While Namikaze Minato was reporting in the Hokage Office, back at home, Uchiha Kei was rubbing his chin in deep thought as he stared at the White Zetsu in front of him.
This White Zetsu was the one previously possessed by Black Zetsu. After being hit by the Enhanced Intestinal Taste Buds Technique, Black Zetsu detached and fled, leaving White Zetsu collapsed on the ground, eyes closed, unable even to escape.
At this moment, Uchiha Naori was staring warily at White Zetsu to prevent any sudden attacks on Uchiha Kei. On the other side, Uzumaki Kikyo had just confirmed that the sealing technique placed on White Zetsu was intact, then stepped back and nodded at Kei to indicate all was well.
Uchiha Kei's house was now under a covert state of lockdown. The Uchiha guards were on full alert, filled with guilt and lingering fear.
Not long ago, Uchiha Kei had been attacked. The enemy had completely bypassed the guards, and they hadn't noticed the intruder at all. Only when Black Zetsu passed through the barrier did they sense something, but they didn't act immediately due to confusion.
Eventually, it was Uchiha Kei who repelled Black Zetsu and called them in, only then did they realize he'd been attacked by an unknown enemy.
This revelation left the Uchiha both furious and terrified. Uchiha Naori, usually cold and composed, activated her Sharingan the moment she realized what had happened—the tomoe spun violently, even beginning to change form. It was a clear sign of awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan.
However, because nothing truly happened to Uchiha Kei, she failed to fully awaken it.
Even so, her reaction showed how deeply affected she was. Her emotional response proved that beneath her icy, stoic exterior, she had more than enough intensity to awaken the Mangekyō Sharingan.
Uchiha Kei noticed this, but said nothing. He made a mental note to create a game that might help Naori unlock her eyes.
No doubt, Uchiha Naori was cold and logical, almost completely suppressing her emotions, treating herself like a tool.
But this kind of Uchiha often had even more intense emotions—just harder to draw out.
Unfortunately, that made it all the more difficult. Naori had already played "Outlast," and its plot wasn't enough to stir someone like her.
So Kei had to come up with something else.
But that could wait. Right now, he needed to deal with White Zetsu.
So Uzumaki Kikyo was brought in and used her sealing techniques to restrain him.
Throughout the process, White Zetsu didn't resist. He seemed dazed, still not recovered from the Enhanced Intestinal Taste Buds Technique.
Now, with the interrogation prepared, White Zetsu finally came to—and locked eyes with Uchiha Kei with an expression of fanatical awe.
That fanaticism—it was like he was staring at a god.
Everyone else was baffled by the reaction.
Then White Zetsu opened his mouth: "Excuse me, was that the taste of feces you made me experience earlier?"
Thunderstruck.
Kikyo's pupils trembled. Uchiha Naori, still icy as always, couldn't help but let one tomoe spin involuntarily.
Uchiha Kei's face froze. He stayed silent for a long moment.
White Zetsu grew even more excited. "Really? Really? That's amazing! Please, I really want to understand!"
Now even Uchiha Naori's pupils trembled.
That request... was beyond shocking. Even Konoha's most extreme interrogators would have called White Zetsu extreme.
Even perverts would say, "That's too perverted."
White Zetsu wasn't human—Uchiha Kei had already explained that—but even non-human summoning creatures wouldn't ask for something like this.
And White Zetsu looked human. That made it worse.
It was a truly explosive request.
But Kei wasn't surprised. In the original story, White Zetsu was famously curious about the taste of feces. It came from their lack of taste buds and proper physiology.
Even though they could transform into near-perfect human mimics, they were just shells—no actual functions.
So rather than just feces, White Zetsu was curious about all flavors. But they could only experience taste by hearing others describe it.
Just descriptions were enough for them. But feces? No one ever ate that, so White Zetsu had this bizarre obsession.
Uchiha Kei's Enhanced Intestinal Taste Buds Technique was different. It made White Zetsu grow intestines that simulated the real thing.
The result: White Zetsu had experienced something entirely new. It overloaded his already limited mind—and pushed him into a kind of moral collapse.
So now, hearing his request, Kei gave him another dose of the technique.
White Zetsu began to tremble. His face twisted in pain, disgust, and agony—desperate to vomit, yet incapable of doing so.
Kikyo and Naori finally understood the phrase "a face can speak."
In the end, White Zetsu gave a broken smile: "Amazing… I'm starting to understand everything!"
Kikyo: "..."
Naori: "..."
Both of them took half a step back.
Not from weakness, but from a chilling horror they couldn't name.
Because they didn't understand what White Zetsu was.
They turned to Uchiha Kei, eyes wide with fear.
They didn't know Kei had a technique like the Enhanced Intestinal Taste Buds. Only that it seemed to force someone to experience eating feces.
Honestly, just hearing about it made their stomachs churn.
They were shinobi, yes—but even for them, this was extreme. And Kei, who developed this abstract technique? He was something else.
In the end, both women said: "Kei-sama (Kei-kun) must have his reasons."
Uchiha Kei didn't know what they were thinking. He figured he could explain later.
Yes, the technique was abstract—but it worked. Once you accepted it, it was ridiculously overpowered.
Didn't the Nine-Tails now fear it as a psychological trauma? Minato and Kushina had been utterly impressed.
It was like cross-dressing. You struggle at first, then find it strangely effective. There's only zero times and countless times.
Facing White Zetsu's fanatical gaze, Kei narrowed his eyes. He wasn't surprised. He knew exactly what White Zetsu was.
He said calmly, "This rare experience can let you taste everything—not just feces, but sweetness, bitterness, sourness, spiciness—anything."
"A real experience. Not some fantasy based on someone else's words."
"White Zetsu, you understand what I mean."
White Zetsu went silent—then grew even more ecstatic.
"Really?! You mean it?! I can taste other things too?! That's amazing! You're amazing! Please let me taste them! I'll do anything!"
Uchiha Kei raised an eyebrow and asked, "Oh? Even betray Black Zetsu?"
White Zetsu froze. Then frowned. "Betray Black Zetsu? Uh… Should I? But he's our leader… We're supposed to obey him… Betraying him doesn't sound right..."
He struggled openly, making no attempt to hide his thoughts. Or rather, White Zetsus didn't lie.
Even during the Fourth Great Ninja War, when they impersonated people, it was just mimicry—not actual deception in the human sense.
White Zetsu was officially confirmed to be a mindless biological puppet. Only rare cases like Tobi (Obito) ever deviated.
Understanding this, and seeing White Zetsu's reaction, Uchiha Kei felt an audacious plan take shape.
So he asked again, "You have to listen to Black Zetsu? Why is that? Can he directly control you?"