Chapter 60 Black Zetsu: I confess! (Three-in-one...)
“I met someone who looks a lot like the old man.” Obito paused, his brow furrowed. “And, judging from his tone, he seems… to be very familiar with the old man.”
"Familiar?" Black Zetsu's hoarse voice rose slightly, carrying obvious doubt and a hint of barely perceptible tension. "This is impossible. After Madara left Konoha, he severed ties with all his old acquaintances. After his 'death,' he completely disappeared. There shouldn't be anyone else besides us—"
The white Zetsu interrupted, "Eh? Could it be Madara's romantic entanglements from his youth? No, no, Madara never had time for women. So, could it be self-reproduction?"
"Shut up." Black Zetsu interrupted White Zetsu's inappropriate teasing. Its yellow pupils, half-body, narrowed slightly, flashing with an unpredictable light.
This is highly unusual. A mysterious Uchiha who suddenly appears, possesses immense power, and has a past connection with Madara Uchiha? This is completely beyond its expectations.
Any unforeseen variables could affect Princess Kaguya's plan to resurrect herself, and this must be investigated.
Black Zetsu pondered for a moment, then said slowly and in a somber tone, "Where is he? I'll go see him."
It needs to personally verify the person's identity, assess their threat level, and decide whether to win them over, exploit them, or eliminate them as soon as possible.
"Konoha".
***
Administrative efficiency is always exceptionally high when it comes to the will of the top leadership.
—After Hiruzen Sarutobi made his statement, Mikoto, posing as a "distant relative of the Uchiha clan," quickly completed all the tedious adoption procedures. After a series of documents were stamped and confirmed, he officially became Sasuke Uchiha's legal guardian.
Stepping out of the Hokage's office building, the afternoon sun was a bit too bright.
Sasuke followed closely beside Yan Sheng, his small figure casting a short shadow in the sunlight. He was silent for a moment, then looked up at Yan Sheng's hard-edged profile and said in a pleading tone:
"I...I want to go home and see the house." His delicate brows furrowed, his eyes darting around. "There's still a lot of stuff at home that I haven't had time to pack. And...some textbooks and ninja tools..."
That's what he said, but anyone with eyes can see what he really meant.
Yan Sheng stopped and looked down at the boy beside him, who was only seven years old and only reached his thigh.
Given that only one day has passed since the massacre of the Uchiha clan, and the horrific scene of corpses strewn across the Uchiha clan's territory is still being cleared by the Anbu, sending a child back now to confront that hellish scene would be tantamount to rubbing salt into his wounds, causing even more severe psychological trauma.
This contradicts his mission to "smoothly guide" Sasuke and nip his future world-destroying tendencies in the bud.
"No." Yan Sheng's voice was calm but unquestionable, directly rejecting Sasuke's request. "Let's go a few days later. We'll buy whatever we need now."
His tone left no room for negotiation.
In the past, Yan Sheng would never have been so "patient." They weren't important to him; what did it matter to him whether they lived or died, whether they were happy or sad?
However, the situation is different now.
Sasuke is key to his mission on the planet and the target for acquiring a huge amount of merit points. His core objective now is to subtly guide and intervene from the very beginning, changing Sasuke's potential mindset towards destroying the world, thereby preventing the world from being destroyed, and in return, acquiring a huge amount of merit points to offset the sin of destroying the world.
Mentioning the end of the world—
Yan Sheng's scrutinizing gaze fell on Sasuke's small face, which was pursed and clearly showing signs of sulking because of the rejection.
At present, it's hard to see that this little kid has the potential and courage to destroy the world. Look at his frail body, his mind that's so easily swayed by emotions... he's really far removed from the idea of destroying the world.
But since the planetary will has pointed it out so clearly, it must be correct.
Thinking of this, Yan Sheng confirmed the equation in his heart once again: indeed, a huge sin of the same level as the destruction of the world must be offset by merit points of the same level as saving the world.
That's fair.
