Chapter 46: Cunning Black Zetsu, Position Exposed!
At the same time he gained Sage Chakra, Oborotsuki's own chakra established a special connection with the natural energy in the surrounding environment.
This allowed him to easily sense any changes in energy—both within himself and across a certain range around him.
Right now, Oborotsuki detected a very faint, almost imperceptible chakra signature ahead.
This aura blended almost perfectly into the natural world.
It was indistinguishable from the surrounding plants and trees.
If it weren't actively moving—causing a slight difference from the static natural energy of the motionless vegetation—
And if Oborotsuki hadn't just obtained Sage Chakra, which allowed him to sense fluctuations in natural energy,
He almost certainly wouldn't have noticed its presence!
"A being that can perfectly merge its chakra with the natural environment and move underground…"
"In the entire ninja world, there's only one person who can do that—Black Zetsu!"
"Mayfly Technique, huh? Hmph…"
Oborotsuki sneered coldly.
Black Zetsu's Mayfly Technique was considered the ultimate infiltration ninjutsu.
It allowed him to merge his chakra with the earth, then travel rapidly and undetected through underground rivers, plant roots, and other natural pathways.
This technique enabled him to reach virtually any location without anyone knowing.
Even more terrifying: when the technique was active, Black Zetsu's chakra became one with the land, mountains, rivers, and trees.
Ordinary chakra sensing methods couldn't detect him at all.
Even the Byakugan—which could directly see chakra—would only perceive normal natural energy flow.
Nothing out of the ordinary.
But now, Oborotsuki could clearly sense Black Zetsu's presence!
After all, the essence of Sage Mode was to harness the boundless natural energy between heaven and earth.
There was no denying it—this Sage Chakra, which surpassed even the Three Holy Lands, was incredibly powerful and convenient!
"This time, let's see how you hide!"
With that thought, Oborotsuki flashed forward, activating Flying Thunder God and speeding toward the target.
…
Deep underground, Black Zetsu moved at high speed, his presence perfectly concealed within the earth as he approached the Hōzuki clan grounds in Kirigakure.
His mission was clear: before Nagato finished recreating the Six Paths of Pain and arrived in the Land of Water, he needed to confirm whether Hōzuki Oborotsuki had already brought Konan back here.
And if so—pinpoint their exact location.
This would provide crucial intelligence for Nagato's pursuit.
But right now, in the middle of his rapid movement, Black Zetsu's expression suddenly changed. He froze.
He looked upward in confusion and shock, staring toward the surface from the pitch-black depths.
In that same instant—
BOOM—
A deafening roar shook the entire earth.
The ground split apart with terrifying force, a massive fissure tearing open and stretching far into the distance.
The underground layer was forcibly ripped apart on both sides.
Black Zetsu, who had been hiding beneath the surface, was suddenly exposed to the bright moonlight—nowhere left to hide.
He looked up in alarm and saw Oborotsuki standing atop a broken tree stump, Decapitation Greatsword on his shoulder, looking down at him with a mocking, playful expression.
"Hōzuki Oborotsuki…"
A trace of wariness flashed through Black Zetsu's eyes.
"How did you discover me?"
He was extremely confident in his infiltration ability.
Even Uchiha Madara had never been able to detect him unless he revealed himself on purpose.
Yet this kid had effortlessly found him and forced him out with a single slash!
It was simply unbelievable!
"You bastard… are you an Akatsuki spy?"
Oborotsuki frowned as he looked down at the black, mud-like figure in the fissure—stretched out long and serpentine.
This was undoubtedly Black Zetsu's true body.
A strange lifeform existing somewhere between liquid and semi-solid.
"You actually moved here through the earth… pretty clever."
"But your death has come!"
Without wasting words, Oborotsuki flashed forward again. He gripped the Decapitation Greatsword with one hand and swung it down mercilessly toward Black Zetsu.
The blade hadn't even arrived before the powerful sword energy shot out ahead—invisible and untouchable.
Sensing the lethal threat, Black Zetsu's pupils shrank sharply.
He knew Oborotsuki's strength. Even the Six Paths of Pain had nearly been wiped out fighting this guy.
Black Zetsu himself was only a reconnaissance and support-type "mud creature." He naturally didn't dare face Oborotsuki head-on.
He immediately tried to dive back into the earth to escape—but he was still a step too slow.
Oborotsuki's terrifying sword energy arrived first, slicing his body clean in two.
However, just when Oborotsuki thought he had finished the job and paused with the greatsword on his shoulder—
He watched as Black Zetsu's body slowly melted into a pool of black liquid, rapidly seeping back into the ground.
But after two seconds, the melting stopped. The ground now looked like it was covered in a skin-tight layer of black material.
It resembled a deflated, snake-like black husk.
"A clone reconnaissance technique…? Tch!"
"Pretty cunning!"
Oborotsuki frowned and activated the powerful perception granted by Sage Chakra once more, attempting to locate Black Zetsu's real body.
But even after scanning a radius of at least a hundred kilometers—the limit of his current chakra range—he found no trace of Black Zetsu's main body.
"It seems he only sent a clone…"
Oborotsuki's expression darkened slightly.
Truly worthy of the millennium-old mastermind who had orchestrated everything from the shadows.
This guy's cunning exceeded expectations.
And as the third son of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, while his combat power was weak, his abilities were particularly troublesome.
Just as Oborotsuki was thinking this, he suddenly heard several sounds of breaking air approaching from the distance.
He looked up.
Under the moonlight, both Red and Konan were rushing toward him.
Clearly, the massive commotion from when he had split the earth and forced Black Zetsu out had alarmed them.
"Oborotsuki—what happened? Why are you here?"
Red asked in surprise as she arrived.
Konan, meanwhile, glanced at the black figure in the fissure. Her expression instantly became grave.
She already understood what had happened.
"Why did you two come? Where are Kushina and Mayumi?"
Oborotsuki asked, looking at them.
"We heard the ground splitting open—like a volcano erupting!"
"Mayumi can't move easily, so Kushina stayed home with her! What exactly happened?"
Red pressed urgently.
"Let's head back first!"
Oborotsuki glanced at Konan, gave a quick signal, then leaped toward home.
Leaving Kushina and Mayumi alone at the house made him uneasy.