Black Zetsu's emotions were easy to grasp.
If not for sharing the same mother as Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, Black Zetsu would have cursed the Sage of Six Paths to oblivion. How could someone be dead for over a thousand years and still cause this much trouble?
For Black Zetsu, Hagoromo's sudden reappearance was no blessing—it was nothing short of a catastrophe.
Hagoromo was the one who had sealed Kaguya away, the very instigator of this entire mess. Black Zetsu didn't believe for a second that Hagoromo would help revive Kaguya. Quite the opposite—he was likely trying to prevent her resurrection.
If Hagoromo got involved, how could the Moon-Eye Plan proceed?
Panic surged within Black Zetsu. It wanted to hide, to disappear, as its mind spiraled in chaos. Where had things gone wrong? Where had Shigen found Hagoromo? After all, Black Zetsu had seen Shigen steal Hagoromo's corpse with its own eyes!
And yet, as Shigen smiled faintly, seemingly calm and unbothered, Black Zetsu swallowed its fear and nervously inquired, "Shigen… wasn't the Sage of Six Paths already long dead?"
Before Shigen could reply, Black Zetsu hurriedly added, "Shigen, you're the only one truly capable of executing the Moon-Eye Plan. No one can replace you—not even the Sage of Six Paths himself, were he alive…"
In truth, Black Zetsu wished it could tell Hagoromo to stay as far away as possible.
The last thing it wanted was for Shigen and Hagoromo to interact. If they did, who knew what might happen?
"Death doesn't necessarily mean the end of the soul," Shigen said with practiced ease, spinning a story so smoothly that even the most suspicious listener might believe him. "When Hashirama died, he carried his obsession with Madara to the grave. Because of that, his soul couldn't find peace or return to the Pure Land."
"…"
Black Zetsu stiffened, its anxiety spiking.
That… actually made sense.
Black Zetsu was well aware that the bond between Hashirama and Madara stretched back centuries. It wasn't far-fetched to believe that Hashirama's fixation on Madara could trap his soul in limbo.
"So…"
"Hagoromo appeared?"
Black Zetsu's thoughts grew chaotic as it asked, "Can the Sage of Six Paths, long dead, still influence the living world?"
"He seems capable," Shigen replied with a nod, his voice calm. "When Hashirama was on the brink of death, he encountered Hagoromo, who granted him the strength to briefly return to the world of the living. It was then that Hashirama delivered Hagoromo's message to me—urging me to return to the Pure Land and not linger in this world."
"…"
Black Zetsu felt an ache, as if its non-existent stomach had been punched.
That ungrateful son…
Even in death, he refused to rest!
What greater crisis could the world possibly face?
Other than Kaguya, what could possibly be more dangerous?
Had Hagoromo discovered Black Zetsu's plans? Did he know it was trying to exploit Shigen's abilities? If Shigen returned to the Pure Land, who would Black Zetsu rely on? Madara? Madara's arrogance made him seem utterly unreliable…
And what if Shigen, upon returning to the Pure Land, heard Hagoromo's version of Kaguya's story? Would he still trust Black Zetsu?
Wait…
A massive question mark appeared in Black Zetsu's mind.
If Shigen returned to the Pure Land, wouldn't it lose its most valuable piece on the board?
Though Madara had his uses, Shigen's involvement had always been the most crucial. Shigen, however, was far too naive, far too easily manipulated. If Hagoromo managed to sway him, Black Zetsu's entire plan might unravel.
No.
It couldn't afford to lose Shigen.
It had to find a way to bring Shigen back from the Pure Land, to revive him again, and to regain his trust.
Moreover, Black Zetsu needed to gather intelligence about Hagoromo—how the Sage could still influence the world, how much power he had left, and whether he posed a threat to Kaguya's resurrection.
This was bad.
Worse than bad—it was catastrophic.
To uncover Hagoromo's secrets, Black Zetsu needed Shigen to go to the Pure Land and bring back that information. It had no choice but to allow Shigen's departure… and plan for his eventual return.
If not for Tobirama's development of the Reanimation Jutsu, Black Zetsu might have been at a complete loss.
It would have to retrieve the remaining half of Shigen's body and prepare for another Reanimation.
Hagoromo was insufferable…
Not only had he disrupted Black Zetsu's plans with his sudden reappearance, but now Black Zetsu had to start from scratch, rebuilding trust and resetting its strategies.
The thought alone made Black Zetsu grind its metaphorical teeth in frustration.
It had taken millennia to convince Shigen to align with the Moon-Eye Plan, to teach him the value of deceit, and to rekindle hope for Kaguya's return.
Now, Hagoromo was trying to snatch Shigen away!
Worse, Black Zetsu had no choice but to stand by and watch. It even had to encourage Shigen to meet Hagoromo!
Why?
Because only Shigen could bring back vital information about the Sage, ensuring there would be no obstacles to Kaguya's resurrection.
"That damn old man…"
Black Zetsu's anger boiled over, seething internally.
If "hatred" were the only word to describe its feelings toward Hagoromo, it would fall woefully short.
"What's wrong, Black Zetsu?"
Shigen's expression showed mild surprise, as though completely oblivious to the chaos he had unleashed in Black Zetsu's mind.
"I'm just… uneasy," Black Zetsu admitted, suppressing its frustration. "What if the Sage changes his mind? And even if he doesn't, the Pure Land is separate from the living world. Any plan must still be executed here.
"And if something goes wrong, only Madara will be left to carry out the Moon-Eye Plan. You've seen how arrogant he is, even without the Rinnegan. I'm worried he'll ruin everything."
That was outright slander.
Madara's arrogance was undeniable, but Black Zetsu took pleasure in twisting the knife.
"What should we do, then?"
Shigen frowned thoughtfully, seemingly ignoring the fact that Madara had successfully implemented the Moon-Eye Plan in his past life.
"How about this?" Shigen suggested. "Next time I see Madara, I'll tell him about you. That way, if anything goes wrong, you can guide him through the plan yourself."
"…"
Black Zetsu hesitated.
For centuries, it had avoided revealing itself to Madara, preferring to remain hidden while subtly influencing him. Its ideal scenario was for Shigen to guide Madara directly while it stayed in the shadows.
But if Shigen were to leave…
It might have no choice but to step forward.
Black Zetsu had always planned to pose as Madara's will when the time was right, particularly after he awakened the Rinnegan. But now that Shigen knew its true identity, the risk of exposure had increased.
Pretending to be Kaguya's will was even less feasible.
"I can't tell Madara I'm Kaguya's will," Black Zetsu said decisively. "He's too proud to accept anyone, even a god, as his superior. If he finds out, he might sabotage the Moon-Eye Plan."
"Shigen…"
"You're the only one Madara will trust. Only by relying on your reputation can we ensure his cooperation. Only you can make him believe in our vision for peace."
Yes.
Shigen was the key.
He was the most trusted figure in the entire ninja world, someone no one would ever doubt. Even Madara respected him.
Even Hagoromo, the Sage of Six Paths, was no match for Shigen's influence.
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Powerstones?
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