Chapter 28: I am the Will of Lord Sōjin
On the other side of the world, Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama's hunt for the black-robed man had come to an end. After scouring the Shinobi World for some time and finding no trace of their quarry, they finally returned to Konoha at Hashirama's persistent persuasion.
Since transplanting Uchiha Izuna's eyes, Madara had shed the last vestiges of his former, more measured state. His methods for handling matters had grown sharp and merciless. The newly appointed puppet Daimyō of the Land of Fire and the cowering nobles, who now huddled in their small territories, spent their days trembling in fear, terrified that Uchiha Madara's wrath might turn on them next.
The same chilling apprehension had spread to the other Great Shinobi Nations.
Such a monumental upheaval had shaken the Land of Fire to its core; its entire nobility had nearly suffered a "Great Disappearance Jutsu." Konoha shinobi were now deployed to every corner of the world under various pretexts, a mobilization so vast that it was impossible for the spies of other nations not to notice.
The intelligence they sent back was enough to strike terror into the hearts of their leaders.
While Uchiha Madara and Senju Hashirama were away in the Land of Lightning for the Five Kage Summit, Madara's younger brother had first been ambushed by a hundred-man shinobi squad within the Land of Fire's borders, and then subsequently killed by a mysterious individual.
Damn it all. They had just managed to lure the two titans of Konoha out of their village, only for Madara's home base to be raided immediately after.
Surely Uchiha Madara wouldn't suspect them, would he?
Within a few days, a bombshell of a notice spread from every Exchange Center: Konoha was offering a staggering bounty for a person wearing a black robe and a Black Flame Mask.
Anyone who could provide information on the black-robed man would receive a bounty of fifty million Ryo if the intelligence was verified. One hundred million for delivering his corpse. And if he could be captured alive, the reward was two hundred million Ryo, along with the permanent, unwavering friendship of Konohagakure.
All guesswork was now unnecessary. The one who had murdered Uchiha Madara's younger brother was this mysterious black-robed man.
Whether it was the fortune in Ryo or Konoha's friendship, both were assets that could provide immense aid to a village's development. The other hidden villages had been coveting Konoha's unique and prosperous system for a long time. More, if they failed to cooperate at a time like this, they might genuinely find themselves under Konoha's suspicion.
The Kage of the other great nations swiftly ordered their subordinates to join the investigation. If nothing else, earning fifty million Ryo just for finding a scrap of information wasn't too much to ask, was it? Konoha was the wealthiest of all the villages; it was only right to help them spend some of that money.
Of course, in times like these, there are always those who try to fish in troubled waters. A black robe and a Black Flame Mask… with no one knowing his actual appearance, it wasn't impossible to find someone to play the part.
Some rogue ninjas, who lived off the bounties posted at the Exchange Centers, immediately cooked up such a scheme. They were soon beaten down for their foolishness—not by the Exchange Center staff, but by other, more sensible rogue ninjas.
"Are you kidding me?" one spat. "The man who killed Uchiha Madara's younger brother? You think he's some mere Chunin you can impersonate? Could you be any more brain-dead?"
While the entire Shinobi World was frantically searching for the black-robed man, what was Mie doing?
Mie was meeting with Black Zetsu.
After Uchiha Izuna's "death," Black Zetsu had wallowed in depression for a few days before pulling himself together. Although that meddlesome black-robed man had consistently beaten him to the punch and ruined his carefully laid plans, this particular scheme had, in the end, succeeded—even if the result had deviated slightly from his intentions.
Besides, the enemy of his enemy was a friend.
Based on the simple fact that the black-robed man seemed to want to destroy the world, he was a potential ally.
So, Black Zetsu scoured the Shinobi World once more. Finally, a few months later, on a remote, nameless island, he found the one who was rumored to be Lord Sōjin's subordinate.
That's right. This was all part of Mie's plan.
