Chapter 252: Absolute
"White Zetsu?!"
Hearing Moonlight Hayate's description, Baishi immediately thought of White Zetsu.
No clothing. Pure white skin. It perfectly matched the classic traits of White Zetsu.
But according to Baishi's knowledge, before Yamato was captured, only Zetsu's true body could effectively use Wood Release.
The other White Zetsu clones were merely cannon fodder.
"Could it be the original White Zetsu himself?"
With that thought, Baishi's expression hardened.
He immediately unleashed his sensory abilities, scanning every blade of grass and tree within the vicinity.
Suddenly—
"Hmm?"
Baishi murmured, gaze shifting toward Hayate's shoulder.
Without warning, his hand transformed into a blade, effortlessly slicing away a chunk of Hayate's flesh.
Throughout the process—Hayate stood perfectly still, unmoved.
It wasn't because he failed to react—
But rather, he saw no need to dodge.
After all—
Baishi hadn't emitted the slightest killing intent.
Even if Baishi had intended to kill him, Hayate wouldn't resist.
Not out of loyalty—but because the Mind Seed ensured absolute submission.
Once implanted, the Mind Seed subtly reshaped the host's will, making them increasingly devoted to Baishi without even realizing it.
"Baishi-sama?"
Ignoring his bleeding wound, Hayate vigilantly observed the writhing flesh on the ground.
His eyes narrowed.
"What… is that?"
"As expected…"
Baishi muttered, watching tiny white tendrils sprout from the fallen flesh—
A grotesque, malformed White Zetsu embryo.
Turning to Hayate, Baishi explained calmly:
"This is a special parasitic jutsu—'Spore Technique.'
It allows the user to silently implant spores into living hosts.
Unless the second form is triggered, it's almost undetectable."
"Second form?"
Hayate frowned, puzzled.
"Exactly."
Baishi nodded, continuing—
"Once activated, the spores drain the host's chakra while immobilizing their movements.
But…your spore wasn't for attack—
It was meant to track me down.
Isn't that right, Mr. Zetsu?"
Baishi's gaze suddenly shifted—
Toward a seemingly ordinary patch of ground nearby.
"Come out."
---
Silence.
Then—
A slow, mocking chuckle echoed.
"Hehehe… Deduced it so quickly?"
The earth trembled.
Moments later—
A pale figure with a pitch-black counterpart emerged from the ground—
The infamous "Zetsu."
"As expected… Orochimaru was right."
Zetsu sneered, arms crossed.
"Follow the magma trails—and we'd eventually find you."
Baishi's eyes narrowed.
Orochimaru?
What did he have to do with this?
---
Hayate tensed, instinctively drawing his katana, positioning himself between Baishi and Zetsu.
But Baishi remained calm.
Zetsu had already exposed everything.
Clearly—
Orochimaru had tipped Zetsu off, leveraging their mutual interests within Akatsuki.
After all, Orochimaru's curiosity was boundless.
If he couldn't control Baishi, he would manipulate others to act for him.
But—
Zetsu wasn't naïve either.
A master manipulator himself, Zetsu immediately informed Baishi, hoping to sow discord.
Why not ambush him directly?
Simple—Zetsu stood no chance.
Ever since the battle beneath the mountain, Zetsu had witnessed Baishi's overwhelming strength firsthand.
---
In truth, Zetsu's original plan was passive observation.
But upon encountering Hayate, he chose to plant a spore.
He never expected Baishi to arrive via Flying Thunder God so quickly.
Worse still—
Baishi's hyper-awareness exposed the spore immediately.
Even with his camouflage jutsu, Zetsu couldn't evade detection.
"Damn it… Such vigilance…"
---
But while Zetsu silently cursed—
Baishi's mind spun rapidly.
"Orochimaru… figured out how to track me?"
"Is it the chakra detection talisman?"
Yes.
Baishi already knew about those talismans—
He had extracted the knowledge from Phantom Sound's mind after her capture.
In fact—he even acquired one for study.
Through careful research, Baishi discovered its mechanism—
It locked onto unique chakra signatures, particularly Eight-Tails' residual traces.
To counter this, Baishi had already suppressed the Eight-Tails' aura while masking his own presence.
Thus—unless in close proximity, the talisman was ineffective.
But now…
Zetsu's words suggested something far more dangerous.
This wasn't ordinary tracking—
Orochimaru had devised a new method—a "line" leading directly to him.
"Tch…"
Baishi clenched his fists, mildly frustrated.
In hindsight, his early alliance with Orochimaru had backfired spectacularly.
The Snake Sannin had evolved—far beyond Baishi's predictions.
"Orochimaru… you've slipped from my grasp."
---
With a deep sigh, Baishi composed himself.
He'd deal with Orochimaru later.
For now—
Zetsu demanded his attention.
Specifically—Black Zetsu.
Baishi's silver eyes gleamed, like a predator spotting prey.
---
Why such intense interest?
Simple.
Baishi had recently begun intensifying his mastery of Yin Release and Yang Release.
While Yang Release progressed steadily, Yin Release posed a greater challenge.
Despite training in Yamanaka Clan's mind techniques, progress was slow.
After all—
Yin Release was far more abstract and complex.
To accelerate growth, Baishi needed powerful reference samples.
---
Initially, he had targeted:
1. Nara Clan's Shadow Jutsu
2. Uchiha Clan's Sharingan
Both were deeply tied to Yin Release.
Later, he added Kurama Clan's "Five Sense Manipulation",
A true Yin-based Kekkei Genkai.
But now—
Baishi realized the truth.
Black Zetsu was the ultimate Yin Release entity.
As Kaguya Otsutsuki's will, Black Zetsu was pure Yin chakra given form.
If Baishi could capture and study him,
His Yin Release mastery would skyrocket.
---
Thus—Baishi smiled faintly.
His gaze sharpened, filled with undisguised hunger.
Black Zetsu was no longer just an enemy—
He was prey.