Naruto: Growing Stronger Through Healing

Ever since Uchiha Madara had hidden himself in this subterranean refuge, several decades had quietly passed.

And throughout those long decades…

Only once—during the test involving Uchiha Mikoto in the Land of Rain—had they lost a single, ordinary White Zetsu.

But this time, without any clear warning or explanation, Tobi had been eliminated.

To Uchiha Madara, this was no minor loss.

From the shadows, Black Zetsu felt the same unease.

It was precisely because of the White Zetsu that they were able to monitor nearly every corner of the Ninja World.

If someone had gained the ability to detect a White Zetsu, then that person had to be erased—immediately.

Moreover, Black Zetsu sensed that the truth behind this incident was anything but simple.

It was the instinct forged from a thousand years of scheming in darkness.

"Could that bastard Hagoromo be involved…?" The moment the thought surfaced, Black Zetsu felt a chill crawl through him.

For a millennium, he had remained hidden, acting only from the shadows, precisely because he feared being discovered by that man.

The more he thought about it, the more unsettled he became. He urged the White Zetsu to investigate at full speed.

Soon, the handful of White Zetsu currently active in the world quietly converged on Konoha, beginning a cautious and methodical investigation.

Their first stop was the location where Tobi had been killed.

"If I remember correctly… that was Orochimaru, wasn't it?"

"Definitely him. Only Orochimaru could crawl out from a snake's body like that."

Although the White Zetsu couldn't share information in real time, the way the Slug Sage Katsuyu could…

…their information network still far surpassed any known ninja system.

Data transmitted through the underground plant network was almost instantaneous.

In his final moments, Tobi had managed to pass on one crucial piece of intelligence: Orochimaru was the killer.

Tobi never knew that Orochimaru was already dead. The true culprit had been Aoshi.

"But why? Why would Orochimaru suddenly attack Tobi?"

They knew who had done it, yet the motive remained unclear.

"Konoha once obtained a White Zetsu corpse—could this be related?"

"Or maybe it was just a coincidence. Orochimaru's a Rogue Ninja now; perhaps he snuck back to contact Danzo and ran into Tobi by chance."

With too few clues, the White Zetsu could only continue speculating.

"Enough guessing. Split up—some of you monitor Danzo. The rest will track Orochimaru." The White Zetsu dispersed, melting silently into the earth.

Aoshi, of course, knew nothing of this. And even if he had, he wouldn't have cared.

If you feared Madara while weak, that was understandable.

But if you still feared him after growing strong—what was the point of becoming stronger at all?

With his current strength, even if Uchiha Madara appeared before him in person…

…Aoshi couldn't guarantee victory.

He had no idea what hidden trump cards Madara might still possess. Memories of a past life were a reference—not an absolute prophecy.

But survival? That would never be a problem.

No matter how powerful Madara was, if Aoshi chose to leave, no one could force him to stay.

At present, a Shadow Clone remained in Konoha, while Aoshi's true body had brought White Zetsu Tobi to the Secret Base.

His intention was clear. He would turn White Zetsu Tobi into his fourth Rinne Path.

Using its Substitute Technique, it would assume Danzo's identity and sow chaos within Konoha—forcing Danzo to defect.

The Substitute Technique was a unique White Zetsu ability that could even replicate chakra signatures.

Aside from Malice Perception, there was no way to see through it.

At present, Aoshi was the only person alive who possessed that perception. The only other potential candidate was Kushina.

And even if she awakened it, she would never betray him. That meant Danzo would have no way to clear his name.

Given his reputation, no one would believe his denials anyway.

Compared to killing him outright, this method was far more satisfying.

A lifelong dream of becoming Hokage—only to be branded a Rogue Ninja and hunted by his own village.

The look on Danzo's face would be priceless.

And perhaps that despair would further deepen the darkness within him, making the Zero-Tails even stronger.

With that thought in mind, Aoshi ordered Rinne Path–Hiruko and Rinne Path–Orochimaru to abandon all other tasks and perfect the Zero-Tails Formula immediately.

He could barely contain his anticipation.

Soon after, Rinne Path–White Zetsu was completed.

Under Aoshi's control, it absorbed his chakra and transformed into an exact replica of him.

If it were not a Rinne Path bound by absolute obedience, even Aoshi himself might not have been able to tell the difference.

Now that this White Zetsu was dead, it emitted no malice. Malice Perception could no longer detect it.

In other words…Rinne Path–White Zetsu had become the greatest master of Impersonation in the entire Ninja World.

Aside from Aoshi himself—and the remaining Zetsu—no one could pierce its disguise.

Afterward, Rinne Path–White Zetsu reverted to its original form.

Aoshi extracted a portion of its cells for research. Unlike ordinary White Zetsu, Tobi contained a far higher concentration of Hashirama's cells.

Using these, Aoshi believed he could develop a serum capable of awakening Wood Release.

He hadn't forgotten his promise to help Tsunade awaken that power.

Now that Orochimaru was dead, Yamato—the man who originally inherited the Bloodline Limit—would never come to exist.

Time flowed like a white steed glimpsed through a narrow crevice.

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

With the combined efforts of Rinne Path–Hiruko and Rinne Path–Orochimaru, the Zero-Tails Formula was finally perfected.

According to Aoshi's specifications, once cultivated, this new Zero-Tails would be five times stronger than the original.

Of course, greater power demanded a longer incubation period.

He had no idea how long the original Zero-Tails had taken to mature. By his estimates, this one would require at least two years.

If Danzo proved cooperative, that time could be shortened—perhaps to a single year.

"Danzo," Aoshi murmured coldly, "cherish these final two years."

With that, he handed the Zero-Tails Formula to Rinne Path–White Zetsu.

Its mission was simple: Plant the Zero-Tails inside Danzo.

Stowing the scroll, Rinne Path–White Zetsu melted into the ground and re-emerged inside Konoha Prison.

When it surfaced, it had already taken the appearance of a Root ninja.

Over the past half-month, Aoshi had quietly arranged for Rinne Path–White Zetsu to replace one of Root's members.

The infiltration was flawless. No one noticed that their comrade was no longer the man he had once been.

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