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Originally, after charging all the clones, Uchiha Kiyo's mission was complete, and the next step was to travel the ninja world alone.
Unexpectedly, the Earth and Stone clone failed to obtain the fusion scroll and was instead discovered by Roshi, leading to a direct conflict.
However, there was still a silver lining—Roshi's Lava Release chakra.
Having this as a reference was a significant boost to Uchiha Kiyo's research on fusion.
Even without the scroll, he wasn't too concerned.
"It doesn't matter. At my current progress, it's just a reference point. With Roshi's chakra, I can convert it into fusion chakra on my own."
Uchiha Kiyo wasn't too greedy.
Gaining something was already a win. After all, infiltrating one of the Five Great Ninja Villages to steal vital information was no easy feat. Walking away with anything was already an achievement.
With that, Uchiha Kiyo left the Land of Wind and returned to the Land of Earth.
Just as he was on his way, news of the Four-Tails Jinchuriki's outburst in Iwagakure had already reached the ears of several senior officials in the major ninja villages.
Jinchuriki movements were one of the most closely monitored pieces of intelligence for every village's spy network. The massive disturbance caused by Roshi's final explosion of tailed beast chakra was enough to be sensed from the other side of the village.
The information was quickly relayed to their respective villages by foreign spies within Iwagakure.
Konoha – Hokage's Office
Sarutobi Hiruzen sat at his desk, frowning as he read the report in his hand.
"How could the Four-Tails' Jinchuriki suddenly lose control?"
At that moment, Orochimaru was present in the office.
Having prior knowledge that Uchiha Kiyo was hunting tailed beasts, Orochimaru was particularly curious about how he would go about it and which beast he would target. Thus, he was especially sensitive to words like "tailed beast" and "Jinchuriki."
Hearing the news, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
The Third Hokage did not see any reason to hide the information from Orochimaru and explained the situation regarding Roshi's sudden outburst.
Listening to the details, Orochimaru had only one thought in his mind.
"Shit, is my student insane?"
With his preconceptions, Orochimaru immediately assumed Uchiha Kiyo was responsible for the incident and that his goal was capturing the Four-Tails.
You went directly into Iwagakure and picked a fight with their Jinchuriki?!
It was one thing to fail, and another to escape afterward—but what were you thinking?
As it turned out, Orochimaru's instincts were somewhat correct.
This incident was indeed caused by Uchiha Kiyo's clone—but his objective wasn't the tailed beast itself. He had only been after Lava Release.
---
Land of Earth
Uchiha Kiyo was walking along a rocky path when his senses suddenly flared up.
"Hmm?"
He felt as though someone was watching him. Instantly, he stopped and raised his guard.
His spiritual perception expanded.
In his mental vision, he could sense an unnatural presence—a shadowy figure hidden within the rock formation to his right.
Narrowing his eyes, he activated a perception jutsu, specifically targeting the area behind the rock.
No chakra signature.
His left hand swiftly formed a seal, and a kunai made of pure chakra materialized. Without hesitation, he flicked his wrist, sending the kunai in an arc around the rock, aiming straight for the hidden presence.
"Damn! I've been spotted!"
A black figure flickered and disappeared, reappearing moments later as a strange, middle-aged shinobi standing before Uchiha Kiyo.
"Huh? Not Black Zetsu? No… but transformation is one of Black Zetsu's specialties."
Uchiha Kiyo's eyes narrowed as he studied the figure.
A dilemma quickly formed in his mind.
Should I deal with him?
Black Zetsu was the most elusive entity in the ninja world. If he let this opportunity slip, he might never get another chance to locate him.
But Black Zetsu's survival instincts were unparalleled. If he acted rashly, he would be exposing himself.
Or should he just pretend not to have seen anything?
Additionally—what was Black Zetsu doing in the Land of Earth?
Shouldn't he be keeping an eye on Nagato in the Land of Rain?
Uchiha Kiyo had no idea that his activities in Iwagakure had already spread. He was completely unaware of why Black Zetsu had shown up.
On the other hand, Black Zetsu was feeling equally frustrated.
He had been comfortably staying in the Land of Rain when White Zetsu suddenly reported that someone in Iwagakure seemed to be targeting the Four-Tails' Jinchuriki.
That couldn't be ignored.
The tailed beasts were the key to his master plan. The last thing he needed was some unknown factor interfering with his carefully laid plans. If something happened to Roshi, determining the exact time and location of the Four-Tails' resurrection would become a massive headache.
He had no choice but to investigate.
However… who the hell was this ninja in front of him?
The sheer amount of chakra radiating from him was at least Kage-level.
How did I run into a Kage-level shinobi just wandering around?!
More importantly—how the hell did he detect me?
Black Zetsu's instincts screamed at him.
Run.
That was the only thought in his mind.
But before he could act, Uchiha Kiyo's voice cut through the air like a thunderclap.
"Black Zetsu?"
The moment those words reached his ears, Black Zetsu froze.
Who is this guy?!
How did he know his name?
His transformation was perfect—there should have been no way to recognize him.
No. That wasn't the issue.
The real question was—how did this man even know about his existence?!
Seeing Black Zetsu's reaction, Uchiha Kiyo smirked in satisfaction.
Heh. Scared, aren't you, you sneaky little bastard?
"The so-called 'incarnation of Madara Uchiha's will,' Black Zetsu?"
Uchiha Kiyo's words carried weight, but he made sure not to push too far.
Merely acknowledging Black Zetsu's existence was enough to shake him. If he revealed too much, Black Zetsu might become truly desperate and do something unpredictable.
Though weak in combat, Black Zetsu was still Kaguya's will. There was no telling what hidden abilities he possessed.
Wait.
Madara's will?
Black Zetsu's panic momentarily subsided.
He doesn't fully know my background.
He had been terrified a moment ago, but now that he thought about it, the situation wasn't as bad as he initially feared.
Still, he had to figure out who this person was and how much he knew.
"Who are you?" Black Zetsu asked, voice cautious. "Where did you learn about me?"
Uchiha Kiyo smiled.
Instead of answering, he released his transformation jutsu, revealing his true appearance.
Black Zetsu observed him closely.
The man before him looked different from the last time he had seen him.
More mature. More composed.
And yet… he didn't recognize him.
Uchiha Kiyo sighed.
Seriously? You don't recognize me?!
With an exasperated look, he activated his Sharingan.
Black Zetsu's eyes widened.
A Uchiha?
His mind raced as he tried to match this man to any known Uchiha.
Then, it clicked.
Blood-Eyed Shura—Uchiha Kiyo?!
Black Zetsu's face twisted.
"You're not dead?!"
Uchiha Kiyo's expression darkened.
How rude.
Suppressing his irritation, he met Black Zetsu's gaze and smiled coldly.
"I want to meet Madara."
Black Zetsu's expression faltered.
This is bad.
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