Just as Hinata and Ino were wondering what was happening, in the next instant, Kaito suddenly seized Sakura's neck with his palm.
Click! A crisp sound echoed.
Sakura's neck twisted unnaturally.
Both Hinata and Ino froze in shock, unable to believe what they had just witnessed.
"Kai… Kaito! Why did you kill Sakura-chan?!" Ino gasped, her hands flying to her mouth in horror.
But in that moment, the Sakura in Kaito's grip dissolved into a pale-white body.
It wasn't Sakura. It was a White Zetsu clone.
"That's… a White Zetsu avatar?" Ino exhaled, her voice trembling with relief. She patted her chest, trying to steady her heartbeat. "… I thought you'd actually killed her."
Hinata didn't speak, but the tension on her face softened. She silently scolded herself for doubting Kaito.
"Kaito… didn't you say this would happen?" Ino frowned, recalling his earlier warning.
"That's right," Kaito replied calmly. "White Zetsu's transformation ability is difficult to counter. None of you have the necessary sensory skills, so for your safety, I had to step in myself."
"Then hurry! If we waste time, the entire camp will be overrun!" Ino urged.
"I know," Kaito said with a small smile. He ruffled both their heads reassuringly before vanishing.
Moments later, White Zetsu clones disguised as Konoha shinobi were cut down one after another by his hand.
When the threat was eliminated, Kaito bid farewell to the two kunoichi before disappearing back into the shadows.
That night's ambush by White Zetsu was nothing more than a brief skirmish for the Allied Shinobi Forces.
But the Fourth Great Ninja War continued to rage on. As more of the resurrected shinobi from the Impure World Reincarnation were sealed away, the Alliance began gaining ground.
Despite their immortality and endless chakra, those bound by the forbidden jutsu carried a fatal weakness: they felt no pain, no sensation at all. What appeared as strength in truth dulled their instincts, their reactions slower than when they were alive.
These shinobi, who had once honed their senses to razor sharpness, were now limited by their own undead forms.
Even more dangerously, many of them retained their consciousness and willingly revealed their own vulnerabilities to the Alliance.
Meanwhile, on the frontlines, events spiraled out of control.
Naruto, despite mastering Sage Mode, had failed to overcome Uchiha Sasuke and his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan in single combat. In the end, only with Jiraiya's help had they managed to suppress Sasuke and seal him away.
But before the Alliance could breathe, Uchiha Obito appeared.
Jiraiya was gravely injured, Naruto was captured through Yin-Yang Release, and Sasuke was taken by force. It was the worst possible news the Alliance could face.
Now, all hopes rested on keeping the Eight-Tails hidden. If captured, the entire shinobi world would fall into darkness.
The Depths of the War
Deep within a hidden cave, Black Zetsu and White Zetsu conversed.
"How's Sasuke?" White Zetsu asked in a low tone.
"The Ashura chakra within Naruto has been transferred to him through Yin-Yang Release," Black Zetsu rasped.
"It won't be long before his Rinnegan awakens. The only setback was Obito's hesitation—when he tried to extract the Nine-Tails, Sasuke interfered."
White Zetsu clicked his tongue. "So Obito still failed to seize Kurama's chakra?"
"Correct. But it matters little. Once Sasuke's Rinnegan blooms, all will fall into place."
Like Kabuto before him, Black Zetsu had invested everything into ensuring Madara's perfect revival. Now, all his schemes centered on ensuring Sasuke's rise.
"Enough waiting. Kabuto has played his role. It's time to use him further," Black Zetsu muttered. His form melted into shadow and seeped upward through layers of rock, emerging into the cavern above.
There sat Kabuto, manipulating his army of resurrected shinobi.
"Black Zetsu? What are you doing here?" Kabuto's voice was cool, his glasses reflecting the glow of his jutsu. "Don't tell me the assault on the Daimyō succeeded?"
"No. I came to check the situation. Word is the battlefield is turning against us. Your Edo Tensei army is being sealed one after another," Black Zetsu replied, drifting closer.
Kabuto smirked. "That can't be helped. Controlling so many at once, I had to allow them their own wills. Naturally, the weakness shows."
Black Zetsu's shadow loomed over the chessboard Kabuto studied. "Then show me your trump card. Surely you have one left."
"Of course," Kabuto said smoothly. "There was one more—no, several—but after I sent them to assault Konoha, Senju Hashirama and the others stopped them. Their souls could not be summoned again."
Regret flashed across his face. "Had I saved them, they'd have turned the tide of this war."
"Then summon what you can. I want to see."
Kabuto nodded, weaving hand seals.
In that instant, Black Zetsu's body shot forward like lightning, latching onto him.
Kabuto's eyes widened. "You—! What are you—"
His voice broke off as Black Zetsu's presence seeped into his body like tar, corrupting his very consciousness.
"Nothing personal," Black Zetsu whispered darkly. "Sleep. I'll handle things from here."
Kabuto struggled, his body trembling as he resisted the invasion. "No… impossible!"
But the shadows consumed him, leaving only Black Zetsu's cruel whisper echoing in the chamber.