"A bunch of fools!"
"A worthless pile of mud, and an arrogant bastard who doesn't know his place!"
"Cooperation? Absurd! Ants cannot shake the heavens! Only Mother's power can resist the enemies of deep space—only she can save the shinobi world! The races that roam the cosmos—you mortals cannot even begin to comprehend their might!"
As the Fourth Shinobi World War quietly veered off course—its primary opponents now being the extraterritorial invaders—a hoarse voice echoed from a narrow ravine among the ruined, fissured valleys spreading from the Ten-Tails' location. There, in the shadows, the supposed last elder of Akatsuki, "Genbu of Akatsuki" — Black Zetsu — was cursing furiously.
Born in ancient times, having lived for thousands of years, after countless schemes and failures, Zetsu had long since cultivated a calm heart. Even if this generation's Indra reincarnation—Madara Uchiha—failed, it would hardly shake him.
After all, he had endured for millennia already. What was another century? If this generation perished, he could always deceive the next batch of naïve "little cabbages."
But this time…
The gaze of gods beyond the stars.
That was no trivial matter.
Thousands of years ago, he had been born in the final instant before his mother, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, was sealed away by her two treacherous sons—created by the last of her divine energy, carrying her resentment and a portion of her memories. To him, he was her beloved, trusted youngest child.
And he knew full well the dire situation his mother faced.
Mother was a traitor to the upper echelons of the Ōtsutsuki clan.
She had stolen and devoured the Chakra Fruit that was meant to be offered to the clan elders. Fearing they would send agents to retrieve her, she began the "offerings" to the God Tree—sacrificing humans at intervals, allowing the tree to drain their souls and the planet's life force to produce living weapons: the White Zetsu army.
These White Zetsu were to be her defensive line against any retrieval forces sent by the clan.
He, Hagoromo (the Sage of Six Paths), and Hamura (ancestor of the Hyūga Clan), along with Mother herself—should have stood together to resist the Ōtsutsuki's oppression. But his two brothers refused! They failed to understand Mother's anguish!
And now, behold—the "retrievers" have arrived!
Yet Mother's long-term plan—to nurture and stockpile a vast White Zetsu army over thousands of years—had only produced fewer than a hundred thousand units, and most were "premature births," deprived of millennia of nourishment.
The God Tree, meant to continue producing soldiers, had its chakra completely drained by that wretch Hagoromo, transforming it into the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path—and then sealed away on the moon. Only when Zetsu incited the legendary battle between Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, and helped Madara use Hashirama's cells to awaken the Rinnegan, was the Demonic Statue finally freed again.
But now, realizing disaster was at hand, a crushing sense of urgency pressed upon him. Even if he wanted to continue waiting, there was no longer time.
The half-piece of a chess piece in his hand was now his only lifeline.
Obito Uchiha—this pawn's performance had been disappointing, barely half useful at best. Zetsu had never placed much hope in him. The true trump card was Madara Uchiha with the Rinnegan. As long as Mother could be revived... even if they couldn't win, they could still flee.
Zetsu held no affection for the shinobi world.
In fact, he harbored deep malice—secretly wishing that the "retrievers" would destroy the entire planet, enslave and torment the natives that Hagoromo had foolishly protected, and grind them beneath their heel.
Unfortunately, things did not go according to plan—and what followed nearly made Zetsu faint with rage.
Obito was a madman—utterly irrational.
His actions during the Fourth Shinobi World War were, to Zetsu, a complete disaster.
For instance, at this critical moment, when his Kamui intangibility could have been essential—he vanished...
Baka yarō! Damn fool! At such a dire time, while Madara was trying to capture the Nine-Tails and Eight-Tails, that idiot had the leisure to sneak off with his "buddy" into Kamui space for a honeymoon?!
Fine then. He wasn't an Indra or Asura reincarnation, lacked the true cosmic authority of the Ōtsutsuki, and couldn't perceive the trembling of souls under the gaze of those beyond the stars anyway.
And yet, his supposed ace—Madara Uchiha—wasn't doing much better.
Fight!
Hurry and fight!
If he could just kill the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki and fully revive the Ten-Tails, Zetsu could flawlessly step in, use Obito's hidden Rinnegan and a suitable, strong-bodied vessel, and cast the Rinne Rebirth Technique to bring Madara back to life.
If things went as planned, Madara Uchiha would become the new Ten-Tails' jinchūriki. Once he retrieved the other Rinnegan from Obito, he would cast Infinite Tsukuyomi—achieving his dream, while Zetsu, in turn, would fulfill his own purpose.
A perfect win-win.
Mother would have her vessel for resurrection... and then he and his freed mother could flee under the cover of night!
