Chapter 200: Another Way
At the very moment he forced Nagato to use the Outer Path—Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique, Black Zetsu also revealed the actual truth.
Learning that the masked man they had believed to be Uchiha Madara was a fake all along—that they had been deceived from the beginning—Konan and Nagato were both shocked and furious.
"Stop right there!!"
Konan lashed out at Black Zetsu's true body, blocking her path.
However, despite normally appearing to have no combat ability whatsoever, Black Zetsu unexpectedly proved to be quite agile. He easily dodged her attack, even mocking her with a grin.
"After all these years in the Akatsuki, I've come to understand every one of your abilities inside and out."
"Your Dance of the Shikigami may look impressive, but its weaknesses are painfully obvious..."
As he spoke, he launched a counterattack.
It was only then that Konan remembered—Black Zetsu and White Zetsu had always handled intelligence gathering within the Akatsuki.
Their intel network could be considered the best in the entire ninja world.
There was virtually no information they couldn't obtain—this applied not only to enemies, but to their fellow Akatsuki members as well.
The situation had suddenly become extremely dire.
Konan believed Nagato was doomed.
After all, using that technique came at the cost of his own life.
But strangely, nothing seemed to have happened.
Still entangled with Black Zetsu's true body, Konan subconsciously glanced toward Nagato and noticed that the black, goo-like substance coating his body had faded significantly.
The Black Zetsu attached to Nagato's body grew visibly irritated and began threatening him. "Even if you still plan to resist, so what? How long do you think you can hold out?"
"Uchiha Dali is no longer someone we can defeat. If you truly want to fulfill Yahiko's dream, you should sacrifice yourself to revive Madara, Nagato."
"If it's that man, he'll definitely be able to defeat Uchiha Dali and lead us to true world peace!"
While he tried to manipulate Nagato with words, Black Zetsu's clone didn't hold back in the slightest.
He continued attempting to completely take over Nagato's body and wrest control from him.
Because of Nagato's intense resistance earlier, the Outer Path—Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique had failed. The chakra infused wasn't sufficient to activate it.
It would have to be performed again.
Meanwhile, as the stalemate between Black Zetsu and the others continued, Uchiha Obito curiously asked Uchiha Dali, "Aren't you going to stop them?"
"Why should I?"
Dali countered with a question of his own.
The response left Obito momentarily stunned.
He stared at Dali, unsure how to respond.
Even now, he still couldn't fully grasp what this man was thinking.
"If Madara really is revived, it would seriously interfere with your plans, wouldn't it?"
"After all, we're talking about that man."
Having seen the real Uchiha Madara with his own eyes, Obito held a deep and genuine respect for him.
Even though what he saw was an aged Madara, the overwhelming pressure from a true powerhouse had left a lasting impression on Obito.
That kind of power was beyond anything in the world.
Even Uchiha Dali might not be able to defeat him.
So why would he allow Madara to be revived?
"Didn't you say you wanted the truth?"
"Seeing is believing, hearing is deceiving—this was your request."
Uchiha Dali smiled playfully.
His words once again caught Obito off guard.
He stared blankly at Dali. "So this is your plan? Just to let Madara be revived so I can see the truth for myself?"
"You could say that. Or you could call it a convenient excuse—truth is, I want to meet Uchiha Madara myself."
Dali chuckled.
This only deepened the confusion.
Most people, upon hearing Madara's name, would avoid him like the plague.
How many people in this world would dare face that man head-on?
"You really are a monster."
Obito shook his head.
Then, Dali added with a sly grin, "Actually, there's another way for you to learn the truth."
"If we capture Black Zetsu and interrogate him, we'll get the answers we want."
To Obito, this sounded like a far more reliable option.
He felt tempted.
"If everything you've said is true, then even if Madara is revived, he might not believe you. And by then, it'll be too late to stop him."
"So I agree to try your second option—to verify your claims."
Saying that, Obito began walking out of the hiding place.
He made no effort to suppress his chakra.
The moment his presence was released, Black Zetsu, White Zetsu, Konan, Nagato, and the others immediately sensed it.
All of them turned simultaneously in the direction of Uchiha Obito's chakra.
Though they couldn't see past the paper wall disguised as a tree, they could feel the familiar chakra approaching.
Moments later, Uchiha Obito stepped through the paper wall and appeared before them.
Seeing that it was him, Black Zetsu's expression shifted slightly in surprise.
Konan also looked visibly conflicted.
"What do you think you're doing?"
Obito feigned ignorance as he looked at Black Zetsu, who was still attached to Nagato.
"I already told them your true identity. I figured you couldn't beat Uchiha Dali, and to prevent any unexpected disruption, I decided to revive Madara early."
Black Zetsu didn't bother hiding his intentions.
At this point, he no longer believed Obito could carry out Madara's plan.
And the Eye of the Moon Plan must be realized.
Otherwise, he would never be able to resurrect his mother—Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
So no matter what, even if Obito had returned, it wouldn't change his resolve to revive Madara ahead of schedule.
"No need for that. I've already trapped that man in a different dimension," Obito lied casually.
As he spoke, he calmly walked toward Black Zetsu's true body.
Everyone present was stunned by his claim.
He, who had always been unable to defeat Uchiha Dali, was now saying he had sealed him away in another dimension?
Black Zetsu clearly had doubts. He locked eyes on Obito, who was steadily approaching. Though he couldn't detect anything out of the ordinary, his instincts screamed danger.
He instinctively braced himself.
Sure enough, just as Obito closed to within three meters, he suddenly launched an attack.
"So... just what secrets are you hiding inside that head of yours?"
With those words, Obito leaped at Black Zetsu.
(Support me and read ahead on Patreøn: patreøn.com/craxxtranslations.
3 new chapters are released daily—thank you for your support!
Powerstone Event: For every 50 powerstones, 1 chapter will be unlocked.)