Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 153: Black Zetsu's Backup Plan to Rescue Kaguya

As Kaguya's will incarnate, Black Zetsu was like her shadow clone, possessing fragments of her memory.

He knew exactly who Kaguya feared, who her enemies were, and what she felt for her two sons.

So, even though he didn't want to admit it, he had to acknowledge that this historical record was real.

"I took some of my descendants to the moon, not just to guard the Demonic Statue, but also to accompany Mother so that my descendants could be with her as well."

"I will leave behind a will for the descendants on the moon, instructing them to observe the shinobi world until the right moment arrives. At that time, they should create a new Tenseigan with you."

"The Tenseigan's power can help unseal Mother. If there are concerns that she may harbor malice toward the shinobi world, there's no need to go too far—just weaken the seal slightly, allowing her to transfer a small portion of her chakra and consciousness."

"Of course, whether to release Mother, and the timing, is entirely up to you, as it concerns the survival of the shinobi world. However, I trust in you. One day, the shinobi world will flourish, and the threats that terrify her will no longer pose a danger, allowing her to see the light of day once more."

"This is my shameless request to my descendants, from me, Ōtsutsuki Hamura."

"Lastly, I have a few words for Mother. Against your enemies, White Zetsu is of little use, and continuing to gather chakra with the Divine Tree won't improve your strength much either. If you seek peace of mind, why not stand with the shinobi world? The future shinobi world will have many of your descendants. Trust in them."

The message from Ōtsutsuki Hamura ended there. Beyond it were some legacies, parts of which related to the Tenseigan—likely the very information Hyuga Fuji was eager to decode but could not access.

However, Black Zetsu had no interest in examining these contents further.

The brother he had resented for so long had not only wanted to release their mother but had also left such a pleading historical record for his descendants...

How could he accept this?

Even worse, Hamura's words seemed to make some sense to him.

Indeed, when facing Mother's enemies, White Zetsu would be of little use. Her power had already reached its peak, and further chakra absorption would yield minimal improvement. Leaving behind powerful allies might...

No. No, that wasn't right. How could he let Hamura's words sway him?

After a thousand years of effort, the Eye of the Moon Plan was finally within reach. How could he waver now, just because of a few words from Hamura?

Black Zetsu shook his head internally.

The prospect of a powerful shinobi world was a distant dream, and by the time that happened, humanity might have developed the strength to rebel against Kaguya. If they harbored ill intentions, Mother wouldn't stand a chance against their cunning.

Still, Hamura's words had provided him with an alternative option.

The Tenseigan...

"Looks like it's no use," Fuji said, interrupting Zetsu's thoughts.

After waiting for a response that never came, Fuji concluded that Zetsu was incapable of deciphering the tablet. Calmly, he stepped forward, retrieved the stone tablet, and set it aside, his expression unchanging, as though he had anticipated this outcome.

Black Zetsu, meanwhile, chose not to reveal that he had seen the tablet's most crucial parts, instead preparing himself to remain here longer.

Despite the situation, this day had yielded some significant gains for him.

Thanks to Hamura's message, he now knew of an alternative method to release Kaguya beyond the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

The Six Paths' Planetary Devastation was the strongest sealing technique, designed to imprison Kaguya with her own core. Undoing it at its source was virtually impossible.

However, the Tenseigan's destructive power was immense. By using it to attack the moon, the seal could be weakened, allowing Kaguya and Zetsu to work in tandem to transfer a portion of her strength and consciousness.

Even so, this method would leave Kaguya significantly weakened compared to the power she would regain through the Infinite Tsukuyomi and the recreation of the Ten-Tails Jinchūriki.

It was a last resort—a backup plan if the Infinite Tsukuyomi failed.

As these thoughts churned in his mind, Fuji suddenly spoke.

"Alright, you can leave."

"...What?"

Black Zetsu was momentarily stunned.

"I'm not sure what Madara did to your body, but I couldn't glean anything useful from studying you," Fuji said, glancing toward a glass jar on a nearby table. "Anyway, you've already left behind a sample, so you can go."

Inside the glass jar was a small mass of black, viscous material—identical to Black Zetsu's own form.

This was a sample Fuji had coerced Black Zetsu into leaving behind, under the guise of acting on Madara's orders. To play his role as Madara's will and ensure Kaguya's rescue, Zetsu had reluctantly complied.

"..."

For a moment, Black Zetsu couldn't believe what he was hearing. But after confirming Fuji's words, he finally left this "hell" with an overwhelming sense of relief.

At last, he was free of this accursed place!

Research him? With the current state of the shinobi world, who could possibly gain anything from studying him?

He was the will of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, tied to the creation of Kekkei Mōra. In this world, where even Kekkei Tōta was treated as a treasure, the idea of fusing seven chakra natures was unthinkable.

Even a thousand years ago, there had been no concept of Kekkei Genkai, and the stone tablets left by Hagoromo and Hamura hadn't mentioned such things. Fuji's research on him was doomed to yield no results, yet the man had stubbornly refused to give up.

Now that Fuji had finally resigned himself to failure, Zetsu felt a surge of joy so profound he nearly cried.

At last, he could return to Madara. Compared to Fuji, this eccentric scientist, Madara—simple-minded as he was—was much easier to manipulate.

Zetsu moved quickly to leave the laboratory, not even pausing when he passed a white-haired Senju figure along the way.

…

Once outside, Zetsu surveyed his surroundings, finally understanding where he was.

The entire land was blanketed in pale snow, with flakes drifting steadily from the sky.

Despite it being June, the landscape looked like the heart of winter.

In the shinobi world, only one place matched this description—the Land of Snow.

Reaching Madara's hidden base from here would take quite some time.

As he trudged through the snow, his excitement gradually subsided, and his thoughts grew more composed.

"I will let a portion of my chakra pass down through my descendants. This is key to the Tenseigan's creation..."

According to Hamura's record, his chakra was essential for creating the Tenseigan.

Yet, in all his millennia, Zetsu had never observed a Hyuga ninja possessing extraordinary strength.

Of course, he didn't doubt the truth of Hamura's words.

Having Hamura's chakra didn't necessarily guarantee great power. After all, even among Indra and Ashura's reincarnations, only Madara and Hashirama stood out as exceptional.

Previous reincarnations of Indra hadn't even awakened the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, and Ashura's hadn't had the strength to dominate the shinobi world.

Perhaps Hamura's chakra was similar—latent and largely dormant in most of his descendants.

At least, until now...

Black Zetsu recalled Fuji's numerous shadow clones conducting research, along with the faint but oppressive aura the man occasionally exuded, and his expression darkened.

Compared to ordinary Hyuga clan members, Fuji was far from normal.

Moreover, Fuji had once mentioned that ordinary Byakugan could only reveal limited parts of the stone tablet's content.

What exactly defined an "ordinary" Byakugan? Was Fuji's Byakugan ordinary?

Black Zetsu didn't think so.

This led him to a startling realization: perhaps Hamura's chakra resided within Fuji himself!

Wait... if that were true...

Could Fuji be his brother?

For a moment, Black Zetsu stood frozen in shock.

(End of Chapter)