Chapter 291 – Black Zetsu Walks His Brother's Path
"So… you've really made up your mind."
In the dim light of the Raikage's office, the acting Raikage, Dodai, fixed his sharp gaze on the masked man standing before him — Uchiha Obito.
His tone was steady, but the air carried a heavy tension.
"You're inviting us now? To join your war against the entire shinobi world?
Don't you think that's… excessive?"
Obito tilted his head slightly and gave a faint nod, as though he'd been expecting that question.
"Ah… so you've heard about what happened at the Three Kage Summit."
The casualness in his voice made Dodai's aides bristle.
Darui's expression darkened, C frowned, and Samui crossed her arms, her eyes sharp as ice.
"We know everything you said," Darui spoke first, his tone edged.
"And if I'm not mistaken — we're among your targets, aren't we?"
Obito didn't even deny it.
"Correct. But I also have… a better proposal."
His calmness was almost insulting. To him, this wasn't negotiation — it was inevitability.
Before coming here, he'd already met with Uchiha Madara and learned how to play this game.
Whether Kumo joined or not didn't matter — he just needed more soldiers to throw into the coming storm.
"At the summit," Obito began, "I declared my intent to rebuild the shinobi world —
to create a new order of true peace."
His tone was smooth, persuasive.
"But I never explained what happens after that order collapses, did I?"
Dodai's brows furrowed. Even his aides exchanged uncertain looks.
"And what exactly are you suggesting?"
Obito's single red eye glimmered.
"It's simple. Peace needs order — and order requires structure.
You, Kumo, can be that structure.
The last remaining village to preserve balance."
The room went still.
Obito's voice carried the certainty of someone who expected to be obeyed.
"This endless cycle of war exists because too many powers compete for dominance.
Destroy the other villages — keep only one to enforce peace —
and there will be no more hatred, no more conflict.
"You will be that village. Our allies."
The words struck like thunder.
Even Samui's breath caught.
Darui's fingers twitched toward his sword.
Dodai, however, stared silently, calculating.
"And you'd just… hand all that to us?"
He didn't believe it for a second.
"You people don't move without a price, Obito. What do you gain?"
"What I always wanted," Obito replied coolly.
"Victory. And control."
He took a step closer, his chakra pressure filling the room like a storm.
"We'll monitor everything. Every move, every decision.
We'll even hold the right to veto your actions."
Dodai slammed his hand on the desk.
"Are you insane?! You want us to rule the world, but answer to you?!"
"Don't be so hasty."
Obito raised a hand, unbothered.
"It's only a proposal.
The terms depend on how you perform during the war."
He smiled behind the mask.
"Fight well — and you'll gain more. Fail… and you'll be replaced."
His message was clear.
Obito wasn't offering partnership — he was offering a leash.
Dodai exhaled slowly. His men looked shaken, uncertain.
"Think carefully," Obito added, turning toward the window.
"Look at your village. At the mountains that once stood as the spine of Kumogakure —
broken by Konoha, Iwa, and Kiri."
He looked over his shoulder, his voice low and poisonous.
"Don't you want revenge?"
"This is your chance to take it —
to fight alongside your fallen Raikage once more.
And who knows… perhaps finally claim the summit of the shinobi world."
The air distorted as his body dissolved into swirling space.
"One week," Obito said as he vanished.
"That's how long you have to decide. Then… the war begins."
Silence fell.
"Tch. That damned bastard," Darui muttered after a long pause.
"He wants us to be his cannon fodder — and use our dead Kage as puppets."
"Maybe…" Samui frowned. "But it's not entirely without merit."
"You can't be serious."
Darui stared at her in disbelief, but C cut in, thoughtful.
"We should at least discuss it. One week isn't much time. We'll need preparation —
for both possibilities."
"You actually trust him?" Darui snapped.
"No," C replied simply. "But we can still use him."
That silenced the room. Even Dodai nodded slightly.
"Call a meeting," he ordered.
"And summon Killer Bee. We'll discuss our move tonight."
"Understood."
Outside, far from the village, Obito stood on a high ridge, gazing down at the storm-wrapped mountains of Kumogakure.
"As expected," he murmured. "Kumo's hooked.
Madara's little speechcraft still works wonders."
He smirked.
"Now all that's left is the Edo Tensei army…
and for Madara to locate the Sage's brother's relics."
He looked out toward the horizon — a sky the color of bruised steel.
"The sooner this disgusting world ends… the better."
---
Meanwhile, atop another mountain in the Land of Fire, Uchiha Madara listened quietly as Black Zetsu finished his report.
