Chapter 11: A Kind of Dedication
Clearly, everyone present was one of their own... truly their own, and there was no room for suspicion between them.
Throughout the long course of history, if we were to consider the White Zetsu as a species without reproductive abilities, then by this point, most of their kind had already perished.
And if you were to ask how they died, the answer would be that the vast majority succumbed to unknown AOE (area of effect) attacks.
The deaths of the White Zetsu were shrouded in mystery, and the perpetrators themselves were often unaware they had even killed one.
Therefore, the reasoning that Hajime provided was sound and trustworthy—so much so that there were probably a few other White Zetsu who could relate to his experience.
A White Zetsu could naturally perceive the essence of another White Zetsu, and in their eyes, Hajime had no issues.
After all, they were all White Zetsu—why would they doubt each other?
For thousands of years, it was only White Zetsu disguised as other ninjas who stirred up trouble. There was no possibility of a ninja transforming into a White Zetsu without being detected.
The White Zetsu had centuries of mental inertia, and the idea that they could be disguised was beyond their comprehension. This allowed Hajime to easily infiltrate the "experience pack" of the group.
The cave was dry and spacious. After Hajime's arrival, the White Zetsu became silent again. About a day later, the White Zetsu from the surrounding area gathered here.
"22... 23..."
Hajime silently counted in his mind. There were now 23 White Zetsu gathered in this small cave.
"All here," one of the White Zetsu stepped forward and said, standing before the others.
"Is this meeting for the same reason as usual?" another asked.
"Same as always. Report any valuable intelligence, and I'll relay it to the main body."
"Nothing significant to report. A few small ninja clans were wiped out, but does that really matter?"
"I don't have any high-value intel either."
"Our surveillance area is lacking any significant targets. It's mostly small ninja clans fighting among themselves. Nothing really noteworthy."
"..."
As the White Zetsu reported, they also complained. When it was Hajime's turn, he simply replied, "Nothing," and ended his report.
After everyone had finished their reports, the one in charge spoke up:
"These past few days have been calm in the ninja world. We should increase our efforts to provoke the large ninja clans, escalate their conflicts further..."
"Calm, huh…" Hajime thought to himself. To the White Zetsu, a small ninja like him didn't even register as human.
If it was out of sight, it was out of mind. Without any noticeable impact, what was the point? Mid-sized and small ninja clans fighting each other—how could that affect the course of ninja history?
"Send two to Area 037 to strengthen surveillance. More importantly, we have other actions planned, and those sent there might be useful." The leader of the White Zetsu continued.
"Area 037?"
"Isn't that the Uchiha clan's village?"
Upon hearing that the next actions involved the Uchiha clan, one White Zetsu immediately spoke up:
"I'll go, it's too dull here."
When Hajime heard this, his mind moved, and he said, "Count me in."
Hajime couldn't act against the White Zetsu here. If any information about a ninja disguised as a White Zetsu attacking the White Zetsu got out, his cover would be blown. There was no way he could kill all 23 of them, each capable of using Kagerou.
So, he needed to find a White Zetsu that was alone, and it had to be done without arousing suspicion. There was no better opportunity than to join a mission.
"Alright, you two will be assigned to Area 037 for surveillance." The leader White Zetsu agreed, as there was no difference between one White Zetsu and another, so anyone could go.
After a brief exchange, the White Zetsu meeting adjourned, and they went off in different directions. Hajime followed his mission partner, heading towards Area 037, as he had no idea where the Uchiha village was.
...
A day later, Hajime and his White Zetsu companion were moving swiftly using the Mayfly technique, and they had long since separated from the others. There was no sign of any other White Zetsu nearby.
At this point, Hajime, who had been silently following, finally spoke up and decided to gently open the long-sealed heart of his companion.
"Do you think we can really complete that plan?" he suddenly asked, without any preamble.
"What do you mean?" The White Zetsu was caught off guard.
White Zetsu brains simply couldn't allow for such doubts to form. It was a biological, structural fact—White Zetsu were born with a singular purpose: to save "Mother." Any deviation from this was impossible.
"We've been at it for over a thousand years, yet what progress have we made? Nearly nothing. We've wasted so much time on this intangible plan. Is it really worth it?"
"There are things in this world far more meaningful, more deserving of our time and effort. Why waste time on a plan that's not even grounded in reality?"
"By the way, are you male or female? Ever thought about breeding female White Zetsu?"
"...What are you talking about?" The White Zetsu's brain was starting to short-circuit.
"I…" Hajime suddenly extended his arms, his hands coming from behind the White Zetsu, pressing on both sides of its temples.
With a twist of his hands, there was a cracking sound as the White Zetsu's head spun around one and a half times.
"You're tired. I just wanted to tell you to rest."
"Abandon collective thinking, embrace individualism. Though you've lost your life, you've gained eternal liberation. How does that feel? Isn't it like the moment you let go of 'Mother'—you finally see the vast world?"
Let's just say, Hajime was always considerate of others.
After brief contact, most people would come to the conclusion, "He's not so bad, really."
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