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"Be gentle?"
As Anko said that, a small noise echoed from the corner of the hallway in the central tower.
It was Hyuga Hinata.
She quickly clung to the corner and hid.
She had seen Kitahara Hitoshi heading toward the stream and wanted to invite him to make dinner together.
Since it was already evening when they arrived at the central tower, Hinata had prepared and hesitated for a long time before finally making up her mind to invite him.
She was different from the other Hinata, the one known as Black Hinata, who could express her inner thoughts directly and frankly. Her personality was much softer.
And the less flattering word would be cowardly.
She was used to waiting, not taking initiative.
So, just like now, she had actually wanted to invite him half an hour ago, but she could only watch as Kitahara Hitoshi left the tower first, and then saw the examiner Anko follow after him.
She hadn't thought anything of it.
But now…
Hinata's bloodline was that of the Hyuga clan, and she also had a direct and bold personality split from her — Black Hinata.
Her father had once said this might be an atavistic phenomenon within the Hyuga clan.
Since Black Hinata awakened, her talents had manifested physically on Hinata's body as well.
Once considered mediocre, her progress improved dramatically, so much so that her father had ceased scolding her.
The only regret left was her sister Hanabi, who was branded with the Caged Bird Seal and became part of the branch house.
Originally, their father had decided Hanabi would succeed as the Hyuga Clan Head.
But that changed. Hinata's dojutsu allowed her to see with even greater clarity, to penetrate surfaces — though her hearing remained the same.
So now, what she could hear was…
Teacher Anko wanted Kitahara-kun to be gentle with her?
Hinata froze.
She may not have heard everything clearly, but Kitahara Hitoshi definitely did.
It was real.
Although this was supposed to be just a standard test, Anko's performance confirmed she wasn't the real Anko. She was the ninja world's most devoted filial son — Black Zetsu.
Kitahara Hitoshi remained silent.
Not only had he picked up Kaguya Hime, but Black Zetsu came with her too?
Kitahara Hitoshi took out the ninja rabbit and held it gently in his arms.
Then he stroked its ears softly.
His eyes turned toward Black Zetsu.
In the original records, Black Zetsu was the thousand-year-old filial creation of Kaguya, carrying out her will.
Its loyalty to Kaguya was unmatched.
But right now...
Kitahara Hitoshi looked at the ninja rabbit, then back at the figure posing as Anko.
The one standing before him was Black Zetsu.
Reports from the Valley of the End suggested that behind every appearance of White Zetsu, there was either Obito or Black Zetsu. Judging by this Anko's behavior, it could only be Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu existed solely for his mother.
Kitahara Hitoshi kept his silence.
Then looked at Anko again.
"What?" Anko asked with feigned confusion.
Clearly, there was concern that her disguise might have been exposed.
Kitahara Hitoshi didn't respond immediately.
"Let's go for a walk in the woods over there," he said calmly.
Chief Examiner Anko blinked.
"Can."
"But..." she hesitated slightly. "If you want to talk to me alone, I suggest not bringing pets."
"No pets?" Kitahara Hitoshi repeated.
"Yes," she replied with a nod.
Kitahara Hitoshi ran his fingers through the ninja rabbit's fur. It had regained its sheen.
Although weakened when it reverted to its true form, it had stabilized now.
"Alright," Kitahara Hitoshi agreed.
Then he called out, "Hinata!"
"Ah!" A commotion came from the corner of the corridor as Hinata panicked, thinking she'd been caught eavesdropping.
Before she could retreat, Kitahara Hitoshi appeared in front of her.
"I-I wasn't eavesdropping!" Hinata stammered. Her fair skin reddened immediately, her weak personality and shyness surfacing.
Her face flushed crimson, completely betraying her guilt.
"I know you weren't eavesdropping," Kitahara Hitoshi said calmly.
"Ah..." Hinata let out a small breath of relief.
"Then help me take care of my pet," Kitahara Hitoshi pointed to the ninja rabbit — the little white rabbit.
"Eh?"
"I-I'll take care of it?"
Hinata seemed uncertain.
