Chapter 94: The Botanical Spy
While Madara was being systematically interrogated by Shiori's ink and paper, the Lower Plateau was experiencing a biological revolution.
White Zetsu was currently vibrating with excitement. He had been given a pair of denim overalls that were three sizes too large, a straw hat that mirrored the one on the village emblem, and—most importantly—a high-tech watering can that hummed with resonant chakra.
"And this one? Does this one like the blue light or the yellow light?" White Zetsu asked, leaning so close to a row of medicinal herbs that his nose was touching the soil.
Kana, Yahiko's mother, stood behind him with her hands on her hips. She had spent the last four hours watching this strange, pale man talk to the vegetables. Initially, she thought he was insane. Now, she was starting to think he was a genius.
"It likes the yellow light, Leafy," Kana sighed, though there was a hint of a smile on her face. "But if you keep whispering to the soil, the other workers are going to start thinking I've hired a forest spirit."
"But the roots are so chatty, Kana-sama!" White Zetsu chirped, popping his head up. "They say the water is a little too salty today. They want more of that 'Vortex-Mineral' mix that the Patriarch made. Oh! And the tomatoes in Row 6 are having an argument about who gets the most sun!"
The Manager and the Miracle
Kana walked over to Row 6. Usually, these tomatoes took three weeks to reach full ripeness. Under White Zetsu's care, they had doubled in size in four hours. The vines were thick, vibrant, and pulsed with a healthy green glow.
"I don't know what you're doing, but keep doing it," Kana said, patting White Zetsu on his leafy shoulder. "Rimon said you needed to earn your rent, but at this rate, you're going to earn enough credits to buy the whole greenhouse. You're a hard worker for a guy who looks like he's made of marshmallows."
"Marshmallows? Are those tasty?" White Zetsu asked, his eyes wide.
"I'll bring you some tonight," Kana laughed. "Yahiko loves them. I'll make sure he saves you a bag for helping me with the blight."
White Zetsu felt a strange, warm sensation in his chest—a feeling of "usefulness" that didn't involve spying or killing. In the underground cave, he was just a tool for Madara. Here, he was the "Botanical Specialist" who was promised marshmallows by a woman who didn't fear him.
The Shadow in the Pipes
Deep beneath the greenhouse, in the dark, damp space where the irrigation pipes met the obsidian foundation, Black Zetsu was fuming.
He was currently merged with a shadow behind a massive water valve, watching through the floorboards as White Zetsu happily pruned a leaf while humming a tune Yahiko had taught him.
"Pathetic," Black Zetsu hissed to himself. "We are the will of a Goddess. We are the architects of a thousand-year plan. And he is... he is singing to a turnip."
Black Zetsu tried to extend a sensory tendril toward the Research Tower, but the moment his chakra touched the obsidian walls, a faint blue spark zapped him. The "Vortex Grid" was relentless. Every inch of the village was coded to recognize foreign, hostile signatures.
He couldn't spy. He couldn't sabotage. He was stuck in the plumbing while his "brother" was becoming the MVP of the Agricultural Sector.
The Lunch Break
"Break time!" Kana shouted, ringing a bell.
The agricultural workers gathered at a large wooden table in the center of the dome. To White Zetsu's surprise, there was a seat left open right next to Kana.
"Come on, Leafy! Sit down!" one of the Stone Country refugees called out. "You've got to try the spicy cabbage. It's the first batch from the seeds you stabilized yesterday!"
White Zetsu hopped into the chair, his straw hat slightly lopsided. He watched as the workers shared bread, laughed about their families, and complained about the heat.
"Here," Kana said, sliding a bowl of steaming rice and vegetables toward him. "Eat up. You can't grow a forest on an empty stomach."
White Zetsu picked up the chopsticks, mimicking the way the others held them. He took a bite of the spicy cabbage.
"It's... it's loud!" White Zetsu squealed, his face turning a light shade of pink from the spice. "The flavor is shouting at my tongue!"
"That's the Uzushio kick!" Kana laughed, ruffling his hair. "Welcome to the team, Leafy."
The Distant Watcher
From the Academy rooftop, Rimon closed his sensory map with a satisfied click. He had seen everything—White Zetsu's genuine joy and Black Zetsu's miserable hiding spot in the pipes.
"One down," Rimon whispered to the wind.
He knew that by making White Zetsu part of the "family," he was cutting off Black Zetsu's most effective tool. A Zetsu who wanted marshmallows and praise from Kana was a Zetsu who wouldn't want to cast the world into an eternal dream.
"Now," Rimon said, his expression turning serious as he pulled a small, black scroll from his sleeve. "Time to see if Mito-baa-chan is ready for a 'ghost' of her own."