Steam and rubble had yet to fully disperse, and the air inside the cavern remained scorching and turbulent.
Drawing on the perception and strength granted by Sage Mode, Black Zetsu barely managed to steady himself.
Black substance still seeped from the stump of his left arm. Natural energy was slowly repairing the wound, but it could not come close to keeping pace with his losses.
Black Zetsu wasted no more time and sank his consciousness back into his body.
System! Give me a way to escape, right now!
I can't beat him head-on! Dual Kamui plus Wood Release—there's no way I can withstand that as I am now! Is there a forced escape option, or some way to hide in another dimension for a moment?!
The system remained as cold as ever and simply fell silent.
Black Zetsu's expression instantly darkened.
System? Are you playing dead?!
He cursed inwardly, but he had no time to dwell on it.
Sage Mode's remaining duration was visibly ticking away. If he stalled any longer, he would lose even his chance to escape.
Meanwhile—
In the Void.
Manji hovered high in the air, his gaze passing through layers of space to settle on a patch of wasteland outside Amegakure.
Three young people sat together there.
Yahiko propped up his chin, gesturing animatedly as he spoke. Nagato listened quietly, occasionally nodding, while Konan smiled gently and bandaged their wounds.
This was where Manji most needed to keep his attention—the future Akatsuki, its true core. He could not allow anything else to go wrong.
Just then, a familiar, mechanical system notification suddenly rang clearly through his perception.
[Host detected in a critical situation.] [Current recommendation: prioritize survival...]
Manji abruptly froze.
He knew that voice all too well.
It belonged to the system he had