In contrast, while his actions in his original world altered the global landscape and indirectly or directly helped countless people, these people themselves did not possess the power to destroy the world. Therefore, the merit gained from saving them was far less than that from "stopping a being that could destroy the world."
So... without the help of the planetary consciousness, he might never be able to pay off his debts in his entire life.
Beside him, Sasuke was indeed sulking. He lowered his head and unconsciously ground small pebbles on the ground with his toes, venting his dissatisfaction and grievances.
As Yan Sheng was pondering something, he suddenly seemed to sense something, turned his head abruptly, and his sharp gaze shot like lightning to a certain spot behind him.
At the street corner, a golden head darted back like a startled rabbit, disappearing into a dark alley, leaving only a swaying afterimage of golden hair.
......
Walking back to my lodgings, Konoha Village was as bustling and lively as ever, but an unusually oppressive atmosphere permeated the air.
In the streets and alleys, groups of villagers gathered, whispering and gossiping. They tried to keep their voices down, but the whispers, like annoying gnats, inevitably reached Sasuke's ears.
"Have you heard? The Uchiha clan... Sigh, how tragic..."
"Everything was gone overnight! Who did this? It's so cruel."
"Who else could it be but an enemy! Such an arrogant clan must have offended a lot of people."
"Shh! Keep your voice down... But what if one day something like this happens to Konoha? It's terrifying to think about..."
"Sigh...who knows, this world..."
Every word was like a cold needle piercing Sasuke's heart. His steps slowed, his head drooped lower, and he bit his lower lip so hard it almost bled. His eyes welled up uncontrollably and reddened; the grief and humiliation he had forcibly suppressed surged forth again amidst the gossip of these bystanders, assaulting his defenses once more.
Just then, a deep, magnetic male voice came from above, calm and indifferent, yet seemingly possessing a strange penetrating power that drowned out the noisy discussions:
"Don't worry about what others say."
Sasuke was startled and subconsciously looked up at the tall man beside him.
Yan Shengping looked ahead and continued calmly, "If you care so much, then become stronger."
“There are two kinds of this strength: one is spiritual strength, with an unyielding heart that cannot be shaken by external storms; the other is strength in terms of power, which silences all critics with absolute force.” As he spoke, Yan Sheng turned his head slightly, his deep gaze falling on Sasuke’s small face, which was filled with pain and confusion.
“Sasuke,” he called out coldly, “you are too weak right now. So weak that others can freely talk about your pain in front of you, so weak that you can’t stop any tragedy from happening, so weak that you can only break your teeth, mix blood and tears, and silently swallow it down.”
"In this world, weakness is the original sin."
These words struck Sasuke like a hammer blow, making him tremble.
"Become strong, Sasuke," Yan Sheng said in a deep voice. "When you become a powerful figure standing at the pinnacle of the ninja world, no one will dare to question your will, no one will dare to oppose your decisions. At that time, you can do whatever you want and protect whatever you want to protect."
After saying that, he changed the subject: "You're not the only one who has suffered the pain of having your entire clan wiped out. Throughout history, many families have been the same, and even entire countries and villages have been reduced to ashes. Even now, similar things are still happening. If you don't want similar tragedies to happen again, if you think this world is wrong..."
He paused for a few seconds, giving Sasuke time to think, and then slowly said, "Then go stop it. Use your power to change it."
It was unusual for Yan Sheng to say so much, and it was clearly to guide Sasuke.
The child is still young, and his worldview and values are not yet formed. He is like soft clay, easy to mold. Once he grows up and his thinking becomes solidified, especially after the Uchiha's obsessive and extreme personality is fully revealed, it will be extremely difficult to change him.
Sasuke listened to these words and was puzzled for a second—what do other people's affairs and tragedies of other clans have to do with me? All I want now is to avenge the Uchiha!
But then, the good moral education he had received since childhood, which emphasized responsibility and honor, took effect in his heart, and he immediately felt guilty and ashamed for the selfish thoughts that had just arisen.
How could he think like that? How painful it would be if others suffered the same misfortune as him? Feelings of self-reproach spread through his heart.
