After hearing Obito Uchiha's suggestion, Black Zetsu thought it over for a moment and agreed. He felt that perhaps he could also find some promising talents in Kirigakure and raise them there.
"Fine. After you take control of the Fourth Mizukage, remember to start building your own forces."
Black Zetsu spoke to the still immature Obito, thinking that it would still take a long time to polish Obito into a figure like Madara Uchiha.
"Understood."
Obito replied with murderous intent in his eyes. At Black Zetsu's command, White Zetsu Tobi once again possessed Obito's body.
Obito immediately grew annoyed by Tobi's obsession with "poop," but with Black Zetsu's help, he finally managed to shut Tobi up, greatly reducing the stream of nonsense and bizarre questions.
However, just as Obito was about to leave Madara Uchiha's base and head for Kirigakure,
Boom!
That enormous Demonic Statue suddenly returned.
Both Obito and Black Zetsu instinctively looked toward the Gedo Statue.
But in the next moment, their faces turned pale with fear as they saw the familiar figure standing within the mouth of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path.
[Dead Demon Consuming Seal: Hell God, Extinction Form!]
[Heretical Sealing Technique: Phantom Dragon Nine Seals!]
The instant he appeared, Brook unleashed his finishing moves without hesitation, instantly locking down Obito Uchiha's soul.
Black Zetsu was a product of Kaguya Otsutsuki's will. In essence, he was a mass of Yin Yang Release chakra will, similar in nature to the tailed beasts.
So in addition to using the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, Brook also had to combine it with the unique sealing technique of the Gedo Statue to suppress this slippery old schemer who was unmatched at escaping.
"No!" x2
Obito tried to flee into the Kamui dimension, while Black Zetsu tried to dive back underground. But Obito's soul had already been grabbed by a giant Shinigami, and Black Zetsu was firmly bound by nine blue chakra dragons extending from the Gedo Statue.
"Don't kill me! Don't kill me, Lord Death! I'm a White Zetsu too!"
Black Zetsu was genuinely terrified now and begged frantically for mercy. If he was devoured by the shell of the Ten Tails, he would most likely be assimilated by it.
After all, his power came from Kaguya Otsutsuki, and Kaguya Otsutsuki's power had come from the God Tree.
"Yohoho! I finally caught you two slippery little rats!"
Brook burst into laughter. He honestly had not expected much when he came to Madara Uchiha's old hideout. Catching even one of them would have been lucky.
Instead, he had run into both.
That was a huge windfall.
Without wasting any time, Brook grabbed Obito Uchiha's soulless body, took away his Kamui Mangekyo Sharingan, and stuffed his soul back into the body.
"With both divine abilities in hand, I finally have a space of my own."
Brook immediately transplanted the Kamui Sharingan into his own arm, pairing it with Kakashi's eye.
"Aaaah!"
The moment he regained consciousness, Obito Uchiha screamed and rolled on the ground in agony. His Mangekyo Sharingan had been taken, leaving him with only the ordinary three tomoe Sharingan Madara had transplanted into him.
"Lord Death! Spare me! I'm White Zetsu! I'm the one searching for Jigen for you! Please don't kill me!"
Seeing that he was about to be dragged into the mouth of the Outer Path Statue, Black Zetsu begged even more desperately.
This time, he really felt like he was finished.
"Call me Daddy."
Brook chuckled, then casually transplanted one of the ordinary three tomoe Sharingan he had confiscated from Danzo into Obito's empty socket, restoring both of Obito's eyes.
"Daddy!!"
To survive, Black Zetsu gave in instantly and shouted with all the sincerity he could fake.
"Good. Very good. After I take Kaguya-hime into my arms, you definitely won't have called me that for nothing."
Brook controlled the Gedo Statue to stop, and then the Hell God Jin seized Black Zetsu's Yin Yang Release body and forcibly branded it with an upgraded soul infused Summoning Technique.
With that, Brook could summon Black Zetsu whenever he pleased.
This move was based entirely on Madara Uchiha's old idea of forcibly turning the Nine Tails into a summoned beast.
After finishing, Brook tossed Black Zetsu to the ground and finally had time to look around the underground base.
There were laboratories everywhere, and there were also large numbers of White Zetsu.
Brook intended to take all of Madara Uchiha and Black Zetsu's accumulated assets for himself.
"Lord Death, you know about Kaguya?"
Black Zetsu stared at the mysterious Shinigami with fear still lingering in his eyes.
"I know what you know, and I know things you don't. Otherwise, why would I have sent you to search for members of the Otsutsuki clan?"
Brook walked through the place while casually searching for what he wanted.
"By the way, Black Zetsu, where did you hide Madara Uchiha's corpse?"
Brook searched around but could not find it, so he asked directly. He wanted to turn Madara Uchiha's corpse into one of the Six Paths of Pain.
