Analysis
If the events of this night were ever recorded in the history of the shinobi world, they would undoubtedly earn some dramatic title—
something like "A Discourse on the Dissolution of the Hanegami Genji Clan and the Birth of the Ash Organization."
Afterward, the remaining sixteen members of the Hanegami Genji clan burned their headbands together.
From that moment on, the Hanegami Genji ceased to exist.
But as Yu Zhen had said, who would truly care whether such a minor clan lived or died?
The survivors obeyed Yu Zhen's orders—even when those orders meant abandoning their ancestral name.
This didn't mean they supported the directive wholeheartedly; only that none voiced strong opposition.
Perhaps they simply could not voice it. And that was enough.
A few shinobi interpreted Yu Zhen's decision more optimistically.
The clan leader—no, the former clan leader—would no longer carry the burden of that title.
From clan leader to mere captain seemed like a demotion, yet the word "captain" also hinted at the possibility of transformation.
Could this new identity open doors a clan name never could?
Who knew—if only in dreams.
They still carried attachments: to the Hanegami name, to their home, to their dead.
No one truly abandons the past.
But now they had to set it aside—and walk forward.
At least Yu Zhen was pointing them somewhere.
Whether that direction was right or wrong mattered less than the fact that it was movement, not stagnation or despair.
Yu Zhen prioritized survival, yet this didn't mean abandoning vengeance against the Tsugawa shinobi who had destroyed their clan.
Revenge required time, strength, and opportunity. They possessed none of these yet.
But they would.
After giving orders and stabilizing morale, Yu Zhen returned alone to yesterday's battle sites.
As expected, the Tsugawa shinobi had already erased all traces from the three battlefields.
It would have been ideal if he could wipe them himself—but he had no choice; protecting his people came first.
Next, Yu Zhen located the site of his "mushroom-eating incident" and completely burned the White Zetsu corpse.
Only after finishing these matters did he finally have time to examine the changes in his body.
Why could he use White Zetsu techniques—and even partially become a White Zetsu?
His theory: he had been subjected to a kind of failed parasitism.
The White Zetsu, though still barely alive, was overwhelmingly weakened.
Its "sprouting" was likely a desperate attempt at regrowth—a trait consistent with White Zetsu physiology in the manga, which uses plant-cell regeneration derived from Hashirama's wood-style cells.
When Yu Zhen devoured it mid-rebirth, the White Zetsu instinctively attempted to parasitize him.
But due to its near-death state, the parasitism failed—resulting instead in reverse assimilation.
The real question was: why could Yu Zhen's body assimilate White Zetsu material at all?
He had no concrete explanation.
Was it because his soul had originally seized this body?
Was the host body already unstable or altered in ways he didn't understand?
Or perhaps the world simply lacked a logical explanation.
White Zetsu are famed for their exceptionally durable bodies and enormous chakra reserves.
Thus Yu Zhen's improved physique and chakra capacity after assimilation made sense.
But without any means of deeper analysis, Yu Zhen shifted from theory to practicality.
Aside from Mayfly, Spore Technique, and Disguise Technique, he discovered another effect:
When he "White-Zetsu-ized" part of his body, it behaved like partial plant-fibrosis.
This transformation didn't harden his defenses much, but it drastically reduced pain perception.
And when left in that state, the transformed areas regenerated far more quickly—consistent with White Zetsu's plant-based regenerative traits.
His shoulder injury, for example, barely hindered him after three days and fully healed in seven, without a scar.
This regeneration reminded him of cut chives regrowing or bamboo shoots bursting from the soil.
No, it didn't match the monstrous vitality of Hashirama's true cells or Akatsuki's modified White Zetsu units, which could regenerate mid-battle—
But for him, it was more than enough.
Even more strangely, when transformed, he felt that direct sunlight invigorated him.
His body seemed to drink in warmth and light, replenishing stamina.
Was he performing photosynthesis now?
It was absurd—but the feeling was real.
Yet the most important discovery came when he fully transformed.
A faint stream of information entered his mind—not words, but impressions.
He suspected this link came from the remnants of the White Zetsu, or perhaps from the collective consciousness shaped over centuries by Black Zetsu.
He couldn't decipher the content.
He couldn't communicate through it.
But the sensation was unmistakable:
A presence—calm, joyful, warm.
At first he didn't understand.
Then realization struck.
This was the same indoctrination that led countless White Zetsu to devote themselves to an impossible dream for a thousand years—
A subconscious echo of "Mother is good; Mother must be saved."
The Infinite Tsukuyomi.
The Eye of the Moon Plan.
Understanding this, Yu Zhen immediately severed the transformation.
Becoming mentally influenced by that will—Kaguya's will—was a path with no return.
If he unknowingly joined the "Split the Moon to Save Mother" cult, everything would collapse.
Once he grasped the nature of his mutation, Yu Zhen shifted his thoughts toward more pragmatic ideas.
If one White Zetsu could fortify his body, boost his chakra capacity, and grant him multiple jutsu activations—
Then what about more White Zetsu?
There were many ways to prepare a meal.
Raw wasn't the only option; there was steaming, braising, stir-frying, deep-frying…
So perhaps—
White Zetsu could become Yu Zhen's personal "experience packs."
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