Sasuke shook his head and slapped his face with both hands. In short—the man was right.
He interpreted Yan Sheng's words as a way to become strong, to stop the tragedies he could see, to save what he could not save now, and thus to save his own heart.
This is a very noble goal, and it aligns perfectly with the education Sasuke received.
Although the flames of revenge still burned in his heart, at this moment, a vague yet grand seed had been quietly planted by Yan Sheng.
Sasuke sniffed hard, forcing back the stinging in his eyes, then looked up at Yan Sheng again. This time, his eyes held a light of determination.
"Okay! I understand... I will become stronger!"
***
The day after the night of the massacre happened to be a weekend.
The weekend passed in a state of almost stagnant calm.
Sasuke remained silent most of the time, either staring blankly out the window or, at Yan Sheng's request, performing some basic physical exercises.
His eyes were sometimes vacant, sometimes burning with a suppressed flame, clearly indicating that his inner world was far from the calm he appeared to be.
On Sunday evening, Yan Sheng sat in the living room, watching Sasuke pack his newly bought schoolbag and stationery for the next day, and casually asked, "Do you need to take a few more days off?"
Sasuke paused in his work of tidying up the books, then shook his head, his voice soft but firm: "No need."
He's not that fragile. And he doesn't allow himself to be.
He had already vented his emotions through crying and despair; now, he had to stand up. School was a place to learn knowledge and ninjutsu, an essential path to becoming stronger. He had to go to school, study hard, and desperately improve himself until one day he was strong enough to earn the respect of men and obtain the full truth about the extermination of his clan from their mouths.
Then find Itachi, get the truth out of him, and take revenge on the real culprit...
Yan Sheng was not surprised by Sasuke's answer. After spending two days together, he had a pretty good grasp of Sasuke's background.
This child possesses the stubbornness and pride typical of the Uchiha clan. He won't allow himself to wallow in sadness for too long; he will eventually return to reality, no matter how cruel reality may be.
Yan Sheng gave a nonchalant "hmm" to indicate that he understood, then took out the prepared money bag and threw it on the table in front of Sasuke.
"Pocket money." A concise and to-the-point statement.
Because he didn't return to the Uchiha clan's territory, Sasuke had to buy all his school supplies again, from textbooks and notebooks to pens, ink, and ninja tools.
This expense was naturally covered by Yan Sheng.
As for the source of their wealth—although the Uchiha clan was wiped out, as a large clan, they had accumulated considerable assets over several generations.
After Yan Sheng officially became Sasuke's guardian, the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, handed over the Uchiha's legacy on behalf of the village.
Of course, Yan Sheng's proactive and explicit demands played a significant role in this.
It wasn't that he was greedy for the money; Yan Sheng was quite capable of making money. He simply felt that the wealth left behind by the Uchiha clan should naturally be inherited by their only surviving member.
After all, if he hadn't mentioned it, given the behavior of some of Konoha's higher-ups (such as Danzo, whose wrist he had severed and whose memories he had erased), it would have been highly questionable whether this huge sum of money would have ended up in Sasuke's hands intact.
Therefore, he felt perfectly justified in accepting the money.
Part of it will be used for Sasuke's current living expenses, and the rest will be kept for Sasuke. After he completes his mission and leaves this world, these things will all belong to Sasuke and will be enough to guarantee Sasuke's life for a long time to come.
***
The following morning, Yan Sheng escorted Sasuke to the entrance of the Ninja Academy.
Compared to the quiet weekend, the school gate was now filled with the noise of children, who walked into the school in twos and threes, dressed in all sorts of clothes.
Sasuke stood at the door, took a deep breath, and walked in without looking back. His small figure looked particularly thin in the crowd, yet he stood straight.
Yan Sheng stood there until Sasuke's figure completely disappeared into the school building before turning and leaving.
However, he had only taken a few steps when he caught a glimpse of an extremely eye-catching, sun-like, golden light rushing towards him from the other end of the street at a frantic, reckless speed.
