Inside the gloomy, oppressive room, a candle burned in utter silence.
A long shadow, shaped like a pitcher plant, slanted across the wall, utterly motionless. It was as if what sat before the candle was not a living being at all, but a stone or a chunk of wood, unmoving, without even the rise and fall of a chest.
Suddenly—
The bean-sized flame began to sway gently, and the long, pitcher-plant-shaped shadow wavered along with it.
At that moment, Black Zetsu, who had been sitting rigidly like a wooden effigy, finally opened his eyes and looked toward the source of the disturbance.
On the rough, uneven wall, a white humanoid figure silently emerged without damaging the surface in the slightest. No matter how quiet its movements were, such a large mass forcing itself into a relatively small room inevitably disturbed the air currents, causing the once-steady candle flame to flicker.
"Hatoha, you're back,"
Black Zetsu greeted him.
Immediately after—
The white humanoid form bloomed open like a lotus. Its white outer layer parted, revealing Uchiha Hatoha, wearing a beak-shaped bird mask beneath it.
"Mm. I'm back."
"Did the operation go smoothly?"
"You could say it was the first step of my revenge. I killed Hōzuki Mangetsu with my own hands."
"In that case…"
Black Zetsu's gaze sharpened.
"Did you obtain Mangetsu's soul?"
"Asu, punch me."
"Huh?"
The white figure that had just closed back into human form blinked.
"Hatoha, are you sure?"
"Stop wasting time. Do it."
"…Alright. But if it hurts, you're not allowed to retaliate!"
As his words fell,
Ju raised his hand and threw a punch straight at Hatoha's abdomen.
Splash!
The fist landed squarely on Hatoha's stomach.
However—
Asu did not receive the tactile feedback of striking a human body. There was no resistance at all. His fist passed straight through Hatoha's abdomen, because at the moment of contact, Hatoha's stomach had transformed into clear, rippling water.
Nearby—
"The Hōzuki clan's Hydrification Technique,"
Black Zetsu said slowly, staring at Hatoha.
A flash of astonishment crossed his eyes.
Although he had already known how formidable the Mangekyō Sharingan technique Amenoyagōmimi no Mikoto was, he had not previously been certain of the level of its dominion. Whether the deceased's kekkei genkai or secret techniques could be wielded by Hatoha had remained an open question.
But now—
Hatoha's actions proved that he could indeed command the secret techniques mastered by the dead.
Even if kekkei genkai were excluded,
This alone was already terrifying.
And as for whether the kekkei genkai themselves could also be controlled—
That would have to be determined through further experimentation.
No matter how one looked at it,
Hatoha's potential was unimaginably deep.
"Ooh! Amazing! Your body really turned into water!"
Asu shouted excitedly, his eyes shining. As if addicted, he began swinging both fists wildly, unleashing a rapid barrage of punches at Hatoha, splashing water everywhere.
But—
Asu's behavior thoroughly irritated Hatoha.
Even if Asu's attacks caused him no injury or pain whatsoever, being treated like a punching bag was more than enough to sour his mood.
So—
"Water Release: Great Water Arm Technique!"
Hatoha's right arm abruptly swelled to an abnormally massive size. He raised his fist and smashed it straight into Asu's face.
Bang!
Asu was sent flying, plastered against the wall like a flattened rice cake.
"Hatoha!!! Didn't we agree no retaliation? You're the one who told me to punch you! And you didn't even feel it!"
Asu struggled to peel his face off the wall, shouting indignantly.
"That was just you talking to yourself," Hatoha replied coolly, shaking his hand as his arm returned to normal. "I never agreed not to hit back. Besides, I told you to punch me once. I never said you could practice indefinitely."
The Hydrification Technique really was incredibly useful.
Had Mangetsu encountered anyone else, killing him would not have been easy at all…
Hatoha lowered his gaze to his right hand, already contemplating what kind of secret techniques or kekkei genkai could best synergize with Hydrification.
"Amenoyagōmimi no Mikoto… Hatoha, the potential of your Mangekyō Sharingan technique is downright frightening."
Black Zetsu looked at him with genuine admiration.
There was no denying that Amenoyagōmimi no Mikoto started from a very low baseline. It possessed no direct killing power on its own. But once it matured, its upper limit was shockingly high.
If Hatoha were allowed to fully develop into his ultimate form—
Even if Madara were resurrected, he might not be able to defeat Hatoha…
At least, not without activating the curse seal embedded in Hatoha's heart.
"I think my dōjutsu is amazing too,"
Hatoha said shamelessly.
"Honestly, even without that dōjutsu, Hatoha is already terrifying," Asu added. "If the Third Hokage and the others hadn't arrived so quickly, the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist and Konoha's Ino–Shika–Chō would've been almost completely wiped out by Hatoha alone."
Asu slid down from the wall, his flattened body slowly returning to normal.
However—
"It wasn't that simple,"
Hatoha shook his head.
"That Earth-Walking Yaksha was extremely troublesome. Even without the Third Hokage's intervention, I wasn't confident I could take him down quickly. And if it really turned into a fight to the death…"
He paused, eyes darkening.
"The final outcome would've been hard to predict."
"Who knows how many hidden cards that guy still has, aside from that petrification ability."
When mentioning Kyoichi, a trace of solemnity surfaced in Hatoha's eyes.
Back then,
He had gone all out, unleashing Deep Forest Emergence, convinced it would decisively end the battle on Imoni Mountain, harvesting the souls of Konoha's Ino–Shika–Chō and the four Kiri swordsmen in one fell swoop.
Yet at the final moment—
He was stopped.
That technique—
It had shattered his Deep Forest Emergence.
If not for Susanoo shielding him, he might have ended up as nothing more than a cold, lifeless stone left behind on Imoni Mountain.
"Earth-Walking Yaksha?"
Black Zetsu blinked, thinking for a few seconds before speaking.
"…The one who defected from Iwagakure and joined Kirigakure?"