In the violent explosion, the monster puppet had already turned to dust, leaving no trace of its existence. In its place was a huge crater with a diameter of one kilometer, as if struck by a meteor. Everything around it had vanished, whether towers, flowers, trees, or mountains—they had all been leveled, leaving the earth scarred and barren.
A gentle breeze blew, stirring up a wisp of dust.
Kaguya's sharp eyes narrowed, her face darkening instantly.
Obito had taken advantage of this moment to escape. The monster puppet, at some point, had likely been controlled by his Sharingan. That was why it had gone berserk and attacked Kaguya.
The immense energy fluctuations had created a slight spatial rift, which Obito had used to escape.
Kaguya frowned, looking at the direction of Obito's escape, and snorted coldly.
He might have escaped this time, but she vowed to hunt him down no matter where he fled, even if to the ends of the earth, and tear him to pieces.
Kaguya moved swiftly and gracefully back to the vicinity of the Dragon Veins. After the battle, the area was in ruins, unrecognizable from its original state, leaving only remnants of destruction.
Kaguya was in a foul mood, her face as dark as a thundercloud, with a tinge of sorrow in her heart. Regardless of everything, Black Zetsu had been good to her, sincerely aiding her, providing information, strategizing, and handling various matters.
If possible, she would not have wanted Black Zetsu to die, but there were not many 'ifs' in the world.
With a sigh, Kaguya turned to leave. Just then, a voice from behind made her freeze as if struck by a paralysis jutsu, standing still.
"Mother."
Kaguya whirled around, stunned by what she saw, her moist eyes staring unblinkingly at the person before her.
Standing before her was an incredibly beautiful little girl she had never seen before, with long golden twin tails adorned with small pink and light green flowers. Her skin was snowy white and tender, her big eyes clear and bright, her small nose delicate, and her lips rosy and glossy. Despite her petite stature, her figure was curvaceous with perfect curves, especially her chest, which was unusually developed for her age. She wore a pink short kimono decorated with little flowers in red, green, and blue, enhancing her adorable and charming appearance. Her lower body was clad in white cotton socks tied with red cords, revealing a section of her snowy skin.
The breeze gently blew, making the lace pleats of her short kimono flutter.
"Who are you...?" Kaguya's crystalline eyes widened in bewilderment, staring blankly at the little girl before her.
"I am Zetsu. Don't you recognize me, Mother?" The little girl's voice was clear and sweet, carrying a hint of sugary softness.
"What?" Kaguya's mind was in a whirl.
"I am Zetsu," the little girl blinked her big eyes, "This is my original form. Don't you remember me?"
The adorable little girl before her, exuding a sweet fragrance, was Black Zetsu? Kaguya couldn't reconcile the previous sinister and ugly man with the sweet-smelling little girl in front of her.
"Are you kidding me?" Kaguya's mouth twitched, "Tell me honestly, who are you?"
"But I really am Zetsu," the little girl said, confusion evident on her face, "Is something wrong?"
Everything is wrong! Kaguya mentally retorted.
"Let me ask you a question," Kaguya said, staring at the little girl, her voice low, "What's my favorite food?"
"Sweet dumplings."
"What kind of sweet dumplings?"
"Red bean dumplings."
"What drink do I like to have with them?"
"Mung bean soup."
"What do I hate the most?"
"Sticky noodles."
"Then I—"
"—"
After a series of questions, the little girl in front of her answered every one of them correctly. Kaguya felt she had no choice but to use her trump card.
With a serious expression, she asked the little girl, "Do I prefer using my left hand or my right hand?"
"Your left hand, and you like to use it while bathing."
Kaguya quickly covered the little girl's mouth, laughing dryly. "You don't need to say that. Wait, how do you know about this?"
"Because I've been by your side, Mother," the little girl said.
Before she could finish her sentence, Kaguya pinched her cheeks and began pulling.
"So, you were spying on me!" Kaguya's face flushed red, feeling like her head was about to burst with steam. Such a private matter had been observed without her noticing.
"No, I wasn't!" The little girl struggled, her small hands flailing, but Kaguya ignored her.
After some questioning, Kaguya found out that the cute little girl in front of her was indeed Black Zetsu's true form. However, such an adorable appearance was too conspicuous and would attract attention. Given that looking like that wouldn't make others take him seriously and would hinder his actions, Black Zetsu decided to transform into a grotesque form with a hoarse voice.
Falling into the depths of the Dragon Veins had not killed Black Zetsu; instead, the power of the Dragon Veins had healed his body and greatly increased his strength. Moreover, his appearance had reverted to its original form due to the influence of the Dragon Veins' chakra.
"Is my current form not good?" The little girl looked herself over, blinking curiously. "Should I change back to my old form then?"
"No, no," Kaguya waved her hands quickly. "This is perfect, much better."
Ridiculous. How could anyone prefer the ugly form of Black Zetsu over this adorable little girl, unless they had psychological issues?
"Really?" Seeing that Kaguya truly had no such thought, the little girl sighed in relief. "I was worried you didn't like me anymore."
"How could that be?" Kaguya smiled slightly, taking the little girl's soft hand. "Let's go, it's time to leave."
Kaguya sensed that this space was becoming unstable and might completely collapse soon.
"Wait—"