"Crack"
Before White Zetsu could dive underground, Uchiha Fugaku kicked a tree in half, stopping the hidden White Zetsu from using the trunk as a conduit into the earth.
Immediately after, he created a Shadow Clone, which grabbed and held up the top half of the falling tree, preventing it from touching the ground.
As a Kage-level ninja, his sensory perception was already extremely sharp.
After fusing with the corpse of a member of the Yamanaka clan, his already acute sensory abilities were further enhanced.
Although White Zetsu excelled at concealing his presence, he couldn't hide his chakra from Fugaku.
Whoosh—
With the broken tree suspended mid-air and unable to make contact with the ground, White Zetsu couldn't use the Mayfly Technique to burrow underground.
Thinking quickly, White Zetsu abandoned the tree and dropped down like a diver, aiming to enter the earth directly.
To him, in this state of Mayfly Technique, the ground was like a vast sea—one in which he could freely swim.
"Crack—"
Before White Zetsu could touch the ground, Uchiha Fugaku appeared beside him in a flash, his entire body glowing with green light.
His right hand shot out like an iron clamp, seizing White Zetsu by the throat and halting his escape.
"As expected, a White Zetsu!"
Deactivating the Eight Gates, Fugaku looked down at his captive, more pleased than alarmed.
Though White Zetsu had witnessed his ambush on Shimura Daisuke and the others, Fugaku wasn't concerned—White Zetsu wouldn't be able to discern his true identity through combat alone.
Moreover, his exchange with Shimura Daisuke had taken place within a true genjutsu—White Zetsu wouldn't have heard a word.
The last time he had fused with a White Zetsu corpse, he had successfully prevented blindness in his Sharingan, but he hadn't obtained Wood Release or any of White Zetsu's techniques.
He had long been seeking the chance to capture a live White Zetsu and interrogate it for the unique techniques it possessed.
Additionally, he wanted to experiment: would fusing with multiple White Zetsu corpses strengthen his Wood Release potential—perhaps even allow him to wield it?
Now, with a White Zetsu delivered straight to him, how could he not be pleased?
"White Zetsu has a long-range communication ability—it's likely it already transmitted this encounter. The Zetsu are connected and can sense one another. I can't risk relocating with this one."
"Still, even if Uchiha Obito uses Kamui, it'll take time for him to arrive. I can use that window to extract the jutsu I want—then kill this one."
With that thought, Fugaku's right eye morphed into the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Hypnosis—"
He activated the hypnotic power of the Sharingan—using the Mangekyō, no less.
White Zetsu, who specialized only in infiltration and information gathering, had no hope of resisting such powerful hypnosis.
The struggling body suddenly stilled; its eyes turned vacant.
"Demonstrate the Mayfly Technique."
Fugaku released the hypnotized White Zetsu and gave the command.
White Zetsu immediately formed hand seals, performed the Mayfly Technique, and submerged into the ground—then reemerged from it.
Thanks to the Mangekyō Sharingan's exceptional insight and recording capability, the hand seal sequence and internal chakra flow involved in casting the jutsu were fully documented.
"Now use the Mimicry Technique. Transform into me."
After confirming the Mayfly Technique had been successfully recorded, Fugaku issued his next command.
In response, White Zetsu formed seals, and its body began to shift, like clay being molded, until it became visually identical to Uchiha Fugaku.
Due to Fugaku wearing a mask, the facial features remained unchanged—but the form was otherwise perfect.
Even the chakra changed.
Every person's chakra has subtle differences that skilled sensory-type ninja can detect.
Now, White Zetsu's chakra was identical to Fugaku's.
Finally, even the clothing and mask were replicated using transformation ninjutsu.
Fugaku circled the Zetsu impersonator, scrutinizing it thoroughly.
It was a flawless transformation—body, chakra, appearance, all identical.
Only someone who was deeply familiar with Fugaku—who knew of hidden birthmarks or scars—might be able to tell the difference.
"Cancel the transformation. Use the Spore Technique."
Fugaku issued the next command.
White Zetsu formed seals and produced a nearly invisible spore in its hand.
Fueled by chakra, the tiny spore rapidly grew, and soon transformed into another identical White Zetsu.
This new clone hadn't been hypnotized and appeared to inherit the original's memories.
As soon as it appeared, it tried to activate Mayfly Technique to escape underground.
"Crack—"
Fugaku reacted instantly, snapping the clone's neck, and then turned to look at the original.
The original White Zetsu's chakra had been nearly exhausted after producing the clone—rendering it unable to perform any more ninjutsu.
Fortunately, Fugaku had already obtained all the intel he wanted.
Now he asked the final question:
"Where is White Zetsu's base—or where are large numbers of them gathered?"
Under hypnosis, White Zetsu opened its mouth to answer—
—but then, something unexpected happened.
"Squelch—"
A faint sound came from inside White Zetsu's head, as if something had broken.
Its body went limp and collapsed—its life force gone.
"A failsafe seal!"
Fugaku immediately understood: White Zetsu had a forbidden seal in its brain—something akin to the "Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal."
If hypnotized into revealing restricted information, the seal would activate and instantly kill the host.
"I should have questioned the newly generated Zetsu instead… no—probably wouldn't have worked either."
Fugaku looked at the corpse of the clone he had just killed and quickly shook his head.
There was no way someone like Black Zetsu—who had lived and schemed for over a thousand years—would overlook such a flaw.
The seal was likely replicable, meaning the newly spawned White Zetsu would have one too.
"Time to leave—if Uchiha Obito arrives, I'll be forced into a confrontation. Now isn't the time to face him head-on."
Fugaku sealed both White Zetsu corpses into a storage scroll, preparing to erase his traces and retreat.
But then, a thought struck him—he had a better way to escape.
"Mayfly Technique!"
Forming hand seals, he used the very jutsu he had just copied.
Uchiha clan members with the Sharingan could replicate ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu—but not secret arts or kekkei genkai techniques.
Not because the Sharingan couldn't copy them—but because the user lacked the required bloodline or body constitution to perform them.
But Fugaku had already fused with a White Zetsu corpse—he had the necessary physiology, and using the jutsu came easily.
Sure enough, as he cast the jutsu, his body sank into the earth.
To him, the ground now felt like an open sea—one in which he could swim freely.
"Squelch—"
He vanished into the depths of the earth, moving swiftly away from the scene.
The Mayfly Technique was a stealth art—leaving no trace during movement and allowing rapid travel.
Using it, he could retreat without leaving behind the slightest hint.