(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited smoothly. https://www.p.atreon.com/INeedRest)
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"Zetsu..."
Uchiha Madara looked down in disbelief at the gaping hole in his chest, his eyes rolling wildly as he desperately tried to turn back.
Yet, to his horror, the energy within his body seemed to freeze, leaving him incapable of movement.
"Why... Why are you betraying me?"
Of all the betrayals possible, Uchiha Madara could never have anticipated this.
He could anticipate others… But Black Zetsu? That was his own will!
How could this be?
Had he truly betrayed himself?
"Foolish Madara, do you still believe I'm your will?"
Black Zetsu's voice was soft, with a mocking tone.
"I deceived you."
"I've never been your will. I am instead the will of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya!"
"My purpose in this world has always been simple: to resurrect my mother and reclaim all the Chakra that belongs to her."
Madara's eyes widened in shock.
"You deceived me!"
"Indeed, I did!" Black Zetsu laughed shrilly, his body morphing into a black liquid that began enveloping Madara, just as it had with Obito.
"Colt was right about one thing," Black Zetsu continued.
"You, who have controlled Obito and the world for so long… how could you expect to be manipulated by someone?"
In the distance, Naruto and Sasuke were equally stunned by the sudden shift.
"This... this looks so familiar..." Naruto mumbled, unable to shake the feeling that he'd seen this happen before.
Sasuke's expression darkened.
He suspected Naruto was mocking him.
After all, it was only a few hours ago that Obito had suffered a similar fate at Black Zetsu's hands. How could he not remember?
"Impossible! I created you!" Madara gritted his teeth, trying to resist.
He remembered clearly—he had created White Zetsus after gaining the power of Rinnegan.
Black Zetsu was supposed to be an upgraded form of that creation.
Black Zetsu chuckled darkly.
"You really think White Zetsus was born from your combination of Senju plus Uchiha cells and yin-yang release?"
Madara scowled but remained silent, waiting for answers.
"The truth is, all of this was an illusion designed to fool you," Black Zetsu continued.
"White Zetsus... they were all once humans, transformed after being trapped in the Infinite Tsukuyomi for years."
"And I... I am the last remnant of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, left behind before she was sealed by Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo and Hamura."
Colt, sitting on a tree stump nearby, tapped his chin in boredom, listening to Black Zetsu's monologue.
'Just get on with it…'
It seemed that all villains shared one common flaw: they loved to explain their entire evil plan right before they succeeded, as if not doing so would leave something incomplete.
And, of course, this overconfidence often led to their downfall.
Naruto and Sasuke, too, were drawn into the revelation, momentarily frozen by the shocking truth.
Uchiha Madara's expression shifted from shock to fury, then finally to despair.
"So, the Infinite Tsukuyomi... it's not a perfect solution for peace in the ninja world?" Madara's voice was strained, disbelief clear in his tone.
Black Zetsu's voice took on a more mocking edge.
"No, it was never about peace. It was simply the means to break the seal on my mother and reclaim all Chakra."
"The stone tablet? I altered it."
"I knew your dream was peace for the ninja world, so I made sure you believed the Infinite Tsukuyomi would accomplish that."
"If your dream had been something else, you would've read a completely different inscription."
Black Zetsu's voice brimmed with pride.
He had manipulated the closest thing the ninja world had to the Sage of Six Paths without ever lifting a finger.
The satisfaction of outwitting such a powerful figure made him feel unrivaled.
Madara looked up at the now-calm moon.
His hope was shattered.
He had worked for peace all his life, but now everything was meaningless.
In the final moments of his clarity, he recalled Colt's earlier gaze—the look that seemed to carry understanding and foreknowledge.
Summoning the last of his strength, Madara turned his eyes toward Colt, who remained still and composed in the distance.
"Colt... did you know all this from the beginning?"
Colt blinked, slightly surprised that Madara was addressing him now.
After a brief pause, he slowly stood and nodded.
"The Infinite Tsukuyomi was never going to bring true peace. At best, it would just resurrect an alien."
Naruto and Sasuke exchanged bewildered glances, and even Black Zetsu seemed taken aback.
"How could you possibly know this?" Black Zetsu asked suspiciously.
Colt pointed to his eyes, which had silently transformed into the Nine-Tomoe Rinnegan as he glanced at the sky.
"I've seen it. Ōtsutsuki Kaguya is coming soon."
The appearance of the Rinnegan, coupled with nine Tomoe, left not only Black Zetsu but also Sasuke in awe.
'Is he also a Sage?' Black Zetsu was panicking.
Colt casually shrugged as nine Truth-Seeking Balls floated behind him.
"When I fused all chakra natures, I got Truth-Seeking Balls, and my eyes evolved as a result. In a sense, these are just a side effect."
Madara's body began to swell, but in his final moments, he seemingly recovered and let out a booming laugh.
"Hahaha! Colt! Defeat Ōtsutsuki Kaguya!"
"And if you survive... tell Hashirama that this is the most complete defeat I've ever suffered!"
The sadness in his laughter was palpable.
Uchiha Madara, who had fought for peace across two lifetimes, now realized his efforts were in vain.
He could only hope that Colt would succeed where he had failed.
Colt, recognizing the gravity of Madara's final request, nodded and bowed deeply.
"Rest assured, the world will be at peace. I agree with your concept but not your method."
"In my view, the First Hokage's ideals were naive and unrealistic."
"This world needs an absolute force to bring true peace."