"You three! You go after him!", Uchiha Yui immediately gave the order.
Three trusted subordinates wearing Uchiha clan insignia stepped forward upon hearing it.
"Yes!"
As soon as the words fell, the three figures flickered and shot out like three shadows toward the direction Senju Syura had fled.
Uchiha Yui lowered her gaze, watching the direction the three disappeared.
To her, that young man was nothing more than a clown. Even if he was wrapped in that strange black mist, he was absolutely not someone who could face her head-on. There was no need for her to personally chase him.
More importantly, her priority right now was to discuss the attack on the Senju with the Hagoromo clan leader.
There was no need for her to go herself.
Relying on her Sharingan's genjutsu insight and years of battlefield instinct, Uchiha Yui had already judged that person to be from the Hatake clan.
At that moment, a series of hurried footsteps approached.
Dust rose as the Hagoromo clan leader's forces and the main Uchiha troops had already arrived.
The Hagoromo clan leader had white hair and beard, yet still carried a steady smile. He slowly walked up to Uchiha Yui.
"I'm late."
The Hagoromo clan leader said with an awkward smile.
Uchiha Yui looked at the aging clan leader, her brows slightly furrowed, her tone carrying undisguised dissatisfaction. "Clan Leader Hagoromo, you really came quickly."
"Haha…"
The Hagoromo clan leader chuckled.
He simply stroked his gray beard and laughed heartily, showing no anger at being confronted. Instead, he cupped his hands and praised, "I may be old, but I can't compare to your skills. As expected of the fastest Body Flicker in the ninja world, I admire you!"
"Heh…"
Seeing how smooth he was, Uchiha Yui's dissatisfaction faded a bit. After all, this was a crucial moment for their joint attack on the Senju. There was no need to argue with this veteran clan leader.
"Mm, then let's quickly discuss the attack on the Senju. The Senju clan has always been sharp. If they detect the movement of our allied forces, the battle afterward will become troublesome.", Uchiha Yui said calmly.
"Exactly! Exactly!", The Hagoromo clan leader nodded repeatedly.
———
On the other side, along an unknown mountain path, a horse completely covered in black matter was galloping with all four hooves off the ground, rushing along the mountain road like a streak of black light.
It was Black Zetsu. At this moment, he was attached to the horse, forcibly controlling it.
This horse had been obtained by Black Zetsu after he encountered a horse merchant and used Senju Syura's armor as collateral.
Attached to the horse, Black Zetsu continuously injected chakra into its body. What had originally been just an ordinary warhorse now burst out with a speed far beyond any normal steed.
Trees and rocks along the mountain path rushed past rapidly, even the sound of the wind was left behind.
It was faster than a ninja.
'Next, I need to go to Kikyo Mountain and deliver the information to the Senju clan.', Black Zetsu thought to himself.
Just as he was focused on traveling, a teasing voice suddenly came from behind him at an angle, "Yo yo yo, isn't this Senior Black Zetsu?"
"Ah!"
Black Zetsu's whole body trembled, and his control over the horse suddenly paused.
With his level of perception, he hadn't sensed anyone approaching at all. A strong shock surged in his heart.
But when he followed the voice and saw who it was, his tense nerves relaxed instantly.
He saw Ken carrying a strange square-shaped machine on his shoulder, casually jumping down from an old tree. The machine's lens was pointed straight at Black Zetsu, his expression playful.
"You scared me to death!"
Black Zetsu's voice carried a bit of anger as he controlled the horse to speed up, clearly not wanting to deal with Ken.
"Hehe, I just came out of Mount Myoboku!"
Ken grinned, raising the machine in his hand and pointing the lens at Black Zetsu.
"Senior Shima told me to use this little thing to record the ninja world, so it can be included in the history books later."
As he spoke, Ken kept snapping photos of Black Zetsu, then leaned in closer.
The lens swept over the unconscious Senju Syura on the horse as he clicked his tongue, "Ah, the one behind you is this generation's Asura reincarnation, right?"
"Looks pretty miserable~ By the way, Senior, you look quite miserable too. What are you running from?"
"It's rare to see you like this, Senior!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Ken pressed the shutter again, capturing another ugly photo of Black Zetsu and Senju Syura.
Black Zetsu didn't dodge the camera. First, he was in a hurry to escape and had no time to deal with Ken.
Second, he had no idea what this thing even was.
Maybe it was some strange invention by Gamamaru again.
"Go, go, stop bothering me!"
Black Zetsu snapped coldly, urging the horse to accelerate again.
"I'm just passing by.", Ken shrugged.
"Then hurry up and pass by!", Black Zetsu said with a dark face.
Ken pouted slightly, shaking the camera reluctantly. "Alright, alright, I'm leaving~ I still need to take more scenery of the ninja world to enrich the history books!"
With that, he turned and leapt onto another tree, disappearing after a few jumps into the end of the mountain path.
Black Zetsu didn't bother with this unpredictable guy anymore. Controlling the horse like a divine steed, he sped along the path, eventually rushing toward Kikyo Mountain.
———
Senju Syura's eyelids trembled.
He finally opened his eyes slowly. Pain surged through his body, along with the emptiness of drained chakra. He looked up blankly at the pitch-black night sky above, where faint stars were barely visible.
A campfire burned beside him.
Black Zetsu crouched by the fire, holding freshly cut horse meat in his hand.
The horse that had carried them to safety had already been cleanly slaughtered.
Seeing that Senju Syura had woken up, a faint smile appeared on Black Zetsu's face. He reached out and handed over the horse meat, still warm from the fire. "You're awake? Eat."
"Teacher, you…"
Senju Syura stared blankly at the meat Black Zetsu handed him. Then he remembered being surrounded by Uchiha pursuers, trapped in a desperate situation. If not for the person before him, he would have already died under the Uchiha blades.
How could he be this relaxed now?
He just slept and was safe.
A hot rush surged into his eyes. His nose tingled, and tears blurred his vision instantly.
"Teacher! Thanks to you! You saved me again!"
Senju Syura struggled to sit up and bowed deeply to Black Zetsu, his voice choked with emotion and sincerity.
"Ah… you…"
Black Zetsu froze.
That tearful expression of gratitude left this being, who was used to plotting in the shadows and watching coldly, completely stunned. The hand holding the meat froze midair, and he didn't know how to respond.
Throughout the long years, he had only seen the twists of human nature and entanglements of benifits. Never had anyone shown him such pure and unreserved gratitude. For a moment, he truly didn't know what to do.
"Eat, child. This is Kikyo Mountain."
"After eating, immediately go up the mountain and find your father. Tell him about the Uchiha and Hagoromo alliance and their plan to ambush the Senju from the rear."
"You'll have made a great contribution and will surely be promoted in the clan.", Black Zetsu came back to his senses, stuffed the meat into his hands, and spoke gently.
"Mm!"
Senju Syura wiped his tears and nodded heavily. Holding the meat, he began eating in big bites. His wolfing down carried both the relief of surviving disaster and complete trust in Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu stood to the side, subconsciously scratching the back of his head. A kind of complicated feeling he had never experienced before surfaced in his heart.
He had only acted for his own plan, doing what was natural. Yet this boy was so sincere and moved, causing a ripple in his heart that had long been filled with calculation.
After filling his stomach, Senju Syura repeatedly thanked Black Zetsu. Without wasting a moment, he immediately rushed toward the Senju camp at the peak of Kikyo Mountain.