White Zetsu… can actually merge together?
Kazuki was genuinely surprised.
He stepped forward immediately.
He had always been curious about these creatures created from Hashirama cells.
He vaguely remembered that Kishimoto later retconned their origin—saying White Zetsu were humans who fell victim to Kaguya's Infinite Tsukuyomi ages ago.
Either way—
Kazuki was extremely interested.
"You three fall back. I'll handle this."
Kakashi, Obito, and Rin quickly retreated.
All three stared at Kazuki.
On the way here, they had wondered about his true strength.
Now—
They were nervous.
Excited.
And slightly afraid.
"Sensei… be careful!" Rin called out bravely.
Kazuki casually reached back and ruffled her hair.
Kakashi and Obito both twitched.
Seriously?
Now?
White Zetsu charged.
Spikes extended from its pale body.
Grotesque.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
Kazuki infused chakra into a single shuriken and hurled it forward.
Instantly—
It multiplied into thousands.
The sky darkened under a rain of steel.
Kakashi, Obito, and Rin's jaws dropped.
"Whoa…"
"That's insane…"
"I want to learn that!"
Shuriken tore through White Zetsu's body—
But it barely reacted.
"…Physical damage resistance is high," Kazuki muttered.
"And it uses Wood Release too."
"If my Mokuton doesn't work, this gets troublesome."
White Zetsu lunged.
Kazuki flashed forward—
Grabbed the three students—
And retreated instantly.
"Sensei! Can't you beat it?" Rin asked anxiously.
"Of course I can."
"You're just too fragile."
He set them down.
They realized—
They were already across the bridge.
A kilometer crossed in a blink.
Kakashi's pupils shrank.
So this… is real speed.
Kazuki reappeared before White Zetsu.
"Omote Renge!"
He kicked upward, striking under the chin.
White Zetsu launched into the air.
Kazuki canceled the grappling follow-up—no need for theatrics.
"The teacher is amazing!" Rin's eyes sparkled.
Kakashi thought quietly—
Is this what a true jonin looks like?
Obito clenched his fists.
I'll surpass him someday.
"Mokuton — Wood Dragon Technique!"
A massive wooden dragon erupted from the ground.
It coiled around White Zetsu midair.
The moment it bound the creature—
Kazuki felt it.
Not just chakra.
Life force.
Hashirama cells.
So it really is made of First Hokage cells.
The Wood Dragon absorbed relentlessly.
White Zetsu shriveled.
In seconds—
Only clear fluid dripped onto the ground.
Gone.
Team Seven shivered.
Their teacher had drained the monster dry.
Kazuki glanced at his internal panel.
Fusion Rate: 57.9%+0.3%
One White Zetsu gave him 0.3%.
If I absorbed a thousand…
He exhaled slowly.
Too bad.
Didn't get to dissect it.
When he turned back—
The three students looked at him differently.
A little awe.
A little fear.
Kazuki almost laughed.
Guess that was a bit intense.
"Let's move."
As they traveled deeper toward the Land of Water, Kazuki's thoughts sharpened.
White Zetsu had appeared.
Would Madara appear?
Unlikely.
At this time, Uchiha Madara should already be in his final stage of life.
During the Battle of Kannabi Bridge years later, he never confronted Minato directly.
By the time he rescued Obito, he was already barely alive.
Which meant—
Even during the First and Second Shinobi Wars—
When Konoha was chaotic—
Madara never returned personally.
He hid.
He manipulated.
He trained successors—Nagato. Obito.
He never stepped into the light.
That meant one thing.
He wasn't confident enough to face the world head-on.
Now?
Kazuki's fusion was over 50%.
Against aged Madara?
He wouldn't necessarily lose.
Somewhere Underground
Darkness.
A cavern lit by dim chakra light.
An old man sat on a stone throne.
Black rods connected him to the Gedo Statue behind him.
Uchiha Madara.
A White Zetsu emerged from the wall.
"Madara-sama. That Kazuki is very strong."
"The one Uzumaki Mito acknowledged as the last Senju bloodline?"
"Yes."
"He absorbed three of us in under ten seconds."
Madara's aged eyes flickered.
"He's heading toward Kirigakure?"
"Yes."
Madara fell silent.
Then he spoke calmly.
"If he can absorb three…"
"What about one thousand?"
"What about ten thousand?"
Beneath the Gedo Statue—
In the darkness—
Countless White Zetsu opened their eyes.
Tens of thousands.
Watching.
Waiting.
The game was accelerating.