"The Otsutsuki Clan..."
Madara drew a deep, ragged breath. Even if these were just theories, words from an equal carried immense weight. The subtle mix of truth and educated guessing was impossible to unravel, which made it far harder to dismiss.
Tsunade sorted through the fragments and grasped the rough outline.
This clan harbored a terrifying background directly tied to the Sage of Six Paths. But what exactly was the Shinju Fruit? What about these living weapons, and where did Black Zetsu fit in? It was an overwhelming amount of information to process.
"Meow! My guess is that Black Zetsu has existed for a very long time. Who knows what he's truly orchestrated over the centuries, but we can safely assume his goal is freeing the Otsutsuki. Definitely nothing good."
Madara stayed silent for a long time. The more they argued the logic, the clearer the horrifying picture became. If he had only been mildly suspicious before, he was now eighty percent convinced. The creature was intimately connected to this ancient clan.
Under that premise, why had it approached him? Were the White Zetsu truly the byproduct of Hashirama's cells? Hard to say.
The mindless drones had appeared around the exact same time as Black Zetsu. If the mastermind was a traitor, his foot soldiers were probably a latent threat as well. Thinking of this, a sharp stab of frustration pierced Madara's chest.
He had wasted half his life, for what, exactly?
His mood plummeted. He'd always prided himself on his supreme intellect, believing he was forging his own righteous path, only to find out he had been puppeted from the very beginning.
"All right, meow. Go in peace." Takeshi raised a paw, looking fully prepared to dismiss his captive.
Tsunade's muscles tensed instantly. She almost lunged to stop him, but quickly realized she had no solid reason to object. Shisui's exact whereabouts were unknown, but with Takeshi and Minato's sensory reach and the Flying Thunder God, finding the boy would be trivial. Takeshi had already guaranteed he could break the Cursed seal. And it would be better to eliminate Madara before he used Shisui using the cursed seal.
Tsunade trusted the cat.
So she didn't move, merely watching the scene unfold. But Madara couldn't maintain his stoicism anymore. He straightened up, desperate to say something, yet completely unable to find the right words. Ultimately, he clamped his jaw shut.
If this black bastard really wanted him dead, he would have killed him on the cliff. There was no need to delay.
Massaging his temples, Madara finally spoke. "If you have something to say, say it straight. Don't talk in circles. I'm not a sore loser. The reason I clung to life wasn't what you people imagine, it wasn't some narrow ambition of unifying the shinobi world."
"Meow~ Nothing much. I just wanted you to see your partner's true face. When the time comes for your revenge, remember to report my great name." Takeshi stated his terms simply.
'Why add such a ridiculous condition? It was so incredibly petty. '
Madara turned the demand over in his mind, thoroughly baffled by what benefit the cat could possibly gain from the shout-out. Was it purely to disgust Black Zetsu? It was deeply bizarre.
Tsunade desperately wanted to comment, but she respected Takeshi's eccentric methods. Besides, the cat had neutralized the threat alone, for now, she would let him play it his way. If something broke down later, they could deploy the entire village.
If the news leaked that Madara was alive and scheming in the shadows, every shinobi on the continent would unite against him. They would crush the Uchiha ghost first, then resume their petty border disputes. Tsunade wasn't worried in the slightest.
Madara didn't have the energy to cause trouble. His thoughts were violently tangled up in this Otsutsuki revelation. If he really had been played for a fool, he was going to extract his vengeance with heavy interest.
He closed his eyes. "I'll uncover everything about him. If it really is the truth... Forget it. It's not important."
Madara stood, preparing to leave the office. But as soon as his boots hit the floor, he remembered what kind of bastard the cat was and sat rigidly back down.
"Meow~" The feline let out a cute little cry, staring at his prisoner with a small nod.
Good. He knew he couldn't call the shots right now. At least the man had that much sense. For Madara to end up so thoroughly disciplined... it honestly wasn't easy to witness.
Tsunade sighed mentally.
Right after, Takeshi utilized the Flying Thunder God, deploying a Shadow Clone to send the prisoner to Orochimaru's lab for "further studies." With the snake Sannin on guard, the captive would be tightly secured, and Black Zetsu wouldn't suspect a thing. They could bait a perfect trap and seal the parasite permanently.
"Shouldn't you explain what the Otsutsuki Clan actually is?" Tsunade sat heavily at her desk, her head throbbing.
A moment ago, she'd been completely lost. Otsutsuki, Black Zetsu, Shinju Fruit, none of it made sense. But she couldn't expose her deep ignorance in front of an enemy legend, so she had stood there smiling and nodding like she understood every word. Now that the room was clear, it was time to get the facts straight.
Takeshi didn't hold back.
Tell a lie once, and the second time it pours out smooth as silk. By now, his fabricated history was so polished that he almost believed it himself. Even the strictest interrogator wouldn't have caught a flaw. After all, he really wasn't a cat from this world, and everything he'd spilled about Black Zetsu was technically true. It just didn't involve an alien armada, though the entity was indeed created by Kaguya to secure her resurrection.
Tsunade happily devoured the historical drama.
While enjoying the lore, she couldn't help feeling immensely relieved. If Takeshi hadn't abducted Nagato, the Infinite Tsukuyomi might already be casting its shadow. And another glaring detail clicked into place.
Tsunade had always found Danzo's abrupt death highly suspicious. Now, the culprit had basically introduced himself.
Takeshi had taken Nagato. That meant he was definitively involved in the Danzo incident. Combine that with the Mizukage's capture, and there was no need to spell out who had incinerated the old war hawk.
She shot the feline a sharp glare.
After a few seconds, she tapped her fingers on the desk. "Mm. I'll handle the fallout from this. With the two of us covering, the elders can't touch you. Besides, Danzo being dead is a good thing. That old fool never did anything decent while he was breathing."
'Crap.' He'd forgotten about that part.
Danzo had been dead so long that Takeshi had completely forgotten this story would expose his own assassination plot. But it didn't matter. Danzo's ashes had already scattered to the wind. Takeshi could crush Madara, even if the village figured out the truth, who was going to arrest him? The world still belonged to the strong.
For Tsunade, Danzo's death was a blessing. With that schemer around, running the village would have been an absolute nightmare.
Times had drastically changed. Tsunade was in office, the Third had retired, and the elders' power was heavily trimmed. If everyone who knew the truth stayed quiet, then it never happened.
===============
Dear Readers and Fans,
For those eager to dive into next chapters earlier before others, I invite you to join us on Patreon. By becoming our Patron, you not only gain access to exclusive advanced chapters but also help us continue this endeavour and expand it further.
https://www.pat reon.com/8Ashes8
(no space)
You can read upto 7 Chapters in advance.