The Sea of Consciousness could take countless forms, shaped by the mind of the person inhabiting it. This was Kita's first time encountering such a place, and the first time she had willingly entered it. It resembled an old, abandoned building: one door after another, one room after another.
She wasn't sure where Zetsu had been sealed, but she knew that the location would leave a massive imprint, unlike the ordinary doors scattered elsewhere. Standing before one such door, she felt no desire to open it—only a strong urge to flee, to lock it tight.
"Secrets are more plentiful than expected," Orochimaru's voice echoed in the space, and moments later, he appeared beside her. He stood before a door, examining it as if about to open it. Kita frowned, her body acting faster than her mind, and she shoved him aside.
Don't move.
"Don't move," the voice whispered.
Both Kita and Orochimaru heard it. The voice was hoarse yet light, clear with a female timbre, not exactly ethereal or beautiful, yet possessing a peculiar magnetism that was striking.
"This is the Sea of Consciousness; naturally, one can speak here," Orochimaru said, raising his hands. "And I have no intention of prying into your privacy. I'm a person of manners."
Kita's face was pale, her lips trembling slightly, but she did not speak.
"Don't worry about it," Orochimaru said, stepping forward. "This space is room-like. Zetsu has been sealed in one of these rooms. You lead the way—don't think about where he might be. Just follow your instincts."
Kita nodded and stepped forward, unsure of her destination but trusting that her body would lead her.
"One thing I'm curious about: what exactly is Zetsu's identity?"
"It has nothing… nothing to do with you."
It had been so long since she'd tried to speak, and the sudden ability felt awkward. Orochimaru, understanding her stammer, followed her side.
"Curiosity's natural. By the way, want to switch bodies?"
"Wh-what?"
"Literally. Transfer your spirit—your soul—into another body. Still in development, but ninety percent complete. That corpse from the Land of Water helped me greatly, so this time it's free. The only side effect? Immortality."
He said the last part proudly. Kita gave him a disdainful look and replied lightly, "Wait until you're one hundred percent before coming to me."
"Just letting you know—after all, you inspired this idea."
"When? I… I don't remember."
"Never mind, forget it," Orochimaru said, following her to a corner where a door had a small crack. Peering through was a child-sized figure, blue eyes wide with absolute terror. Orochimaru showed no curiosity, walking beside Kita as if seeing nothing at all.
"We're here."
Kita said, stopping at a massive gate sealed shut, though the area inside appeared empty.
"W-what's going on?"
"Are you sure the seal worked?"
"Of course."
As the words landed, black water began to spread across the floor at incredible speed. Kita's feet were soaked before she could react, and the inky liquid began crawling up her body. Orochimaru swiftly transformed into his half-human, half-snake form, climbing to higher ground. The black water that touched him peeled off like skin, and he reached out to grab Kita.
"Get away from it!" he shouted.
As he pulled her to safety, he injected a massive amount of chakra into her. The black water receded briefly, though only for a moment.
"What are you doing? Absorb the chakra from Zetsu!"
"Th-there's nothing!"
Coming back to her senses, Kita allowed Orochimaru to guide her, channeling chakra to push the black water back.
"That's impossible! Anything sealed should have chakra!"
"I am consciousness. I have none of that!"
Zetsu's voice reverberated throughout the space. The black water surged and formed the shape of liquid Black Zetsu—no eyes, no nose, not even a mouth—he was the space.
"The Four Symbols Seal only binds me inside your body. So this is my domain!"
As he spoke, black shadows spread across the walls, overwhelming the areas Kita had cleared. She intensified her chakra output, dodging, but as Black Zetsu said, this space belongs to him.
Kita frowned, drawing her long blade. She swung at the tangled black mist. Waves of darkness crashed, dissipating only briefly before surging back.
"Next, your body belongs to me!"
The black tide rolled over the room, the floor, and the surroundings, sweeping toward Kita and Orochimaru, leaving no escape.
In an instant, Orochimaru's body expanded rapidly, growing larger, thicker, stronger, shouting loudly:
"Kita! The stronger the will, the harder it is to be swallowed. I can only hold it off for now! This is your mind—regain control, adapt to the feeling quickly, or you die!"
With a massive BOOM, Orochimaru vanished. The water, the room, everything centered on where he disappeared, leaving a safe space untouched by the black water. Kita stood there, hand gripping her long blade, lightning crackling along its length, the area around her bathed in intense electric light.
There were no screams of pain, no shrieks of Black Zetsu—only a voice full of arrogance and victory.
"Useless. Here, I am invincible. Struggle all you want, Kita."
❖━━━━❖
Note: Next chapter we'll explore some difficult moments from Kita's childhood in the Land of Water.