After spinning this web of "lies," Black Zetsu stared intently at Diarmuid, nervous to see his reaction. Diarmuid's expression remained as calm and unruffled as a breeze, though a closer look revealed a slight furrowing of his brow.
Taking a sip of tea, Diarmuid spoke softly, "Interesting. After all that talk, the end goal is for me to return the Rinnegan to you... is that right?"
Black Zetsu hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded. "After all, the Rinnegan is an indispensable part of resurrecting Madara-sama..."
"Perhaps..." Diarmuid cut him off directly. Setting down his teacup, he let out a cold snort. "However, if you think a few words are enough to convince me to hand over the Rinnegan, you are being far too delusional."
Black Zetsu fell silent for a while. Then, a scroll slid from his sleeve into his hand. "We do not expect you to surrender the Rinnegan for nothing, My Lord. We have prepared a gift for you."
"Oh? Let's hear it," Diarmuid said, raising an eyebrow.
Black Zetsu stepped forward, holding the scroll in both hands, and offered it respectfully to Diarmuid. "We heard that Diarmuid-sama has recently developed a keen interest in the Sharingan, even acquiring some from the Hidden Leaf. However, the Sharingan is not something easily mastered. Beyond the power of the eyes themselves, there are specific formulaic jutsu. To help you better understand the Sharingan, we have prepared detailed data and secret techniques related to it, all contained within this scroll. As the former pinnacle of the Uchiha Clan, Madara-sama possessed unparalleled knowledge of these eyes."
Talk about a pillow arriving just as I'm getting sleepy.
Diarmuid did indeed have several Sharingan in his possession, the ones Orochimaru had brought with him.
Based on Black Zetsu's behavior, did he think Diarmuid intended to transplant them? Did he judge Diarmuid to be a madman obsessed with chasing power?
If I'm playing that character, then yes, I would probably transplant them... and even if I don't plan to do it personally yet, I certainly want Orochimaru to master the process.
Diarmuid had considered the possibility of merging with the Sharingan himself, so he was naturally very interested in those bizarre Uchiha techniques, things like Izanagi and Izanami.
He might not have a use for Izanami, he wasn't planning on helping anyone "find their path in life" through a recursive loop, but Izanagi was a different story. These were essentially "extra lives." Whether or not he would actually need them, having a few spares was always a good idea. As the saying goes: better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.
However, these were the absolute top-secret heirlooms of the Uchiha Clan. Under normal circumstances, they were nearly impossible to obtain. Diarmuid had considered trying to strike a deal with Danzo, or simply waiting for the Uchiha Clan Downfall night to scavenge the ruins.
He hadn't expected Black Zetsu to deliver them ahead of schedule.
Quite interesting.
Furthermore, the detailed data on the Uchiha's visual prowess would likely be a massive boon to Orochimaru's research. It would allow Orochimaru to go further and faster. In the original timeline, Orochimaru had been "feeling the stones to cross the river," forced to research the Sharingan blindly with limited materials mostly provided by Danzo.
With this new information, the progress of their Sharingan research could accelerate significantly.
Thinking of this, Diarmuid reached out and took the scroll from Black Zetsu. He nodded. "I like your gift. However, I will not be returning the Rinnegan, at least, not yet."
Black Zetsu felt a sense of helplessness. Of course, his best-case scenario was that Diarmuid would be completely fooled, hand over the eyes, and join their plan immediately. But that was clearly impossible. Diarmuid was not that foolish.
As for Diarmuid refusing to hand them over now, Black Zetsu had prepared for that too. This was a "first contact" to establish a rapport; further negotiations could come later.
Sure enough, a second later, Black Zetsu heard the response he had been hoping for.
"However, I am very interested in this 'greater, higher level of power' you mentioned," Diarmuid said. "You said that at the right time, Nagato would be used to resurrect Madara. What exactly is this 'right time'?"
Black Zetsu felt a surge of joy. As expected, this guy is hooked on the idea of power! Good. I don't care how strong you are; as long as you're interested, I can work with you!
Ordering his thoughts, Black Zetsu explained, "Diarmuid-sama, during the previous war, you also seized one of Nagato's summonings..."
"The Gedo Mazo?" Diarmuid asked, his eyes narrowing.
"Yes, the Outer Path Statue. In truth, that was something Madara-sama specially prepared, a vessel designed to house the Tailed Beasts," Black Zetsu explained, feigning transparency.
He didn't mention anything about the husk of the Ten-Tails or the God Tree.
Diarmuid nodded, acting as if he were hearing this for the first time. "And?"
"And so, the 'right time' is when all nine Tailed Beasts have been gathered and sealed within the Gedo Mazo. At that point, a suitable candidate will use the power of the Rinnegan to resurrect Madara-sama. He will then utilize the power of the nine Tailed Beasts to unlock a new level of strength," Black Zetsu said.