The plan was beautiful—but it fell apart right at the start.
Because Madara was insane.
The moment Hashirama Senju—revived in his Edo Tensei form—appeared, Madara... decided not to fight!
Instead, he suddenly wanted to cooperate with Hashirama again—to face a common enemy?
Listening to their conversation, Zetsu was left dumbfounded.
Due to the residual chakra of Indra and Asura within them, both Madara and Hashirama had perceived the gaze of a "God of the Ōtsutsuki Clan" peering upon the shinobi world from beyond the cosmos.
And then—Hashirama actually agreed!
Zetsu almost jumped up in disbelief. He wanted to grab the collar of that brainless First Hokage and shake him senseless.
Just hours ago, your granddaughter Tsunade was cut in half by Madara! Countless Konoha shinobi died under his jutsu! And now this is your reaction?!
And what about those who lost husbands, comrades, and family? Not a single voice of protest? Not one objection?
Ninja Allied Headquarters' official statement: "Madara Uchiha's assault on the Alliance was not by his own will. He was summoned through Edo Tensei, like the former Kage of the villages, and is therefore also a victim. The blame lies with the summoner."
Zetsu: ...
Of course, he knew how full of holes that excuse was—but for the average shinobi, it was enough. Forget the chūnin and genin—even most jōnin couldn't grasp the deeper truth.
Good grief, trust Konoha to twist things. Masters of politics—if it served their narrative, they could even whitewash Madara Uchiha himself.
Seeing this made Zetsu panic even more.
They could afford to delay. They could glorify their unity as a heroic struggle for the world's salvation. But he couldn't wait. If the Ōtsutsuki High Council descended upon this planet, he would be reduced to a motherless ghost, wandering forever.
"No... no! I can't let this continue. I must think of a way... I must save Mother."
As Zetsu clawed at his head in anxiety, practically burning with desperation—thud!
"Cough... Zetsu, help me... I need a White Zetsu armor..."
Suddenly, a weak, blood-choked voice echoed behind him.
Zetsu had never imagined Obito's hoarse, rasping tone could sound so pleasant.
Splurt!
Blood gushed forth—the gaping wound in his chest carried the distinct stench of scorched flesh. Obito collapsed face-first, his complexion ashen, breath shallow. He tried to speak but only coughed up another mouthful of blood, crimson pooling beneath him.
So... he had removed Madara's control seal.
Zetsu's gaze fixed on Obito's chest. If memory served, from the very beginning, when Madara saved him, he had embedded a binding talisman directly into Obito's heart.
It was Kakashi's Chidori that did this.
To remove the seal, Obito's movements would have been restricted—he couldn't remove it himself. Only with a friend's aid could it be done... so that's why he pulled Kakashi into Kamui space.
Now Zetsu understood the true reason behind Obito's actions.
Realizing Madara's Edo Tensei state had become uncontrollable, Obito made a snap decision—to tear out the seal embedded in his heart.
For that, Zetsu's evaluation of him rose slightly.
Fine, then. It would be him.
Though not the ideal vessel, Obito would suffice to become the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki.
As for Madara—let him dance with his dear friend Hashirama against the "retrievers."
Zetsu was done playing servant.
"Obito... what happened to you? Your heart's been split open—you lost to your best friend again, didn't you?"
Zetsu swore he had never examined anyone's body so attentively.
Controlling a White Zetsu spore, he wrapped it around Obito's mangled frame, speaking in his usual rough, gravelly tone.
"Ugh..."
Feeling the regenerative cells knit into his ruined body, Obito spat up a mouthful of dark blood, wiped his lips, and let out a cold snort. "Lose? To him? I'll destroy his only world... and make him feel true pain."
"How gentle of you... Obito."
"Your sarcasm disgusts me. Enough. Zetsu—where's Madara? And what's the situation now?"
Regaining his senses, Obito was momentarily stunned by the devastated scene before him and quickly turned to question Zetsu.
Zetsu wanted to tell him to stop asking and just become the Ten-Tails' host already—but he knew Obito wasn't that gullible.
"Lord Madara has ordered us to eliminate the remaining enemies."
Zetsu pointed toward a distant direction.
Rumble—!
The earth quaked violently, as if the sun itself were falling from the sky. Fiery debris and massive stones blasted upward, the already shattered cliffs reduced to clouds of pulverized dust as the shockwave tore through everything. Deafening explosions and dazzling flames filled the entire horizon.
Obito narrowed his eyes toward Zetsu. Do you think I'm an idiot?
"Has Madara dealt with the Nine-Tails and Eight-Tails? Is the Ten-Tails revived?"
