Prejudice is a mountain hard to move.
The general perception of White Zetsu is that they are sinister, cunning creatures who would stop at nothing for some vague, illusory cause. But what if one were to observe them without such bias?
Could they not become righteous beings devoted solely to Yujin, selflessly sacrificing for his sake?
Although the White Zetsu of this era have all been brainwashed into becoming servants of the God Tree, their core essence stems from ancient shinobi—warriors who were subjected to Infinite Tsukuyomi and hung on the God Tree to dry for ages, eventually becoming what they are now... at least, according to Yujin.
In a certain sense, while they are not on par with the actual "fruit," they are still products of the God Tree.
And the God Tree is still a tree—if something grows on it, perhaps it can be juiced for nutrients.
Because of the benefits he gained, even though it once caused him severe stomach trouble, Yujin set his sights on White Zetsu again.
In them, he sees hope for ordinary shinobi to break free from the shackles of bloodline limits.
It's a pity—tragic, even—but unavoidable.
Everyone knows that ordinary shinobi and those with Ōtsutsuki blood are practically different species.
Unless they take extreme measures or undergo drastic bodily modifications, normal shinobi hit a very tangible and unsurpassable ceiling.
But if Yujin's guess about the "White Zetsu experience pack" proves correct, then he may have found a way to break through that ceiling... White Zetsu may not be born noble, but they could die gloriously.
To test this theory, the first thing Yujin needed was to capture another White Zetsu.
But that's no easy feat—White Zetsu are elusive and notoriously difficult to capture alive.
Black Zetsu and White Zetsu have hidden in the shadows for over a thousand years, manipulating the shinobi world behind the scenes. Despite their countless misdeeds and long-standing roles as puppet masters, they've remained undetected—proving just how well they hide.
Fortunately, Yujin is now different. As a "Zetsu-man" himself, he can be considered part of their kind to some extent.
In fact, he now has a sense for detecting his "kin." If another White Zetsu is within a certain range, they can sense each other instantly—provided Yujin is partially Zetsu-ified at the time.
"White Zetsu, White Zetsu... where can I find a White Zetsu?" he muttered impatiently.
Eager to test his theory, Yujin imagined a clear division of labor on his path to power...
White Zetsu would handle the sacrifices—he would handle the upgrades. A win-win, the ultimate victory.
Unfortunately, no White Zetsu roamed these remote forests. They were likely busy surveilling the rest of the shinobi world.
Just when Yujin was feeling frustrated about how to get a fresh White Zetsu, luck smiled upon him again.
On the fifth day after settling into the camp, while practicing the Mayfly Technique, his partially Zetsu-ified body seemed to receive a certain signal.
He quickly Zetsu-ified his brain, and the message became clear—it was a gathering call, summoning all nearby White Zetsu to a designated location.
Ask and you shall receive—an "experience pack," cough, a White Zetsu, was about to appear. And not just one—likely a whole bunch.
This was an opportunity not to be missed. Yujin made the decision to join the gathering without hesitation.
Blending in among the White Zetsu, his chances of exposure were extremely low.
The risk was worth the potential reward—there was no reason to hesitate.
Yujin immediately summoned his two deputies.
Formerly experts of the Hanemiya clan, they were now known as Morinaga Isakawa and Hayasaka Ryunosuke.
"The camp is stable for now, but that doesn't mean we can afford to waste time. I'm heading out to scout the surroundings in more detail—ideally, I want to get a better read on the Tsugawa clan's movements.
Also, we'll need to resupply. If possible, I'll bring back some grain—we can't keep relying solely on fishing and hunting."
It was a reasonable and standard course of action. Isakawa and Ryunosuke had no objections.
"Captain, how's your injury?" Ryunosuke asked.
"It's completely healed."
"I understand. We'll take care of things here. Please prioritize your safety."
"Thanks. I can't say exactly how long I'll be gone, but I'll return as soon as I can."
Yujin packed a few ninja tools and quickly left the camp.
"He's really changed," Isakawa murmured as he watched Yujin's silhouette disappear into the trees.
"He's Captain now," Ryunosuke corrected softly, before adding with a sigh, "Responsibility makes people grow."
Yujin had once been just an average shinobi, but now he was the spiritual pillar for everyone here.
…
The information transmitted to Yujin by White Zetsu—whether through instinct or some secret technique—was difficult to put into words or interpret logically. He only understood that he needed to head to the gathering point.
The message didn't include specific coordinates. It merely pointed the way, telling him whether he was getting closer or farther, higher or lower.
And so, he followed the guidance clumsily but determinedly.
His figure burst through the morning mist. The early sun filtered through the clouds, casting cool, pale rays. A forest stream meandered across a rocky bed. Everything was lush, vibrant.
The world was alive, and so was his heart.
Following the signal, Yujin reached the gathering spot after about two days.
Before getting too close, he fully Zetsu-ified his body.
Surveying the area carefully, he quickly located a rock cave hidden beneath dense foliage.
Instead of entering through the front, he used the Mayfly Technique to silently pass through the stone layers.
His face soon emerged from the inner cave wall. After scanning the area without hiding himself at all, he fully phased into the chamber.
Inside the cave, over a dozen White Zetsu had already gathered—it looked like a meeting of daikon radishes.
Aside from the full Zetsu transformation, Yujin hadn't even changed his face. But he didn't think that mattered. He was confident they wouldn't question him.
"Why do you look like that?"
Sure enough, one of the White Zetsu beside him asked the moment it noticed his appearance.
Its tone carried only curiosity, not suspicion. And why should they be suspicious? Yujin looked identical to any other White Zetsu.
"Bad luck. Got caught in a wide-range jutsu by a ninja—nearly died. Luckily, I managed to parasitize the guy just in time and used his chakra to barely stay alive," Yujin replied.
"That's unfortunate," the White Zetsu said blandly.
Its voice betrayed no emotion—neither happiness at a comrade's survival nor sorrow if one had died. After all, White Zetsu weren't human—you couldn't expect them to display human empathy.
Caring about comrades? That just wasn't part of their programming. All they cared about was Mother, sowing disaster, watching the world, obsessing over the Rinnegan and vegetables.
Well, sometimes they liked to obsess over the shape of poop as well.