Black Zetsu felt the corner of his mouth twitch uncontrollably.
The stairs?
What did he mean, the stairs?!
Those casually spoken words felt more absurdly insulting than any arrogant declaration or elaborate account of an infiltration. It was as though his intelligence had been ground into the dirt.
Were all those Kirigakure ninja outside good for nothing?
Was the sensory barrier just for show?
Were the ANBU wooden dummies?
So he was saying that a Konoha ninja had walked over from the front lines, entered Kirigakure as though no one else existed, strolled into the heavily guarded Mizukage Building, and then taken the stairs straight up to the Mizukage's Office without a single person stopping him?
This was no mere successful infiltration. He had treated Kirigakure's entire defensive network as though it didn't exist!
He had treated every guard and barrier as blind, deaf, and stupid!
No, he hadn't merely treated the guards as blind, deaf, and stupid. In his presence, they had all become blind, deaf, and stupid!
What kind of Grand Assassin was this?!
Black Zetsu couldn't help roaring inwardly.
After the shock and absurdity came even deeper wariness and murderous intent. Anyone who could reach this place so easily had frighteningly unpredictable abilities. He couldn't be allowed to live!
"Heh, heh... Judging by your outfit, you're from the Aburame Clan, aren't you?"
Black Zetsu forcibly suppressed the turmoil inside him and gave a cold chuckle, feigning composure as he tried to regain control of the conversation and the upper hand. "Whether or not I'm Uchiha Itachi isn't for you to decide."
As he spoke, he rapidly considered his options.
His opponent had seen his face and realized he wasn't Itachi.
But that didn't matter. This body still belonged to Uchiha Itachi and possessed the powerful Mangekyō Sharingan.