Black Zetsu observed the empty shell of a young man standing before it with a critical eye. Humans were such illogical creatures, it thought to itself. Seeking revenge to the point of self-destruction… revenge was understandable as a way to avoid further retaliation, but this was just foolishness. Why did Madara want to have this human shipwreck—
"Hiss!"
Faster than the eye could follow, Sasuke flickered behind Black Zetsu and raised a kunai to his neck. Though his personal hygiene had taken a dive and a shadow of whiskers and beard had begun to grow across his normally clean-shaven face, giving him the hardened look of a warrior prince (or that of a homeless male model), he was still as deadly as ever.
"What do you want with me, Akatsuki's freak?" Sasuke asked coldly. "If I don't hear a satisfactory answer before the count of three…"
Were Black Zetsu capable of transpiring, a bead of sweat would have trickled down its temple.
"It is my master's desire to join hands with you, Uchiha Sasuke, in an alliance," Black Zetsu said evenly. "My master being… the great and powerful Uchiha Madara."
The smell of burning grass filled the air as a spark arced from Sasuke's kunai and bit into the white half of Black Zetsu's neck, singeing its outer layer.
"It was not my master who cut your female friend in half, but Uchiha Obito! My master merely wished to test her prowess in battle, but that conniving traitor interfered in their sacred duel!" Black Zetsu said hurriedly. "It's the truth! My master wishes to cooperate with you in capturing Uchiha Obito, our common enemy!"
Sasuke said nothing… and after what seemed like an eternity, he finally removed his blade from Black Zetsu's neck.
"So, those two had a falling out," Sasuke said coldly. "What does any of this have to do with me?"
As far as Sasuke was concerned, Obito and Madara were Sakura's enemies… his enemies. He could easily see through Black Zetsu's attempts to manipulate him… or so he thought.
"Uchiha Sasuke, what if I told you there was a way you could get back everything you had lost?" Black Zetsu said enticingly. "Would you reconsider joining my master's side?"
"I would give it some thought, but first…" Sasuke said, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. "I'd like to hear exactly what happened between those two… does it have anything to do with why the Akatsuki did not take part in the siege? Your organisation failed to respond to Ōnoki's request to attack Konoha."
Before listening to Black Zetsu's lies, Sasuke wanted to know what had led to Obito and Madara's falling out. If he decided to throw in his lot with Madara, he believed it would be wise to understand who had betrayed whom, and why… if only to have some idea of whether he'd get backstabbed later on.
"Very insightful, Lord Sasuke," Black Zetsu said obsequiously. "The Akatsuki's civil war has everything to do with our absence from this conflict… but rest assured, had we taken part, it would still have ended in your favour… everything the Akatsuki does is for peace."
And so, Black Zetsu began reciting the tale of Obito, and how the bright-eyed boy who had once yearned to be Hokage realised that this world was nothing but despair incarnate. Madara saved the teenaged Obito from certain death and nursed him back to health, teaching him the Uchiha clan's ultimate secrets and entrusting him with the Eye of the Moon Plan…
"The genjutsu Sakura was talking about the other day… nothing but a fake," Sasuke murmured, thinking of the way Sakura's backside had just exploded in size one day. "Ngh…"
His heart ached terribly just thinking about Sakura. Without her, life just wasn't worth living…
"There is such a jutsu known as Izanagi within the Uchiha clan, is there not? A miraculous technique that can reverse death itself…" Black Zetsu pointed out. "You saw for yourself how the Limited Tsukuyomi, the Eye of the Moon's prototype, altered your female friend's form… that is not something a mere genjutsu could accomplish, is it? Believe me, when the true Tsukuyomi descends, what is false will become truth, and what is a dream will turn into reality."
What was it that Sasuke really wanted? Revenge, or satisfaction? Vengeance upon those who had destroyed the Hidden Leaf, or to sink into the sweetness of dreams and have his Sakura back, even if it was merely an incredibly realistic fake?
"Uchiha Obito betrayed my master long ago, but he hid his intentions well," Black Zetsu said, adopting a bitter tone of voice, as if the creature didn't care who initiated the plan, so long as someone carried it out. "The traitor absconded with the Ten-Tails my master revived and hid it away, depriving the world of the salvation it so desperately needs… all because he wanted to manipulate the residents of the dream as he sees fit, for the sake of his impossible lost love!"
Sasuke gave a derisive snort.
"So much for the legendary Uchiha Madara," he said mockingly. "He allowed his own disciple to pull the wool over his eyes? He never realised he was harbouring a snake? Why should I join up with such a loser?"
Black Zetsu stamped its foot angrily.
For an artificial lifeform, it was doing a rather convincing job of looking upset… but that was because it really was incredibly frustrated. Not because its so-called master had been insulted, but because it was so very close to rescuing its true master, but annoyances kept cropping up and getting in the way!
"You do not understand the circumstances!" Black Zetsu said through gritted teeth. "My master was dead, don't you understand? You cannot expect all of his methods and arrangements to survive decades of abandonment! It's a miracle his plotting still succeeded in reviving him despite his traitorous disciple's betrayal!"
"Then explain," Sasuke said, sneering cruelly. Seeing this powerless creature struggling to contain its fury was a rather welcome distraction from the pain of losing Sakura… and damn it, even now he was thinking of her again. "And better make it quick," he said coldly. "I'm losing my patience."
Black Zetsu glowered at him.
"I'll do my best to explain," it growled. "It all began when Madara tried to summon the Ten-Tails' husk and feed it the One-Tail…"