"So Obito has Kumo dancing in his palm already," Madara said, shaking his head.
"Strange. He turned his loyalty rather fast — even offered to help me deal with Nagato."
He let out a faint, sardonic laugh.
"The boy's delusional — reaching far beyond his station."
Black Zetsu's expression darkened, hatred twisting his features.
"That fool ruined everything.
All of Mother's plans — shattered because he thought he could play god!"
His voice dripped venom.
"I swore I'd never release her again, not until the world was ready.
But Obito… he's forcing it — as if her death wasn't enough the first time."
He clenched his fists, his voice trembling with fury.
"A pawn trying to become the player — I won't allow it."
For a moment, something almost human flickered in his tone —
fear.
"Perhaps," he muttered bitterly, "my brothers sealed her away not to betray her…
but to protect her."
He went silent. Then, with a bitter chuckle:
"No. I'm different. I'm protecting her — truly protecting her."
Madara's cold voice cut through his thoughts.
"A pawn will never sit at the board, Zetsu.
The Rinnegan and the Ten Tails are mine.
Focus on your task."
Zetsu lowered his head.
"Understood. I've already found traces.
It will take time… but I'll locate the relic."
Madara turned toward the distant forests of the Fire Country,
his eyes reflecting a faint red gleam.
"Do it quickly. This world's grown tiresome."
His voice softened, almost wistful.
"Hashirama…
I wonder if you've been waiting for this as long as I have."
---
Meanwhile, back in Konoha...
Inside a dango shop, laughter and chatter filled the air —
a sharp contrast to the gathering storm outside.
Kitagawa Gen sat among the new generation — Shikamaru, Ino, Neji, Lee, Hinata, and the others — a plate of dango skewers before him.
"So the war's really happening, huh?" Shikamaru sighed, chewing idly.
"What a drag…"
The others chuckled, though the mood was uneasy.
"This isn't a war we started," Gen replied calmly, sipping his tea.
"It's the Akatsuki's madness, not ours."
"Yeah, easy for you to say, Lord Fifth."
Shikamaru's lazy eyes narrowed teasingly.
"Shouldn't the new Hokage be, I don't know — less relaxed?"
Gen smirked.
"Careful. I might just make your dad retire early and hand you his job instead."
"Tch, you wouldn't—" Shikamaru froze mid-sentence.
The grin Gen gave him said he absolutely would.
"Alright, enough," Ino cut in, exasperated.
"We should be preparing, not bickering."
Hinata nodded softly beside her, her pale eyes distant.
"War…" she murmured.
Neji's gaze hardened.
"It's harsh. But I won't run."
"Nor will I!" Lee added, punching his palm.
"For youth — and Konoha!"
Gen chuckled.
"Relax. This time we won't be alone.
Iwa, Kiri, Suna — they're all joining us."
Shikamaru nodded.
"Even the Iron and Frost Countries have pledged support.
Grass wants in too, though…"
"Tch. Grass Village?" Karin snorted. "Let them rot.
They deserve whatever's coming."
The others glanced at her — none disagreed.
"Besides," Shikamaru said quietly, "we all know why that village fell."
His eyes flicked toward Gen — who smiled faintly and said nothing.
Then Hinata's soft voice broke the silence.
"Um… Gen-senpai…
What about Naruto-kun and Sasuke-kun?
We haven't seen either of them."
"Yeah," Sakura added, leaning forward. "How are they?"
"They're fine," Gen replied with a small grin.
"When you see them again, they might not even be the same people."
Sasuke was completing his evolution — mastering Itachi's eyes.
Naruto, meanwhile, was close to achieving perfect harmony with the Nine Tails.
"He'll struggle," Gen added, "but he'll get there.
The day he and Kurama see eye to eye… he'll surpass every Jinchūriki before him."
His tone softened.
"And when that time comes, I'll give him a little push."
He smiled faintly — but then, a whisper stirred within his mind.
"Hmm?"
It was Kaguya's voice, filled with tension.
"I can feel… Zetsu's chakra."
Gen didn't move, still chatting casually, but his thoughts sharpened.
"You're certain?"
"There's no mistake," she replied.
"That chakra belongs to me — I'd recognize it anywhere.
But why is he here?"
Her tone turned grim.
She knew the truth — Gen's God Tree carried her essence.
He was, in a way, her new child.
Zetsu, on the other hand, was the old one —
the one who had damned the world in her name.
And yet, she whispered softly, almost mournfully:
"Zetsu… he only wanted to save me."
Gen's smirk was cold.
"Oh, I know what he wants."
He leaned back, eyes gleaming faintly.
