The next morning, after finishing his routine tasks, Uchiha Gen headed straight to one of Orochimaru's usual research bases.
There was no point checking Orochimaru's house as he rarely stayed there.
More often than not, he practically lived in his laboratories.
As expected, Gen found him deep in experimentation.
"How's it going, Orochimaru-sensei?"
"After some preliminary dissection, there are indeed traces of Wood Release," Orochimaru replied without looking up. "And the body structure is… highly unusual."
Gen: "…"
That wasn't what he was asking.
"S-Sensei, I mean… are there any spares?"
"I requisitioned six specimens. Two of them are sealed in scrolls in the lounge."
"Perfect. Then I won't disturb you any further."
"Mm." Orochimaru didn't even glance his way, fully absorbed in his work.
Gen slipped into the lounge, retrieved the scrolls, tucked them away, and left the base without hesitation.
Instead of returning home, he made his way beyond Konoha's walls.
Ever since becoming captain of Team Nine, his comings and goings from the village had become a trivial matter.
Once he reached a secluded area in the west which was far from people, animals, and potential spies, he stopped.
Soul perception!
After confirming the coast was clear, Gen unsealed the scroll with a few practiced hand signs.
Bang! Bang!
Twin bursts of white smoke dissipated, revealing two lifeless White Zetsu corpses lying on the damp ground.
Gen raised his right hand. A small, glowing orb of pure white light formed above his palm, pulsing faintly. He split a fragment from his soul core and infused it into the light before guiding it down.
Ever since transmigrating, he'd learned that the true seat of his Soul-Soul Fruit power wasn't in his heart, but in the very core of his soul. Only fragments split from that core carried the ability to steal souls and lifespans.
Splitting from anywhere else just produced ordinary shards of consciousness.
The efficiency wasn't nearly the same, of course.
Where his main body could harvest hundreds of souls at once, a split fragment could barely manage three or four. But efficiency didn't matter here. If it worked, White Zetsu, tireless, fast, and disposable would become the perfect reapers.
Heart beating a little faster, Gen cast the orb into the first body.
There was no drawn-out process, no dramatic resistance. Either it would work instantly… or not at all.
The White Zetsu twitched. Its eyes snapped open. In one smooth motion, it rolled to its feet and dropped to one knee.
"Greetings, Master!"
Gen's carefully blank face cracked into a grin. The storm inside him burst into silent triumph.
Hah. Success. Success!
On the outside, he quickly smoothed his expression, hands clasped behind his back. His voice dropped into a calm, commanding tone.
"Rise."
"Yes."
Following the same process, he awakened the second corpse.
"Greetings, Master!"
"Rise."
"Yes."
He regarded them both thoughtfully. "From now on, you are Shiroichi and Shiroji."
The names, borrowed from the underworld's Black-and-White Impermanence, would mark them as his agents of death. When more White Zetsu joined, he could simply number them in sequence. Simple, efficient, no wasted thought.
"Thank you for the names, Master," the two said in unison.
"Good. Your purpose is simple; roam the world and capture souls for me.
At regular intervals, I'll summon you to hand them over. As your reward, I'll grant you one-third of the lifespans you gather."
A horse runs faster when fed; a tool works longer when maintained. Force could only take him so far.
The Homies bowed low. "Yes, Master."
"Remember... be careful whom you target. First, only those you can actually defeat. Second, aim for villains and criminals. If you're careless, know this, the life I give you, I can take back just as easily. Understood?"
The chill in his tone made their faces stiffen. "Understood!"
"Start with the weak, then move up to stronger prey. Don't draw unnecessary attention."
"Yes, Master."
Gen allowed himself a small nod. Not bad. Smarter than the average White Zetsu by far. With training, they'd become excellent reapers and maybe even undercover operatives within Obito's forces one day.
"Your current strength isn't enough. I'll give you some ninjutsu. Relax your minds."
"Yes."
He formed a seal. Half his soul slipped free of his body, split into two, and entered theirs. In their shared mental space, he passed on earth and water style techniques which was best suited to their physiology along with illusions. Through careful chakra control, he even guided their hands through the seals.
By the time he withdrew, both had learned the basics. With practice, they could overwhelm even seasoned special jōnin.
Satisfied, Gen gave their first assignment.
"Head north. Infiltrate the prisons of the Fire Nation. Collect the souls of every death row inmate. If anyone stronger than you appears, don't fight just flee."
"Yes, Master!"
The pair sank into the earth, vanishing in different directions.
Gen folded his arms, watching the ripples fade. White Zetsu's transformation was unmatched and even close comrades or sensor-nin couldn't distinguish them once disguised. He didn't need to worry about appearances or clothing; they could replicate anything perfectly.
Good. Then I'll take the southern prisons myself.
If everything went according to plan, the souls of every condemned prisoner in the Fire Nation would be his. Enough, perhaps, to finally push him over the edge.
The Mangekyō Sharingan.
And if it wasn't enough… then the prisons of the entire shinobi world would be next.
I must awaken it soon.