[NTU] [ARC-26] Chapter : 338

"Kabuto, when are you planning to act?"

Black Zetsu’s tone was low, but laced with impatience. He knew exactly what Kabuto was up to—and had even covertly helped him set the stage, ensuring everything moved according to plan.

Of course, all of it had been done behind the scenes. No one else knew.

"No rush," Kabuto replied casually, not even bothering to look directly at him. "There’s one more thing I need to handle first."

"You..."
Black Zetsu frowned. Even now, at such a critical juncture, Kabuto was still playing his own game.

"Are you planning to ignore Nagato’s orders?"
There was genuine concern in his voice. Kabuto held a crucial "piece"—a contingency carefully prepared. If something went wrong, the entire operation could collapse.

"Relax," Kabuto said, brushing aside the accusation. "I’ll follow the plan. Just not yet."

He gave no further explanation.

"Of course," he added, "I’ll take action... right after I finish my own business."

As if on cue, a small white snake slithered up beside him, flicking its tongue and hissing softly. Kabuto bent slightly, as though listening.

"You found it?"
The tone in his voice shifted. Something important had just been confirmed.

"Good. Just get me the sacrifice—I’ll need it shortly."

He was already preparing to leave. Staying under Black Zetsu’s watchful eye didn’t suit him. He had no intention of being monitored.

"You..."
Black Zetsu hesitated, then reluctantly nodded. "Fine. But remember what you promised—"

"Don’t worry," Kabuto cut in. "The Impure World Reincarnation army is ready. Once I’ve handled my own matter, and I have the sacrifices, I’ll summon them."

Strangely enough, he had agreed too easily.

Black Zetsu narrowed his eyes.
So he’s not completely aligned with Nagato after all.

He had initially believed Kabuto was being watched on Nagato’s orders. But now, it was clear: Kabuto had his own agenda.

"Are you really letting him go like that?"

White Zetsu watched Kabuto leave, taking a sizable number of his clones with him, clearly unhappy.

"He hasn’t summoned the Impure World Army yet—and what about Madara?"

"It doesn’t matter," Black Zetsu said calmly. "He’ll summon Madara. That much is certain."

He wasn’t worried. Kabuto, for all his cunning, was still a prisoner of fate—a man lost in the illusions of the shinobi world.

In the end, he would play the role assigned to him... just like all the others.

—

"Sasuke, don't push so recklessly!"

On the battlefield, Fugaku—captain of the Konoha Police Force—called out sharply to his younger son, who was cutting a path through the enemy lines.

"It’s too dangerous to charge that deep into enemy territory!"

Since his return to Konoha, Sasuke had grown increasingly cold and withdrawn. The spark he once had was gone, replaced by a brooding intensity.

"Don’t worry, Father."

With a flick of his wrist, Sasuke pierced another White Zetsu through the chest with his Kusanagi blade, barely glancing at the warning.

He wasn’t afraid.

"Watch out!"

Fugaku’s eyes widened—beneath Sasuke’s feet, a pale hand burst from the ground, grabbing for his ankle.

Zzzzt!
Lightning surged.

Sasuke reacted instantly. A Chidori-style jolt exploded from his body, frying the attacker in a flash of raw electricity.

For some reason, the Chidori series—developed by the head of the Uchiha clan—felt unnaturally perfect for him. This particular variant was especially effective at neutralizing these strange enemies.

"Aaargh!!"

The Zetsu let out a shrill scream before Sasuke darted away from the spot. Then he turned and watched in disbelief as the creature's body began to twist.

From the remains, a tree began to grow—rapidly. Within moments, it had become a massive, gnarled trunk, with the fallen Zetsu at its core.

"What are these things?"

Before Sasuke could process what he had just witnessed, his father’s voice cut through the chaos—tinged with sternness and subtle disappointment.

"Sasuke, I know you've spent years trying to prove yourself. And now, with Naruto missing, I can sense your frustration."

"But that doesn't excuse reckless behavior on the battlefield!"

Fugaku spoke firmly, stepping forward after cutting down a nearby White Zetsu with swift precision. His words weren’t just a reprimand—they carried the weight of hard-earned battlefield wisdom.

"The real battlefield is nothing like the duels between shinobi. One wrong step, and you’ll find yourself surrounded by endless enemies."

"You’re not only putting your own life at risk—but endangering your comrades as well."

Sasuke remained quiet for a moment, then muttered, "I understand, Father."

"You—hmph."
Fugaku frowned, clearly unconvinced by Sasuke's indifferent tone. He opened his mouth to continue, but then hesitated.

This wasn’t the time or place to scold his son. War didn’t wait for family lectures.

With a heavy sigh, he turned away. Both my sons are difficult in their own way, he thought bitterly.

One’s a genius who always goes his own way. If not for the Hokage’s intervention, he might’ve gone down a darker path.
The other—once cheerful, now hardened—grows more rebellious with each passing day.

"Stay sharp!"
That was all he could manage before dashing off to rejoin the Uchiha forces. They were locked in combat not far off—and they needed their leader.

As his father disappeared into the chaos, Sasuke went right back to fighting.

With the speed of a predator and the precision of his Kusanagi sword, he weaved through the ranks of White Zetsu like a phantom. He made quick work of them, clearly underestimating their threat.

But he had reason to be confident.

Years of brutal, self-imposed training under Orochimaru had shaped him into something beyond an ordinary shinobi. These White Zetsu were no match.

Still, as he moved, his mind wasn’t fully on the battle.

"They say Naruto has grown a lot… even mastered Sage Mode."

His brows furrowed as he slashed through another enemy. The thought kept gnawing at him—if they were to face off today, who would win?

The Hokage is the clan leader now… Orochimaru’s quietly allied with the village... My return to Konoha caused barely a ripple.

They’d only seen each other briefly since then—assigned to different missions by the Hokage with barely time to exchange words, let alone spar.

Then came the war—and Naruto had been quickly placed under tight protection. The chance to test their strength against one another had slipped away again.

"Is it the Mangekyō that's holding me back?"

The idea stung more than he expected.

It was one thing to trail behind Itachi… but Naruto?
That filled Sasuke with a sharp, frustrating bitterness.

Determined to shake it off, he ignored his father's warning and pushed deeper into enemy ranks, cutting his own path into the heart of the battlefield.

"Cocky brat!"

His arrogance wasn’t lost on the White Zetsu. One of them—furious and snarling—suddenly hurled a barrage of kunai toward him.

"Tch. Pathetic desperation."

With his three-tomoe Sharingan, Sasuke calmly tracked the trajectory of each blade. They were nothing to him—he deflected them with ease.

But something caught his eye.

"Wait... weapons?"
He hadn’t expected them to use tools.

And more curiously—
"What are these markings on the kunai?"

His gaze narrowed. Something was off.