Chapter 56: Return
For the past two days, Black Zetsu had been deeply troubled.
Too many strange, inexplicable things had happened across the ninja world recently—so many that even it was struggling to make sense of them.
Take the Land of Lightning, for example.
Tens of thousands of chickens had vanished overnight, bankrupting the young woman who raised them.
After investigating, they discovered the thieves had been remarkably meticulous. They left behind the feathers, organs, and heads, taking only the plump meat.
At first, it seemed like an ordinary theft.
But when Black Zetsu connected it to Uchiha Asuka casually handing out fried chicken...
It no longer felt like a coincidence.
There had to be a connection it hadn't yet discovered.
Then there was Sunagakure.
A few days ago, they had somehow lost the teapot once used to seal Shukaku.
Ordinarily, that wouldn't have mattered.
It was merely a sealing vessel. If one was lost, another could always be made.
Besides, Shukaku had already been sealed inside a jinchūriki, making the teapot itself largely obsolete.
And yet...
Black Zetsu had personally seen that very teapot in Konoha.
With Shukaku living inside it.
Ordinary people might not recognize it.
But Black Zetsu, the architect behind the hidden history of the shinobi world, certainly could.
There was no mistaking the One-Tail.
It was absurd.
To make matters worse, after rushing back to Sunagakure and examining Shukaku's jinchūriki...
Black Zetsu had frozen on the spot.
Sunagakure still possessed Shukaku.
Konoha also possessed a Shukaku.
Both...
Were genuine.
This was madness.
When had something completely beyond its control begun appearing in the ninja world?
...
...
...
Thinking back...
Everything seemed to have started the moment that damned Uchiha Asuka packed his belongings to leave Konoha...
Only to suddenly change his mind for reasons no one understood.
Originally, everything had proceeded perfectly.
It had guided Uchiha Madara.
Obito had inherited Madara's name and begun moving across the shinobi world.
Every step of the Moon's Eye Plan had unfolded exactly as intended.
But now...
Those plans might have to change.
If there were two One-Tails...
What would happen if both were sealed?
What if only one was?
If something went wrong and Mother failed to revive...
Black Zetsu would rather die than accept such an outcome.
"...Should we report this to Lord Madara?"
White Zetsu's voice interrupted its thoughts.
Black Zetsu closed its eyes.
Even if Madara learned the truth...
What could he possibly do?
He couldn't fuse two tailed beasts back into one.
Could he?
If destroying one somehow affected the other...
Mother might never return.
Until it understood the connection between these two Shukakus...
Force wasn't an option.
Besides...
Uchiha Asuka wasn't someone who could be dealt with lightly.
As if sensing Black Zetsu's concerns, White Zetsu thought for a moment before speaking again.
"Lord Madara is incredibly powerful."
"And he's never abandoned his dream."
"Perhaps... he'll find a solution."
Black Zetsu gave a noncommittal nod.
Whether Madara sought to prove himself right to Hashirama Senju...
Or genuinely wished to bring peace to the shinobi world...
At the moment, he remained an extremely useful tool.
As for Obito...
Forget it.
Ever since Rin's death, his emotions had been unstable.
Although he'd accepted the Moon's Eye Plan, he frequently acted in unpredictable ways.
It would be better to wait until he settled down.
Besides...
The one carrying the second Shukaku appeared to have some connection to Madara.
Perhaps Madara could first determine whether these two tailed beasts shared any unusual relationship.
Having reached a decision, Black Zetsu's expression hardened.
It would never allow an uncontrollable variable to exist within the shinobi world.
Especially not one capable of derailing Mother's resurrection.
This absurd situation...
Felt like an enormous mountain of iron ore blocking the only path to saving her.
It was completely unacceptable.
---
"Lord Madara!"
"Lord Madara!"
Hearing someone calling his name, Madara slowly opened his eyes from a light sleep.
He looked up at the spiral-patterned White Zetsu standing before him.
Before he could speak—
White Zetsu grinned broadly.
"You're awake, Lord Madara?"
"...Mm."
Madara nodded expressionlessly.
Then...
Something landed on his lap.
He looked down.
A plastic bag.
After staring blankly for a moment, he tore open a corner and peered inside.
