Black Zetsu himself didn't fully understand the meaning of those words. After falling victim to Uchiha Yato's genjutsu,
he had seen a madman in the illusion who spoke such phrases.
The madman's words simply felt fitting for the current situation, so he had uttered them unconsciously.
Black Zetsu knew this gamble was risky.
The dangers he faced weren't limited to whether these three would follow his script to incite war.
He also had to contend with Uchiha Madara's growing distrust toward him.
But Black Zetsu's approach was straightforward now.
If there was no opportunity, he would create one. At worst, he'd just stir up the entire shinobi world first.
Only by doing so could he buy more time to reap benefits and seek opportunities—otherwise, his position was too passive.
Currently, though Uchiha Madara's lifespan had been extended by that mysterious drug Uchiha Yato provided,
Black Zetsu sensed no change in his vitality. This meant that without a steady supply of the medicine, Madara could still die.Currently, facing Uchiha Madara's slight distrust, Black Zetsu was being extremely cautious in all his actions.
He also made every effort to reduce Madara's intake of that special medicine provided by Uchiha Yato.
This was the only method Black Zetsu could think of to delay Madara for now.
Thinking about everything he had done so far and the words spoken by Uchiha Yato, Black Zetsu couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.
A thousand years of planning had brought him closer to success than ever before.
Even if it meant risking everything, Black Zetsu would never give up this closest opportunity.
Meanwhile, after leaving the forest, the three black-clad men encountered different situations.
They were ambushed and attacked to varying degrees.
The short-statured black-clad man, leading his group, couldn't help but curse under his breath.
"Damn it!"
"I knew those two old bastards couldn't be trusted."
"Of course they'd ambush us on our way back. Well, don't blame me for not holding back later!"
Since they were all rogue ninjas at the moment, they couldn't use their signature Ninjutsu.
Fortunately, the ambushers were weak, so at most, they only slowed their return without causing much damage.
Just then, a towering figure appeared behind the short black-clad man. Though similarly draped in black cloth, his massive frame made it impossible to conceal his presence.
From beneath the cloth came a voice that sounded surprisingly simple and honest.
"Father, so we can't trust anything those old guys say?"
Hearing his son's question, the short black-clad man replied,
"Everyone has their own interests. Remember, no matter what they do, it has nothing to do with us."
The large figure behind him seemed momentarily confused, but before he could react, the short man continued,
"As long as we benefit, why should we care about their lives?"
"These so-called alliances are just bargaining chips to stir up chaos."
The large man knew his father's ambitions and the immense pressure he bore, so he remained silent, listening quietly.
The other two groups faced similar encounters.
This meant the so-called "alliance" between these three scheming factions was practically nonexistent.
Each represented their own interests, and all sought to reap the greatest benefits from the imminent—or soon-to-be-launched—operation.
The scene shifted to the black-clad man with the hoarse voice.
He was currently discussing something with his companions.
The hoarse-voiced man asked, "Did you sense that thing earlier?"
"What the hell was it? Someone's Summoning Beast?"
One of his subordinates, a man with a calm voice, replied,
"I couldn't sense much from it."
"If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I'd hardly believe it was a person."
The hoarse-voiced man said nothing in response. Then, the calm man continued..."I actually think we can approach these negotiations from another angle."
Upon hearing his subordinate's suggestion, the hoarse-voiced man in black remained silent, signaling for him to continue.
"The attack against us was likely an attempt to sow discord within our alliance."
"We could conduct some subtle probing in other territories while inquiring about the situation."
"Moreover, there's another urgent matter we need to address immediately."
Understanding his subordinate's implication, the raspy-voiced man in black responded:
"I know better than to be blinded by that humanoid creature's empty promises."
"But his intelligence has proven accurate several times before, so this 'Sage Eye' information is probably genuine too."
"Send investigators—start with Hidden Leaf. Their Bloodline Limits are particularly... tempting."
This line of thinking was understandable.
Hidden Leaf housed both renowned Eye Technique clans. Since the Sage Eye was also an ocular power, the village was the most probable source.
Hearing his superior's orders, the composed subordinate frowned before the hoarse man added:
"Don't worry about my safety—I'm not that weak."
"Some are mere probes, others spies. Pay them no mind."
As the group dispersed, a small contingent remained to infiltrate the Land of Fire through an alternate route.
Suddenly, noises from behind prompted the lead black-clad figure to curse:
"Damn these vermin!"
"Scheming rats with their underhanded tricks!"
He tore off his black cloak, revealing dark skin and corded muscles that betrayed his identity.
A trailing subordinate sighed—this was typical Lightning Country behavior, or more accurately, Cloud Village's trademark recklessness.
Had he not persuaded the Third Raikage to maintain some disguise, the leader wouldn't have bothered with concealment at all.
"Listen well, Dodai," the Third Raikage growled. "I want those other two bastards bleeding for this."
Storing his own disguise, Dodai responded: "I'll devise a plan. First, we'll verify that black creature's intelligence."
While the Raikage wasn't incapable of strategy, with Dodai present, his mental gears tended to rust from disuse.
"Send my two brats if there's fighting to be done," the Raikage added. "They need the training."
"If those worthless whelps lose again, I'll skin them alive!"
Watching his leader's outburst, Dodai felt genuine exhaustion. As Cloud Village's de facto strategist, his workload would spike again.
With a resigned nod, he accepted the inevitable.