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Chapter 13 — White Zetsu Spores
After mastering the Chimera Technique, Alex noticed his sensory ability had greatly improved.
That was when he suddenly remembered—White Zetsu spores!
He immediately told Konan.
"White Zetsu spores?" Her expression stiffened. "You mean… one of them might be parasitizing me?"
[Yes.] Alex's script appeared clearly.
[White Zetsu's body is special—it can reduce itself to microscopic spores, invisible to the naked eye, and attach to shinobi to collect intelligence.]
Konan's face turned grim. Without hesitation, she unclasped her torn Akatsuki cloak and slipped it off, revealing only a black short vest beneath—slim, form-fitting, and leaving most of her snow-white skin exposed.
For Alex, it was almost too much to handle.
She really doesn't treat me as an outsider… he thought, trying to look "professional" while secretly appreciating the view.
Fragrance and warmth lingered in the air.
Konan, oblivious to his inner turmoil, lowered her head and examined herself carefully. She ran her hands along her body, channeling sensory ninjutsu to detect any irregularities.
Just imagining that repulsive white creature clinging somewhere to her skin made her scalp crawl.
"Nothing…? Still nothing?" Her brow furrowed deeper.
Despite her thorough check, she found no trace of infiltration.
Seeing that, Alex reluctantly tore his attention away from the scenery—this wasn't the time for appreciation. They needed to eliminate any possible threat.
[Konan, let me handle the search. Please bear with it—it'll be quick.]
Konan nodded, calm as always.
Alex landed on her right palm, his entire sheet flattening against her skin. Then he began spiraling upward—slowly scanning every inch, wrapping both front and back of her hand before moving up her arm.
Konan's body trembled faintly. It felt… strange—like a warm, soft touch gliding methodically over her skin, gentle yet constant.
When he reached her shoulder and neck, then slid behind her collarbone, the sensation grew stronger. The moment he began to check near her chest, she instinctively raised a hand to stop him—then hesitated, exhaled, and let it pass.
She trusted him.
Oh-hoh… this job suits me a little too well, Alex thought with restrained excitement.
Determined to be thorough, he slowed down, scanning meticulously. His touch was feather-light, ensuring no spot went unchecked.
Konan's icy composure wavered. A flush crept across her pale cheeks as her heartbeat quickened. She clenched her teeth, forcing her back straight, trying to suppress the odd tingling warmth rising within her.
Only when Alex finally left that area did she release a shaky breath of relief.
But before she could relax fully, she realized he was gliding downward again—toward—
"No." Her voice came sharp and absolute as she pressed her thighs together.
"Akatsuki, you don't need to check there. I'm sure White Zetsu isn't hiding in that spot."
[Alright.] The visible half of Alex's paper displayed two words in black ink: acknowledgment.
When she eased again, he changed direction, continuing his careful inspection elsewhere.
At last, after checking every visible inch, he found something suspicious—behind her left knee.
[Found it.]
He stuck there and his surface flared with crimson light—the energy of the Chimera Technique surged outward.
The instant it touched the anomaly, a white gelatinous lump began to swell rapidly, forcing itself free from Konan's body and splattering onto the ground.
It expanded and took form—revealing the pale, twisted figure of White Zetsu.
"You… you actually found me?!" it stammered, eyes wide.
It couldn't comprehend it—its spore form emitted no chakra signature, no physical trace. Yet somehow Konan had detected and forced it out. That red light… that foreign chakra… the moment of contact had completely disrupted its disguise.
"White Zetsu! So you really were there." Konan's expression turned cold as frost.
Without a word, she formed a paper kunai and hurled it.
Thud! The weapon buried itself deep in Zetsu's forehead.
No hesitation. No mercy. She wanted this disgusting parasite erased from her body and her life.
Zetsu collapsed backward with a dull thump.
[His body's unique—store it with a sealing scroll. It might be useful later.]
Alex floated a scroll toward her.
White Zetsu's body was a relic of ancient transformation—once human, drained by the God Tree, then later cultivated by Madara with Hashirama's cells. It even contained traces of Wood Release—but it was far from a proper Chimera target. For that, a Senju body would be far better.
Poof! Konan sealed the corpse inside the scroll.
Then she said, "Akatsuki, the moment that thing was exposed, I felt a chakra ripple—it must have sent a signal. Obito probably knows where we are."
Alex nodded. He's probably already on the move.
[Konan, gather everything. We're leaving. Now.]
Konan swiftly packed up what little they had, then turned to him. "My chakra's nearly depleted again—I haven't had time to recover."
Alex froze for half a second. The chakra he'd given her earlier was already gone.
But there was no choice.
[Let's go. I'll recharge you mid-flight.]
He flew to her chest and pressed himself there, transmitting chakra directly into her.
"Mmh~"
The soft hum escaped Konan's lips before she could stop it. The steady warmth flooding into her body was… deeply soothing.
Energized, she didn't waste a moment—bursting from the cave and shooting into the sky, leaving the area behind.
Less than a minute later, a spatial vortex opened inside the empty cavern.
Obito stepped out, his single Sharingan glowing red as he surveyed the deserted chamber.
"White Tiger… You slipped away again." His voice was low, seething with killing intent.
[T/N: In this fanfic, Konan is occasionally referred to as the "White Tiger." I'm guessing this comes from the Akatsuki ring she wears on her right middle finger, which bears the kanji for "white" (白, read as byaku or haku).]
"Lord Madara, I notified you immediately," Black Zetsu said, rising from the ground.
"We have more important matters. One rogue traitor isn't worth wasting time. When our plan succeeds, she won't be able to run anywhere—and your revenge will be complete."
It spoke smoothly, though its tiny yellow eyes flicked unconsciously toward Obito's lower half. It still couldn't fathom why this man had such an obsession with that part of his body. Even when young, he had begged Madara to fix it, and now he still forced Zetsu to "repair" it again.
Was that thing really so important?
"Keep searching for the White Tiger," Obito commanded coldly. "Black Zetsu—just do as I say. This won't delay the plan."
"Fine," Zetsu muttered and sank into the earth. Obito activated Kamui and vanished, leaving the cave silent once more.
…
High above the clouds, Konan soared through the sky.
"Where are we going next?" she asked, her voice calm but still strained.
A paper slip floated in front of her, Alex's words forming neatly upon it:
[To Takigakure.]
From Konan's earlier words, he'd deduced that their current region lay within the Land of Waterfalls—and Takigakure might hold something he needed.
Their next stop was set.