Chapter 9 – Dissection
If the events of tonight are ever recorded in the annals of shinobi history, then surely they'd deserve a fitting title…
Something like "The Speech on the Disbandment of the Yugami Clan and the Founding of the Ashen Order."
And just like that, the final sixteen members of the Yugami Clan burned their forehead protectors together. From that moment on, the Yugami no longer existed in the shinobi world.
But as Hajime himself said—who in the shinobi world would truly care about the disappearance of such a minor clan?
The clansmen obeyed his command, even if that command meant erasing their very name.
Not because they were fully convinced. Not because they wholeheartedly supported it. But because they didn't voice strong opposition.
Or perhaps… they simply couldn't.
But that was enough.
A few even took a more positive view of Hajime's decision. The "clan head"—well, not anymore—was now just "captain." From "Clan Head" to "Captain" sounded like a demotion, but hidden behind that title might be new possibilities… things to be dealt with in the future.
Can this really work? Who knows? At the very least, it was worth dreaming about.
The shinobi were deeply attached to their surname, their village, and their fallen comrades.
No one can truly sever ties with the past. But for now, they had to set it aside and look forward.
Look forward—that was their only choice. At least the former clan head was pointing in some direction. Whether that direction was right or wrong didn't matter as much as the fact that it kept them from standing still, from drowning in their past.
Hajime's first priority was survival, but that didn't mean giving up on revenge against the Tsugawa shinobi who destroyed their clan.
Vengeance, however, requires a foundation. They had to focus on preservation and gradually grow stronger before they could strike back.
Now that Hajime had clarified the next steps and unified everyone's mindset, the haze of uncertainty lifted. For now, they found some peace in the makeshift camp.
The next day, Hajime returned alone to the battlefield where they fought the Tsugawa shinobi.
As expected, someone had already cleaned up all three sites. No doubt—the Tsugawa shinobi had returned.
Ideally, he would've erased the evidence himself, but at the time, getting his people to safety came first. That meant the enemy had first access to the leftover intel.
Now, he could only return to the site of his "mushroom mishap" and burn the remains of the White Zetsu corpse until nothing remained.
With that final loose end tied up, he exhaled deeply. Upon returning to camp, he finally had time to examine the changes happening within himself.
Why could Hajime now use White Zetsu's techniques? Why had his body started to partially become Zetsu-like?
He suspected some sort of parasitic infection. Maybe the White Zetsu hadn't truly died—just barely clinging to life. That mushroom spore might've been its last attempt at rebirth.
And yet… instead of gaining new life, it got eaten alive.
Perhaps, in desperation, it attempted to parasitize Hajime. But due to its weakened state, the attempt failed—and the parasite was instead absorbed.
But here came the real question: Why could Hajime absorb White Zetsu?
He had no solid theory. Could it be because his soul wasn't originally from this body—because he was, in essence, a parasite himself?
Still didn't explain it.
Ordinary White Zetsu weren't known for physical prowess, so why had absorbing one boosted his physique and chakra reserves?
Unable to understand the mechanism, Hajime turned his attention to practical applications.
Beyond using Zetsu techniques like Mayfly, Spore Clone, and Imitation Transformation, Hajime noticed other changes.
When he deliberately "Zetsu-ified" parts of his body, it triggered what could best be described as partial fiberization, or even plantification.
While it didn't enhance his defense, it dramatically dulled his pain response. Injured areas that stayed in Zetsu-form healed significantly faster.
Take his wounded shoulder—it regained full mobility in three days and fully healed in seven, not even leaving a scar.
This plant-like vitality reminded him of freshly cut chives… or bamboo shoots bursting through the earth.
It wasn't on par with the absurd regeneration of some high-tier shinobi, but it was impressive enough to make him smile.
There was more.
While maintaining this Zetsu-form, Hajime noticed that under direct sunlight, his cells seemed to celebrate. He felt physically and mentally recharged.
It was as if his body had started performing photosynthesis.
Had he really become a plant person?
And then… the most significant discovery.
When Hajime fully Zetsu-ified himself, he began receiving vague mental signals. He couldn't decode them, couldn't use them to send messages—but he felt their presence.
A presence that brought peace, joy, and warmth.
At first, he couldn't understand. Then, it hit him like a lightning bolt:
This was White Zetsu's brain-channel, broadcasting "Mother is the Best" 24/7!
Only with such relentless indoctrination could thousands of Zetsus spend centuries pursuing a fake, unreachable dream.
Realizing this, Hajime immediately canceled his full-body transformation.
He wasn't about to get brainwashed into joining the "Cut-the-Moon-and-Rescue-Mom" movement.
With a clearer grasp of his transformation, Hajime's mind began to drift… toward possibility.
If just one Zetsu could supercharge him like this—improving vitality, stamina, chakra, healing…
Then what if he had more?
There were so many ways to "cook" a Zetsu, after all—raw, steamed, stir-fried, deep-fried… the possibilities were endless.
So was it crazy to imagine…
Could White Zetsu become his personal experience farm?
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