It was a boy wearing a dirty orange tracksuit, who looked about the same age as Sasuke, with several fine scratches on his face that looked like they were from a fight (actually, they were six whisker-like marks).
Yan Sheng remembered this face—it was this blond boy who had been secretly watching them from the alleyway when he took Sasuke to the Hokage Building to complete the formalities a couple of days ago.
The boy clearly noticed Yan Sheng's conspicuous figure and unusual demeanor, and perhaps realized that he had been discovered while spying on Yan Sheng last time. A hint of embarrassment and awkwardness flashed across his face.
He subconsciously stepped aside, almost as if he were moving in sync, then quickly lowered his head and brushed past Yan Sheng like a gust of wind, bringing with him a faint... smell like a mixture of expired milk and dust.
Yan Sheng withdrew his gaze and didn't look at it anymore.
An irrelevant, weak, and unruly child could not arouse his interest in the slightest.
But just because he doesn't pay attention doesn't mean he'll ignore the "little things" on his body.
Just as the blond boy brushed past Yan Sheng, three small heads peeked out one by one from the inner pocket of Yan Sheng's shirt.
One-tailed Shukaku had dark circles under its eyes, five-tailed Kokuou swung its fluffy tail, and seven-tailed Chongming flapped its small, crystal-clear wings, which looked like dragonfly wings.
—Yes, those three came along too.
"Huh?" One-Tail sniffed hard, a hint of doubt flashing in its round eyes. It smacked its lips and said, "I think I smell a very familiar scent. It's both annoying and familiar!"
The five-tailed fox raised its head slightly, its nostrils flaring, and agreed uncertainly, "Hmm... a bit. A bit like... Kurama?"
Seven-tailed Fox flapped its wings and concluded with certainty: "Remove the word 'like,' and that's it."
Yan Sheng: "Nine Lama?"
"Hmph!" One-Tail immediately snorted disdainfully, turning its head to the side, its tone full of disgust, "An insignificant, arrogant, and conceited fellow!"
The Five-Tailed Beast twitched its lips helplessly and added, "It's the Nine-Tailed Beast, Kurama is its name. Their relationship... well, it's always been like this." It subtly expressed the well-known terrible relationship between the One-Tailed Beast and the Nine-Tailed Beast.
"So," Yan Sheng caught the key information, "you all... have names?"
"Of course!" the three little tailed beasts said in unison.
"Then," Yan Sheng stopped and looked back in the direction of the ninja academy, where the blond boy had just disappeared inside the school gate, "was that boy carrying the Nine-Tails?"
"Yes, I agree." Ichio nodded. "Although it was very faint, as if it were being suppressed by some kind of seal, that unpleasant smell was definitely Kurama!"
Upon hearing this, Yan Sheng's gaze towards the bustling school gate deepened.
This was...an unexpected discovery.
However, it had nothing to do with his mission. Yan Sheng withdrew his gaze and stopped thinking about it.
Inside the pocket, the three little tailed beasts, having caught the scent of an old acquaintance, began chattering and arguing incessantly.
***
It's the fifth day.
Today is the fifth day of waiting for the masked man to meet him. As agreed, he will join the mysterious organization called "Akatsuki".
However, one day passed, two days passed, three days passed... five days passed... and the masked man still hadn't arrived.
Itachi Uchiha couldn't help but wonder if he had been abandoned by the masked man because he knew the masked man's true appearance.
What about his espionage plans?
Just as Itachi Uchiha was getting anxious, the space in front of him suddenly distorted.
Obito Uchiha emerged from the Kamui dimension, looking awkwardly at the pale-faced Itachi Uchiha before him—he hadn't intentionally ignored Itachi. He'd simply been so engrossed in discussing with Black Zetsu the man who had suddenly appeared and resembled Madara Uchiha that he'd completely forgotten about Itachi.
"Ahem." Obito cleared his throat, continuing to impersonate Madara without changing his expression, maintaining Madara's deep, hoarse voice, and explained, "I was dealing with some trivial matters and got delayed. Come with me."
