"Brother!"
Black Zetsu's voice was sincere.
Ren smiled faintly.
He did not care how much of that sincerity was real.
They had only met for one night.
What mattered was the result.
Black Zetsu had submitted.
That was enough.
Ren had achieved his goal.
Black Zetsu would now become his tool.
And more importantly
Black Zetsu had no other choice.
Everything he had prepared over a thousand years had been exposed.
If he wanted to save Kaguya
He had to acknowledge Ren.
"My dear little brother, you have suffered all these years."
Ren turned his head.
"Tobirama, what are you standing there for? Open the sealing prison."
"Why are you still locking up my brother?"
"You truly are an inherently troublesome Senju."
"…What?"
Tobirama's expression darkened.
"You're ordering me now?"
He was furious.
Just days ago they were working together to capture Black Zetsu.
Now Ren had switched sides.
They were suddenly brothers.
Shameless.
"Release him? And if he runs away?"
Tobirama's voice turned sharp.
"Do you think you'll get another chance to catch him?"
Back then, Ren had repeatedly emphasized one thing.
There would only be one chance.
Miss it and it would be gone forever.
Now he wanted to release him?
Ridiculous.
"Enough."
Ren waved his hand.
"That was then. This is now."
"Back then we had not reconciled."
"Now all misunderstandings are gone."
"Black Zetsu is my brother."
Ren spoke with absolute confidence.
He was not worried.
This laboratory was a fortress.
Originally a prison of the Uchiha clan
Then rebuilt with layers of sealing barriers
Designed personally by Mito Uzumaki
After the last incident, Ren had upgraded everything again
Black Zetsu could not escape
Not even if he tried
And this was also a test
If he tried to run
Ren would not show mercy
"Brother…"
Black Zetsu's eyes turned moist.
For the first time
He felt something like warmth.
Something he had never received before.
"Enough talking. Open it."
Tobirama snorted.
"Fine."
"But when you regret this, don't come crying to me."
He formed hand seals.
The sealing prison opened.
Black Zetsu stepped out slowly.
Then immediately glared at Tobirama.
"You."
"Even by seniority, you should call me ancestor."
"But for my brother's sake, I'll let it go."
Tobirama sneered.
"You were just a prisoner a moment ago."
"And now you're acting proud?"
"Hmph. I don't argue with the dead."
"At least I have a mother who loves me."
"You insolent brat!"
"Ren! Say something! Say something for me!!"
Tobirama was furious.
First Ren.
Now this creature too.
Both treating him like this.
Black Zetsu immediately countered.
"I am my brother's kin."
"Do you really think he would help you?"
Ren rubbed his forehead.
How did this turn into this situation?
"Enough!"
"Both of you, shut up!"
His voice cut through the room.
Both fell silent.
With these two, gentleness was useless.
Only absolute authority worked.
"Hmph. I will let it go for my brother's sake."
Black Zetsu looked away.
Then immediately turned back.
"Brother, when do we go save Mother?"
"Not yet."
Ren shook his head.
"I have only awakened partial memories."
"I do not possess the Six Paths power."
"I cannot even awaken the Rinnegan."
"We need another method."
"…What?!"
Black Zetsu's expression changed drastically.
"You do not have the Six Paths power?!"
He carefully sensed Ren's chakra.
Indeed
There was no such power.
"That damned Sage!"
"What is he thinking?!"
"Does he feel no guilt at all?!"
"…Brother, I was not referring to you."
"It is fine."
Ren sighed.
"I understand."
"I have said it before."
"The Sage of Six Paths is me."
"But I am not him."
"I will take responsibility for his mistakes."
"Even if I do not inherit his power"
"I will not abandon Mother"
"Nor this world"
His voice was calm.
Firm.
Tobirama silently watched from the side.
Disgust filled his mind.
Impossible.
This man had noble intentions?
Absolutely impossible.
Black Zetsu would be sold by him one day and still help count the money.
"Brother…"
Black Zetsu's voice trembled.
"If only Mother had given birth to you instead…"
"If that were the case, none of this would have happened."
"We could have lived together peacefully…"
"Calm down."
Ren raised a hand.
"There is more than one way to save Mother."
"I knew you would have a solution!"
Black Zetsu became visibly excited.
His original plan was clear.
Gather the Nine Tailed Beasts
Create the Ten Tails
Become its jinchuriki
Then revive Kaguya through that vessel
But Ren proposed something different.
Destroy the moon.
Break the seal directly.
Free her physically.
Though it would weaken her
It was still a possibility
"Brother, you intend to break the seal by force?"
"…It might work."
"But Mother may be displeased."
"Better anger than imprisonment."
Ren nodded.
"This is only a backup plan."
"We must prepare multiple options."
"Brother, you are absolutely right."
Black Zetsu was convinced.
Tobirama nearly felt sick watching them.
Something was off.
But he could not prove it.
"Mother this, Mother that."
He finally spoke.
"You are celebrating too early."
"To destroy the moon, you must reach it first."
"Ren, can you fly?"
"Do you know how far it is?"
He exposed the flaw immediately.
Ren smiled.
"Tobirama, that is why you are here."
"With your intelligence, you can create a flying tool."
"With enough chakra, reaching the moon is only a matter of time."
"…Now you remember me?"
Tobirama turned away.
"I will not help that creature."
Black Zetsu immediately stepped forward.
"We do not need him."
"There are flying constructs in the shinobi world."
"The Land of Sky is building a floating fortress."
"With modifications, it can reach the moon."
Tobirama's face turned red with anger.
"Good. Very good."
Ren smiled.
"That is excellent."
"Brother, how did you learn this?"
Then suddenly
A thought flashed in his mind
White Zetsu
"Brother, Mother once created an army of White Zetsu."
"Most were destroyed."
"But I preserved a portion."
"They are loyal."
"Perfect tools."
Ren nodded slowly.
Interest flickered in his eyes.
"How many do you have?"
"After a thousand years of use…"
"Two hundred sixty eight remain."
Black Zetsu spoke without hesitation.
"If you need them…"
"I can allocate some to you."
Ren smiled.
Inside
His thoughts had already begun to move.
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