NOVEL NEXT Chapter 73: Black Zetsu's Self-Awareness
When Yuma appeared, the first thing he saw was Kakashi and the others happily gathered around their Wood Style clones, engaged in conversation.
However, as soon as Kakashi and the others noticed Yuma's sudden arrival, they immediately realized that this was his real body.
"Yuma, you're amazing! You waited for the clone to save me..." Obito raised his hand excitedly to greet him, but the moment he saw the bloodstains on Yuma's face, particularly the streaks of blood trailing from his eye sockets, his words caught in his throat.
It was the first time he had ever seen Yuma in such a state.
In Obito's memory, ever since he met Yuma, he had never seen him this battered. No matter the enemy, Yuma always fought with composure and skill. Even after battles, while he might not have been completely unscathed, he was never in such a miserable condition—his face bloodied, his expression weary.
Seeing Yuma in this state and recalling how he had sent a clone to ensure their safety before the battle, Obito's excitement over Rin's rescue quickly faded.
"Alright, Obito, don't make that face. You have to remember—Yuma won," Kakashi said, patting Obito's shoulder when he noticed his expression.
Kakashi understood Yuma's exhaustion very well. Summoning and controlling a giant the size of a mountain was no easy feat for anyone, let alone facing an enemy who could do the same and was even taller.
To not only win against such an opponent but also protect his comrades in the process...
That kind of wisdom, mindset, caution, and overwhelming power...
Yuma had truly become the perfect ninja.
While the two boys were processing this, Rin, as the only girl present—and the one who had been rescued—reacted differently. She stepped forward and bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle. "Yuma-kun, thank you so much!"
She was fully aware of what had happened. The moment she was captured, if not for Yuma's clone transforming into a talisman to save her, she and the others would have met a tragic fate.
"What are you talking about, Rin?" Yuma quickly helped her up and pointed to Kakashi and Obito. "We're all teammates. This is what we do for each other."
Rin looked at Obito for a moment before raising her head and smiling. "Then, Yuma-kun, thank you for your kindness."
With that, she turned and walked back to Obito's side.
Seeing this, even Yuma, despite his usual obliviousness, understood that something had changed within Rin. Normally, she would have stood between Kakashi and Obito, favoring Kakashi slightly. But now, things seemed different.
However, now wasn't the time to dwell on that. He needed to dispel his clone first.
Even though he had only used Susanoo in this battle and refrained from using Wood Style, it was best to avoid any unnecessary suspicion.
With that in mind, Yuma glanced at his clone. As if understanding his thoughts, the clone nodded before sinking into the ground, ensuring it was out of Kakashi and the others' sight before vanishing.
Wood Style was a power that couldn't be exposed yet—not until Tsunade had completed her research on the White Zetsu cells. After all, as a legitimate Hokage apprentice, Yuma needed Tsunade's backing for the use of Wood Style to be publicly acknowledged.
With his thoughts sorted, Yuma turned his attention to Obito. Now that Obito had awakened his Sharingan, with two magatama in each eye, Yuma could only marvel at its potential.
Obito's newfound strength had already reached the level of a Jōnin. To Yuma, this wasn't surprising. In the original timeline, Obito had awakened the Sharingan mid-battle and effortlessly defeated an Iwagakure Jōnin who had been toying with both Kakashi and himself.
The rest of the battle had played out simply enough. Once Yuma's main body was occupied and unable to escape, his clone, which had transformed into a talisman, saw an opportunity and sprang into action.
His Wood Style clone was formidable. The moment it appeared, it activated Susanoo. Seeing the towering, tens-of-meters-tall entity, Black Zetsu and White Zetsu didn't dare to challenge it.
After all, Black Zetsu's combat abilities had been hastily crafted by Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. Compared to his two brothers, his strength was far inferior. While he could easily manipulate ordinary shinobi, facing a fully matured Uchiha with Susanoo was beyond his capabilities.
Realizing the mission was a failure, Black Zetsu made a swift decision to retreat.
"I see. That guy really is Kaguya's sixth son," Yuma muttered with amusement. "It's hard to judge whether his caution is admirable or just pathetic."
After all, his loyalty to his mother was unquestionable. But that loyalty came at the cost of countless lives.
With the enemy forces in retreat, Yuma's team regrouped and found a secluded place to rest.
Meanwhile, the aftermath of Yuma's battle with Madara had left both Iwagakure and Konoha forces speechless.
For the Iwa-nin stationed a hundred kilometers away, the sight of two colossal Susanoo clashing was terrifying enough. Though they couldn't see the finer details, the sheer scale of the battle was overwhelming.
But for the Iwa-nin who had already deployed thousands of troops near the battlefield, their perception ninjas could see everything clearly.
Iwagakure was a village that emphasized teamwork due to its reliance on large-scale Earth Style techniques. This emphasis extended to their sensory techniques as well.
At that moment, in the Iwagakure camp, Onoki approached the sensory division with a grave expression.
Logically, at this stage of the war, Onoki should have been focusing on both Kumogakure and Konoha. The battle with Kumo involved tens of thousands of troops, whereas this battlefield only had a few thousand.
However, according to intelligence reports, Onoki had learned that Namikaze Minato—the infamous "Yellow Flash"—had arrived on the battlefield.
As the Tsuchikage of a village that had studied Konoha's tactics since its inception, Onoki knew that if Minato was here, then his students would be as well.
And among them, the one Onoki was most concerned about was Uchiha Yuma.
When he heard that the sensory division had made a significant discovery, he immediately rushed to investigate.