While Izayoi and the twin sisters were recording their beautiful moments together—
In Amegakure, where heavy rain poured endlessly, inside a steel building, a figure was conversing with a multi-colored thought projection.
"Sasori, is there something you need?"
"Leader, have you ever been to the Land of Rivers? Or rather, aside from the other five Paths of Pain, do you have any other clones?"
"Why are you asking this?" said Tendo Pain expressionlessly.
"Just answer me."
"No."
"Alright, I'll believe you."
Sasori of the Red Sand nodded and said in a low voice, "Deidara and I encountered someone in the Land of Rivers. That person could summon meteors, and even used the same repulsion and attraction powers as you."
Upon hearing that, Tendo Pain's expression finally showed a trace of change. "Who is he?"
"No idea," Sasori shook his head. "He wore a black cloak, had long white hair, and wore a pure white mask with no eye holes. His sensory abilities were absurdly strong."
"He suddenly approached us, summoned a meteor to intimidate us, then threatened me to hand over the Puppet Master Technique and the method of making Human Puppets. But he didn't seem intent on killing us."
"So you suspect it was me," Tendo Pain said calmly.
"I'm not ruling out the possibility."
Sasori stared at Tendo Pain's Rinnegan, then suddenly let out a low chuckle. "This kind of law-like ability—so far, I've only seen it on you. If it's not you, then it means there's someone else in this world who possesses the same, or an equal-level, eye technique."
"Looks like this shinobi world isn't as boring as I thought."
With that, Sasori's thought projection slowly contracted and disappeared.
Tendo Pain stood in place for a few seconds, then stretched out a hand wearing a ring from his sleeve.
The next second, the "零 (Zero)" symbol on the ring began to glow faintly.
A few minutes later, a creature with the appearance of a black cloak-wearing pitcher plant, whose body and face were divided into black and white halves, emerged from the ground.
"Leader, what are your orders?" Black Zetsu rasped.
"Have your clones investigate someone…"
Tendo Pain relayed all the information Sasori had just provided.
"Nani?!"
White Zetsu exclaimed in shock, "Someone besides the leader can actually use Shinra Tensei and Bansho Ten'in?"
"We can't rule out the possibility that it's some secret technique that manipulates repulsion and attraction, but it's unlikely," said Tendo Pain, analyzing the situation. "He wore a mask without eye holes—not to show off his sensory skills, but probably to prevent people from seeing his eyes. His goal was clear when he approached Sasori: to obtain his Puppet Technique and the Human Puppet creation method. If the eyes under that mask are the same as mine, then he might be trying to create his own Six Paths of Pain."
"Investigate this man. If his eyes truly are the Rinnegan, then before he can fight me for control over the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, he must be found and killed."
"Understood."
Black and White Zetsu nodded and sank into the ground using the Mayfly Technique.
Half an hour later, Black and White Zetsu met with Uchiha Obito inside Kamui Space.
"A mysterious man who can use Shinra Tensei and Bansho Ten'in?"
Uchiha Obito stared at Black Zetsu, the vessel of Uchiha Madara's will, and asked, "Do you think it's possible that some secret technique other than the Rinnegan could control gravity?"
"I think Nagato's analysis is very reasonable," Black Zetsu replied.
"So you're saying that a lucky guy inherited a Rinnegan and Six Paths technique passed down from some ancient era after its original owner died?" Obito instantly understood Black Zetsu's implication. Underneath his mask, his face revealed no visible emotion.
Black Zetsu said nothing, but his mood was heavy.
He didn't believe that anyone other than Nagato possessed the Rinnegan.
After all, to bring about the birth of a second Rinnegan, Black Zetsu had spent a thousand years—working in the shadows, manipulating Otsutsuki Indra and generation after generation of his reincarnations.
He was also absolutely certain that Otsutsuki Hagoromo did not pass down his Rinnegan.
If Hagoromo had passed it on, then in the past thousand years, someone else would've inherited it and used its powers.
Had anyone used the Rinnegan's powers before, Black Zetsu wouldn't have had to wait until the era of Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama.
But repulsion and attraction—those are not abilities just any secret technique can manipulate.
The moon in the sky itself is a product of gravity.
White hair, a mask with no eye holes, perception strong enough to replace vision entirely…
A guess was already forming in Black Zetsu's heart.
If nothing went wrong, that mysterious person most likely came… from the moon.
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Could it be that that guy Hamura's eyes also possess such powers?
Black Zetsu silently speculated.
He was born too late—his descent coincided with the sealing of his mother.
In the now-peaceful shinobi world, only Otsutsuki Hagoromo had ever acted during his journey of atonement. Otsutsuki Hamura, on the other hand, had married, had children, and developed his clan.
Black Zetsu, wary of both brothers, didn't dare approach them too closely.
He only knew that once Hagoromo gave up being the Jinchuriki of the Ten Tails, Hamura took part of their clan and migrated to the moon.
At first, both branches of the clan remained in contact.
Thanks to that, Black Zetsu came to know one thing: somewhere in the shinobi world, there exists a spatial pathway connecting Earth to the moon.
This space passage wasn't created by Hagoromo—it was created by Hamura.
Hamura's Byakugan could also evolve—but it was not the Rinnegan.
Aside from creating that spatial gateway, the abilities of that unknown eye technique remained a mystery to Black Zetsu.
Now, just thinking about that lunar clan attempting to reestablish contact with Earth, and a terrifying figure appearing—one who could use repulsion and attraction and even summon meteors—Black Zetsu couldn't help but curse in his heart.
Damn you, Hagoromo and Hamura. It's been a thousand years, and aside from Ashura and Indra's reincarnations, you actually left behind even more surprises.
"If Sasori's Human Puppets can preserve their bloodline limits and ninjutsu from life, and if that guy really has the Rinnegan and wants to create a Six Paths of Pain, then he'll probably start hunting people with powerful bloodline abilities."
After mentally cursing his two elder brothers, Black Zetsu turned to Uchiha Obito and said, "I'll have White Zetsu's clones keep an eye on the strong in the shinobi world. If that guy shows up, we'll notify you and Nagato immediately."
"Good."
Uchiha Obito nodded.
Other than that, they had no other options.
That mysterious man was far too cautious.
And that's exactly why he needed to be eliminated quickly.
Flight, repulsion and attraction, meteor summoning—even without the Rinnegan, he was a serious threat.
Such a dangerous individual—if he couldn't be made an ally, then he had to be taken out before he became an obstacle to the plan.