After White Zetsu voiced his refusal, Black Zetsu did not retreat.
The thin black membrane continued creeping up his arm.
"Your body was made for me."
White Zetsu did not answer the claim about his origins.
He only pushed his palm outward.
Cracks appeared on both sides where the black and white tissue touched.
The two had once belonged to the same network.
Now, they could no longer fuse seamlessly.
The Land of Rain's paper seals approached from outside.
Konan did not let the paper slip into White Zetsu's body.
The paper seals attached only to the exposed edges of the thin black membrane.
If White Zetsu was still controlled by Black Zetsu, this separation might be nothing more than bait.
The Tracking Team did not immediately trust him simply because he had refused once.
Gen required them to verify three sustained changes first.
First, whether the refusal persisted after Black Zetsu left his sight.
Second, whether White Zetsu could make a new choice that differed from the old commands.
Third, whether he possessed a sequence of memories that only his own experiences could connect.
Konan tightened the outer paper seals.
Black Zetsu had to choose between continuing to seize the body and preserving his remaining core.
He tore off a small piece of black tissue, trying to leave it behind White Zetsu's shoulder.
White Zetsu used his fingernails to peel away that tissue along with his own outer layer.
The action caused damage.
He still chose not to let the residue enter.
Black Zetsu escaped through a crack in the stone.
The Tracking Team did not pursue him immediately.
Seven more White Zetsu in the underground forest were still repeating old commands.
If everyone left, Black Zetsu might turn back and take control of them.
The Land of Grass