Ten White Zetsu dropped from the sky, surrounding Kuroki . Their right arms swung in graceful arcs, clenched fists crashing down like they carried the weight of a thousand pounds!
Swish—
A perfectly dark crescent spun through the air as the black blade, Dark Moon, sliced its path, leaving a trail of ghostly sharpness.
The White Zetsu looked bewildered and shocked. In the next instant, their heads and fists separated cleanly from their bodies, falling to the ground like rain.
Kuroki elegantly sheathed the blade.
He glanced at the black sword, feeling the process of the slash. The hilt of Dark Moon was smooth and delicate to the touch, its blade light and sharp, cutting through the hard bodies of the White Zetsu like slicing through water without any resistance.
Moreover...
It gave Kuroki a strong sensation of desire, as if it could absorb energy and awaited its master to fill it.
Staring at the Dark Moon tightly gripped in his right hand, Kuroki raised his left hand, forming the "Boar" sign to convert his chakra into the fire attribute.
A scorching hot energy gathered from his body's chakra pathways, converging in his throat.
Taking an unconventional approach, Kuroki directed the fiery chakra towards his right hand, which held the sword.
A strange scene unfolded.
The black blade Dark Moon, as if receiving a much-needed rain, emitted a mysterious black mist that swirled around Kuroki 's right hand. The mist penetrated his skin, absorbing the fire chakra from his right arm and infusing it into the blade.
Suddenly, the air seemed to ignite, and the temperature surged.
From the hilt down, the straight blade burned with intense, black flames, reminiscent of Amaterasu's black fire, as though it would never extinguish.
"Is this... chakra enchantment?"
Kuroki was astonished. He could foresee that if Dark Moon struck an enemy now, it would surely have a burning effect from the fire-attributed chakra.
The White Zetsu, who were attacking the Uchiha, suddenly stopped, turning their heads to look back.
They keenly sensed the sudden rise in temperature in the area, and the air gradually drying.
The White Zetsu, skilled in Wood Style, were particularly sensitive to changes in humidity and temperature.
Their eyebrows rose, eyes widened, as they stared at the long sword in Kuroki 's right hand, burning with black flames, displaying the genuine fear of a beast facing a natural predator.
No plant fears fire...
The White Zetsu halted their attack.
The Uchiha, who had been fighting for their lives, breathed a sigh of relief and quickly helped their injured comrades gather together to avoid being scattered by another assault.
They were also amazed to notice the change in their captain, Kuroki .
"What kind of jutsu is that?"
One Uchiha stared intently at the Dark Moon enveloped in black flames, eyes unblinking.
This question was beyond anyone's expertise.
None of his companions could answer.
Kuroki walked straight toward the White Zetsu, his right hand gripping the Dark Moon as the black flames flared up, as if ready to melt the very world.
Dark Moon continued to absorb the fire-attributed chakra relentlessly, maintaining this enchanted state.
Fortunately...
The effects of that pill had not worn off yet, and Kuroki 's strength and chakra recovery rate were currently ten times greater than usual!
Although the White Zetsu showed fear, facing the black flames, they all took two steps back, their expressions once again turning ferocious.
They abandoned attacking the nearby Uchiha, swarming toward Kuroki alone.
Boom—
The scorching black flames flared up once more as Kuroki swung the Dark Moon, the long blade cutting through the air like a wall of black fire.
His movements were swift and agile.
Darting between the encircling White Zetsu.
Each slash of Dark Moon cleaved several White Zetsu in half, and then the blazing black flames burned their bodies instantly.
These White Zetsu possessed immense vitality and wouldn't die from ordinary blades or kunai.
But facing the inextinguishable black flames, they were like wood waiting to be consumed by fire.
The Uchiha stood in stunned silence, having never seen Kuroki use such techniques.
Izumi and Mikoto gazed at Kuroki , lost in thought.
"Don't just stand there!"
