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In a certain cave in the Land of Grass, within a secret chamber.
On a stone bed, Kenshi, who had originally died from Ōnoki's Dust Release, appeared. He lay there naked.
Half of his body, from the neck down, had turned into a white body like that of a White Zetsu, while the other half was his original body. He looked like a yellow and white patchwork.
A white tube extended from the mouth of a giant statue nearby, inserted into the white half of his body, stabilizing his flesh.
The faint rise and fall of his chest proved that Kenshi was still alive.
But he wasn't awake.
Two White Zetsu squatted by the stone bed. The one with the swirling face, who had named himself Zetsu, occasionally poked the half-white, half-yellow bar-like object with his hand, curiously asking, "Is this where the will comes from? But he's been lying here for a year. Why hasn't the will come yet? I want to see his will erupt..."
Zetsu kept rambling on, continuing to study Kenshi's will, while White Zetsu continuously sensed the cell fusion situation within Kenshi's body.
"This brat's body hasn't accepted assimilation yet?"
Suddenly, Uchiha Madara's magnetic and heavy voice echoed through the silent chamber.
Zetsu, without thinking, replied, "No, this brat's will hasn't come out yet, Madara-sama."
White Zetsu retorted, "You idiot, Zetsu. Madara-sama wasn't asking about the will."
After the retort, White Zetsu got up, turned around, and said, "Not yet. His chakra has a strong sense of self-awareness. Forcing assimilation would most likely result in his collapse and death."
"Is that so?" Uchiha Madara's eyes were calm as he said indifferently, "It seems he's just an ordinary person."
"Should we deal with this brat?" White Zetsu asked.
"Let's see his potential." With that, Madara released the control of the Outer Path's Demonic Statue of the Outer Path on the White Zetsu cells in half of Kenshi's body.
In an instant, the White Zetsu cells began to erode the cells on the other half of Kenshi's body.
Kenshi now had two outcomes.
Either die.
Or let his chakra release its self-protection consciousness, fuse with the chakra on the White Zetsu cells, and assimilate his flesh with the White Zetsu cells.
Only then could Kenshi survive.
White Zetsu and Zetsu looked at Kenshi on the bed. The white flesh was eroding and spreading towards the other half of his body. There was no sign of assimilation yet.
"Looks like he's just going to be nourishment!"
Seeing this, White Zetsu shook his head slightly. He had originally thought that Kenshi would be the special one, but it turned out he was just an ordinary person.
Back when Kenshi fought the Five Kage, at the last moment, White Zetsu used his ability to wrap Kenshi's body and quickly dive underground, escaping the disaster.
He also happened to lose half of his flesh. He could only survive by relying on the White Zetsu Wood Release cells created by the Outer Path's Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
At first, White Zetsu thought that Kenshi possessed a lot of Wood Release chakra. His body should also be Wood Release cells, which could fuse with White Zetsu cells.
But... it turned out that Kenshi could only condense Wood Release chakra. His body cells were still those of an ordinary person, not Wood Release cells.
Because Kenshi's flesh cells weren't Wood Release cells, he couldn't withstand the erosion of the White Zetsu Wood Release cells.
If it weren't for White Zetsu and Madara's control, Kenshi would have already become nourishment for the Outer Path's Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
This kind of Kenshi was actually of no value.
If it weren't for Madara's interest in Kenshi's chakra state, which was full of strong self-awareness, Kenshi wouldn't have survived until now.
Madara had tried. His genjutsu could control the Third Mizukage, but it didn't work on Kenshi.
Facing Kenshi's chakra state, which could be considered a genjutsu insulator, Madara was curious. He was very curious to see if he could invade Kenshi's chakra.
So, for a year, he had been controlling the White Zetsu cells to ensure that Kenshi's flesh stayed alive while slowing down the erosion of his body cells. He wanted to use a long period of time to allow Kenshi's cells to adapt to the White Zetsu cells and thus assimilate them.
Once Kenshi's flesh cells assimilated the White Zetsu cells, his chakra could invade Kenshi's chakra through assimilation.
Unfortunately, a year had passed, and Kenshi's flesh cells, because his chakra had a strong sense of self-awareness, had been constantly rejecting assimilation with the White Zetsu cells.
Madara knew that waiting any longer wouldn't lead to the result he wanted.
So, he would let Kenshi make a choice between death and assimilation.
At this time, within Kenshi's body, the White Zetsu cells were eroding step by step. Kenshi's own cells were getting fewer and fewer, and his chakra was also decreasing.
Death or survival!
With Kenshi's consciousness in a deep sleep, only instinct remaining, his consciousness instinctively chose to survive, chose to live, and chose to be assimilated by the White Zetsu cells.
"Huh... assimilation has begun!!"
White Zetsu, who had been ready to reclaim the White Zetsu cells on Kenshi's body, suddenly looked at Kenshi's eyes. The skin there, which was about to turn completely white, began to turn white with a hint of yellow.
Kenshi's body had actually begun to assimilate with the White Zetsu cells at the last moment, and it was happening quickly.
"Ah!"
Zetsu exclaimed. He looked at the bar-like object in his hand, which was also beginning to merge with yellow and white. He was instantly overjoyed. Although he didn't have eyebrows, he was very excited at this time. He shouted loudly, "Is this brat's will coming? Ah, should I catch it with my hand or my foot?"
Zetsu tilted his head and pondered.
"Shut up, Zetsu. You're blocking Madara-sama's view." White Zetsu pulled Zetsu away, who had fallen into inexplicable excitement.
Uchiha Madara, sitting on the brown stone throne, looked up. He sensed the chakra containing his will that had invaded Kenshi's chakra through the fusion of White Zetsu cells and Kenshi's cells. He smiled slightly, a faint smile, and felt a little happy.
Uchiha Madara felt like he had conquered Kenshi.
Kenshi's cells had finally accepted assimilation, choosing to be invaded by his chakra. This was proof.
Madara hadn't felt this sense of conquest in a long time.
Kenshi had made Madara experience this sense of conquest again.
As a reward for pleasing him, he would spare Kenshi's life and let him participate in his future plans as a pawn.
"Too fast!"
White Zetsu suddenly felt a sense of unease in his heart.
The speed at which the White Zetsu cells were assimilating Kenshi's cells was too fast.
It was like... it was like it wasn't the White Zetsu cells assimilating Kenshi's cells, but Kenshi's cells assimilating and devouring the White Zetsu cells.
"Good thing the Outer Path's Demonic Statue's chakra has already merged with Kenshi's chakra."
Sensing the chakra fluctuations of the Outer Path's Demonic Statue in the chakra of Kenshi's assimilated cells, White Zetsu felt relieved.
Then he thought to himself, Kenshi was the first ninja who could condense Wood Release chakra without having Wood Release cells. It was understandable that he was special.
After all, as long as Kenshi's chakra had merged with the Outer Path's Demonic Statue's chakra, his body would be under Madara's... and his control.
White Zetsu thought to himself.
As the White Zetsu cells assimilated more and more of Kenshi's cells, the chakra in Kenshi's body gradually increased, and the soul consciousness fused in his chakra also began to awaken.
Soon.
After about ten minutes.
Assimilation was complete. Kenshi's flesh returned to its previous appearance. There was no longer any yellow and white. His skin was smoother than before, and his face was a little rounder.
Kenshi now had the appearance of a boy about to turn fifteen.
As his body completely recovered, Kenshi, lying on the bed, finally slowly opened his eyes.
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