Because Black Hinata had once said that Shinobi would look down on her, mock her, and that would push Black Hinata into a withdrawn state. So regular Hinata, being even more timid, felt even less qualified.
"Don't be afraid," Kitahara Hitoshi said. "It's weak right now."
The ninja rabbit didn't speak.
Today, it had finally regained its original self, even if only briefly. Though weakened, it still carried the pride of the Otsutsuki Clan deep in its heart.
At the moment, it didn't compete with Kitahara Hitoshi.
"It's my most important pet," Kitahara Hitoshi said. "There can't be any mistakes."
"And now, the person I trust most is you."
"Me?"
Hinata still looked nervous, but her cheeks flushed even redder.
Did this mean… Kitahara-kun hadn't asked Naruto or Sasuke, but had sought her out instead?
"Yes," Kitahara Hitoshi nodded. "I think it only wants to be taken care of by you now."
The ninja rabbit remained silent.
What it really wanted to say was that it didn't need to be taken care of.
It was Kaguya.
It was Otsutsuki Kaguya.
Though it had returned to its true form only briefly, the ancient arrogance of the Otsutsuki bloodline had fully awakened.
"Since you say so… if I may," Hinata said softly.
She accepted the role immediately.
Kitahara Hitoshi handed over the ninja rabbit to her.
Hinata originally reached for it with a towel, but Shinobi simply stepped onto her shoulder.
"Don't follow me," Kitahara Hitoshi instructed the rabbit firmly.
"Yes. Please don't follow him," Anko quickly echoed.
The ninja rabbit didn't react.
Its gaze remained bright and unmoved.
Clearly, Shinobi didn't recognize Anko at all.
Anko was aware — Shinobi still didn't acknowledge her.
This gave her a sliver of confidence in her disguise, but also a hint of melancholy.
After all, she had transformed just once, and yet Kaguya couldn't recognize her?
"Um..."
Hinata, having accepted the task of watching over Shinobi, couldn't help but ask as Kitahara Hitoshi and Anko were preparing to leave the central tower.
"You're going to..."
"To the grove outside," Kitahara Hitoshi replied.
By then, he had already vanished from the corridor.
He had used the Body Flicker Technique.
"Crack!"
Anko used a ninja dash and bolted out.
Black Zetsu wasn't strong in combat, but its mimicry was adequate. However...
Truthfully, Black Zetsu didn't know the Body Flicker Technique. It only relied on imitation, never bothering to learn proper ninjutsu.
Hinata had intended to wave goodbye, but both of them had already disappeared, so she quietly lowered her hand.
Just as she lowered it, she suddenly realized something.
"Wait a second!"
"Go to the woods?"
"The grove?"
"Eh?"
Hinata's mind spiraled in panic.
The ninja rabbit and little white rabbit simply stared at this pale-eyed girl from the Hyuga clan.
A girl with shallow bloodline and limited talent.
I just want chakra. I want to be unsealed and then fight against the Ōtsutsuki clan. Of course, I didn't understand human emotions, but after falling in love, the fluctuations became immense.
Outside the central tower.
"…So, I don't have very good cooking skills either."
"But you actually asked me to cook."
"I'm your teacher, so shouldn't you respect me?"
In the corner outside the central tower, a stove was set up.
The other two members of the Seventh Squad were busy maintaining the fire.
Kakashi, the team's Jonin instructor, was also present.
He had arrived with Kitahara Hitoshi. ANBU and Root operatives were already dispatched to gather intelligence and detain the suspects.
Some of the missions were delicate enough that even Kakashi and Might Guy had to get involved directly.
He had only just returned from one such task.
Orochimaru, as expected of him, had escaped, but the Sound Four he brought along were powerful.
Kakashi had to exert significant effort to capture them completely.
After returning to the tower, he was ambushed by Naruto and Sasuke, who insisted he teach them how to cook.
Kakashi was silent.
It was awkward.
All three of them were bachelors, accustomed to living alone.
Sasuke only knew how to make rice balls. Naruto relied on instant noodles.
Kakashi brought pre-packaged sushi.
Now no one knew what kind of strange dish was simmering in the pot.
