"What... is going on?"
Madara Uchiha looked down in disbelief at the black hand protruding from his chest. He seemed genuinely shocked, having never anticipated that Black Zetsu would launch a sneak attack against him now.
After all, Black Zetsu was Emiya Shirou's will. With Shirou's power and reputation, there was simply no need for a backhanded move like this.
"Black Zetsu..." Emiya Shirou began, unable to see what was happening.
He spoke as if he thought Black Zetsu had simply restrained Madara. "Don't be too rough. With Madara's personality, he might refuse to revive Lady Kaguya, but he is still a suitable subordinate to help rule the ninja world under her."
"Don't worry, Wei Yuan," Black Zetsu's voice was a bit hoarse as it offered a smiling half-truth. "I'm just temporarily restraining his body. Madara now holds the Ten-Tails, which is essential for reviving Kaguya. Let him merge with her first. After Kaguya is revived, we can deal with him then."
"Lady... Kaguya?" Madara muttered the name.
"That's right," a sinister smile spread across Black Zetsu's form as it revealed its true plan. "Our goal was never some Infinite Tsukuyomi to trap people in a dream. It was to use the Infinite Tsukuyomi to revive the ancient Rabbit Goddess."
"You should have realized it, Madara," it continued. "How could a kind person like Wei Yuan let everyone in the world waste away in a dream? That's just another form of extinction. Compared to making humans fall asleep, returning this world to the rule of an ancient god is our final plan!"
"In the new era, the Rabbit Goddess will look down upon all living beings, just as she did in ancient times. She will rule the entire world with her divine power and wisdom. Her life is endless, immortal, and indestructible. The entire ninja world will thrive for generations according to her will. This is what we truly want."
"The Infinite Tsukuyomi… was just the prelude we needed to revive Kaguya."
"!!!"
Madara's pupils constricted. "But... the Infinite Tsukuyomi..." he struggled to say, "you told me... it was left by the Sage of Six Paths..."
"If we had told you the real plan, you never would have cooperated," Black Zetsu chuckled, proud of its masterstroke and looking down on Madara's power. "Although your strength is far inferior to Wei Yuan's, your arrogance is far greater. You would never be willing to have a god sitting above your head."
"However," it went on, "the reason we brought you in was simple. The key to reviving Kaguya is the Infinite Tsukuyomi, and casting it requires the Rinnegan. Since Wei Yuan destroyed the Sage of Six Paths' Rinnegan long ago, we had no choice but to cultivate a new pair in this era."
As Black Zetsu spoke, a hint of regret seemed to cross its face. "I always hoped Wei Yuan would just transplant your Rinnegan and discard you, but he wanted you to see the true new era. That's why you were allowed to live."
"You guys really are…" Madara's jaw clenched.
He wanted to curse them, but his body was completely controlled by Black Zetsu. Worse, he had a particular weakness: he was powerless if someone was standing behind him. At this moment, that weakness became fatal.
"Emiya!" Naruto Uzumaki stared at Emiya Shirou, astonished.
He'd overheard the exchange between Black Zetsu and Madara and couldn't understand. "You want to revive Kaguya Otsutsuki? That old hag who turns people into White Zetsu!"
"Who are you calling an old hag!" A flash of anger appeared on Black Zetsu's face. It wished it could revive Kaguya right then and there to show this brat her true power.
"Naruto," Emiya Shirou said calmly. "Human life is limited. Even if our ideals and power can bring temporary peace to the ninja world, that peace will disappear with our deaths. I saw this for myself when Hashirama died."
He didn't deny his intentions, instead offering a practical example. "Hashirama ended the chaotic Warring States period, but his short life meant the peace he created couldn't last."
The reanimated shinobi gathered around, but none of them could argue. He had, after all, personally experienced the First Great Ninja War that erupted after Hashirama's death.
"But…" Naruto frowned and argued loudly, "The First Hokage created peace in the past! We can create a new peace, too!"
"Then what about the people who died in the wars between those two eras of peace? What about those who have suffered all this time?" Emiya Shirou's voice grew distant, as if his soul was heavy with the thought. "Have you seen the souls who suffered in that chaotic era?"
"So..." Naruto gritted his teeth, pushing back. "If everyone can understand the pain war brings, they won't want to endure it again, right?"
"Enough." Emiya Shirou interrupted, a hint of contempt finally entering his calm tone. "A child cannot understand the world of adults. The real world needs an existence that can restrain the darkness in everyone's hearts. In this world, there is nothing more suitable for that than an immortal and indestructible being."
"Human life is weak. It's impossible to expect everyone to think like a wise man. It's a luxury to even expect them to think for themselves."
"That's not it…" Naruto tried to rebut. "You just want to create something that's above everyone else…"
"Naruto, this is what the world wants," Shirou stated. "The idea of freedom actually goes against human nature. Humans are born with a special instinct. When they encounter problems, that instinct is to rely on and follow someone strong."
"Just as the ninja of the Warring States period were willing to follow Hashirama to find peace, and just as Konoha's ninja now rely on the future Hokage to guide their path."
"Compared to training diligently to become strong, or achieving perfect thinking through years of study, following a strong person is simple. Humans only need to do one thing: Believe."
"As long as you believe in a strong person, the rest becomes simple. Most people in this world need someone to dominate their lives, to guide them onto the right path, to lead them past the thorns on the road they could never have discovered on their own."
"Just like now, the ninja of this world are placing their hopes on you and Sasuke, hoping you will defeat the enemies they cannot."
For a moment, Naruto couldn't argue. He did often follow the Hokage's orders, and he was shouldering the hopes of others.
When he returned from his meeting with the Sage of Six Paths, he had heard the expectations of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, and his own father, Minato Namikaze.
"But it can't be someone like Kaguya!"
While Naruto's mind was spinning, Sasuke's was exceptionally clear. He actually agreed with part of Emiya Shirou's idea.
Most people did need someone to guide their lives. It was because he agreed with this that he found the perfect point to refute.
He retorted coldly, "Not by treating humans like livestock and sacrificing them to the God Tree to be made into monsters like White Zetsu."
"Nonsense!" Black Zetsu shot back, defending Kaguya in front of Emiya Shirou. "Those people all committed unforgivable mistakes!"
At this point, there could be no more delays. Black Zetsu glared at Naruto and Sasuke, no longer bothering with words. It hastily manipulated Madara's body to control the God Tree. In an instant, the tree began to absorb the chakra from the mummified bodies entangled in its roots.
Black Zetsu knew it had passed the point of no return. A faint unease made it want to revive Kaguya immediately.
What if Emiya Shirou was swayed by Naruto and Sasuke and changed his mind?
But Black Zetsu didn't need to worry. Emiya Shirou would not be standing on their side anymore.
However, Shirou had never been on Black Zetsu's side to begin with. He could hear the unease in its voice—the fear that its lies would be exposed and cause everything to collapse.
When one is uneasy, one chooses to believe in and rely on the strong.
Black Zetsu's actions were a perfect example of what Emiya Shirou had just said. It couldn't handle the potential problems, so its only choice was to revive Kaguya, believing she could solve everything.
Following the strong. It wasn't just a human instinct.
It was the instinct of all living beings in the entire world.