Black Zetsu

Konoha dispatched a defense force led by Mimura Yojin to engage the Hidden Stone Village ninjas, while the Namikaze Minato squad, originally sent as reinforcements, broke away from the main support group to reach the combat zone ahead of schedule.

Li Yu, clad in a black robe and wearing an Anbu mask, followed the Namikaze Minato squad from a distance of over two kilometers, tracking them through the trees and across the ground by relying on his sensory abilities.

"Teacher, are we really going to break away from the team to provide support ahead?"

"Yes, Obito."

"Everyone, pick up the pace."

A black figure, face obscured, peeked out from the tree trunks, constantly popping its head in and out of the ground and foliage; it was an eerie sight.

Li Yu, through his sensory perception, discovered this shadow and began observing it from a distance.

Based on its behavior, Li Yu confirmed that this shadow was none other than Black Zetsu.

It seems I must be even more cautious to avoid being discovered by Black Zetsu and White Zetsu.

Namikaze Minato led his squad to the front lines, quickly engaging the Hidden Stone Village forces.

He tossed out a handful of specialized kunai, activated the Flying Thunder God, and flickered through the air in a series of rapid flashes.

"Thwip, thwip."

With a continuous sound of bodies hitting the ground, the dozens of Hidden Stone Village ninjas pursuing the Konoha defense force fell like wheat before a scythe.

He successfully saved the last four members of the Konoha defense force led by Mimura Yojin.

Li Yu followed from a distance of over two kilometers, watching as the Namikaze Minato squad prepared to destroy Kannabi Bridge and split up for their respective missions.

Nohara Rin was knocked unconscious and successfully abducted by the Hidden Stone Village ninja Taiseki, who used the Ninja Art: Camouflage.

Li Yu, naturally, used his Sharingan to copy this excellent ninjutsu and immediately put it to use, making his tracking work much easier.

With this invisibility technique, combined with the Kamui of his left Mangekyo, he could use space-time displacement or intangibility if his presence were ever detected, making him as elusive and unpredictable as a ghost.

By now, they had reached the front of a cave where Obito and Kakashi were locked in a fierce battle with Hidden Stone Village ninjas, the sounds of fire explosions and clashing weapons echoing periodically.

"Boom, boom."

"Clang, clang."

Black Zetsu slipped into the cave from a corner, half of its head emerging from the shadows to enjoy the spectacle of Obito and Kakashi's fight.

"Obito, oh Obito, do be careful not to die too quickly; I'm still waiting for the rest of your show."

This method of orchestrating events from behind the scenes while watching the drama unfold was truly satisfying. Watching his targets walk step-by-step along the path he had laid out provided an unparalleled sense of gratification.

Li Yu, emboldened by his invisibility technique, walked up to Black Zetsu with a swagger, cupping his chin and observing the creature so closely his face was nearly touching it.

"Pitch black, like it's coated in a layer of charcoal—even darker than my brothers from Africa."

"To be this close to the mastermind Black Zetsu, I suppose I've become quite the character in the Naruto World myself."

Li Yu couldn't help but click his tongue, thinking to himself.

"Those two eyes look just like little lightbulbs, flickering away."

Seeing Black Zetsu's smug expression, its mouth stretched wide to its ears, Li Yu felt a burning desire to stuff something into that charcoal-colored maw.

Suddenly, during the battle, Obito missed with a Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu, sending a spray of sand and stones flying toward Li Yu and Black Zetsu.

Black Zetsu had a decent eye for danger, but seeing that the stones wouldn't hit it, it didn't move, continuing to grin as it watched the fight, harboring the thought that if Obito were accidentally killed, it would have to step in.

Seeing a perfect opportunity while Black Zetsu was focused on the fight, Li Yu curled his fingers and, as the debris struck the cave wall with a crisp sound, flicked his fingers with force.

"Pfft, pfft, pfft."

With a whistling sound, five stones of varying sizes were shot straight into Black Zetsu's gaping black mouth.

"Ah!"

Black Zetsu immediately clapped a black hand over its mouth, its cry of pain muffled by an explosion on the battlefield.

"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!" It spat out the stones, touched the two holes that had been punched through its face, and looked around in confusion, finding nothing amiss.