Kakashi furrowed his brow suddenly as the fire crackled.
"What's wrong?" Sasuke asked. He had just used Fire Style to light the stove and realized ninjutsu could be useful outside of battle.
He didn't yet know that the first user of Fire Style—Indra, the Uchiha progenitor—once used it to light a stove.
"I think I saw Kitahara Hitoshi."
"Eh?"
Naruto, still waiting for the perfect instant noodle timing, turned quickly.
"I'll go see him. Instant noodles taste best after five minutes," Naruto said.
"Wait… never mind, I must've been mistaken," Kakashi said, quickly correcting himself.
"…" Sasuke.
"Kakashi, does overusing your Sharingan cause your eyesight to deteriorate?"
"…" Kakashi remained silent.
He didn't like Sasuke's tone. When he was busy, he was "Kakashi-sensei," and when he wasn't, just "Kakashi."
"I don't know if overuse causes vision loss," Kakashi said, pressing his hand over Obito's Sharingan. "But I've never truly used Mangekyō to its full potential."
"…"
Sasuke decided to shut up.
After all, he only had a single tomoe. Meanwhile, Kakashi, a non-Uchiha, had Mangekyō.
Did that make Sasuke worthless?
"I'm already a Jonin," Sasuke said. "But Kitahara Hitoshi said I'll have more opportunities in the future."
"So let's trust him," Sasuke continued. "I'll give him the biggest onigiri. Kakashi, you get the smallest."
"…" Kakashi.
He felt the team's atmosphere was terrible. When mentoring others, they showed respect. Here, it was either disrespect or chaos.
Did he owe the Seventh Squad something karmically?
Still…
He hadn't been mistaken earlier. He had truly seen Kitahara Hitoshi.
No one else would dare impersonate him.
But… how did Mitarashi Anko end up with him, sneaking into the grove?
Whether based on age or the pairing—it didn't feel right.
Kakashi's current reading material, "QR Heaven," was a strange book filled with odd scenarios.
Crackling.
Not far from the Seventh Squad, two shinobi from the Sand Village were silently observing.
Temari and Gaara munched on the carrot slices distributed by Anko without a word.
The Sand Village had joined this operation primarily because the Wind Daimyo had stopped funding them. Even the promised allowances were still unpaid.
The underlying issue was that the Sand's military performance was so poor that the daimyo lost face in front of other nations.
To make it worse…
The Sand didn't even have a current Kage-level powerhouse. Once, they had Pakura of the Scorch Style. Now? At this level, how could they expect continued funding?
No chance.
Their material conditions were extremely poor.
Even as the Kazekage's children, they didn't receive special treatment.
So…
They weren't picky eaters.
Meanwhile, as Kitahara Hitoshi asked Hinata to manage the genin, he had already returned to the grove's deeper section.
"Almost here," he murmured.
And Anko arrived.
But—
"Wood Style: Advent of the Tree World! (Small Form)"
Just as Anko approached Kitahara Hitoshi, he unleashed Wood Style.
Anko tried to escape but was quickly overwhelmed by the expanding branches.
Within six seconds, she was captured.
When she realized it, she was surrounded by thick tree trunks forming a natural fortress.
"Kitahara-kun, what are you doing?"
"Even if you're the Chūnin Exam coordinator appointed by the Second Hokage, this is too much," she protested.
"You wouldn't reveal the truth otherwise," Kitahara Hitoshi replied. "The real Mitarashi Anko was once Orochimaru's disciple."
"Orochimaru left a curse mark on her neck."
"!"
Anko froze and stopped resisting.
"To see through my disguise so easily… you really are something," she said.
"In other words, only someone with sharp insight could've picked up that little white rabbit currently sitting at Konoha's entrance."
"Fine," she added, almost to herself. "That ninja rabbit… it's me."
"It's your mother—right," Kitahara Hitoshi interrupted.
"…" Black Zetsu.
"…??" Black Zetsu.
It had planned to test if Kitahara Hitoshi could be tricked into sympathizing with Kaguya-sama.
It had wanted to take the rabbit and go, but Lady Kaguya refused.
