The atmosphere, which had just begun to settle into something gentler, instantly turned frigid.
The moment Zetsu appeared, Logan's heart skipped a beat. His first instinct was to summon Chakra… but he had long since exhausted every last drop. The futile effort only sent fresh waves of agony through his body.
'This is bad...'
He had been so focused on the battle between the Uchiha brothers, even accounting for Orochimaru's sealed presence, that he had overlooked one critical figure… Zetsu, the ever-present observer lurking beneath the earth during every major conflict!
Itachi's expression darkened as well.
"You three really put on a spectacular show for us."
Zetsu clapped his hands, as he approached the incapacitated trio. Black Zetsu spoke first.
"Yeah, yeah! Such skill, such drama! Full of twists and turns… I'm still savoring it!" White Zetsu waved his arms excitedly, his tone cheerful, "So worth it. Coming here was definitely the right call!"
"Indeed... the right call."
Black Zetsu's gaze swept over the three of them, a sinister smile curling at the edges of his mouth.
"What do you want?"
Logan tried desperately to scrape together even a sliver of Chakra, but it was useless. Forcing himself to stay calm, he glared at Zetsu, "If you enjoyed the show so much, consider it free. Now get lost."
"Hah, no need to be so hasty, Hattori." Black Zetsu's voice dripped with amusement, though his dark features carried an unmistakable chill, "We wouldn't have shown ourselves if we didn't have business to take care of."
"Ooooh, this guy's hostility is off the charts!" White Zetsu pointed at Logan, feigning shock, "Should I be scared? Is he going to burn me to a crisp with those golden flames? Biu~?"
His tone and words were deliberately contradictory. Logan knew this taunting was a sign of their confidence… they had the upper hand. Swallowing his fury, he stayed silent.
"Stop provoking them. They really can't even stand up right now." Black Zetsu examined the three closely, his voice laced with certainty.
"Tch." White Zetsu shrugged, as if disappointed, "Fine, fine."
"..."
The sunlight felt colder now. Both Logan and Itachi understood the gravity of the situation and chose not to waste words.
"Who the hell are you?"
Only Sasuke remained partially clueless, his expression still cool and detached as he addressed the obviously inhuman Zetsu.
He could sense the tension in the air, 'The black cloaks with red clouds, Akatsuki? Aren't they on the same side as Itachi and Hattori?' Sasuke's thoughts raced, unable to reconcile the situation.
His revenge had failed... but what was happening now?
Neither Zetsu bothered to answer Sasuke's question, after all, he's just a clueless kid, not worth the time.
Logan and Itachi had no chance to explain either.
"Sigh."
Black Zetsu turned his gaze to Itachi… tattered clothes, covered in blood, pushed to his absolute limit yet still alive. He shook his head in mock disappointment.
"What a shame... We've waited so long for this day. Everything went according to plan... except you didn't die."
"Just a little more... just a little more and it would've been over. Even one death would've been enough..." Black Zetsu murmured to himself.
A heavy silence followed. Logan's fingers dug into the dirt.
"And the reason for this deviation... is you, Hattori."
Black Zetsu's eyes flashed with malice as he glared at Logan, "You're far too troublesome!"
Then, just as quickly, his voice returned to its eerie calmm "But no matter. Thanks to you, another opportunity has presented itself. We'll just... finish what should've been done."
Riiip.
A sound like tearing flesh echoed as Zetsu's body split down the middle, black and white tissues separating grotesquely. In a horrifying transformation that would traumatize any child, the two halves peeled apart… White Zetsu and Black Zetsu now standing as independent entities.
White Zetsu stretched his limbs, glancing at Black Zetsu, "Hey, are we really doing this? Feels kind of cheap, picking on them while they're down."
Under Black Zetsu's withering stare, White Zetsu quickly backtracked, "Alright, alright! Forget I said anything. My bad."
Picking up a stray kunai from the ground, he grumbled, "But why me? Why don't you do it yourself?"
"Enough!" Black Zetsu snapped.
"Yeah, yeah..."
Despite his complaints, White Zetsu moved without hesitation. With kunai in hand, he leisurely approached Itachi, who lay utterly defenseless.
"Stop!" Logan's voice was strained, his mind racing for a solution. But there was none. They were trapped in a checkmate.
"No need to panic, Hattori. You're next." Black Zetsu's tone was as cold as a death sentence.
Step. Step.
White Zetsu's casual footsteps felt like hammer blows to Logan's chest. The distance closed in seconds… until the white creature loomed over Itachi.
"..."
Sasuke, still lying nearby, was frozen in shock. His eyes darted from White Zetsu's face to the gleaming kunai, then to Itachi's impassive expression.
"What...?"
Itachi seemed resigned, calmly watching the being who had come to kill him.
'Why...? Aren't they on the same side? Why are they trying to kill Itachi?' Sasuke's mind reeled, struggling to comprehend.
For the first time, he felt the unsettling realization that there were depths to this world, depths to the truths he had believed in, that he had never even glimpsed.
"Ah, sorry, sorry." White Zetsu scratched his head, his tone almost apologetic, "But you're taking this pretty well, huh? Well then..."
In an instant, his voice turned predatory, "Time to die."
The kunai rose high.
Logan gritted his teeth. Somehow, miraculously, he mustered the strength to push himself up slightly, his body trembling violently.
Without hesitation, he lunged forward.
"Oof!"
White Zetsu yelped as Logan crashed into him, sending them both tumbling. But White Zetsu quickly scrambled up, glaring at Logan, who now lay even more helplessly on the ground.
"Damn it, Hattori! Sneak attack? Really?"
"Screw you." Logan forced himself up again, every movement sending searing pain through his nerves. He took a slow, unsteady step forward, then raised his leg, attempting a feeble kick.
White Zetsu, despite being one of many clones, was still a capable fighter. He easily sidestepped the pathetic attack and retaliated with a swift kick of his own, sending Logan crashing back down.
"Still got some fight in you, huh?" Black Zetsu frowned. He had witnessed the terrifying power of Logan's Sage Mode firsthand, "White Zetsu, kill him first."
"Gladly. He asked for it."
This time, White Zetsu didn't hesitate. He stomped on Logan a few times for good measure, grinning at the pained groans.
Only when he was satisfied did he raise the kunai again, aiming for Logan's throat.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh…
Out of nowhere, three shuriken shot through the air, aimed straight for White Zetsu's head.
"What the…?!" White Zetsu yelped, ducking just in time as the shuriken whizzed past, embedding themselves in the ground.
His kunai once again failed to strike.
At the edge of the ruins, a small figure emerged from behind a broken wall… a girl. She struggled over the debris, her eyes locking onto Logan.
"Hattori-nii!"