"Not yet. The Eight-Tails has been handled, but the Nine-Tails... is over there. The First, Second, Third, and Fourth Hokage have been summoned by the Allied Shinobi Forces. The Fourth is currently guarding the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki."
Obito gave a cold, owl-like laugh. "He's no better than me, then... Zetsu, let's deal with the Nine-Tails."
"Facing your former teacher—do you need a mask?"
Suppressing his excitement, Zetsu asked slyly.
"Hmph. Teacher, village, world... none of it matters anymore."
...
Boom!
"Shinra Tensei!"
A barrier of repulsive force burst outward, deflecting Mordred's crimson lightning and the concentrated energy beams fired by a swarm of massive humanoid mechanical golems.
"An ambush? That fool Hashirama—can he handle himself?"
Even from dozens of kilometers away, the sheer scale of the unleashed Noble Phantasm reverberated through the earth, shaking the hill where Madara's Susanoo stood.
He felt insulted.
From Hashirama's direction, he could sense five enormous energy signatures—each one powerful enough to demand caution. And among them, one stood above the rest, commanding and divine, radiating sacred authority.
Meanwhile, before him stood a young woman with bright golden hair tied in a ponytail, sharp green eyes, and a valiant, youthful face. Despite her wild fighting style, she was unmistakably just a girl.
Comparing the aura—those five over there seemed stronger than the little one before him.
"Well, how amusing. It seems I've been underestimated. But no matter. Hashirama's playing his part well enough. The Nine-Tails brat and the Fourth Hokage have already reached the Ten-Tails' barrier and begun injecting the Yin and Yang halves of the beast... hmm? Obito finally decided to show himself? Zetsu, what is he doing near the Ten-Tails?"
"Foolishness. We can't afford to wait any longer... Obito, your role is finished."
Madara's eyes snapped open, violet ripples radiating outward. "The binding seal... deactivated? Troubling. The Ten-Tails must not be jeopardized."
He swiftly formed the Rooster hand sign.
Truth be told, Madara could not fully grasp how powerful It truly was. Too vast, too intangible. But one thing was certain—he couldn't win. So he placed his hopes in the legacy of the Sage of Six Paths.
According to legend, the Sage had defeated the fallen god, sealed away demons, and brought peace to the world. Was that god... It?
Now, the god had returned. The Sage was gone. And Madara Uchiha would inherit that responsibility—to protect the shinobi world once more, to defeat the heretical god, and to build his ideal realm of peace.
He would prove to Hashirama that his path was the correct one!
It was Hashirama's naivety and soft-heartedness that wasted the seventy critical years during the transition from clan to village. If Konoha had unified the world back then, avoiding the constant wars of attrition, they could have advanced together, prepared together—and would not be in such a pitiful state now.
Fortunately, the message of the Uchiha Stone Tablet, and the unexpected success of the Edo Tensei summoning, meant it wasn't too late.
But he couldn't let that fool Obito ruin everything.
Vrrrrm...
In sync with him, his towering Susanoo mirrored the same hand sign. Its immense ocular power surged upward, breaking through the upper atmosphere, reaching toward the depths of space.
"Tengai Shinsei!"
In an instant, the sky darkened. Rumble... The colossal roar of distant detonations drew nearer.
The atmosphere compressed violently, producing countercurrents of wind so fierce they spawned cyclones across the ground. Then—five massive meteors, each miles wide, tore through the clouds, descending straight toward the battlefield.
"Come then, Apostle of 'God'... let's see how you handle this."
Without pausing to admire his handiwork, Madara dismissed his Susanoo. Using Uchiha Reflection, he redirected the oncoming thunderous energy beam back toward the enemy. Then, using the recoil, he launched himself backward, hurling a miniature black gravity sphere—a Micro Chibaku Tensei—to buy time.
That would suffice. The Ten-Tails was the core of his plan.
And that damned Zetsu—had he prepared the Rinne Rebirth Technique yet?
With a flicker, his body vanished—Shunshin no Jutsu—and reappeared kilometers away, dashing toward the Ten-Tails' position.
...
Elsewhere—in lunar orbit above the shinobi world.
Creak...
A suspiciously tall, blonde-haired, blue-eyed woman in a double-headed eagle officer's cap and a sharp, decorated military uniform pushed open the door of a long-sealed chamber.
"You truly are stubborn."
She tossed aside a long, blood-soaked strip of flesh with a wet splatter.
Thud!
A string of crimson beads—blood pearls—rolled along the uneven stone floor, blooming into brilliant red flowers where they fell.
Before her, a pale-skinned, blue-white-haired figure trembled and groaned in agony—reduced to a mutilated, limbless stump of a being.
—
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