"But I wonder… does he really think freeing you now will save you?
Or does he just want to use you like the rest?"
His "Divine Ascension" had never been hidden.
Even Zetsu knew how dangerous Gen had become.
And yet the creature still moved.
"Something's off," Gen murmured. "He wouldn't risk this unless…"
He trailed off, thoughtful.
Kaguya sighed softly.
"To think Hamura's descendants still live — and with such pure Byakugan.
That girl… Hinata, wasn't it?"
Gen nodded.
"The 'Byakugan Princess.' Her lineage is strong, yes."
"Pity," Kaguya said sadly.
"She inherited Hamura's eyes, but not his light."
Her voice darkened.
"He was a kind boy… until his brother ruined him."
Gen couldn't help but roll his eyes.
"Great. Another problem we can blame on the Sage of Six Paths.
He's the Danzo of the heavens — every mess leads back to him."
That earned a quiet chuckle from Kaguya, though her tone soon turned contemplative.
"The last time Zetsu moved, he used a forged relic of the Senju.
If he's active again…"
Gen's eyes shifted toward Hinata.
"Then maybe this time, he's forged a relic of the Hyūga."
---
Meanwhile, back at the Akatsuki base, Obito had returned.
Gathered before him were Orochimaru and Nagato.
After hearing Obito's report, Orochimaru licked his lips, intrigued.
"How predictable.
Every village has its own ambitions — chaos, after all, is the best ladder."
Nagato, however, was more focused.
"And Madara? Has he found the Sage's brother's relic?"
"Not yet," Obito replied coolly. "But he will.
Our concern is Edo Tensei. The army must be ready."
He looked at Orochimaru pointedly.
The snake sannin smiled thinly.
"Don't worry.
Even with Konoha's warnings and the other villages on alert…
I have ways."
He clapped his hands together.
A rush of chakra filled the air — and coffins erupted from the ground one by one.
Their lids creaked open.
Eyes glowed within.
"W-what… where am I?"
A blond man with a small mustache stumbled out first, looking around in confusion.
"I remember… fighting that damned mummy… then—"
"You mean dying to me," a voice rasped.
Wrapped in bandages like a mummy, another man stepped out — the Second Tsuchikage, Mū.
The first man scowled.
"Want to try again, corpse?"
"Enough," a deep voice rumbled.
A towering, muscular man stepped forward — lightning still flickering faintly across his skin.
"You two should be quiet. We're being controlled."
"Third Raikage," Mū muttered, recognizing him.
The Raikage smirked.
"At least you're sharper than your own village's weaklings.
And you, Second Mizukage — I trust you can still handle him?"
Mizukage Gengetsu chuckled darkly.
"Of course. But tell me, are you still as fast as they say?"
Before they could continue, more coffins burst open.
"I'm alive…?" murmured Rasa, the Fourth Kazekage, staring down at his hands.
"No… I remember dying. Dust Release tore me apart—"
"Dust Release?" Mū laughed. "So old man Ōnoki finally managed something?"
"Not quite," Orochimaru purred.
"He didn't kill you — I did.
Though your body did provide… useful material."
Rasa's eyes widened.
"You—!"
"Who killed him?" Mū interrupted.
"Konoha," Orochimaru answered, smiling.
"A man named Kitagawa Gen. Ruthless. Brilliant.
Reminds me of your era's Tobirama — only worse."
A deep, familiar growl broke the silence.
"Kitagawa Gen…"
The Third Raikage's eyes darkened.
"That's the boy who killed my son."
"Father…"
From another coffin, the Fourth Raikage stepped out, his voice low.
"Yes. That's him.
He struck me down with Flying Thunder God — I should've known he never erased his mark."
The room fell quiet.
Mizukage, Tsuchikage, Raikage, Kazekage — all dead, all revived.
"He killed two Kage alone…" Gengetsu whispered. "And he's still young?"
"Not just that," Chiyo's voice echoed as she emerged from her own coffin.
"He's Konoha's next Hokage."
Rasa turned to her, stunned.
"Chiyo… you too?"
"I died to save the Fifth Kazekage," she said softly, her gaze narrowing at Orochimaru.
"And you dare use me like this?"
Orochimaru only smiled, serpentlike.
"Don't look so upset.
After all — you get to see the world burn one more time."
Orochimaru folded his arms, a thin, cruel smile curving his lips.
"You should be thanking me," he said softly. "I'm giving you all another chance —
a chance for revenge. Isn't that… a gift?"
Chiyo exhaled, her old eyes filled not with fury, but with weary disgust.
"How pathetic," she said quietly.
"Even in death, we're dragged into your schemes.
