Hearing Senju Syura's plan to head to the battlefield, Black Zetsu lowered his ink-black brows slightly, deep in thought, and nodded.
The battlefield was the core of conflict in the ninja world. It was the perfect opportunity to search, and perhaps he might even encounter this generation's reincarnation of Indra.
Black Zetsu remembered that the current reincarnation of Indra was the Uchiha clan's first female clan head. She had a proud and unrestrained personality and was now a central figure of the Uchiha.
A character like that would definitely appear on the battlefield.
"I'm going to tell my father.", Senju Syura could no longer hold back his excitement.
With light, quick steps, he ran toward the residence of the Senju clan head, eager to share the news that he could refine chakra again as soon as possible.
Inside the main hall of the Senju clan head.
Clenching his ink-covered left hand, Senju Syura spoke urgently and excitedly, telling his father about being able to train again.
Hearing that his son, who had been unable to train for over ten years, had regained the ability...
"Ah! This is a good thing!", The Senju clan head was stunned at first, then overjoyed. He stepped forward and firmly patted Senju Syura's shoulder, his cloudy eyes filled with relief.
He immediately ordered someone to bring the Senju ninjutsu scrolls and even handed him the prototype of the monstrous strength fist.
"Syura, your foundation has just recovered. Focus on training for two months first. After I assess your strength, we'll decide whether you can go to the battlefield. You must not rush for quick success.", The Senju clan head instructed in a deep voice, full of expectation.
"Alright!" Senju Syura nodded.
"Your hand?" The clan head looked at Senju Syura's pitch-black left hand with slight confusion.
"It's nothing, I just think it looks good like this." Senju Syura smiled.
The clan head sensed it briefly and found nothing wrong, so he nodded.
"Your taste is quite peculiar..."
———
[Dragon Vein]
Endless yellow sand rolled with scorching wind, rising and falling at the peak of the dunes in the land of the Dragon Vein.
Shima stood to the side, her brows slightly furrowed.
Gamabunta, controlling the White Zetsu body, swayed as he curiously sensed the power below.
"Wow, what a terrifying chakra fluctuation! The power of this Dragon Vein is even more massive than Mount Myoboku."
"No wonder the Great Sage specifically sent us to investigate.", Gamabunta's eyes widened as he couldn't help but exclaim.
Shima nodded solemnly, her tone carrying concern. "The Great Sage wants to relocate the Dragon Vein back to Mount Myoboku."
"Bringing such domineering power into the mountain... who knows what kind of changes it might cause."
At this point, she hesitated, worry filling her eyes.
"Senior Shima, you're overthinking it. The Great Sage will handle the relocation anyway. We're just patrolling the surroundings." Gamabunta shrugged indifferently.
Shima turned to look at him, her expression serious. "Within a fifty kilometres of the Dragon Vein, absolutely no one is allowed to enter. This matter is of great importance. There must be no carelessness."
Gamabunta immediately patted his chest and assured her, "Don't worry! Everyone within a fifty kilometres... I've already killed them all!"
"Mm... huh!?"
Shima nodded at first, then suddenly reacted, her pupils shrinking as she shouted sharply, "What did you say?!"
Seeing this, Gamabunta quickly waved his hands with a cheeky grin. "Hahaha, don't be angry, senior, I was just joking!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Shima raised her hand and slapped the top of his head with full force.
"If you keep making such reckless jokes, I'll demote you to the Moon Intelligence Department and make you a space intelligence agent for life, staring at the stars every day!"
Gamabunta rubbed his head and yelped, pouting in grievance, then leaned closer and asked, "Senior, when are we going back to the center of the ninja world?"
Shima glanced at him sideways. "Why are you in such a hurry to go back?"
"I want to see how Senior Black Zetsu's plan is progressing. Maybe I'll also take the Sage assessment in the future, so I want to learn some experience in advance.", Gamabunta chuckled, his eyes full of curiosity.
"Hah?", Shima couldn't help but laugh and patted his shoulder.
"You've got quite the long-term thinking for such a kid. I haven't even fully trained a complete sage body yet, and you're already thinking about the assessment? Wait a few more years."
