Naruto evolution system

Chapter 128: A Perilous Encounter

"Forget it, let's leave it at this for now," Baishi muttered, stowing away Obito's Mangekyo Sharingan, preparing for a new round of evolution.

Suddenly, his brow furrowed. Sensing danger, he vanished instantly.

A moment later, Baishi reappeared in another hidden chamber.

"Zetsu?"

Looking at the black-and-white figure examining Obito's corpse, Baishi couldn't help but call out.

Without hesitation, he raised his hand, summoning a vine, which shot out toward the figure.

Squelch!

The vine pierced through the target, but there was no sensation of flesh being punctured.

Baishi wasted no time, activating Wood Release: Piercing Branch Technique.

Dozens of wooden spikes erupted from Zetsu's body, skewering him from the inside out.

However, despite the assault, Zetsu's expression remained indifferent, as if he couldn't feel pain at all.

Baishi's face darkened, and before he could act further, Zetsu's body suddenly exploded.

"Spores?"

With his acute senses, Baishi detected something in the air. He tried to block it, but it was too late.

Invisible spores infiltrated his body within moments.

The spores grew rapidly, drawing on his chakra, and soon covered 80% of his body, forming a layer of foam-like growths.

Though it looked fragile, the foam was surprisingly durable. Baishi found himself restrained, unable to break free immediately.

Fortunately, the material had poor resistance to ninjutsu.

Baishi activated a Lightning Release technique, the crackling electricity tearing through the foam-like growth. With a powerful yank, he shredded the spores and freed himself.

But when Baishi scanned the room, Zetsu was nowhere to be found, leaving him uneasy.

Sure enough, a cold voice spoke directly behind him.

"Looking for me?"

The voice sent a chill down Baishi's spine. He hadn't sensed Zetsu's presence, even with his Enhanced Five Senses at level VIII and 185 intelligence points boosting his mental acuity.

'How could this happen?' Baishi thought, his mind racing.

He had encountered Zetsu numerous times before and was familiar with his stealth techniques. Normally, even if Zetsu suppressed his aura, Baishi could still detect him when nearby.

But this time, Zetsu had bypassed his senses entirely.

'Was he hiding his true capabilities before?' Baishi pondered.

'Not to deceive me, but likely to fool Obito… or perhaps even Madara.'

The realization hit Baishi hard. Zetsu's meticulous planning and years of patience were staggering.

"Good grief," Baishi muttered under his breath, recognizing he had been outmaneuvered despite his knowledge of the future.

But there was no time to dwell on his mistakes. A more pressing problem loomed: Zetsu's mental assault might be far more powerful than he previously believed.

---

A massive wave of spiritual energy surged into Baishi's mind, leaving him momentarily dizzy.

'Not good,' Baishi thought, struggling to steady himself.

Before he could teleport away using the Flying Thunder God Technique, Zetsu launched his ultimate move: Mental Fusion.

Baishi's body went cold, immobilized as if frozen in ice. The invasive mental energy seeped into his consciousness, attempting to override his will.

If Zetsu succeeded, Baishi's body and mind would become tools for Zetsu's schemes.

Despite the dire situation, Baishi counted himself lucky. Zetsu hadn't physically attacked him during the assault. Otherwise, even with his Rebirth ability, losing vital organs like the heart would be challenging to recover from.

Though restrained, Baishi's Mental Resistance at level VIII provided him with some defense. But he needed more power to break free.

Summoning his system interface, Baishi set his evolution focus to Mental Resistance, channeling all resources into its enhancement.

---

Baishi's current Mental Resistance was VIII (72.6%). Without interference, it would take about 20 days of concentrated effort to reach level IX.

However, by releasing a portion of Nine-Tails' chakra to stimulate his mental strength, coupled with the continuous pressure from Zetsu's invasion, the evolution could potentially be accelerated to just five days.

Additionally, the Nine-Tails' chakra offered another advantage—it could counteract Zetsu's spiritual energy, creating a chaotic three-way conflict.

If Baishi could endure this struggle, his Mental Resistance would naturally strengthen. Once it reached level IX, he could trigger a qualitative transformation to reclaim control.

But first, he needed to release the Nine-Tails.

Baishi forced a crack in the seal restraining the Nine-Tails, allowing a surge of dark red chakra to flow into his body.

The influx of energy disrupted Zetsu's control, causing the black mass entwining Baishi to writhe in agitation.

"Nine-Tails?" Zetsu's voice echoed in Baishi's mind, tinged with surprise.

Ignoring him, Baishi directed his words to the fox.

"Kurama! Help me! This guy plans to create the Ten-Tails!"

Baishi wasted no time explaining further, banking on Kurama's instinctive aversion to being absorbed into the Ten-Tails.

Zetsu unwittingly confirmed Baishi's claim, muttering, "So you really know a lot…"

Hearing this, the Nine-Tails didn't hesitate. With a resounding roar, a massive wave of its spiritual energy clashed against Zetsu's invading presence.

---

The battle turned into a three-way mental war.

Though the Nine-Tails' power bolstered Baishi's defenses, the fox's energy also battered his own mind, leaving him drained.

Zetsu, seeing the situation evolve, chose not to retreat. He was determined to break Baishi's will and seize his secrets.

But what Zetsu didn't realize was that Baishi was deliberately prolonging the conflict.

Every second that passed brought Baishi closer to his breakthrough.

Victory would come, not to the strongest, but to the most patient.

(End of Chapter)

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