But now—before it could even deceive or mislead—Kitahara Hitoshi exposed it outright.
"You're Black Zetsu," Kitahara Hitoshi stated. "Show me your original form."
Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu.
"You won't?"
"But you've met Kaguya," Kitahara Hitoshi said.
"…" Black Zetsu. "You… know Kaguya?"
"Ōtsutsuki Kaguya," Kitahara Hitoshi confirmed. "The Kaguya who belongs to me—who in the ninja world doesn't know her?"
"The progenitor of chakra, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya."
"…" Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu was part of the Ōtsutsuki clan, known for its mental prowess rather than brute strength. It had always relied on its mind—and its lies.
But now…
Both the trump card and the core have been mastered.
That means, no matter what it says, if it tries to mess around, the other party will know it's lying.
So…
Disaster.
This is a type of crisis Black Zetsu has never encountered before.
And it seems there's more to it than that.
"To be precise, the day before the Chūnin Exams, you met Kaguya"
"My ninja don't clean floors that well"
"So I'm sure you came over" Kitahara Hitoshi said "It just doesn't say anything, and neither do I"
"It has something to do with my hands, and I have something to do with her"
"I hope you understand this No I need you to know this" Kitahara Hitoshi said
Black Zetsu
Black Zetsu was momentarily horrified
So, Lady Kaguya, you still want to train this man into your weapon, but he already treats you like a tool
"And then it resumed its original posture earlier today" Kitahara Hitoshi continued
"Defeated Shoukaku in one second"
"It's a pity that no one recorded it"
"Otherwise, I could have shown you" Kitahara Hitoshi said
Black Zetsu felt its psychological defenses being dismantled step by step
"Then…"
"What are you trying to say" Black Zetsu asked
It reminded him of the idiots in the Hokage group who speculated about Kitahara Hitoshi when he joined their chat
Minato believed Kitahara Hitoshi was from the future
What is the future?
Knowing what's going to happen and realizing that every action, every word, can trigger massive changes
And now it could be confirmed
Only someone who knows everything, someone omniscient, would know Kaguya's secret and how to use her power
So
Kitahara Hitoshi is very likely from the future
"First of all I am not your enemy" Kitahara Hitoshi said "And I will assist Kaguya in restoring her strength"
"Oh" Black Zetsu felt like the sky was falling It couldn't fight against someone who knew the future
It knew the past but Kitahara Hitoshi knew the future
Can the past defeat the future?
Almost impossible
So it almost shut down completely but now Kitahara Hitoshi says he isn't the enemy?
"Kaguya has lost her power"
"So she became what she is now"
"But that's not really her"
Kitahara Hitoshi said "From today's test when I injected Chakra into her she started recovering some strength"
"But it's not enough"
"She's lucky though because she still has you"
"Black Zetsu you picked her up"
Black Zetsu
Black Zetsu suddenly felt Kitahara Hitoshi's speech was strangely familiar
Because it resembled how Black Zetsu once deceived Uchiha Madara and Obito
It had painted grand visions for them
Told and implied that they were the only saviors capable of completing the ideal world
No one else could
"Don't make that face" Kitahara Hitoshi said "You need to understand you're the only family Kaguya can rely on"
"Rely on me?"
"I gave her strength but I can only return her to her true form for one second"
"But Black Zetsu you can give her more power"
"You must" Kitahara Hitoshi said "This is a mission only you can fulfill"
Black Zetsu felt Kitahara Hitoshi might be tricking it
Because his rhetoric was just too familiar
But
It was also true
Even though it had logged out today and left Moonlight Hayate to be the scapegoat thanks to remote control of its body otherwise Orochimaru would have sacrificed it
Still, it missed the moment Mother returned to her original form
Based on the small group's intel Kaguya really did return to her original form for just one second
That's extremely short
One second is useless
"So you don't want to see Kaguya back in her true form?"