He had discussed it with Stelle and finally decided to abandon the bounty hunter persona he used for grinding proficiency. It was time to make direct contact with Black Zetsu. Black Zetsu was a valuable NPC; staying by his side would allow him to farm a steady stream of mood values and keep track of his movements at all times. And surely, discussing world destruction together would help them get along splendidly.
Therefore, Mie no longer bothered to hide. He wandered around for a while, boldly wearing his black robe and flame mask. This naturally attracted some investigators, all of whom were swiftly and silently eliminated by Mie.
And, just as he'd intended, it also lured out Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu was extremely vigilant. It remained hidden underground, following Mie for a long time without daring to show itself. It felt this person was terrifying; he clearly possessed the strength to deal with Uchiha Izuna directly, yet he had insisted on manipulating the man into ending his own life. Such insidious methods were on par with Black Zetsu's own. Without absolute certainty, it was better not to get too close.
Finally, it poked a head out from the soil, a swirl of blackness that slowly crept toward the black-robed man. Seeing that the man only looked at it with an air of curiosity and made no move to attack, Black Zetsu at last emerged fully.
"I heard you are Lord Sōjin's subordinate," it rasped. "Do you want to destroy the world?"
Mie's eyes widened behind his mask. He stared with genuine curiosity at the black puddle coalescing on the ground before him. As it rose into a pitch-black humanoid shape, he let out a surprised sound, his voice clear and undisguised. "Asphalt? Silt? It can actually talk? Is it a monster from a storybook?"
He reached out a hand, intending to pinch the strange creature. The moment his hand extended, it blurred, closing the distance in an instant. His fingers were about to touch Black Zetsu, moving so fast that the ancient being couldn't even react.
Black Zetsu had no intention of letting itself be pinched. It dissolved like black water, slipping away from Mie's palm in a fluid motion.
The sensation was bizarre—a cold, chilly feeling, as if he had caught something, yet also as if he had caught nothing at all. It was very much like a non-Newtonian fluid, which Mie found utterly fascinating.
'If this were a stress-relief toy,'he mused,'couldn't I just squeeze and knead it in my hand all day?'
Black Zetsu reformed on a nearby tree, sticking itself flat against the trunk before speaking again, its voice wary. "You claim to be Lord Sōjin's subordinate. What evidence do you have to prove it?"
"Evidence?"
Mie seemed stumped by the question. He sat up straight and tilted his head, appearing to carefully ponder Black Zetsu's demand. Then, he spoke, his voice no longer disguised, but a clear and bright tone.
"I don't know. When I was young, I was always wandering the Shinobi World. One day, I just… woke up. There was a new segment of memory in my head, and this powerful strength. A voice told me that my duty is to serve Lord Sōjin."
This answer left Black Zetsu stunned. It had asked the question as a way to probe and deceive the other party, but it never expected such straightforward cooperation. Did he feel this information was so unimportant that it didn't matter if he shared it?
'Judging from this information,'Black Zetsu analyzed,'his ability seems to come from a special form of inheritance. But as for this figure, Sōjin… why can't a single record be found? Perhaps the era was simply too distant.'It shook its head mentally.'No, no, no. The problem I should be considering isn't this. It's saving Mother. Why should I care if others die? Sōjin is long dead anyway.'
"That's right," Black Zetsu declared, its posture straightening. Its voice dropped low, becoming sincere and filled with a divine quality that could make one involuntarily want to believe. "This is Lord Sōjin's unique method of inheritance, and you are the new successor he has found. Only someone whose heart is full of loathing for this world can receive Lord Sōjin's gift."
It continued, its tone growing more fervent. "This ugly world should have been destroyed long ago. And you… you are the one who will open the door to a new world."
The black-robed man seemed to be bewitched by its words. He asked cautiously, his voice laced with an endless, hopeful doubt, "Who… who exactly are you? And why do you know about Lord Sōjin?"
Black Zetsu let out an even more pious, resonant voice.
"Of course I know. Because I am the Will of Lord Sōjin."
Mie: '...''What did you just say? Say that again, I don't think I heard you clearly!'
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