—You really can't blame him.
When you encounter someone whose temperament, demeanor, and aloofness are somewhat similar to Madara Uchiha, and whose tone is as familiar as that of an old acquaintance, no one can calm down!
Moreover, he has always identified himself as "Uchiha Madara," controlling the Akatsuki organization and plotting the Eye of the Moon Project. The sudden appearance of someone who might expose his identity and has a deep connection with Madara not only brings embarrassment but also poses a serious threat to the stability of the plan.
Therefore, before finding Itachi, Obito had already held an emergency meeting and taken action with Black Zetsu:
They searched through all of Madara's notes and clues, repeatedly confirming that Uchiha Madara had absolutely no direct descendants. He dedicated his entire life to his ideals, never having had any romantic relationships, let alone any offspring.
So, the question is: who exactly is that man who looks so much like Madara? Where did he come from? Why does he resemble Madara so much? And why is he so familiar with Madara?
Obito Uchiha was completely baffled, and Black Zetsu was also filled with doubt and vigilance.
Ultimately, Black Zetsu decided to go to Konoha in person to observe and test this sudden change of events up close. It wasn't until Black Zetsu set off that Obito suddenly slapped his forehead, remembering Itachi Uchiha still out in the cold wind.
Thus, the belated guidance came.
Obito brought the severely weakened Itachi Uchiha back to the Akatsuki base in the Land of Rain. The two remained silent throughout the journey, each harboring their own secrets.
—Itachi was thinking about his younger brother, while Obito kept picturing Kokushiro in his mind, trying to find clues about his origins.
***
Yan Sheng did not waste these few days in Konoha.
He knew nothing about this parallel world, so his primary task was to understand its historical context and current situation.
He practically lived in Konoha's largest library, and in just a few days, he absorbed a vast amount of historical texts, ninja world chronicles, and other publicly available records like a sponge.
First, unsurprisingly, there is no counterpart to him in this world—he is completely absent from both the Warring States period and the historical records after the establishment of the Ninja Village.
And because of his "intervention," many major events in this world have unfolded in the same way as when he did not interfere in the affairs of the five great powers:
The tripartite balance of power among the five major powers has remained unchanged, and no unified behind-the-scenes controller has emerged that is above the five major powers.
The struggle between the five great nations and their ninja villages is extremely fierce. According to records, three major wars that have affected the entire ninja world have broken out to date.
One concept worth mentioning is "human jinchūriki".
Sealing the tailed beasts, known as "calamities," into human bodies, using them as containers and weapons to control their power, is a brutal and potentially disastrous method in Yan Sheng's view.
Next, he focused on the founding history of Konoha.
As he knew, Konoha was founded jointly by the Senju and Uchiha clans. However, what was intriguing was that the Uchiha clan had just been wiped out, while the Senju clan… He consulted numerous documents and questioned some naive children, and the answer he received was—
Within Konoha Village, there isn't a single person with the explicit surname "Senju." The children don't even know what the surname "Senju" represents, and they are told definitively that there is no such surname in the village.
The Uchiha clan was annihilated in a spectacular fashion, while the Senju clan vanished silently into time, leaving not even a ripple. Today, the Hyuga, Sarutobi, Yamanaka, Akimichi, Nara, and Aburame clans are renowned within Konoha.
Isn't this just doing someone else's work for their benefit?
Yan Sheng closed the book he was reading, his eyes completely expressionless.
The Senju and Uchiha clans of this world, who fought for hundreds of years and stood at the pinnacle of the ninja world, ultimately met such an end.
It wasn't even a lose-lose situation or mutual destruction; rather, it was a self-annihilation that handed over the hard-earned legacy to those who came after. This was more absurd and tragic than any ending he had envisioned.
He also noted that the position of Hokage in Konoha had actually been passed down to the fourth generation.