Uchiha Nanfeng spoke, forming hand seals with both hands, refining his chakra and converting it into fire-attribute chakra before launching a Great Fireball Jutsu.
In an instant—
The other Uchiha followed suit, performing various Fire Release techniques.
High-temperature fireballs bombarded the clustered White Zetsu one after another, lighting up the night as thick smoke billowed and flames soared.
The battle quickly turned one-sided.
Of the remaining White Zetsu in this group, a few stood there, paralyzed with fear.
Their fate was sealed, as Kuroki 's Dark Moon sliced off their heads and the black flames consumed their bodies.
The intense black flames burned the White Zetsu to ashes, only extinguishing after half a minute.
In the distance...
In the forest.
Beneath the mask, Obito's Mangekyō Sharingan reflected the sea of fire, his expression gradually darkening.
A pill that instantly restores stamina.
A pitch-black sword engulfed in black flames.
"Just how many secrets are you hiding?"
Obito clenched his teeth, eyes wide, realizing that he was becoming increasingly uncertain about this fellow clan member.
...
A rugged mountain path.
Kuroki dominated the battlefield, leaving only the remaining White Zetsu, which the Uchiha could handle.
He stopped charging the Anmoon.
At this moment, the effects of the medicine had worn off.
Kuroki 's face showed signs of fatigue.
Without the supply of fire-style chakra, the black flames burning on the Anmoon slowly faded and extinguished, returning to its pitch-black, unremarkable blade.
"How much longer?"
Kuroki calmly looked at Nono.
"Eight minutes!"
Nono's expression was serious as she bit her lip, sweat the size of beans forming on her forehead, while the medical ninjutsu from her hands continued.
Under the glow of green chakra, 60% of Tamio's external wounds had healed, but it was still far from a full recovery.
Kuroki frowned deeply, then turned and walked toward the gathered Uchiha, his cold gaze sweeping over them.
The Uchiha, who were busy executing the White Zetsu on the ground, felt a chill down their spines as their captain, Kuroki , watched them.
After a quick inspection, Kuroki 's eyes landed on Uchiha Mikoto.
He quickly walked up to her, grabbed her delicate wrist, and despite Mikoto's angry glare, dragged her over to Nono.
This elegant lady, after a fierce battle, was sweating lightly. Her long house dress was soaked at the sleeves, with kunai stab marks.
In the night, if you didn't look closely, you wouldn't notice the wounds.
"What are you doing!!"
Mikoto said, her face tense.
Rip— The sound of fabric tearing echoed.
Mikoto's cheeks suddenly turned red as she froze in place. Just as she finished speaking, Kuroki violently ripped the sleeve of her right arm, revealing the kunai wound.
Her skin was as white as snow.
Blood stained her delicate arm.
"Uh—"
This scene also startled Nono. The nun's face flushed, mistakenly thinking Kuroki was about to do something inappropriate to this graceful lady right in front of her.
Nono quickly regained her focus.
Still holding Mikoto, Kuroki asked, "How long will it take to heal her wound?"
"For a minor wound like this, just over ten seconds."
Nono stared at Kuroki , replying seriously.
"Heal her first!"
Kuroki pulled the slightly resistant Mikoto in front of Nono.
"Oh, okay!"
Nono stood up, rubbed her legs, which had gone numb from crouching, and began healing Mikoto with medical ninjutsu.
The other Uchiha kept their heads down, cleaning up the battlefield, though they couldn't help but steal glances at Kuroki and Mikoto before quickly looking away.
Nearby, there was the sound of something breaking through the ground.
Everyone noticed.
Under the cover of night.
Outside the battlefield, another batch of White Zetsu emerged from the ground, one after another, like bamboo shoots after the rain, three times as many as before!
Just at that moment.
Mikoto's arm wound healed.
A notification popped up in Kuroki 's mind.
[Side Quest]: Heal a Teammate [Options]: Heal the teammate.
Quest complete!
[Reward]: Green Potion.