Black Zetsu Comes Knocking

"Kid, wake up. An enemy's at the door."

Late that night, Feng was dragged into the mental space by the Nine-Tails while he was sound asleep. After being slapped awake, he was kicked right back out.

Feng's anger instantly flared after having his rest disturbed and getting beaten up on top of it.

But he knew it was not the Nine-Tails's fault. It had saved his life.

The one to blame was the guy about to come knocking, so...

He swiftly tore off his loose pajamas, grabbed his weapons, and used several Body Flickers to reach the rooftop.

Feng had decided that no matter who came tonight or what they wanted, they were going to fight.

With Flying Thunder God as his backup, he feared no one but Ōtsutsuki Isshiki, who hid even deeper than Black Zetsu and possessed overwhelming strength.

"Wood Release: Cutting Technique."

Several wooden spikes pierced toward Feng from multiple directions.

There was no prelude. The battle began without warning.

Already on guard, Feng dodged the attack and sped toward the outskirts of the city.

Waiting for the enemy on the roof did not mean he intended to fight there. He had only done so to prevent the enemy from going after Aiko if he left.

If they were going to fight, then of course they would do it outside the city.

This was his home. Strictly speaking, even the capital was his home.

Fighting here, no matter the outcome, would mean wrecking his own house. He was not about to do something that stupid.

He used Body Flicker to lure the enemy away, then Flying Thunder God to retreat far into the distance.

Relying on the multiple Flying Thunder God formulas he had planted both inside and outside the capital beforehand...

It did not take long for Feng to arrive at an uninhabited beach within a radius of ten li.

Soon afterward, a black-and-white pitcher plant rose from the ground not far away, having followed him here.

"Heh, Black Zetsu? Madara didn't come, did he?"

Feng spoke first. It sounded like a question, but he had already confirmed it.

Otherwise, the first attack against him would not have been Wood Release, but an ambush using Kamui. That was far harder to guard against.

"Who exactly are you?! Uchiha Feng could not have learned Flying Thunder God, nor could he know so much."

The black-and-white Zetsu with the two-colored pitcher-plant head also spoke in a questioning tone.

But he truly was asking, because everything about Uchiha Feng was unreasonable.

"Heh, as you can see, I'm Uchiha Feng, genuine and authentic."

Feng said with a smile, his tone faintly mocking.

He was not lying. With no one else around, he had already released his Transformation Technique. His true appearance was indeed Uchiha Feng.

At the same time, the Nine-Tails's voice, audible only to him, sounded in his mind.

"Hey, kid, I believe in that future you told me about now.

"From here on, I'll help you however I can.

"Make sure this pitcher plant doesn't get what it wants."

Through what Feng saw, the Nine-Tails had now truly encountered the mastermind behind everything in the future Feng had shared with it: Black Zetsu, the Sage of Six Paths' younger brother.

Not wanting to become food for the Ten-Tails in the future, the Nine-Tails immediately made its decision: it would help Uchiha Feng kill Black Zetsu.

"Hmph. I don't care whether you're Uchiha Feng.

"Tell me, how did you learn of my true purpose?

"Don't even think of hiding anything. Since you know my identity and my purpose, you must know my abilities as well."

Black Zetsu snorted coldly and continued pressing the question, killing intent radiating from his body.

"Heh heh, you want to know? Fight me. If you win, you'll naturally learn everything.

"If you lose, then there's nothing you can do."

With a bellyful of anger, Feng said only a few words before no longer wanting to talk.

He scattered more than a dozen kunai like celestial maidens scattering flowers, sending them flying at Zetsu. Every kunai bore a Flying Thunder God formula.

"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!"

A semicircular wooden arch rose from beneath Black and White Zetsu, shielding them.

Knowing that Feng could use Flying Thunder God, they naturally would not give him an opportunity to get close.

Then, a soft shout came from within the wooden arch. "Wood Release: Thorn Kill Technique."