"Then that's really disrespectful"
"Yes you know she lacks power yet you just watch and do nothing How are you any different from the Sage of Six Paths?" Kitahara Hitoshi said
"I'm disappointed Everyone says Black Zetsu is a good child"
"But in the end it just watched its mother lose her power and didn't want to lift a finger"
"I'm truly disappointed"
"Alright you can go now" Kitahara Hitoshi looked ready to release the Wood Style seal
Black Zetsu panicked
"Wait a moment!"
"Wait a while!"
"I can't go?"
Black Zetsu raised its mental defenses but Kitahara Hitoshi's words kept cracking through them
He called it Kaguya's child again and then brought up disobedience…
That was something it couldn't allow
And being lumped together with Hamura and Hagoromo…
Black Zetsu refused
It hated those two unfilial brothers who never understood anything
"How do I restore Kaguya-sama's power?" Black Zetsu asked
Kitahara Hitoshi replied
"It's simple Like I tested today just inject Chakra into her and she'll return to her original form"
"So go capture the Tailed Beasts"
"Tailed Beasts are pure Chakra condensates"
"You know that" Kitahara Hitoshi said
Black Zetsu
Capturing the Tailed Beasts—isn't that the Infinite Tsukuyomi Plan?
Black Zetsu felt like Kitahara Hitoshi had outmaneuvered it completely
Its original plan was to gather the Tailed Beasts feed them to the Ten Tails awaken the Rinnegan activate Infinite Tsukuyomi drain all human Chakra and finally resurrect Kaguya-sama
But now—all it takes is the Tailed Beasts?
"So the Nine Tails is in Konoha…" Black Zetsu felt something was off
"Nine Tails doesn't matter for now Capture the others first" Kitahara Hitoshi said "I'll handle the Nine Tails myself"
Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu stared at Kitahara Hitoshi for a while. Do not lie to me.
Kitahara Hitoshi remained silent.
Generally, people who ask such things are already deceived, but it's enough to instruct Black Zetsu. A person who has spent a thousand years trying to save his mother without making real progress should be considered either filial or useless. However, Black Zetsu dangling in front of the Shinobi world has always been a thing.
When Kitahara Hitoshi was at the central tower, watching Black Zetsu, he wondered if raising a ninja rabbit required another Black Zetsu. He ultimately decided not to keep one. Since he wouldn't support one, he refused. So, he gave Black Zetsu a task, something to distract it and keep it occupied.
How Black Zetsu got along with the Ninja Rabbit Little White Rabbit didn't need supervision. It was assumed Black Zetsu was fooled from the beginning—and it truly was.
Where is the real Mitarashi Anko?
Kitahara Hitoshi said, Go collect the tailed beasts. But bring Anko back.
Obito and the others don't know your identity yet?
It's better to stay low-key, Kitahara Hitoshi said.
Also, Black Zetsu nodded. It's your thoroughness again.
So, under everyone's curious stares, Kitahara Hitoshi went into the woods alone, with the Anko examiner following him. When he returned, he directly carried the Anko examiner back. Because the real examiner had returned, the Chūnin Exam was able to continue. Meanwhile, Black Zetsu, who received a mission, began his long journey again.
Black Zetsu was hastily created by Kaguya. At the time, Kaguya was fighting her two rebellious sons and couldn't split her chakra to form a complete Black Zetsu. What emerged was merely an incomplete body—a germ. It had no powerful abilities but was skilled in espionage and manipulating White Zetsu.
White Zetsu was Kaguya's first army to fight the Ōtsutsuki clan. Though not very strong, they were convenient to use. Later, White Zetsu was enhanced by Uchiha Madara with the First Hokage's Wood Style cells, gaining tenacious vitality and the ability to move swiftly through soil and stone. Because of this, White Zetsu became perfect spies.
Now, Black Zetsu was using their speed function.
Mr. Black Zetsu, you seem very excited.
White Zetsu, possessed by Black Zetsu, spoke.
Ordinarily, once Black Zetsu possessed a White Zetsu, he would control everything. White Zetsu would become a blank slate. Usually, it became completely useless.
But this time, Black Zetsu didn't take full control, so this White Zetsu retained some intelligence. After all, travel was exhausting, and it helped to have a tool to chat with on the road.
Black Zetsu.
Was it excited?
Of course.
