Chapter 238: The Beginning of the Conspiracy
On the very night of the new Daimyo's ascension, a terrifying and bizarre event occurred in Asuka Castle.
Jun'en Furuya, disrespecting his elders and status, harassed a maid. In the ensuing struggle, both fell to their deaths.
This was the explanation given by Raihara Yukihiro.
The explanation was so absurd that even one of the victims, Takero Osawa (the father-in-law of the maid), didn't believe it for a second.
However, amidst Yukihiro's hysterical ranting and forceful insistence, this utterly ridiculous explanation became the established "fact" that no one believed but everyone had to accept.
It sounds absurd, but that was the reality.
He listened to no one's doubts.
He cared about no one's accusations.
He was indifferent to everyone's anger.
The new Daimyo faced the backlash from the outside world with an attitude bordering on roguish shamelessness.
The Daimyo's Court, which had just stabilized, was plunged back into chaos in a single night.
Yukihiro had spent his entire life eating, drinking, and playing. He didn't know how to handle these matters, how to mediate between nobles, how to win people's hearts, or how to be a true Daimyo. Furuya had thought he would have time to teach him these things...
But Yukihiro had his own way of doing things.
A tall figure appeared on the balcony of the Daimyo's bedroom—the very spot where Furuya and the nameless maid had fallen days ago.
The figure tossed a bloodstained cloth bag in front of Yukihiro. Suppressing his fear, Yukihiro stammered, "Kakuzu-san... inside this is..."
"Takero Osawa's head. You placed a large order, so payment is due immediately upon delivery."
Yukihiro nodded and handed over the prepared payment to Kakuzu. As a commander with no real subordinates yet, he didn't have access to the Daimyo's treasury, but he had certainly received the congratulatory gifts from various nations.
Kakuzu took the money and checked a list. "Let me see... the next one is Kyusaku Yoshinaga..."
Confirming the payment was correct, Kakuzu wasted no words and vanished into the night sky.
Yes, Yukihiro had contacted the powerful Kakuzu once again. If he couldn't solve the problem, he would solve the person causing the problem. This was the key insight he had gained the night he killed his own father.
Once all those who opposed him were dead, he would naturally be the legitimate Daimyo.
He intended to bury not only the secret of his illegitimate bloodline but also anyone who dared to resist him.
Left alone in the room, Yukihiro stared blankly at the blood-seeping bag at his feet, momentarily unsure of what to do.
He stepped forward cautiously and flicked open the bag. Seeing Takero Osawa's eyes staring wide open in death, he stumbled back in fright, nearly falling over. But immediately after, his mood shifted to the thrill of having eliminated an opponent.
Just as Yukihiro was revelling in his excitement, a sound like flowing water came from behind him.
Two figures emerged directly from the solid wooden wall, as if stepping out of water.
One was enveloped in a giant pitcher plant-like structure, half black and half white, looking like a humanoid monster.
The other wore a gorgeous mask made of bone and wood.
Black Zetsu spoke with amusement.
"We talked about bewitching him, but this guy seems crazy enough on his own..."
The masked figure replied, "Ugly people only become uglier once they gain power..."
"Who's there?!"
Hearing the voices, Yukihiro spun around in a panic.
But when he saw the two monstrous figures and the eerie masked person, he froze, his eyes glazing over as if a switch had been flipped.
For ordinary people, facing a ninja meant zero chance of resistance. Even with the status of a Daimyo, he was only protected by the line that no one usually crossed. Once that line was broken, a Daimyo was no different from a homeless man on the street.
No, there was a difference. Because a controlled Daimyo could do many, many things.
The masked figure asked, "That mercenary ninja just now was quite strong. Will we be discovered?"
Black Zetsu laughed. "Mercenary ninja don't care about these things, especially not him. I've noticed this Kakuzu for a long time. He's lived quite a while and only cares about money. In the future, if there's a chance, he could be used as a pawn."
He pulled out a small vial containing a crimson Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
"To achieve the best effect, we really need the Sharingan. It's a good thing Madara-sama had some in stock."
