Satoru teleported to a secluded location with Black Zetsu in tow.
Throughout the journey, Black Zetsu made multiple attempts to escape, but each time, he failed.
For reasons he couldn't comprehend, Satoru's abilities seemed perfectly designed to counter his own.
As an intangible and shadow-like entity, Black Zetsu was immune to most conventional attacks. Yet, against Satoru, everything seemed to work against him.
It was as if Satoru had been born to suppress his very existence.
Even the slightest attack from Satoru left him vulnerable and in pain.
"Who… what are you?" Black Zetsu's deep, piercing gaze fixed on Satoru.
"Why did you capture me?"
Satoru paused, as if considering the question, before smirking.
"Why?" he said casually.
"Probably because you're too dark… and I prefer red."
His pale blue eyes sparkled with amusement as he glanced at the writhing Black Zetsu in his grasp.
The truth ran much deeper than his playful response.
The Uchiha clan had suffered immeasurably, and Black Zetsu had orchestrated many of their tragedies.
He wasn't about to let the mastermind behind so much destruction go free.
Black Zetsu was taken aback by Satoru's vague answer.
Of course, he didn't believe it. There had to be more to it.
His mind raced as he searched for a reason, and suddenly, a thought struck him.
"It's your eyes, isn't it?" Black Zetsu asked, his tone a mix of realization and desperation.
"Are those… the Rinnegan?"
"Do you know something?"
Satoru raised an eyebrow, but before he could respond, Black Zetsu continued, his voice trembling with a new theory.
"Wait… could it be? Your eyes… they feel similar to her eyes…"
Black Zetsu's voice dropped to a shocked whisper.
"Could you be… related to Kaguya-hime?"
He stared at Satoru, his expression growing more incredulous by the second.
"Are you her child? Could you be… my older brother?"
Satoru blinked, his pale blue eyes widening.
"Elder brother?"
What in the world was Black Zetsu talking about?
He stared at the shadowy figure in stunned silence, his thoughts racing.
At first, Satoru had assumed Black Zetsu might deduce his Uchiha heritage or the source of his abilities. But instead, Black Zetsu had spiraled into this bizarre conclusion about familial ties to Kaguya.
The corners of Satoru's mouth twitched.
He didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
After a long pause, he exhaled slowly and said, his tone icy, "It seems keeping you alive any longer is pointless."
Black Zetsu's eyes flickered with panic.
"Wait! Listen to me!" he pleaded, his voice frantic.
His obscure gaze darkened as he tried to appeal to Satoru.
"I know you've visited the Uchiha clan's land. Did you find what you were looking for there?"
"I can help you. I've traveled across this continent. I know secrets no one else does."
"I know the origins of ninjutsu, of the ninja world itself. Don't you want to know?"
Satoru's expression didn't change.
With a snap of his fingers, black energy began to condense in the air around him.
The swirling mass of energy pulsed with unimaginable power, distorting the space around it.
Black Zetsu's panic reached its peak.
"No! Stop! You can't do this!"
But the surge of energy shot forward, engulfing him in an instant.
The shadowy figure disintegrated, leaving no trace behind.
Satoru stood in silence, observing the now-empty space.
His pale blue eyes swept over the area, confirming that the job was done.
Finally, he let out a breath and smirked.
"It's over," he muttered to himself.
"And as for why I did it…"
He chuckled lightly.
"Like I said, I prefer red."
Soon after, rumors began to spread: the Akatsuki organization was hunting a traitor named Satoru.
Satoru sat quietly, examining several wanted posters featuring his own face.
"Konoha, Otogakure, Akatsuki…" he mused.
"Quite the collection."
He studied the bounties listed under his name, a sly grin creeping across his face.
"And the rewards are pretty generous too. I wonder…"
"Could I turn myself in and claim all three at once?"
He laughed at the thought before shaking his head.
By now, Satoru was certain the Akatsuki had nearly completed their hunt for the tailed beasts.
Their next target would likely be Naruto.
"So that's where they're headed," Satoru murmured, clasping his hands together in thought.
He quickly reached a conclusion.
"The Akatsuki members sure are dedicated workers," he muttered with a smirk.
Back in Konoha, the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade, sat in her office, her expression complicated as she listened to the report from her ANBU team.
"The Akatsuki are hunting a traitor named Satoru?"
She leaned back in her chair, letting the information sink in.
It was surprising that the Akatsuki, a notoriously secretive organization, would go to such lengths to publicize their pursuit of a rogue member.
"Who is this Satoru?" she wondered aloud.
"What could he have done to provoke not only Konoha but also Orochimaru and now the Akatsuki?"
Her brow furrowed as she considered the reports.
His motives didn't add up. Why infiltrate Konoha during the Chūnin Exams? Why join Otogakure and the Akatsuki?
It seemed reckless to antagonize all three factions at once.
Tsunade sighed and set her pen down.
Nearly all the major nations had already been visited by the Akatsuki, and several jinchūriki had been captured.
At this rate, their next target would undoubtedly be Naruto.
Her decision was clear.
"Naruto cannot leave the village," she said firmly.
The safety of the jinchūriki—and the future of the ninja world—depended on it.