For the Ōtsutsuki clan, time meant nothing. Proud and detached, they paid no mind to the passage of time. For them, time only diluted feelings. So even after a thousand years, Black Zetsu had no true sense of time. But it knew the task of unlocking Kaguya-sama's seal was far from complete.
Yet now, everything was different.
It had seen Kaguya-sama again. Even though it missed the exact second she revived, everything it was doing now was to prolong that one second. Collecting the tailed beasts was a way to obtain chakra. If it could gather enough, Kaguya-sama might be revived directly.
Black Zetsu wanted to work hard.
It had never felt the mission so clear, so close to completion. In the past, the goal had seemed distant, the chances slim. But this time, the success rate felt extremely high.
Under a mission with visible results, Black Zetsu felt a surge of determination.
From Konoha to the Land of Fire, across Iwagakure, finally arriving at Kusagakure. A full 6,500 kilometers, White Zetsu ran through the night at top speed.
But Black Zetsu's spirit remained high.
It wasn't the one traveling—White Zetsu was doing the legwork.
I'm a little tired. I can't breathe. Mr. Black Zetsu...
White Zetsu tried to speak but felt his mind go blank.
Black Zetsu had fully taken over.
It now occupied all of White Zetsu.
Yes.
Even if White Zetsu was meant to drive and chat, in the end, it was just a tool.
To Black Zetsu, everyone besides Kaguya-sama was a tool.
Changing into Obito's familiar form—half black, half white—Black Zetsu pushed through the grasslands and approached Obito's secret base.
Obito, I'm back. Aren't you here?
Black Zetsu frowned.
Kitahara Hitoshi asked it to collect tailed beasts, but it had no real power. So what now?
Simple.
It believed it could do it.
Because it still had Obito.
Uchiha Madara was dead, but Obito was still alive.
Obito was its tool.
After thousands of years, not having a few reliable tools would be disgraceful.
What about Black Zetsu...
Just as it was ready to act, someone entered the base.
After a while, Obito arrived, wearing his mask.
Uchiha Obito.
It wasn't Black Zetsu who had misled Obito—it was the deceased Uchiha Madara.
Obito wasn't as strong as Uchiha Madara. Even with Wood Style cells, he couldn't awaken the Rinnegan. And despite being from the Uchiha clan, he hardly made use of the Sharingan. Look at Danzo—he implanted dozens. But Obito? With a wall full of Sharingan, he only kept one in each eye socket.
He couldn't even ensure his own safety.
Obito suspected Uchiha Madara had placed controls inside him to prevent betrayal. So after Madara's death, Obito kept stalling. Not taking action.
Obito just wasn't smart enough. He lived inside his own world.
If he really feared Madara had control over his body, why not use multiple Izanagis, remove parts of himself, and regenerate with Izanagi's power? He could rebuild his body easily.
But Obito wasn't that clever. If he were, he wouldn't have fallen for Madara's manipulation.
So Black Zetsu stepped in to control him.
It's me, Black Zetsu said.
Obito had always believed it was a will created by Uchiha Madara to monitor him. Uchiha Madara believed that too, and passed away peacefully.
But only Black Zetsu knew the truth—those were all lies.
Unhappy with how slow the Eye of the Moon Plan was progressing, Black Zetsu had joined the game himself. Using Madara's name, it began controlling Obito.
You paused too long.
It's time to execute the Eye of the Moon Plan.
Or is it that you don't want to fulfill the great mission entrusted to you?
"Don't forget," Black Zetsu said. "You personally killed the teacher who cared for you and always encouraged you.
"Then, you forced your master, Namikaze Minato, to seal the Nine Tails at the cost of his own life.
"After that, you awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan, but you couldn't even destroy a single Konoha.
"Obito, these tortures—God has given them to you. Are you going to accept it all and surrender?" Black Zetsu asked.
His tone now mirrored Kitahara Hitoshi's method: targeting the deepest vulnerabilities of others and piercing their psychological defenses with words they dare not utter aloud.
Stimulate the other's emotions—without mercy.
"…"
"You're bringing this up again," Obito muttered.