"...Three-color dango?"
Seeing the familiar snack, Madara slowly raised his head and stared coldly at White Zetsu.
"...Fool."
"I shouldn't have mixed Hashirama's cells into you."
As he spoke, memories of that man—Hashirama Senju—surfaced in his mind.
Hashirama's influence...
Was terrifying.
Just a handful of his cells had been enough to infect White Zetsu's way of thinking.
The original White Zetsu faithfully carried out every order.
The Hashirama-enhanced version...
Had become an idiot.
Ever since it brought back strange food from Uchiha Asuka—and Asuka hadn't forbidden it—it had grown increasingly outrageous.
One day it talked about feces.
The next, it returned with bizarre souvenirs.
"Lord Madara!"
Remembering Black Zetsu's instructions, Spiral White Zetsu scratched his head sheepishly before smiling.
"I've been away for quite a while this time."
"And I gathered two important pieces of intelligence."
"They're both vital to bringing peace to the shinobi world."
"It's a long story."
"You can eat while I talk."
"When you're finished, I'll help you to the bathroom."
"...You?"
"You can gather intelligence?"
Madara's face stiffened.
Looking curiously at the White Zetsu infused with Hashirama's cells, he asked,
"What information?"
"One piece of good news."
"And one piece of bad news."
"Tell me both."
Madara calmly set the dango aside on the nearby stone table.
Ever since his brother's death...
Ever since Hashirama had chosen a different path...
Very little in the shinobi world still qualified as truly bad news to him.
Seeing Madara close his eyes, White Zetsu immediately began.
"The good news..."
"Capturing the One-Tail has become much easier."
"Our chances of success have greatly increased."
"...Next."
"The bad news..."
"There are now two One-Tails."
"Shukaku Number One belongs to Sunagakure."
"And Shukaku Number Two..."
"...is in Konoha."
Madara slowly opened his eyes.
His gaze drifted toward the stone ceiling overhead.
A puzzled look crossed his face.
Has old age finally ruined my hearing?
Did I just hallucinate?
Otherwise...
How could there possibly be two One-Tails?
Looking down at his decaying body, Madara slowly rose to his feet.
Suppressing the turmoil in his heart, he walked over to White Zetsu.
"Repeat..."
"...the bad news."
"...Huh?"
Thinking Madara hadn't heard him clearly, White Zetsu scratched his head and repeated everything from the beginning.
"..."
Madara took a deep breath.
His eyes turned toward Konoha.
This...
Was the third truly terrible piece of news he'd heard in his life.
The first had been his brother's death.
The second...
Hashirama choosing another path.
And now...
The Moon's Eye Plan itself had encountered an unforeseen obstacle.
He slowly surveyed the underground cavern around him.
The endless darkness.
The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path standing silently behind him.
The tubes connected to his frail, aging body.
His thoughts raced.
There wasn't a trace of strength left inside him.
The Demonic Statue alone sustained his life.
The moment he disconnected from it...
He would die instantly.
He had believed his dream would bring eternal peace to the shinobi world.
But now...
If the Moon's Eye Plan failed...
Then dying at Hashirama's hands all those years ago would've made no difference.
"Lord Madara..."
Watching Madara's expression shift repeatedly, White Zetsu cautiously stepped forward.
"...Should we return to the Uchiha compound?"
"...Return?"
Madara glanced at the tubes behind him.
The corners of his mouth twitched.
Even if those tubes could somehow stretch that far...
What could this withered old body accomplish?
"Then..."
Spiral White Zetsu scratched his head, recalling Black Zetsu's earlier instructions.
"Since the Demonic Statue is supplying your life force..."
"Why not absorb some of its chakra into your own body?"
"Wouldn't that let you move freely for a while?"
Hidden within the shadows, Black Zetsu wore a helpless expression.
In truth...
It had never wanted Madara to leave.
Ideally, Madara would simply grow old and die here.
It had even once considered secretly having White Zetsu—after being mixed with Hashirama's cells—convince Madara to disconnect himself from the life-support tubes ahead of time.
That way...
Obito could take over the plan immediately.
But circumstances had changed.
Madara would have to remain alive a little longer.
If necessary...
He might even have to recover some of his former strength.