"The power of nine Tailed Beasts... to unlock a new strength? What does that mean?" Diarmuid frowned, looking curious.
Black Zetsu smirked inwardly. "When the power of the nine Tailed Beasts is merged into one, it will fully activate the Gedo Mazo. The statue will then possess the total power of the Tailed Beasts. By becoming its Jinchuriki and sealing it within himself, one can open the gates to a new world and obtain power equal to the Sage of the Six Paths..."
"Is that so?" Diarmuid raised an eyebrow, looking tempted.
Seeing this, Black Zetsu smiled. "Of course, the prerequisite is having the Sharingan... or rather, the bloodline of the Uchiha Clan."
"Hm?" Diarmuid's brow darkened. "Why? Can it not be done without Uchiha blood?"
"According to the records, it cannot," Black Zetsu stated firmly. These were unverifiable claims; he wasn't afraid of Diarmuid calling his bluff.
"The reason?" Diarmuid asked in a low voice.
"It is said the Uchiha are the direct descendants of the Sage of the Six Paths. Therefore, to unlock power at that level, Six Paths Power, one needs the Uchiha bloodline as the key. That is the reason," Black Zetsu said quickly. This time, he wasn't entirely lying; the Uchiha were indeed descendants of the Sage's lineage.
Diarmuid frowned, staring at Black Zetsu with a look of suspicion, a faint hint of killing intent flickering in his eyes from time to time.
Black Zetsu's heart hammered against his ribs, but he pushed on: "But you need not worry, My Lord. Once Madara-sama is resurrected and attains the power of the Sage of the Six Paths, he will hold the same authority the Sage once did. With power at the Six Paths level, he can resolve the bloodline discrepancy and help you obtain this higher level of power as well."
"Hahahahahaha!" Diarmuid burst into laughter. He looked at Black Zetsu. "So, according to your logic, if I want this power, I have to let Madara reach that level first? And then he'll just help me reach it too? Is that it?"
"Correct," Black Zetsu nodded.
Diarmuid actually had a lingering doubt: why didn't Black Zetsu just find a way to resurrect Madara immediately? If Madara were back at full strength now, he could personally collect the nine Tailed Beasts and launch the Infinite Tsukuyomi without all this hassle.
But Diarmuid didn't ask. He didn't actually want a prime Madara running around yet, at least not until he had mastered Sage Mode or awakened the Wood Release. He didn't fear Madara, and he had plenty of confidence, but he couldn't say with absolute certainty that he'd win. There was no rush.
If Black Zetsu didn't bring it up, Diarmuid would play along. As for why Zetsu was delaying, perhaps it was to arrange more safety nets? Or perhaps as "Madara's Will," he feared that if the real Madara returned too early, he'd be forced to the sidelines and lose control of the rhythm?
Tossing those thoughts aside, Diarmuid sneered, "Once Madara reaches that level of power, do you think he'd be willing to let someone else share it? Hmph. How can I trust that he would grant me the same power?"
Black Zetsu had expected this skepticism. He didn't panic. He gave a calm, composed smile and whispered, "Because he is Uchiha Madara!"
Diarmuid paused, appearing surprised by the answer. But soon, a look of "understanding" filled his eyes. He raised an eyebrow, the detail of his acting was impeccable, and then he began to laugh.
"Hahahahahaha!" Diarmuid laughed heartily, sounding genuinely amused.
An Oscar-worthy performance.
After his laughter subsided, Diarmuid nodded. "Interesting... You're not wrong. That man is Uchiha Madara."
To be honest, Diarmuid knew Black Zetsu was talking total nonsense. But if this were real, if he bought into this logic: would Madara, upon becoming a Six Paths level entity, keep his promise to help Diarmuid reach that same peak?
After thinking for a few seconds, Diarmuid felt the answer was: Yes.
Others might break a promise out of fear that someone else would become as strong as them. They might even kill Diarmuid to remove the threat.
But Madara... he wasn't like that.
Madara was certainly a man capable of darkness and pettiness, as he'd put Obito through hell to manipulate him, and he told plenty of lies. But when it came to combat, courage, and personal stature, his pride would not allow him to let a single speck of dust tarnish his "honor."
A man like that would never use underhanded means to break a contract out of fear of someone else's strength.
"Does that mean you agree, My Lord?" Black Zetsu asked, a glint of hope in his eye.
"No. I'm merely interested. This is a massive undertaking; I need to consider it. Now, leave me," Diarmuid waved him off, sounding impatient.
Black Zetsu had more to say, but seeing Diarmuid's "uninterested" posture, he kept his mouth shut. He nodded and exited the room.
The battle of wits between the two "Method Actors" had come to a close.