Naruto: Born Gifted in Konoha

Saitama had lost all sense of time. In this pitch-black void, time itself seemed meaningless.

"Saitama, here's today's meal. Do you need me to feed you again?"

White Zetsu grinned, his sharp teeth gleaming beneath his comically leafy green hair.

"Mm, no need." Saitama leaned against the rocky wall, catching the mushy food White Zetsu handed him with his right hand.

Currently, Saitama could already perform simple movements. Although his actions were still not as fluid as they used to be, he was no longer the helpless figure who could barely move his eyes.

Since the day he met Madara Uchiha, Saitama hadn't seen him again for quite some time, only meeting with White Zetsu every day.

At first, paralyzed and unable to move, even eating required White Zetsu to feed him personally. It wasn't until recently that Saitama regained some mobility.

"Alright then, Mr. Saitama!" White Zetsu didn't mind at all, watching Saitama take the bowl and simply stood there staring at him.

"Any other business?" Saitama asked somewhat puzzled, shifting his gaze toward White Zetsu.

"Um... This question might be a bit rude, but I really want to know."

White Zetsu smacked his lips, eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Holding the bowl near his stomach, Saitama gestured for White Zetsu to continue.

"You see, well, I don't eat, so I never go to the bathroom, but I've always wanted to understand what going to the bathroom feels like."

Rubbing his hands together awkwardly, White Zetsu looked slightly embarrassed.

Looking at White Zetsu's serious expression, Saitama knew he wasn't joking around. So he raised the bowl to his mouth, began eating, clearly not planning on responding.

He would've loved to roll his eyes at White Zetsu, but even that small movement took too much effort now.

"Hey hey, can't you just tell me? I really want to know!"

White Zetsu became slightly upset, directly squatting on the rock beside Saitama, both eyes fixed on him.

"It still tastes bitter, and the color always makes me wonder if it's really safe to eat."

Unbothered by White Zetsu's stare, Saitama pushed the white mush in his bowl closer to White Zetsu, wanting to compare the differences between them.

"You're saying you never go to the bathroom at all?" Saitama eyed White Zetsu suspiciously over the contents of his daily meals.

"Tch!" Unable to grasp the humor, White Zetsu turned away and soon vanished into the darkness.

Seeing White Zetsu gone, Saitama got back to eating without complaint.

The looks were definitely off-putting, but Saitama knew this white mush accelerated the adaptation to his new body while providing sufficient daily energy.

He ate slowly—finishing this single bowl taking nearly half an hour.

After finishing his meal, Saitama set the black, rock-like bowl aside and went back to cautiously testing out his new body.

[Amaterasu] had completely burned away his original body beyond recognition, but fortunately he had been saved by someone named Madara Uchiha.

Saitama didn't know how long the process took, but his current body appeared pretty decent—except most parts were pale white, though otherwise normal.

Leaning tightly against the cold rock, Saitama stared into the darkness ahead.

Having only recently regained his ability to move, Saitama hadn't yet stepped outside the stone cave where he had been recovering. At the moment, he still lacked the strength in his legs for walking.

In that dark direction, White Zetsu and Madara should be waiting. Saitama looked forward to facing Madara once he fully recovered, but it seemed like that time was still far away.

Slowly raising his left hand, Saitama reached for his short buzzcut.

This new hair had just started growing out; the previously life-drained, white-blonde strands had long vanished within Amaterasu's flames.

The newly grown hair, still very short, felt prickly to the touch, offering Saitama a unique sort of stimulation.

That's why lately, whenever he had free time, Saitama would habitually run his hands over his head, stimulating his palm nerves with this sensation.

Bang! A sound of someone tripping echoed from the darkness into Saitama's ears. He didn't seem surprised, glancing over casually.

"White Zetsu, I'm wondering... why do you always end up falling there?"

Saitama said with a slightly mocking tone, consciously controlling his facial muscles.

If it weren't for their daily verbal sparring and mutual teasing, Saitama felt he might have gone mad during this recovery period.

"Tch!" White Zetsu made no defense. He knew once he responded, Saitama would immediately latch onto his weakness again, so wisely—he decided to stay silent this time!

Approaching Saitama with a complex expression, White Zetsu asked, "Can you walk yet?"

"Not sure. Maybe worth trying," Saitama replied while attempting to control his legs, discovering he could move them slightly.

"Then let me help you stand up and slowly get some exercise?"

Grinning, White Zetsu reached for Saitama's shoulder.

At this point, an additional explanation is needed.

Due to the effects of Amaterasu, Saitama had been treated without any clothing afterward. On the second day after waking up, Saitama just couldn't take that weird, lingering stare from White Zetsu anymore.

Being genderless, White Zetsu was always curious about certain things, full of endless questions like an inquisitive child.

So Saitama insisted that White Zetsu find him some clothes. Of course, although White Zetsu couldn't understand Saitama's sense of modesty, he kindly agreed to help.

By that evening, White Zetsu had already brought the requested clothes to Saitama.

Currently, the black robe covering Saitama was exactly what White Zetsu had fetched and helped him put on.

After all, at that time Saitama still lacked the strength to move.

Hiss!

As he tried to stand up, Saitama's legs gave way immediately, his whole body collapsing downward.

Luckily, White Zetsu caught him just in time, tightly grabbing hold.

"This is normal for your first attempt at walking!"

White Zetsu grinned widely, sharp teeth gleaming under the dim light, his face full of schadenfreude.

"Next time when comforting someone, maybe you can try not smiling like that?"

Knowing fully well White Zetsu's nature as a joker, Saitama mercilessly jabbed back.

"Tch!" White Zetsu stubbornly turned his head away, refusing to acknowledge Saitama.

This was Saitama's first time standing since his "rebirth." His legs were intact, but they felt weak and unresponsive. The moment he stood up, his knees nearly gave out.

But soon, Saitama adjusted to his new legs. Leaning one hand on White Zetsu's shoulder, he slowly started walking.

"Don't rush it," White Zetsu advised. "Your new body is definitely superior to before—you just need time to get used to it."

White Zetsu began explaining while watching Saitama walk with a slight frown.

"Mm." Saitama nodded. He wouldn't deny that this new body made from Haku and Hashirama cells was impressive, but he couldn't help feeling a bit uneasy about it at first.

"How long have I been here?" He asked the question he cared most about.

"Uh... a few months maybe? I'm not exactly sure."

White Zetsu hesitated. Time meant nothing to him—he was a child of the God Tree, and time had long stopped ticking for him.

"Oh."

Saitama walked around slowly with stiff steps.

"Take me to meet Madara!"

Since White Zetsu often mentioned "Lord Madara," there was no surprise Saitama knew who that was.

"Sure thing. I'll take you to him—he's actually looking for you right now!"

White Zetsu showed his sharp teeth as he leaned close to Saitama's face, wearing a strange expression.

Supporting each other, White Zetsu slowly started heading toward the darker end of the room.

Thud! Two figures crashed onto the ground. Saitama's face slammed straight into the floor, still expressionless.

He tried to adjust mid-fall, but his moves were too stiff to do any good.

As for White Zetsu, Saitama just couldn't figure out why he always stumbled whenever they passed this exact spot—was it too dark?

Was it too dark?

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