However, the Fourth Hokage died a few years ago during the "Nine-Tails' rampage." Records show that when the Fourth Hokage's wife gave birth, because he was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki, the weakness caused by childbirth allowed the Nine-Tails to break free of its seal and wreak havoc in the village, causing massive casualties. The Fourth Hokage and his wife ultimately sacrificed themselves to reseal the Nine-Tails.
So, what about the children of the four generations of the couple?
Yan Sheng found official photos of the Fourth Hokage and his wife.
In the photo, the blond man is handsome and sunny, and the red-haired woman is radiant and beautiful. Then, comparing these two with the flustered blond boy I bumped into at the school gate that morning...
The answer is obvious. That boy is the orphan of the Fourth Hokage.
As for why he immediately thought of the other party, the One-Tailed, Five-Tailed, and Seven-Tailed said that he had the Nine-Tailed on him, and the Fourth Hokage's wife was the previous Nine-Tailed Jinchuriki, so this relationship is easy to guess.
So why... did that child live such a miserable life?
A properly raised child would never come to school covered in dirt. The stench emanating from the child, coupled with the worn-out, ill-fitting orange tracksuit, silently testified to the owner's impoverished circumstances.
It truly is a classic case of "when the birds are all gone, the good bow is put away." The son of a hero has been treated in this way.
If the four generations of the couple could see from heaven that their children were being treated this way in the village they had sacrificed their lives to protect, would they feel remorse?
Yan Sheng didn't know the answer, but his perception of Konoha in this world had plummeted to rock bottom.
In his view, Konoha was rotten to the core.
It is true that an organization can only remain clean in its early "startup" stages; as time goes on, corruption inevitably breeds. But the fact that Konoha rotted so quickly and so thoroughly was hard not to take notice.
Judging from his perspective and experience as a ruler, Konoha in this world, if left untouched, will eventually collapse from within.
It seems that Sasuke needs to take revenge as soon as possible, otherwise he'll have nowhere to seek revenge later.
Leaving the library, Yan Sheng had already made his judgment about Konoha in this world. Then, he deliberately chose a secluded path, winding his way through the area to a place rarely visited by people.
***
Black Zetsu, with his unique stealth abilities, silently infiltrated Konoha and quickly located Mikasa's position.
It trailed far behind Yan Sheng, perfectly concealing itself using the shadows of buildings and crowds. It prepared to observe the man closely and ascertain his background.
Then, what he saw shocked him – Black Zetsu's heart skipped a beat.
Obito wasn't lying.
From certain angles, the man's profile, the indifference and disdain that inadvertently emanated from his brows... were practically identical to a young Uchiha Madara! It almost cried out the name "Madara."
So alike! They look so alike!
Furthermore, according to Obito's account, this person spoke in a tone that suggested he was very familiar with Madara... No wonder Obito mistakenly thought he was Madara's descendant, given how young he looked; he could only be a descendant.
A strong sense of suspicion arose in Black Jue's heart.
At this crucial juncture, where plans have been meticulously crafted for millennia and the mother's resurrection is imminent, it cannot allow any unforeseen complications. It must ascertain the man's origins and purpose.
Black Zetsu pondered how to probe the situation: should he create accidental contact, or utilize White Zetsu's clones...?
As it cautiously followed the man and rapidly devised a plan in its mind, the man's figure disappeared after turning into an alley.
Black Zetsu was greatly alarmed. It was extremely confident in its ability to infiltrate, after all, it had never failed in a thousand years, so it was normal for it to have this confidence; it shouldn't have been discovered by the other party.
The problem lies in the fact that it in this world has no idea about Yan Sheng's background, let alone that Yan Sheng has the ability to sense and restrain it. If it were the Black Zetsu who had suffered a loss in Yan Sheng's world, it would have run away without hesitation long ago. It still blindly believes in its own stealth technique, so it stays in place without moving, trying to determine the direction in which the target disappeared.
Then it paid a heavy price for its arrogance and lack of intelligence.
......