Several wooden pillars rose around Feng, surrounding him and attacking all at once.

He swiftly drew his blade. "Swordsmanship: Iaijutsu!"

He severed every wooden pillar rushing at him.

Then he formed hand seals with both hands, preparing to unleash the Modified Great Fireball: Blazing Fireball Technique that he had continually strengthened and modified.

But the Nine-Tails's voice suddenly sounded in his mind. "Watch the ground."

Feng immediately stopped forming seals and used Body Flicker to leave his original spot.

But he was too slow. Black and White Zetsu activated a new ninjutsu beneath his feet.

"Wood Release: Tree Binding Eternal Burial!"

Vine-like saplings wrapped around Feng's feet and rapidly crawled over his entire body before growing into a massive tree.

Joy appeared on Black and White Zetsu's faces.

But...

Whoosh!

A sound came from within the tree formed by Wood Release.

At the same time, a voice sounded from nearby.

"Modified Great Fireball: Blazing Fireball Technique; Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame."

Feng had already flashed away with Flying Thunder God. While Black and White Zetsu maintained Tree Binding Eternal Burial, he consecutively unleashed two ninjutsu.

Using the Nine-Tails's malice sensing as radar, both ninjutsu targeted the location where it detected Zetsu.

The Blazing Fireball Technique, which he had painstakingly developed, served as the arrowhead—fast and scorching hot.

The wide-range Majestic Destroyer Flame made up the damage.

The sound coming from the tree created by Tree Binding Eternal Burial was merely an echo left behind because sound traveled slower than Feng's teleportation.

Zetsu swiftly dodged, concealing himself behind the Wood Release tree and slightly blocking the two Fire Release techniques.

At the same time, "Wood Release: Tree World Wall!"

Countless wooden vines rapidly sprouted from the ground, forming a massive shield for defense.

Sizzle...

The scorching flames struck the vines, burning them and producing billowing white smoke.

Knowing there was a high chance the smoke would clear without any real damage, Feng stopped continuing the Majestic Destroyer Flame and threw a kunai bearing a Flying Thunder God formula into the white smoke.

At the same time, he softly called out, "Kurama, please replenish my chakra."

After using Body Flicker and Flying Thunder God all the way from the center of the capital to the beach, then fighting here, the chakra in his body was nearly depleted.

And after all his efforts to become the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, this was the perfect time to reap the reward.

"Hmph, no problem.

"When dealing with this guy, you can have as much chakra as you need."

With a cold snort, Kurama separated a portion of energy sufficient to fill Feng's chakra reserves and merged it into his body.

Feng frowned, forcibly suppressing the violent emotions that came with the tailed beast chakra entering his body as he rapidly restored his own chakra.

Kurama had clearly underestimated the amount of chakra it gave him. What it considered a small amount not only completely restored Feng's chakra...

It also overflowed, forming a faint Nine-Tails tailed beast cloak around his body, patterned with yellow flames tinged with orange.

It temporarily enhanced Feng's chakra reserves and physical abilities, greatly increasing his overall combat strength.

"A tailed beast cloak! You're a jinchūriki too?

"Impossible! I know the whereabouts of all nine tailed beasts. None are missing."

In the distance, the white smoke gradually dissipated, revealing Zetsu with minor burns across his body.

He ignored his injuries, allowing them to slowly heal.

His eyes remained fixed on Feng's tailed beast cloak, filled with disbelief.

"Who said a jinchūriki has to have a tailed beast?"

Seeing Zetsu cease attacking, Feng temporarily withdrew his own offensive as well and casually replied.

Having exhausted his chakra once and used everything he had mastered aside from Impure World Reincarnation and Susanoo, much of the anger in his heart had already dissipated.

If they kept fighting, they likely still would not be able to determine a victor anytime soon. It would be better to stop and have a proper talk.

Of course, Feng had no intention of telling him that the Yin Nine-Tails was sealed inside him.