"You're Black Zetsu!?" Sasuke had encountered Black Zetsu during the Chunin Exam.
But Black Zetsu and Obito had fled too quickly back then, so they never got the chance to fight.
Sasuke drew the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi with a backhand motion, but he did not attack immediately.
Instead, he immediately sprinted toward the Konoha outpost.
He was not sure who Black Zetsu's target was—him, or the people from Sunagakure.
Sasuke's mission was to bring Kazuo and the others from Sunagakure, who had surrendered, back to Konoha.
If Black Zetsu was after him, he needed to draw him away from the rendezvous point.
And prepare to kill Black Zetsu in return.
Black Zetsu froze slightly. He had not expected Sasuke to simply turn and run.
But he merely snorted coldly and formed a Swift Release hand seal.
His figure shot after Sasuke like a ghost.
Sasuke leaped into the air, twisting around to face Black Zetsu.
With a flick of his wrist, he fired several Shuriken.
Black Zetsu narrowed his eyes. His body turned bluish-black, and with a wave of his hand, he knocked every Shuriken aside.
His speed barely changed.
Sasuke's Mangekyō Sharingan fixed on Black Zetsu's approaching figure as lightning burst from his hand.
Just as Black Zetsu raised his hand to absorb the Lightning Release, he realized Sasuke's move was only a feint.
Taking advantage of Black Zetsu raising his hand, Sasuke tilted his wrist, and the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi darted toward Black Zetsu's eyes like a nimble serpent.
Though startled, Black Zetsu did not panic. He merely turned his face aside and shut his eyes, and the Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi sliced across his eyelid.
An eyelid was only a thin layer of flesh. Even with Steel Release activated, Sasuke's blade still scraped up a shower of sparks.
Black Zetsu swung his hand toward