Though masked, Obito's eyes remained closed, betraying how deeply the words cut.
It seemed to be working.
Black Zetsu believed this was the best way to manipulate him.
"Project Tsuki no Me..." Obito said slowly.
"No. Right now, we collect the Tailed Beasts," Black Zetsu interrupted coldly.
"Then have Nagato summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path," Obito replied.
"No," Black Zetsu quickly shot back. "The Ten Tails must not consume the Tailed Beasts too soon.
"Nagato has grown, but now he's crippled. If we give him all the tailed beasts, his body might recover. That's too dangerous.
"You must remain vigilant. Don't forget—the true Ten Tails Jinchūriki is not Nagato.
"It's me.
"It's me, Uchiha Madara!" Black Zetsu shouted. "And the Rinnegan belongs to me as well!"
"…"
Though silent, Obito's heart wavered.
Because in truth, he was the one who was supposed to become the Ten Tails Jinchūriki.
He didn't want to be just a pawn for Uchiha Madara.
But Black Zetsu represented Madara's will, and perhaps some unknown seal had already been placed upon him. Without complete control, Obito had no choice but to follow orders for now.
After all, the world he wanted to create was not Madara's.
He wanted to create a world for Uchiha—one where Rin could still live.
His current strength wasn't enough. He had to continue, to press forward, and persist.
"I'll go inform Nagato," Obito said.
Black Zetsu had given the order but was unwilling to move himself. Obito couldn't refuse, so the only choice was to delegate it.
"Good.
"You should have done that long ago," Black Zetsu said.
"And one more thing.
"Inspect yourself—carefully."
"You were struck by Minato during the Nine Tails incident. Don't fall because of a hidden weakness."
"It's hard to find juniors as aligned with me as you are," Black Zetsu added with false sentiment.
"What!" Obito's body tensed.
He suddenly remembered: twelve years ago, when he attacked Konoha, Minato had struck him.
With the Flying Thunder God Technique, Second Stage.
That technique may have left a spatial marker on him. If someone learned Flying Thunder God and found that mark, they could kill him instantly.
"I understand."
Obito immediately thought of the possibility—perhaps the mark was on his back, where Minato-sensei had struck him.
Obito found himself conflicted.
Because if Uchiha Madara hadn't saved him, he would've died, and none of this would've been possible.
He was grateful to Uchiha Madara.
But that didn't mean he could give himself completely to Madara.
Because their ideals were different.
What Obito wanted was a world with Rin.
So—
He alone would change the world.
That thought stayed with Obito as he left for the Akatsuki.
He was not strong enough on his own. He needed to keep an eye on Nagato, who possessed the Rinnegan granted by Madara. To maintain control, Obito claimed that Madara had entrusted him with everything.
Nagato was wary of him.
But that didn't mean he couldn't be deceived.
Obito arrived at Nagato's location—but what stood before him was not Nagato's body, but Pain, the puppet leader Nagato controlled.
Knock knock—Obito rapped on the door, clearly reluctant.
In front of Nagato and Konan, he acted as Uchiha Madara. Only those two and Uchiha Itachi knew his secret.
To the rest of Akatsuki, he was Tobi.
Now, as Tobi, he had come to meet Pain, the so-called leader of Akatsuki.
From within came a response.
I am Pain. I am God."
Pain's voice echoed from the room.
Pain was the corpse of Yahiko, Nagato's deceased friend. Through the Rinnegan, Nagato controlled him remotely. But his emotional scars had never healed.
His psyche had gradually fractured.
Sometimes, Nagato truly believed he was Pain.
Look at this.
Pain was just a puppet.
Yet Nagato used that puppet's voice to preach godhood.
So—
Obito stared coldly behind his mask at the self-proclaimed god.
Pain's words could easily be reinterpreted.
"I am Pain. I am God."
Translation?
"I am Pain. I am a fool."
Nagato believed the Rinnegan gave him the power to change the world. But the Rinnegan wasn't his—it belonged to Uchiha Madara.
And Nagato was nothing more than Madara's pawn.
How pathetic.
He knew nothing.
Obito silently lamented.
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