The moment Black Zetsu appeared in the vicinity, Yan Sheng's senses locked onto this cold, twisted aura, identical to that of Muzan Kibutsuji. He deliberately remained calm, luring his opponent to this deserted place to make it easier to strike.
Given his previous failure to capture Black Zetsu in the original world, Yan Sheng made thorough preparations this time.
—The instant his figure disappeared, he actually moved behind Black Zetsu at a speed that was difficult for the naked eye to perceive. At the same time, a scroll that had been prepared beforehand and was inscribed with complex sealing techniques was instantly unfurled in his hand.
Before Black Zetsu could even react, let alone use its life-saving Mayfly Technique to escape into the earth, it felt an irresistible sealing force, like an invisible cage, binding it tightly.
A powerful suction force came from behind, pulling and compressing its body uncontrollably until, in a hopeless struggle, it was completely sucked into the scroll.
The scroll closed automatically, and the spell on its surface flickered a few times before returning to calm.
Yan Sheng held the slightly trembling sealing scroll in his hand, feeling the impact of the cold and evil aura within, and a hint of satisfaction appeared in his eyes.
The darkness in this world is so easy to grasp. I wish the darkness in his world was just as easy to grasp.
It was his previous actions that alerted it, making it wary and causing it to avoid him altogether now.
***
It was dark, dry, and filled with a strange smell of old dust mixed with some kind of volatile medicine.
This is a deep underground place, facing the Hokage Rock, a corner forgotten by time.
Yan Sheng appeared silently in the dusty laboratory. His spotless dark robes contrasted sharply with the thick layer of dust around him.
Looking around, his gaze swept over the dusty, oddly shaped experimental equipment, and the scroll fragments scattered on the workbench with blurred writing.
This is the location of Tobirama Senju's extremely secret laboratory, which Yan Sheng found based on his knowledge from his original world, and he decided to give it a try.
Unexpectedly, it exists in this parallel world as well, and the layout is exactly the same.
However, judging from the thickness of the accumulated dust, it is clear that no one knows this place exists.
Yan Sheng chose this place for a simple reason. The barriers and sealing techniques set up in Tobirama Senju's laboratory were far more sophisticated and stable than those in ordinary places.
For him, where absolute secrecy and security were paramount, this was the only option.
Yan Sheng cleared a small open space, and using the available materials, he used his own chakra to transfer the ink "brought by" Tobirama Senju's laboratory to draw a sealing array on the ground.
The array patterns shimmered with a faint blue light, subtly resonating with the remaining barrier in the laboratory, forming a double layer of protection.
After completing all this and confirming that everything was in perfect order, Yan Sheng took out the scroll that sealed Hei Jue and placed it flat in the center of the array diagram.
Then—"Solve."
As he spoke in a deep voice, the scroll surface flashed with light, and a jet-black, amorphous substance, like thick petroleum, suddenly shot out and landed in the center of the sealing array on the ground.
The moment it broke free from the scroll's restraints, the black substance—Black Zetsu—sprang up like a startled venomous snake, attempting to merge into the earth beneath its feet.
but.
"Bang!" A dull thud, like hitting an invisible barrier.
The moment Black Zetsu's liquid body touched the ground, it was violently bounced back by a blue light membrane composed of countless fine runes that suddenly lit up.
Unwilling to give up, it immediately turned to other directions, attempting to escape from different angles, but the result was the same. The ground and even space within the entire sealing array were completely locked down, rendering any form of earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of escape technique) or stealth ability completely ineffective here.
Black Zetsu was like an insect trapped in a transparent glass dome, struggling in vain but unable to find any opening.
Yan Sheng stood quietly outside the sealing array, coldly watching Hei Jue's futile struggles, his face expressionless.
Only when Black Zetsu's charge gradually weakened, and the pool of dark matter undulated slightly like a deflated balloon, revealing its inner horror and despair, did Yan Sheng slowly speak.
His voice echoed in the deathly silent underground laboratory. Calm, yet carrying an undeniable authority and a chilling oppressive force: "Alright, let's have a proper talk."
