Casually submitting to another was not a difficult thing for Black Zetsu to accept. It was merely a matter of switching his object of allegiance from Madara Uchiha to this Jigen. To save his mother, he had long ago had his sharp edges worn down by the ninja world, becoming a smooth, pliable piece of putty.
Compared to Madara Uchiha, the inscrutable and more powerful Jigen would be a much better target for manipulation.
After careful observation, Black Zetsu had already discerned that this man with the Otsutsuki aura was not a true Otsutsuki, but a "Vessel" chosen by a member of the clan for their resurrection. The black, diamond-shaped Karma mark on his chin was clear proof.
Back then, the only one who descended to this planet with Mother was that other fellow, Isshiki Otsutsuki. Later, he tried to harm Mother but was defeated by her instead. So, there is only one truth—Jigen is Isshiki Otsutsuki's Vessel! To think he managed to escape with his life. However...
From what Black Zetsu knew of Isshiki from his mother's memories, if he could have been revived, he would have appeared long ago to suppress the ninja world with force, replant the God Tree, and harvest its fruit.
Therefore, he must be unable to revive for the time being. Is it because the Vessel is unsuitable?
Regardless, the fact that Isshiki Otsutsuki could not be revived was excellent news for Black Zetsu.
Heh heh, Black Zetsu sneered inwardly, Then let me make good use of you to rescue Mother. Mother will surely be pleased when she learns that I helped her eliminate this powerful, hidden enemy.
"That's right, that's right! We'll follow your orders from now on! I wasn't actually that close with that Madara guy anyway." Tobi spat out Madara Uchiha's corpse from within his body and began to jump up and down, waving enthusiastically at Jigen. He then proactively revealed their abilities.
"Very good."
Jigen was very satisfied after learning of White Zetsu's powerful intelligence-gathering abilities. As if by magic, he produced a chair and sat down, crossing his legs. He rested his cheek on his left hand and looked at Tobi and the others with a tilted head. "First, tell me about Madara Uchiha's plan. You should know it quite well."
"I know, I know!" Tobi quickly raised his hands and spilled everything. "Madara Uchiha gave his Rinnegan to a kid named Nagato. He wanted to use him to cast the Rinne Tensei no Jutsu to resurrect himself."
"Resurrection?" Jigen's expression didn't change. Such a method of revival was useless to him, who existed in a state between life and death. The Rinnegan, however, did pique his interest slightly.
It must be Kaguya's bloodline. To think she was sealed away even after eating the God Tree Fruit. She is truly a disgrace to the Otsutsuki clan. The Rinnegan cannot be used by this body, but it is still a power that cannot be ignored. It would be best to have it in my grasp. Unfortunately, Jigen's body is too weak. Otherwise, I could transplant the Rinnegan and exert another thirty percent of my power.
The urgent need to find a suitable body once again rose in Jigen's heart. He glanced at Madara's corpse and slowly asked, "Where is this Nagato?"
"In the Land of Rain." This time, it was Black Zetsu who answered. "But he is only five or six years old now and still needs to grow."
"Find an opportunity to bring him to me. I will personally see to his growth."
"Yes!"
"Also, do you know how Madara Uchiha awakened the Rinnegan?"
Black Zetsu continued to answer, "Madara Uchiha awakened the Rinnegan by transplanting the cells of Hashirama Senju. The Uchiha clan and the Senju clan are the bloodlines passed down from the two sons of the Sage of Six Paths. When the two are combined, the Sage of Six Paths' power is recreated, and the Rinnegan is obtained."
"The Uchiha and Senju clans, combined into one?" Jigen nodded. "I see."
"From now on, you will gather intelligence as you always have. And do not forget to bring Nagato to me. Now, you may leave."
After telling them how to contact him, Jigen waved his hand and sent them out of his dimension.
"This trip has yielded many unexpected gains." Jigen looked up at the Gedo Statue, a rare smile gracing his lips. "With the Ten-Tails' husk in my hands, all I need to do is reclaim the Ten-Tails' chakra, and I will have a complete Ten-Tails. It will grow much faster than that juvenile one. However, with the forces I currently command, snatching the Tailed Beasts from the five Great Nations will still require some effort."
Besides the five Great Nations, those two who claimed to be Otsutsuki also concerned him greatly.
"What are their origins? I have lurked in the ninja world for a thousand years and have never known them to emerge from anywhere. Moreover, the one with the ice-control ability uses a power that is neither like chakra nor like the natural energy that originally existed on this planet. It gives me a faint sense of unease. Could they be outsiders, like me?"
Jigen narrowed his eyes. The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
"In this universe, are there truly other clans besides our Otsutsuki who can traverse planets? What is their purpose?"
Judging by the fact that they deliberately disguised themselves as Otsutsuki, he even suspected that they were enemies of the Otsutsuki clan, here specifically to steal the God Tree Fruit. If it was just one person, he wouldn't be afraid. But he feared this was just a vanguard, with a large group to follow. In that case, his position, alone and without support, would become very awkward.
"Should I report this to the main family?"
Jigen pondered for a moment, then shook his head. The price he would have to pay for doing so was not one he was willing to bear.
"By failing to hand over the chakra and the God Tree Fruit on time, the main family must have already sensed that something is wrong and dispatched other clan members. Calculating the time, they should be arriving soon. There is no need for me to waste my power."
The most urgent task was to recruit manpower as quickly as possible, seize the Tailed Beasts from the various nations, and replant the God Tree.
"Anyone who dares to obstruct my plan, I will show no mercy!" A chilling light glinted in Jigen's eyes.
Meanwhile, Black Zetsu and the others, having been thrown out of Jigen's dimension, had returned to the ninja world.
"Huh? This isn't where we were taken from. Does this space portal move? That's so cool!" Tobi leaped onto a large tree and peered into the distance.
"Black Zetsu, are we really going to help that Jigen?" White Zetsu asked.
"Yes, but only for now. When the time is right, we will betray him and resurrect Madara," Black Zetsu replied.
"Ooh, so we're playing spies? I love it!" Tobi danced excitedly, waving his arms and legs.
"Alright. You represent Madara's will, so you're the boss," White Zetsu nodded. "So, are we going to the Land of Rain now to snatch Nagato?"
"That small fry in the Land of Rain... your clones should be sufficient for the task."
"It's hard to say. If I have to carry someone, I can't use the Mayfly Technique. It will be difficult to escape successfully."
"Hmm. Then just get him to come with us willingly."
"Fine, I'll give it a try."
With that, Zetsu sank into the ground.
"Hey? What about me? Are you leaving me all alone? Something like that... I don't want it!"
In the desolate jungle, Tobi's tragic cry echoed.