Black Zetsu took the Sharingan out of the vial. Then, right in front of the masked figure, he gouged out the eye from his white half and squished the Sharingan into the socket.
Blinking a few times, the tomoe in the newly installed Sharingan spun rapidly.
"You guys have more of those eyes, right? Why not give me a pair? They would be somewhat helpful in combat, wouldn't they?" the masked figure asked pointedly.
Black Zetsu glanced at the masked figure impassively. "Your bloodline and your transplanted arm are both extremely unique. We cannot predict what changes might occur if you transplant Sharingan as well. For safety's sake, it's better not to take the risk."
The masked figure said with hidden meaning, "Oh? Is that so?"
Black Zetsu replied without changing expression, "Of course."
If Madara's most important pawn hadn't gone completely out of control, Madara and Black Zetsu would never have risked contacting Kaguya Tsuki (now Yotsuki Arashi... wait, no, the masked figure calls herself Yotsuki Teru/Kaguya - refer to Ch 226 ending, she named herself Yotsuki輝 (Teru/Kaguya). Correction: The text says Yotsuki輝 (Teru/Kaguya), let's stick to the name established in ch 226 which was Yotsuki Teru/Kaguya, or Yotsuki Kaguya). Without long-term grooming, the loyalty of a pawn is precarious. This was evident from the fact that she named herself "Yotsuki Teru" instead of inheriting Madara's name.
But if they didn't do something soon, Nagato's abnormal growth path might ruin decades of Madara's planning.
Right now, they couldn't even find a way to make Nagato feel pain or hate the world because Nagato had secretly moved his parents.
Madara and Zetsu didn't know where things had gone wrong. Nagato seemed to be guarding against something. And now, by chance, he had gotten involved with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, making things even trickier than before.
It wasn't just Nagato losing control; the changes in the ninja world gave Madara and Black Zetsu a sense of powerlessness, as if they had miscalculated the era. They never expected the ninja world to become like this. They urgently needed a new pawn to walk in the world and intervene ahead of schedule.
As a member of the Kaguya Clan—possessing one of the Sage's bloodlines—she was indeed qualified to be a pawn.
But with her Kaguya physique plus the successful transplant of Hashirama Cells, even Black Zetsu couldn't say for sure what would happen if they gave Yotsuki Teru a pair of Sharingan, uniting three different powers.
Currently, the relationship between Teru and the two conspirators was a cooperation where each harbored their own sinister designs. Considering Black Zetsu's own secret agenda, this trio was already staging a complex drama.
Yotsuki Teru extended a hand. Countless wooden vines shot from her palm, binding Yukihiro and delivering him to Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu extended his pitch-black hand, using two fingers to force Yukihiro's eyelids wide open. The crimson Sharingan locked onto the bloodshot eyeball, using Genjutsu to implant what he needed into Yukihiro's consciousness.
This method of implanting consciousness was much more subtle than direct Genjutsu control and less likely to be suspected by outsiders. When Yukihiro woke up, he would forget they had ever been there.
"Honestly, this guy is already a crazy piece of trash. If I didn't want to ensure absolute success, I wouldn't even think it necessary to use Genjutsu on him. He could wreck the Land of Lightning all on his own."
"The uglier the soul, the more rational their stupid actions seem to others. If a smart person suddenly went crazy, people would suspect Genjutsu immediately."
Black Zetsu added, "Don't worry. My spores are already inside his body. It won't be seen through easily."
Teru controlled the vines to toss Yukihiro onto the bed. "This guy is a useless waste in Asuka Castle with no one to command. We'll need to 'manufacture' a few loyal subordinates for him."
Black Zetsu replied, "No problem. Asuka Castle has a large amount of wooden structures and no ninja guards. For me, it's an open door. I will send him a few 'confidants.' After all, he is the Daimyo; he needs people he can command to be useful..."
The two dissolved into the wooden wall again, as if they had never been there.
When Raihara Yukihiro woke up the next morning, he wouldn't remember anything.
Only Takero Osawa's head remained, resting crookedly on the floor. His face, frozen in terror, stared directly in the direction where the two had disappeared.
From the severed stump of his neck, a segment of black, mutated blood vessel crawled out.