Though still unsure of Black Zetsu's intentions, White Zetsu had already found the situation amusing.
Just imagine—watching someone who's always so careful and sure of themselves slowly fall apart. How entertaining could that be?
This sneaky sense of joy indeed felt quite satisfying!
Not far from the open ground at the base, Orochimaru stood watching several people conversing but chose not to approach.
Madara Uchiha glanced at him over his shoulder, eyes narrowing slightly.
He couldn't shake the feeling that Orochimaru's expression held something deeper.
Meeting Madara's gaze, Orochimaru gave a faint smile before turning away.
Observing the contrasting demeanor between the cheerful White Zetsu and composed Black Zetsu, Madara continued asking, "Is the Rinnegan still with him?"
"It's still with Nagato, and the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path remains in his possession. I suppose Hiroki Hyuga's plan is to wait until Nagato captures the remaining Tailed Beasts, then retrieve them and perform the sealing himself."
"Obito is dead. What happened to his eyes?" Madara recalled another matter.
"Eyes?" White Zetsu started recalling.
Obito had died twice.
The first time was physically, back in Konoha.
After his death, his eyes were taken by Tsunade.
Whether they were still useful or not...
Few people seemed to care.
Eventually, they were completely forgotten.
Getting them back from Konoha would be easy.
"I've preserved Obito's eyes," White Zetsu cut in. "But they seem to have lost all Power."
Madara studied Zetsu for a moment in silence.
"If you can use Impure World Reincarnation to bring me back, why not do the same for him?"
Poor Obito—you're better off dead. Otherwise, he'd just be manipulated and enslaved by Madara for generations, White Zetsu thought cynically.
Black Zetsu's thoughts, however, ran deeper. His heart jolted momentarily before he quickly came up with an explanation.
"It's not that we don't want to, Lord Madara—it's simply beyond our power."
"That Hyuga kid completely killed him—not just his physical body, but apparently even his soul no longer exists."
"Actually, Obito has died many times. First was his physical death; the second came when even his reincarnated soul vanished."
"We've attempted to reincarnate him again, but he never reappeared."
"That Hiroki Hyuga must possess the ability to ensure total annihilation."
"The Tenseigan?" Madara murmured. "Could it also link to Samsara and control souls?"
"No wonder Orochimaru spoke as he did earlier."
"Zetsu," Madara asked suddenly, "you mentioned earlier that Nagato didn't know everything about those people. Then how come you know so much?"
Black Zetsu remained calm, like he'd been expecting the questions all along.
"To be honest, Lord Madara, figures like Sasori of the Red Sands and Kakuzu were actually contacted through my assistance on behalf of Hiroki Hyuga."
"What?" Madara expressed shock.
Slowly lowering his head, Black Zetsu continued, "Lord Madara, honestly speaking, both Obito and Nagato were simply too weak."
"We discovered Hidan's true identity, and originally, Obito intended to go gather intelligence in Konoha."
"Only to end up walking straight into his trap."
"We never expected that person to be so powerful. Obito Uchiha sacrificed himself. To gain that person's trust, I took the initiative to approach him and revealed the existence of the Ten-Tails."
"This prevented direct conflict between Akatsuki Organization and him, even preventing war."
"I've been waiting patiently, hiding my strength, all for our plan to proceed smoothly."
"Lord Madara, I had no choice. After Obito died and there was no one left to keep Nagato in check, he began to suspect me."
"I couldn't fully control either of them, which is why I thought of having you return and take charge."
What he said was half truth and half lie.
Madara Uchiha had long been stuck in an information cocoon created by Black Zetsu. His extreme self-confidence led him to naturally assume Black Zetsu represented his will, something he himself had created.
Having just awakened, he hadn't had time or channels to learn more intelligence.
Black Zetsu's explanation completely formed a logical closed loop.
Madara Uchiha believed much of it deep down, sighing silently.
Obito, you brat, were too disappointing!
Black Zetsu lifted his head to meet Madara Uchiha's gaze. "Lord Madara, just as you have trusted me, I have never forgotten my mission."
White Zetsu opened his mouth but held back his words, feeling a surge of admiration internally.
Black Zetsu, you're good! Those extra years weren't wasted.
This explanation skillfully cleared his own position, maneuvering between various spy identities.
Even if Nagato's later statements contradict, one could simply say Nagato grew suspicious, viewing things with bias.
Fortunately, he'd been released several years ago. The thousand-year-old video records had been destroyed, leaving no evidence, otherwise this wouldn't hold up at all.
Moreover, Orochimaru, who loved watching chaos, actually showed no intention of exposing the truth.
Hmm, speaking of which, did Black Zetsu coordinate with Orochimaru beforehand?
As he was lost in random thoughts, Madara Uchiha's voice sounded again, "Anything else? Tell me the specific details..."
"Besides Konoha, Kumogakure has also been secretly controlled by Hiroki Hyuga. Even the small nations between Land of Fire and Land of Lightning are under his thumb. You could say he already dominates half the Ninja World."
"Because of the frequent interactions between Land of Lightning and Land of Fire, villages like Sand, Rock, and Mist have started forming quiet alliances."
"..."
...
A gentle breeze blew.
Hiroki sat on the train, opening the window and letting the breeze caress his face, feeling somewhat dazed.
Even upon reaching Konoha's village entrance, he still hadn't snapped out of his trance.
His life now was becoming increasingly similar to what it had been before his reincarnation.
Aoba Yamashiro and Raido Namiashi lazily guarded the gate; their positions hadn't advanced at all.
"Halt. Registration for entry and exit."
Raido Namiashi flipped through the form on the table while Aoba Yamashiro stepped in front of him.
Hiroki obediently wrote down his name and entered Konoha.
"Hyuga?"
The two guards picked up the form and looked at it.
"A blue-eyed Hyuga?"
"Hiroki Hyuga... the one Lord Hokage often mentions."
Without wearing a Forehead Protector or ninja flak vest, Hiroki walked along Konoha's main street.
"It's like nothing's changed at all..."
Konoha was kind of a strange place. It wasn't really modern, but you'd still see power poles lining the streets and the occasional high-tech gadget popping up here and there.
Even though it showed some signs of modern life, most things in the village were still done by hand.
It felt like a military base—tight security, strict entry and exit—but it was still home to a lot of civilians living a laid-back life.
It didn't quite feel like a normal village either—it had that closed-in vibe, and most people just spent their time eating, drinking, and soaking in hot springs—not much else going on.
This place is totally messed up.
When he got back home, he found everything in perfect order and his clothes carefully folded.
"Who's been cleaning my room when I'm not around?"
"...Quite a few people," Kaguya's voice echoed in his mind.
"Then please thank them for me," Hiroki replied with a smile.
"Hiroki?" A surprised voice came from behind.
Turning his head, he saw Hiashi Hyuga standing at the doorway.
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