***
Inside the underground laboratory, the air seemed to freeze, with only the faint blue light of the sealing array and dust slowly floating and sinking within the pillars of light.
Yan Sheng's question was like a stone thrown into stagnant water, causing no ripples.
Black Zetsu kept his mouth tightly shut and didn't say a word.
At this moment, it was filled with regret—regret for being too careless, underestimating this unfamiliar Uchiha, and being captured so easily by him.
Yan Sheng stared at the silently resisting Black Zetsu, his eyes unwavering, as if he were looking at a stubborn rock. He wasn't surprised that this guy wouldn't admit defeat until he was faced with the ultimate obstacle.
Therefore, he did not ask a second time.
"Zzzzt—"
A clear, resonant clang of a blade suddenly rang out, shattering the deathly silence.
Yan Sheng drew his sword, the blade reflecting the blue light of the sealing array and flowing with a chilling aura like autumn water, but without the killing intent of ordinary swords, only a pure and extreme sharpness that could cut through everything.
Without warning, without foreshadowing, the blade flashed like a startled swan, grazing the edge of Black Zetsu's body.
"laugh!"
A soft sound, like a hot knife slicing through grease. A small piece of pitch-black substance fell onto the sealing array, drying and shrinking rapidly like lifeless asphalt, eventually turning into tiny specks of ash and vanishing without a trace.
"Ugh—!" Black Zetsu let out a sharp, distorted scream.
It felt not only the pain of its body being cut off, but also the terror of its primal power being forcibly stripped away and its vitality rapidly disappearing.
It stared at Yan Sheng in astonishment, its body trembling violently.
How is this possible?! How could there be anything in this world that could directly harm or even annihilate its essence?! Even the Sage of Six Paths couldn't completely kill it! This man... who exactly is he?!
Panic gripped Black Zetsu's heart.
"Who are you!" it finally couldn't help but ask sharply, its voice filled with unbelievable fear.
Yan Sheng slowly sheathed his sword, his posture elegant and composed, as if he had merely brushed away a speck of dust. His gaze calmly fell upon Black Jue, ignoring its question.
“Answer my question.” His voice was deep, carrying an undeniable authority and a hint of impatience. “I don’t have that much patience to waste on you.”
Black Zetsu sensed the chilling killing intent in those words. It had no doubt that if it remained silent, the next strike would take away even more of its life.
Its heart was filled with resentment and bitterness. How could its thousand-year plan be destroyed here? But it also knew that only by living could there be infinite possibilities, while death would mean the end of everything.
It struggled, trying to find a chance to escape, perhaps... making up a lie to fool people wouldn't be bad?
"My...my purpose..." Black Zetsu's voice was hoarse, "was...to..."
Its words were half true and half false, attempting to use seemingly reasonable reasons to deceive and conceal its true plans.
But, the instant its voice fell—
The blade flashed again.
Black Zetsu's shoulder was cleanly and decisively sliced off, turning into ashes.
"Ah!" Black Zetsu screamed again, his voice even more shrill.
What happened? Why did they start fighting over nothing? Can a man read his mind?
“I’ve said it before, I have no patience.” Yan Sheng’s voice was as cold as iron. “You have one last chance.”
The Black Zetsu of the two worlds share a common core essence. Through this "commonality," Yan Sheng is able to determine whether the Black Zetsu of this world is telling the truth.
In a way, Black Zetsu dug his own grave.
"Okay, actually my real purpose is..."
"lie."
"ah!"
"I really—"
"ah!"
A dozen minutes later.
Black Zetsu's body had been mostly sliced off, leaving only a small mass about the size of a palm. The next strike would undoubtedly be its end.
Faced with the threat of complete annihilation, Black Zetsu surrendered.
"I'll talk! I'll talk!"
"It's the Eye of the Moon Plan! Infinite Tsukuyomi! I'll trap the entire world in genjutsu and reclaim all chakra... I will resurrect my mother!"
-----------------------
Author's Note: Black Zetsu: I hate you, my other self.
[Sprinkling flowers]
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