Ear Pull

Ear Pull

"Interesting, how exactly did it end up like this?"

I examined the corpse I found on Naruto's path, specifically Ukon's corpse, which had a splintered wooden board lodged in his neck, with an expression of surprise and reluctance.

"When Sasuke finished his barrel ritual, did he blow it up to get out, and Ukon received the board point-blank, killing him in the process?" I said in a low voice, incredulous at the absurd convenience of the situation. "I don't know if this is bad luck or one of those plot armor things."

It didn't matter; the Valley of the End was nearby, and now I just had to position myself to "see" everything unfold from a distance using my Mantra. The moment Zetsu sticks his head out, I'll snatch a piece of him before he can react to secure the anti-Zetsu barrier.

"Sasukeeee!!"

"Narutooooo!!"

Heavens, what kind of fixation do the incarnations of Indra and Asura have to shout the name of the incarnation of the other party? It's easy to imagine how the fights with the previous ones went.

"Madaraaaa!!"

"Hashiramaaaa!!"

Yeah, it's not that complicated to replace the images in my head.

I selectively ignored their fight to pay attention to the surroundings. When Sasuke wins and leaves Naruto lying there, Kakashi will pick up Naruto, and that's when Zetsu will come out to give them a look in the back.

Interestingly, for such a cautious creature over the years, that was a quite ridiculous moment of exposure. Although I understand it was done expressly to generate anticipation.

Perhaps it was confidence in his concealment abilities?

Either way, things seem to be dragging on.

After finding a place to take cover from the momentary rain that will fall later, I took out the apple pie that Pakura and I made and started eating a piece.

Anyone seeing me now would think I'm having a picnic.

Mmm, we still need more practice. Although we're using Mikoto's recipe, we don't have it mastered enough to match the real thing.

Should I leave Sasuke a piece on the road when he leaves?

I guess I could do that; I imagine Mikoto will scold me if I don't, and it's clear that the boy hasn't eaten anything the whole day he's been running. He must be tired, cold, and hungry.

I was going to take another bite, but then I remembered about Ino and... I lost my appetite again.

I think I relaxed too much, and without realizing it, I ended up taking a nap.

Thank goodness the sound of the rain woke me up!

It would have been a real headache to try to get a piece of Zetsu under different circumstances.

Let's see...

Yes, Sasuke is on his knees while looking at Naruto's unconscious face, and he leaves without looking back. I don't even know how he has the energy to walk after all the transformation and then the fight.

Oh, then he'll take that path to leave through the trees.

Good, now that I know where he'll pass, I take out another piece of apple pie and, loading my hand with a bit of electricity to generate heat, I heat it up to make it as if it were freshly made.

He'll appreciate something warm to regain his spirits.

I'll even leave the plate with the pie next to a napkin and a fork!

He must have dirty hands, and I don't think it's very hygienic to use them right now to eat...

I could make an American version if I had some ice cream to put on top; maybe vanilla would be a good choice.

Kakashi shouldn't take long; I have time to do that, and oh, there he is.

"Sasuke..."

I don't know if Kakashi really has the right to put on that expression. Maybe he didn't see from afar how the little Uchiha was messing with his head since the encounter with Orochimaru.

Also, aren't they supposed to be busy looking for the Hyuga and Yamanaka heirs?

I can only assume he found out about Sasuke's escape and Naruto's pursuit during the search and decided to prioritize the kids from his team, or maybe Kosuke decided, at some late point, that it would be a good idea to send him.

Although, for some reason, I'm sure he didn't even bother to check if Sakura was physically or mentally okay.

I don't know if other people noticed, but Kakashi seriously ignored Sakura's training. I mean, the part where he taught them to walk on trees during the bridge mission. She only learned it, presumably, because she was there with the other two. I don't recall him taking a single minute in the series to properly teach this kunoichi.

Precisely the one who needed it the most, not only for being a civilian and not having a ton of techniques like the Uchiha or an absurd amount of chakra like the Namikaze kid. Her talent with chakra control is actually very exploitable, only when Tsunade...

Wait, Tsunade isn't in Konoha.

Then, she won't be able to become Tsunade's student, won't learn her strange strength, won't get the slug contract, or her medical guidance.

Wow, I just ruined Sakura's future a bit. Maybe I should compensate her with—there's Zetsu!

"This is getting very... Agh!" he screamed sharply like a child before starting to merge with the ground again while looking around confused. "What was that?!"

I didn't even let him finish his sentence; the moment he separated the two sides of the plant, I snatched the white ear with a buzz and stepped back after storing it in a universal capsule. I won't open this capsule until I'm in the airtight area of the lab; who knows if it has a trace of spores or something.

For a second, I worried, and rightly so. Turns out the son of a bitch almost has no electrical signal to sense him. More specifically, the black Zetsu is essentially made of chakra somewhat like the biju, while the white Zetsu, despite its lack of internal organs, still needs a nervous system to operate the body.

Just as I was getting ready to go back home, my den den mushi started ringing.