Naruto：Immortality and the Eight Inner Gates[Double agent]

"Come! Into Daddy's arms!"

With the activation of Izanagi, Rinjin transformed the fatal decapitation strike he had suffered into nothing more than a fleeting dream, reappearing at the edge of the battlefield in the next instant.

A single hand sign was formed, and his figure vanished.

Meanwhile, along the coastline of Kirigakure, near the sea, a massive tree—so large it would take two people to encircle it with their arms—suddenly exploded.

Wood splinters flew in all directions, leaving the sandy beach riddled with holes.

The tree fell with a thunderous crash, and in the spot where its trunk had once stood, Rinjin grinned, baring sharp, glistening teeth that shone with a menacing light.

"Hehe~ Gotcha~"

Gripping Black Zetsu by the neck with one hand, Rinjin lifted it high into the air, his face alight with glee, completely unbothered by the wooden spikes piercing his body.

Black Zetsu, in that moment, was utterly petrified. If it had a digestive system, it would have undoubtedly soiled itself.

It had underestimated him. It hadn't dodged!

This young man had no respect for the rules of engagement, resorting to cunning tricks to bully the elderly.

"I, Black Zetsu, advise you to reflect on your actions!"

As Rinjin pondered how to separate Black Zetsu from its counterpart, White Zetsu, the former's body suddenly liquefied, surging toward Rinjin like a living tide.

Seeing this, Rinjin's grin widened.

Deep within his consciousness, a monster that had long been suppressed against the ground lifted its head. Its eyes, devoid of reason, seemed to pierce through his body and lock onto the outside world.

To control Rinjin's body, one had to first dominate his conscious mind;

Then defeat the cat-like entity lurking deep within his psyche;

And finally suppress the monster that would inevitably be unleashed.

...Why did this feel like a boss fight in a video game?

Faced with Black Zetsu's mental invasion, Rinjin made no effort to resist. Instead, he leisurely stepped aside, allowing the deepest darkness within him to emerge.

On the outside, Black Zetsu had completely enveloped Rinjin's body.

But then, an unexpected transformation occurred.

From every pore of Rinjin's skin, tendrils of darkness—blacker than Black Zetsu itself—began to seep out, spreading like a sinister tide.

This monster was unlike Black Zetsu. It had no reason, no thoughts—only an overwhelming, pure desire for destruction.

It embodied the horrors Rinjin had endured during his three years in the Jashin Cult, a culmination of his ultimate descent into darkness.

In the next moment, black met black.

Black Zetsu, writhing like liquid, let out an ear-piercing shriek, a sound sharp with terror and agony. Its once-viscous form began to dissolve and drip away as if melting.

It wasn't that it feared this so-called monster; rather, the monster was assimilating it.

Or perhaps, it was Rinjin's darkness that was merging with Black Zetsu.

In just an instant, Black Zetsu felt its sanity slipping away.

Forget the plan to save its mother!

To hell with it!

All it wanted now was for the world to feel pain! To witness its utter destruction!

What was this overwhelming emotion? Savage, terrifying, frenzied, manic—a relentless inferno of destruction that burned through every fiber of its being.

Black Zetsu was terrified!

Its immortality meant nothing now. It couldn't win. It had to flee! It still had a mother to save!

As the black liquid dripped to the ground and seeped into the earth, Rinjin made no move to stop it. He merely watched in silence.

His target was White Zetsu, not Black Zetsu.

White Zetsu needed to be firmly captured, while Black Zetsu—it was enough to know its location.

He wasn't confident he could eliminate this slimy, amorphous entity;

After all, he was a physical attacker and tank—a self-proclaimed "King of Taking Time Off." How could he possibly deal with a high-defense "Shuckle" like this? Every attack he made required a cooldown!

And prolonging the release of the monster within him would only harm his mental health.

As a model youth of the new era, Rinjin valued his psychological well-being.

If he didn't lose his mind, it would be others who went mad.

Most importantly, he had already marked Black Zetsu. No matter where it went, he could track it.

Feigning indifference toward Black Zetsu, Rinjin turned his gaze to the paralyzed White Zetsu, who was too terrified to move.

"I like konjac pudding. What about you~?"

At these words, White Zetsu forced an awkward smile, its expression one of sheer discomfort.

"Konjac pudding... ugh..."

Clutching its mouth, White Zetsu nodded obsequiously, stammering, "M-Master, I... I like... konjac... pudding... ugh..."

"Heh~" Rinjin chuckled.

This guy... I'll make sure you get a digestive system later so you can properly enjoy konjac pudding!

Before long, Black Zetsu had fully seeped into the ground and disappeared.

Not wasting any time, Rinjin activated the Flying Thunder God Technique, vanishing with White Zetsu in tow.

A whirlwind of disorientation.

When they reappeared, Rinjin was high in the sky.

Iron sand surged, forming an impenetrable sphere that encased White Zetsu within.

White Zetsu's secret technique, Mayfly Technique:

It allowed it to merge with the earth, moving swiftly through organic networks like plant roots and underground water.

An impressive jutsu, combining mobility and reconnaissance. When hidden, even Rinjin's Sage Mode-enhanced sensory abilities couldn't detect it.

But! The technique had a flaw: it could only move through liquids and solids.

Here, in the sky, White Zetsu was encased in inorganic iron sand, with Rinjin's Flying Thunder God formula still on it.

There was no escape!

With this matter settled, Rinjin removed the clump of grass from his left eye socket and replaced it with his original eye.

His passive regeneration kicked in, and the vibrant colors of the world returned to his vision.

Below the iron sand cloud, battle raged on.

At that moment, the voice of the cat-like entity in Rinjin's mind suddenly rang out.

"Rinjin, let me out! I smell fish!"

"What fish?"

"A turtle! A giant turtle!"

"..."

Rinjin was speechless.

What was this cat even talking about? Was it hungry?

Just then, his sensory abilities picked up a powerful chakra rapidly approaching from the east of Kirigakure.

This!

The Three-Tails, Isobu?!!

Was this the "giant turtle" the cat was referring to?

Or was this another scheme by Madara Uchiha?

A Susano'o-covered turtle?

Come on, Lord Madara, if you make me laugh mid-fight, I'll never forgive you~

Pinching his nose, Rinjin decisively released the seal on his body.

What he needed now was a serious battle, not a comedic skit.

So, it was time to let the cat out!

As the seal broke, a small blue flame ignited on Rinjin's stomach;

Then, like a massive flamethrower, blue-black flames erupted from his navel, surging into the sky.

In an instant, the entire sky was dyed blue.

On the battlefield below, even Madara Uchiha stopped what he was doing, along with everyone else, turning their gazes upward in unison.

The flames burned, coalescing into a tangible form. Within the fire, a pair of stunning yellow-green heterochromatic eyes opened.

"(*＞^ω^＜) Meow~"

With a cheerful cry, the cat-like entity leapt from the flames, landing gracefully before dashing off playfully toward the direction of the Three-Tails, Isobu.

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