Perhaps this is fate's final punishment — to become tools for evil once more."
A dry chuckle broke the air.
"Then by your logic," rasped a voice through a respirator,
"I must be even more pitiful than you."
The room stilled as Hanzō of the Salamander stepped forward.
His eyes locked on Nagato, the man who had destroyed him and his village.
"You died for your ideals, Chiyo. I died for mine.
And now we both serve the whims of the same monsters."
Around them, dozens of resurrected shinobi stirred —
some muttering bitterly, others glaring, others simply lost.
The chamber echoed with their uneasy voices,
but none dared move against their summoners.
They all felt it — the invisible chains of the Edo Tensei binding their souls.
Their will, their bodies, their freedom — all puppeted by Orochimaru's jutsu.
Even the thought of rebellion was swallowed by the spell's grip.
So, instead, they spoke of what they still could —
the world that had changed without them…
and the mysterious name that kept surfacing among the living.
Kitagawa Gen.
Even the dead were curious.
For shinobi of their caliber, such a man was impossible to ignore.
---
"Satisfied with the results?"
Orochimaru stepped back to stand beside Nagato and Obito.
Behind him, the resurrected Kage stood like spectral titans,
their eyes faintly glowing, their minds partially awake.
"These are the strong ones," Orochimaru said. "The rest were… unnecessary.
Too many bodies would strain my control."
Obito gave a short nod.
"This is more than enough."
Even under the vigilance of Konoha's alliance,
to summon so many legendary shinobi —
Kage, heroes, monsters —
proved Orochimaru's mastery beyond doubt.
Nagato's gaze hardened.
"Hanzō… Danzō…" he muttered. "To see their corpses turned into weapons… it's revolting."
Orochimaru chuckled, his tone mocking.
"Revolting? Perhaps.
But what better revenge than making your enemies fight for you?"
He turned to Obito, his smile fading to a more serious expression.
"However… there's a complication."
"Oh?" Obito raised an eyebrow.
"Controlling this many Edo Tensei is draining.
I'll need a new vessel soon — my current body won't last.
Kimimaro is still under study, but I'll require a temporary replacement."
Obito fell silent for a moment, considering. Then he nodded.
"Fine. I'll find you something suitable —
and I'll make sure it's of… high quality."
Orochimaru's grin widened.
"Excellent."
But inside, Obito sneered.
Pathetic.
White Zetsu bodies, infused with Hashirama's cells, were precious to most —
but to someone like him, a so-called evolutionary being,
they were nothing.
He had ten thousand of them.
Disposable. Replaceable.
---
Obito inhaled deeply, surveying the ranks of the resurrected dead.
"Everything's in place.
All that's left is Kumogakure's answer…"
His lone Sharingan glinted with conviction.
"Rin…
I won't let you suffer under Konoha's curse again.
I'll create a new world — one without pain."
---
Meanwhile… in Konoha.
Within the Hyūga Clan's hidden shrine, a ripple of light distorted the air.
Space twisted, and Gen stepped silently from a dimensional tear.
"So this is the place," he murmured, scanning the ancient room.
"Let's see what our little shadow's been up to."
Kaguya's voice echoed softly in his mind.
"It must be something related to my resurrection.
I gave him a single purpose, after all — to set me free."
"You sound awfully confident," Gen replied dryly.
He walked toward an old bookshelf, his fingers brushing against dust-covered scrolls
until they paused on a single bookmark hidden within a worn volume.
It was elegant — carved with Hyūga patterns, refined, ancient.
Even its material felt centuries old.
"Impressive craftsmanship," he said with a smirk.
"Even a professional historian wouldn't spot the forgery."
"Stop admiring it," Kaguya snapped. "Read it. Quickly."
"Alright, alright…"
Gen opened his Tenseigan — the azure glow bathing the room in ethereal light.
The hidden chakra inscription beneath the bookmark flared to life,
revealing lines of secret script that only gods could read.
As the message unfolded, Gen's expression shifted —
first to surprise, then to grim amusement.
Kaguya, on the other hand, went completely silent.
Her divine face darkened, her chakra trembling.
"Well," Gen said at last, his tone dry but edged with irony,
"he really is your son."
He lowered the bookmark, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
"But in the end…
he's walking the same path as his brothers."
He looked toward the silent ceiling of the shrine —
the ancient murals of the Sage and his kin staring down upon him like witnesses.
"The same arrogance.
The same blind faith.
The same… betrayal."
A cold wind slipped through the cracks of the shrine,
rustling the scrolls as if in quiet mourning.
Kaguya didn't answer.
She didn't have to.