Li Yu, confident in his skills, stood so close that Black Zetsu hadn't even noticed him. Watching the bewildered look on the creature's face, Li Yu had to suppress his laughter, which was truly agonizing.

"Earth Style: Rock Lodging Destruction!"

The cave began to collapse as rocks fell and the ground shook violently. Taking advantage of the chaos, Li Yu jumped away from Black Zetsu, activated his Kamui space in mid-air, and vanished from the cave.

Once inside the Kamui dimension, Li Yu couldn't hold it in any longer; he clutched his stomach and burst into laughter.

"Hahaha!"

"I almost suffocated trying to hold that in—the look on Black Zetsu's face was priceless!"

"Black Zetsu is actually quite fun."

After catching his breath, Li Yu stood up and made a decision. Long-term tracking was boring, especially since he already knew the plot of the Naruto World; following along was just going through the motions.

"Black Zetsu, Old Black, Old Voldemort, Old Schemer—I'll find some entertainment in this dull tracking mission."

"I choose you."

"The 'Final Destination' series, starring Black Zetsu as the target of the Grim Reaper. I'll make it a research project to observe Black Zetsu's abilities."

Having made up his mind, Li Yu activated his left eye's Kamui. With a swirl of space-time distortion, the invisible Li Yu reappeared beside the collapsed rubble.

Kakashi replaced his left eye with Uchiha Obito's two-tomoe Sharingan and escaped the cave with Nohara Rin, only to be surrounded by Hidden Stone Village ninjas. Namikaze Minato arrived using the Flying Thunder God, slaughtered all the Hidden Stone ninjas, and took the two of them away.

There was no longer any need to track Namikaze Minato's team. Watching the team depart, Li Yu waited quietly for Black Zetsu to reappear.

After some time, he suddenly saw Black Zetsu emerge, bringing a group of White Zetsu to the collapsed cave to move rocks and rescue Uchiha Obito.

It was a bustling scene. Li Yu approached Black Zetsu again, listening to him direct the White Zetsu as they worked.

"Hurry, hurry! Don't let that brat Obito die!"

"You, yes you, don't slack off!"

"Faster, be quick about it!"

Black Zetsu was truly like a black-hearted foreman, his voice constantly grating. Even Li Yu felt a sense of injustice on behalf of the White Zetsu.

Just then, four White Zetsu carried a massive boulder, passing in front of Black Zetsu in a line.

Seeing this, a plan formed in Li Yu's mind. He approached the front of the line, relying on his invisibility. As the boulder reached Black Zetsu, Li Yu suddenly exerted force, channeling his Strength of a Hundred.

The massive rock plummeted like a thousand-pound weight, accelerating as it crashed toward Black Zetsu. A loud boom echoed out.

"Bang!"

The boulder shattered violently, kicking up a massive cloud of dust accompanied by a sharp scream: "Ah!"

Seeing this, Li Yu immediately leaped back several times to put some distance between them. This maneuver was like a Strength of a Hundred punch delivered to Black Zetsu, and he intended to observe from afar to see the results.

From within the sand and dust, a vigorous, cursing voice rang out.

"You bunch of idiots!"

"You can't even handle moving a rock!"

He watched as the White Zetsu scrambled in a panic to dig out the flattened Black Zetsu from beneath the rubble.

After getting up and twisting his body a few times, he returned to his original shape.

Li Yu sneered from a distance, Black Zetsu really isn't that easy to deal with.

It's a pity I don't have Amaterasu; I wonder if it would have had any effect.

"Found him! Found him!"

A group of White Zetsu pulled the half-mangled Uchiha Obito from the pile of rocks. Several White Zetsu quickly burrowed into Uchiha Obito's body, helping to stabilize his crushed side.

Black Zetsu, who had been throwing a tantrum, saw that the target had been found. He commanded the group of White Zetsu to sink into the ground, leaving only one behind to carry Uchiha Obito toward the Land of Grass.

Oh, so White Zetsu have this use too? They can even save someone with only one breath left.

What about Tobi? I don't seem to see that goofy Tobi among the White Zetsu.

Seeing this, Li Yu continued to follow behind Uchiha Obito, hoping to track him back to Lord Madara's base.