As for why he did not plan to use Impure World Reincarnation to control Madara Uchiha,
First, Madara Uchiha could break free of the Impure World Reincarnation on his own and escape control.
Second, Brook had already tested Impure World Reincarnation with Orochimaru and found that the Pure Land had been taken over by the Sage of Six Paths. It had become a one way forbidden zone where souls could enter, but not leave.
The souls of powerful figures like Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, could no longer be summoned, making resurrection through Impure World Reincarnation impossible.
It seemed the Sage of Six Paths was highly wary of Brook's soul controlling abilities and did not want Brook, this new Shinigami, to gain access to those powerful souls.
Madara Uchiha, as the reincarnation of Indra's chakra, had most likely already been taken into the Sage of Six Paths' custody as well.
That meant the forbidden technique [Impure World Reincarnation] was practically useless now unless Hagoromo Otsutsuki reopened the Pure Land himself.
Even so, with the power of the Rinnegan, Brook could still occasionally compete with the Sage of Six Paths over some of the Pure Land's authority and snatch one or two ordinary souls.
But powerful souls specifically protected by the Sage of Six Paths were far harder to seize.
So Brook had no intention of reviving Madara Uchiha.
He only wanted to use Madara's corpse as the Deva Path among the Six Paths of Pain.
Unfortunately, the bodies of the First and Second Hokage were long gone. Only a few scraps of tissue remained, nowhere near enough to create new Paths.
The Third Hokage's body, however, was still an option. Brook might be able to steal it after tomorrow's funeral.
"Lord Death, why do you want Madara Uchiha's corpse...?"
Black Zetsu asked in confusion, though panic still filled his heart. Was he truly doomed? Even Madara Uchiha, the man meant to complete the Eye of the Moon Plan, was not going to escape this monster's hands?
"Call me Daddy, Black Zetsu."
Brook shot him a dangerous glance before continuing, "Madara Uchiha's soul may already have been taken by the Sage of Six Paths. Even the Rinne Rebirth Technique may not be able to bring him back."
Madara Uchiha's Rinnegan was simply not as pure as the Sage of Six Paths' own.
And the Pure Land was the Sage of Six Paths' territory. Brook had no real way to overpower him there.
From the moment Brook arrived in this world and met the Sage of Six Paths, Black Zetsu's original plans had already been doomed to fail.
-------------
Black Zetsu froze when he heard Brook's words. For a moment, it felt as if his entire plan had already been seen through.
His mind went blank.
But in the very next second, hope flared again.
That was right. There was still this Grim Reaper.
No, not Grim Reaper. From now on, this Grim Reaper was his father, and only this man could save Kaguya.
"Dad! Dad! Do you really know everything?"
Black Zetsu asked anxiously. If the whole plan had truly been exposed, then the only hope left for rescuing his mother was this Grim Reaper.
"Good. Do your job properly, and I'll save Kaguya. Then both you and Hagoromo can call me Dad."
Brook laughed loudly. "Hagoromo Otsutsuki, the Sage of Six Paths, claims he won't interfere with the development of the ninja world, but he has already interfered. Just like when he helped Naruto and Sasuke in the future."
That old man only stepped in when something truly threatened the entire ninja world.
As for things like Toneri Otsutsuki trying to destroy the world, or the Fourth Shinobi World War, Hagoromo would not personally interfere in those "minor" matters, because none of them had yet reached a level that truly endangered the planet itself.
"Lord Death, do you really want to become Mother's husband?"
Black Zetsu looked at this mysterious powerhouse with a strange expression. Just who was this man? Could he also be a member of the Otsutsuki clan?
The moment that thought appeared, fear rose in Black Zetsu again. This Death had to be some ancient monster who had lived for thousands of years. Otherwise, how could he know so much about the Sage of Six Paths and Kaguya?
"Yes. Princess Kaguya is just an innocent and naive girl who happens to have overwhelming power. The moment I saw her, I felt like protecting her."
Brook grinned. Compared to him, Kaguya, the woman who could even be flustered by a Reverse Harem Technique, had far too little experience.
Obito Uchiha, who was standing to the side, was seething with hatred as he watched Black Zetsu chatting so happily with the enemy. His Kamui Sharingan was gone. How was he supposed to go out and do anything now?
"When will Dad gather the tailed beasts, activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi, and rescue Mother?"
Black Zetsu asked excitedly. This Grim Reaper had the Rinnegan and the power to support it. If he could gather the nine tailed beasts and become the Ten Tails' jinchuriki, then perhaps he really could rescue Kaguya without relying on Madara Uchiha at all.
"Don't rush. The most dangerous one right now is Otsutsuki Isshiki. If I expose my strength too early, or rescue Kaguya ahead of time, he might immediately call the rest of the Otsutsuki clan for help."
"If two or three more Otsutsuki appear, then both your mother and I will be in trouble."
Brook looked at Black Zetsu and spoke seriously.