———
Three months passed in the blink of an eye. The autumn wind carried golden fallen leaves as it swept across the Senju clan's training ground.
Senju Syura wore dark gray armor, standing tall, chakra surging around his body.
In his palm, fire-attribute chakra gathered as he shouted, "Fire Release: Fire Chain Bullets!"
Several fireballs shot out in succession, smashing into the stone targets and exploding with a loud boom.
He quickly formed hand seals, his chakra nature switching in an instant.
"Water Release: Water Wall!"
A light blue wall of water rose from the ground, and in the next moment, he formed seals again.
"Earth Release: Earth Swamp!"
The ground turned into a muddy bog, trapping the dummy firmly.
After finishing the ninjutsu, Senju Syura grabbed the Senju great blade. Chakra poured into both arms, and the blade carried fierce wind.
He swung out several sharp slashes in succession, and the wooden stakes in the training ground snapped instantly.
Pa!
With a seamless flow of movements, Senju Syura stopped and stood still, feeling the abundant power within his body as he clenched his fist in excitement.
"I've become stronger!", Senju Syura said excitedly.
From the palm of his left hand, Black Zetsu's ink-like face emerged, nodding with a smile. "In just two months, you've mastered three chakra natures and even grasped the prototype of the monstrous strength fist. This kind of progress is extremely outstanding."
"This is all thanks to Sage Black Zetsu."
Senju Syura's gaze was sincere, his tone humble.
"If you hadn't given me chakra and improved my control, I wouldn't have been able to handle multiple attributes, I wouldn't even be able to refine chakra at all."
Spending every day together for three months, the two had already become as close as master and disciple, as well as close friends.
Senju Syura held nothing back with Black Zetsu. From his ideals of serving the nation and his understanding of the ninja path, to the history of the ninja world, they discussed everything.
And the more he talked, the more he was amazed by Black Zetsu's knowledge.
Not only was he proficient in ninjutsu training, but he was also thoroughly familiar with the secret histories of the Senju, the Uchiha, and even all the major ninja clans.
Even the operation of power and methods of governance in ordinary nations came to him effortlessly. He could be called immensely learned.
Senju Syura couldn't help scratching his head as he asked, "Sage Black Zetsu, how do you know everything? You even understand the Senju's past better than my father. Why is that?"
Black Zetsu sneered inwardly. The history of the ninja world's clans had been personally witnessed and recorded by him, so of course it far surpassed these juniors.
On the surface, Black Zetsu remained calm and instead said, "There's no need to dwell on trivial matters. Your strength has matured, it's time for you to go to the battlefield and temper yourself. By the way, you've never killed anyone, have you?"
Senju Syura's smile instantly faded, his expression tightening slightly as he hesitated.
"I haven't killed a ninja, but I have helped the clan kill pigs…"
"Haha? Killing pigs?"
Black Zetsu couldn't help but chuckle at this, his ink-like outline trembling slightly.
Senju Syura showed a troubled expression and said softly, "Although I'm determined to serve the Senju, I still dislike killing. All living beings have lives. We shouldn't take others' lives so casually, right?"
Black Zetsu nodded slightly, his tone calm. "Your nature is actually very good. It's just a pity you were born in the wrong era."
"Right now, the ninja world is filled with bloody conflict. The era is cruel. If you had been born in the era of the first leader of the Ninja Sect, you would definitely have gained that person's favor."
"The first leader of the Ninja Sect?"
Senju Syura looked confused. "You mean the Sage of the Ninja Sect? Isn't that a figure from legend? Did such a person really exist?"
Senju Syura would never have imagined that the Black Zetsu in front of him and the long-ago Otsutsuki Hagoromo, the Sage of the Ninja Sect, were actually brothers.
Black Zetsu's figure paused slightly, a trace of melancholy rising in his heart.
Yes, to a young generation like Senju Syura, Otsutsuki Hagoromo, Asura, Indra, and the Ninja Sect had long become distant myths.
Black Zetsu sighed inwardly. It truly matched what the Great Sage had said, 'A hundred years from now, I'll a legend. A thousand years from now, I'll myth.'