.
"Huh?" x2
Shen and Nayou, who had just arrived at the scene, were both stunned by what they saw. As they watched the tiny black dot vanish toward the horizon, both stood in shock.
Seeing Nawaki land with a self-satisfied grin still plastered on his face, Shen immediately roared at him, "You idiot! What are you doing? That guy definitely escaped while you sent him flying!"
"Weren't you the one who told me to knock him away?" Still basking in victory, Nawaki quickly shot back.
Covering his face with his hand, Shen turned around sharply, pretending he didn't know this fool.
This kind of reckless action—letting a critical lead slip through their fingers—made him experience, for the first time in the Naruto world, an intense sense of frustration.
"Cough cough!" Orochimaru, who had been secretly observing the situation, approached the three and began giving evaluations after clearing his throat. "The scores for this practical exam are as follows—both Shen and Nayou receive eighty points. Nawaki, I think I'll give you a sixty-point pass."
"Why?!" x2
Both Nawaki and Shen pointed at each other, clearly unhappy.
"If it weren't for this idiot punching him away, we would've already gotten the clue about the Kusanagi Sword!"
"If this guy hadn't given such terrible orders, I would've beaten that guy into the ground long ago!"
Their simultaneous accusations left Orochimaru feeling frustrated.
He realized just how difficult it would be to turn Team One into a functioning unit.
Perceptive Nayou cautiously suggested, sensing hope remained for completing their mission, "Uh… isn't there another injured person who hasn't run off yet?"
"Hmm?" x3
Suddenly realizing what she meant, the three turned their attention to the confused, wounded ninja standing nearby.
After exchanging glances, they immediately rushed straight toward him.
"You don't come any closer!" The other black-clothed ninja ignored his injuries and bolted the moment he saw them.
After all, the way these three stared at him felt oddly unsettling.
Shen shouted, "Don't run! You're our free ride back to the village!"
Nawaki yelled, "Gold-tier mission, don't let him escape!"
Orochimaru added dramatically, "Oh seeker of freedom, don't run!"
Bleeding heavily from his chest wound while being chased by these "three wild beasts," the wounded ninja ran desperately.
He knew if even one of them caught him, his fate would be nothing short of brutal.
Near Konoha's northern border, close to the Land of Iron, a hooded black-clothed ninja sprinted forward with one hand gripping his chest wound.
"At this distance, they shouldn't be able to catch up. Tomorrow is the scheduled meeting anyway." The black-clothed ninja paused briefly to assess his surroundings.
"Have I really almost reached the Land of Iron? Cough cough… That Senju kid packs quite a punch. I can only hope Lord Hanzo won't punish me for failing," he thought to himself, relaxing slightly now that he recognized his location.
"Spit!"
A bitter metallic taste rose in his throat before blood gushed from his mouth.
His injuries seemed severe, and his eyes burned with hatred.
"Konoha—the Hidden Leaf Village that sits under the shadow of mighty nations—still wields its power like a tyrant!"
"If the plan to take the Uzumaki village succeeds, then Lord Hanzo will be able to obtain a tailed beast for Amegakure by using the Uzumaki Clan's sealing techniques and their unique physical constitution!"
"So tell me, in your seriously injured state, how exactly do you intend to carry out this plan?"
The Black-clothed Ninja instantly tensed up when he heard that mocking question. Feeling something strange below ground, he leapt sideways despite the pain in his chest.
"Boom!"
Several massive wooden spikes erupted from the earth, instantly devouring an entire section of land.
Once he landed, the Black-clothed Ninja couldn't help but shout furiously, "Attacking from underground again? First it was snakes and earthworms, now wooden spikes too? Konoha, you really have gone too far!"
Zetsu, whose ambush had failed, immediately surfaced partially from the ground and mockingly replied, "Konoha? I'm not on their side at all."
How could the Black-clothed Ninja possibly believe his words? "Do you think I'm an idiot? Who else besides the Senju Clan can use Wood Release? You people from Konoha are truly annoying!"
Zetsu looked puzzled for a moment before catching on, "Oh? You thought this was Wood Release? Too bad this ability is something I was just born with. [Natural Body Transformation]"
Still unconvinced, the Black-clothed Ninja dashed forward and swung his kusarigama.
"Slice!"
The sharp blade cleanly severed Zetsu's neck.
As the white head rolled onto the ground, the Black-clothed Ninja hadn't even begun to relax when he was startled by the head winking at him, "Wh-what exactly are you?! This is absolutely impossible!"
The detached head playfully smiled on the ground, "Oops? Oh right! Where did my body go?"
"Plop"
A bead of cold sweat trickled down the side of the Black-clothed Ninja's face beneath his cloak and fell to the ground.
Confronted with the terrifying fact that a severed head could still talk, he started panicking inside.
"Huh? Are you scared? Just now when you fought those three kids, you didn't show any emotion like this," Zetsu, apparently having learned mischief from someone, continued teasing his tense nerves.
Trying hard to suppress his fear of the unknown, the Black-clothed Ninja nervously asked, "Wh-whatever you are? What do you want?"
The strangely grinning head deliberately avoided answering directly, "So this is what that child called human nature? Facing the unknown, people's first reaction really is fear."
"You're not telling me anything! If you don't attack, then prove yourself and dispel the genjutsu so we can settle this!" Since the other party mentioned a familiar name, the Black-clothed Ninja assumed everything was just an illusion.
The Black-clothed Ninja's fury intensified as he heard a familiar name, "Shen?! So you actually know those people! You Konoha ninjas' words can't be trusted - not even a single punctuation mark!"
Looking at him with great interest, Zetsu nevertheless simply mused aloud, "Fear of the unknown makes people lose control, and anger is one of the most common reactions. [Philosophical Insight]"
"Stop talking nonsense! If you've got guts, come out and fight me!" After hearing a certain name, the Black-clothed Ninja believed even more firmly that everything was just an illusion.
"I'm afraid this is the real world," said Zetsu with a serious expression, his tone dripping with mockery. "So, as a lab rat who's completed the experiment, do you have any last words to leave behind?"
"What kind of last words could I possibly—"
Before the enraged black-clothed ninja could finish venting, a giant wooden spike pierced through his chest.
"Ugh!" After spitting out another mouthful of blood, he painfully turned his head, glaring with hatred at the headless pale-white figure behind him.
"I already told you, this is reality. Rest assured, I'll gladly complete your plan for Uzumaki village," Zetsu mocked coldly, immediately pronouncing his death sentence.
The black-clothed ninja struggled to turn his head again, wanting to say something.
"Ugh!" The moment he opened his mouth, another mouthful of blood came flying out.
"My my, you're still hanging in there even with a massive hole in your chest? Seems like your will to live isn't too bad after all." Zetsu's tongue flicked out to lick his lips, clearly very satisfied with the person he was impersonating.
After all, he could completely mimic that person's Chakra and even part of their strength.
"You… you…" After coughing up his fourth mouthful of blood, the black-clothed ninja's pupils began to blur.
Zetsu tilted his head, curious. "Hmm, I wonder... what was he trying to say in his final moments?"
"Forget it. Who cares about some nameless extra? Dead's dead!"
After transforming into the other person's exact appearance, Zetsu sank into the ground and vanished without a trace.
Before leaving, he made sure to tidy everything up nice and thoroughly.
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