"So, Black Zetsu, you don't want anything to happen to your mother, right?"
"We need to find Jigen as soon as possible. Only after dealing with Isshiki Otsutsuki can I safely rescue Kaguya."
"When the time comes, your mother and I might even give you a little brother to take care of."
Brook picked Black Zetsu up, dusted him off, and looked at him with the gaze of a father watching his son.
"Dad…"
This time, when Black Zetsu called out, there was actually a trace of sincerity in his voice. He had never expected that one day he would experience what it felt like to be "cared for."
"Work hard. Find Jigen as soon as possible. Don't expose yourself. The sooner you find him, the sooner we can see Princess Kaguya again."
Brook encouraged him, secretly admiring himself. It seemed his talent for making empty promises had not weakened at all. He had actually managed to reel in Black Zetsu too.
"I'll do my best, Dad."
Black Zetsu answered earnestly. No one could tell whether it was pure acting or if he had really started to believe Brook's words.
"Good. Then bring out all of Madara Uchiha's treasures. Does he have any spare Mangekyo Sharingan left behind? Any useful abilities?"
Brook glanced at Obito Uchiha, who looked like a dog that had just lost a fight, then turned back to Black Zetsu.
If Brook did not need a Mangekyo Sharingan right now, he could at least use one to nurture a subordinate first. He could always take it back later.
"Yes. These are the Mangekyo Sharingan Madara Uchiha prepared for his own revival."
Black Zetsu immediately sank into the ground. Not long after, he came back up holding two Sharingan preserved in medicinal solution.
"This pair is Madara Uchiha's treasured Mangekyo Sharingan."
"One eye possesses [Takamiya no Mitama], which greatly extends the duration of Susanoo and increases both its size and power."
"The other eye possesses [Naobi no Mikoto], which greatly boosts chakra and ocular strength and can enhance the power of ninjutsu."
Black Zetsu respectfully handed the two Mangekyo Sharingan to Brook.
Behind him, four White Zetsu dragged out a coffin. Inside lay the old corpse of Madara Uchiha.
Brook took the Mangekyo Sharingan and felt that their abilities were actually quite impressive.
No wonder Madara Uchiha's Susanoo was so monstrous. No wonder he could summon more than twenty Susanoo clones. Even his ordinary ninjutsu had absurd power, enough for one man to suppress an army.
"Obito Uchiha, are you willing to do something for me? If you behave, I might help you revive someone in the future. I can even lend you this pair of Mangekyo Sharingan."
Brook smiled. For the time being, he had no urgent need for their abilities, so using them to raise a stronger subordinate first was not a bad choice.
"I am."
Suppressing the resentment in his heart, Obito lowered his head and agreed. Even if they were not as useful as his Kamui Sharingan, a pair of Mangekyo Sharingan was still better than nothing. At the very least, he would now have enough confidence to control the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi.
At the same time, Obito could not help feeling bitter. Madara Uchiha and Black Zetsu had clearly possessed such a valuable treasure all along, yet they had never given it to him. In the end, they had only ever let him keep the Kamui Mangekyo.
Of course, he conveniently ignored the fact that he himself had never once tried to take Kakashi's Kamui eye back.
Brook casually implanted Madara's two Mangekyo Sharingan into Obito's eye sockets, personally completed the transplant, and even left behind a few hidden restrictions.
Then Brook looked toward Madara Uchiha's coffin.
He lifted the lid and, without hesitation, drew out six small black rods and plunged them straight into Madara's corpse.
[Six Paths of Reincarnation: Heaven Path!]
Brook's Rinnegan erupted with terrifying ocular power as he infused Madara Uchiha's corpse with the authority of the Heaven Path.
When Madara Uchiha slowly opened a pair of purple Rinnegan eyes, Obito Uchiha and Black Zetsu both understood at once.
Their original Eye of the Moon plan had already collapsed almost completely.
"Black Zetsu, continue searching for Jigen. Obito Uchiha, continue your own mission. This Heaven Path is yours to use as well. Just remember, leave the bloodline limits of Kirigakure's clans for me."
Brook gave his instructions. As for the spoils from Kirigakure, they could wait until the invasions from the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning had been dealt with first.
"Understood, Lord Death."
Brook then gathered a batch of high quality White Zetsu bodies, turned intangible, and departed from Madara Uchiha's underground base.
The remaining Black Zetsu and Obito Uchiha looked at each other in complete confusion. Everything that had happened tonight was so sudden that neither of them had fully digested it yet.
"In the end, we can only trust this Lord Death for now."
Black Zetsu sank into the earth and disappeared as well. He had to complete Brook's mission as quickly as possible.
Obito, on the other hand, had lost his Kamui. He could only leave obediently on foot with White Zetsu Tobi attached to him.
.....
[If you don't want to wait for the next update, read 10–50 chapters ahead on P@treon.]
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