The differences in their ideals...
Hamura's earnest advice and concern...
And the unbreakable bond they had always shared as brothers...
After a long silence, Hagoromo slowly raised his head again.
His eyes were now clear, resolute, and unwavering.
He gave Gamamaru a firm nod.
"I understand."
If he was to seek allies, the first person he needed to win over was his younger brother, Hamura.
The path toward confronting both his mother and the God Tree would likely begin with persuading the brother who shared his blood.
Just as Hagoromo solemnly bid farewell to Gamamaru and turned to leave in search of Hamura—
A thick, liquid-like shadow suddenly flashed through the darkness beneath a nearby cluster of bushes.
It moved with unbelievable speed, making not the slightest sound, gliding across the ground like a passing wisp of darkness.
It was Black Zetsu.
It had apparently been hiding there all along.
Every word exchanged between Hagoromo and Gamamaru—the Three Corpses Technique, the revelation that the God Tree was Kaguya's ally, and Hagoromo's decision to seek Hamura's aid—had been overheard without missing a single detail.
Without hesitating, Black Zetsu melted back into the shadows.
Like a drop of ink dissolving into water, it sped beneath the earth and through every patch of darkness at a speed no ordinary creature could hope to match.
Its destination was unmistakable—
Kaguya's palace beneath the God Tree.
Emerging from the shadows on the palace floor like a plume of black smoke, Black Zetsu quickly reformed its body.
It immediately saw Kaguya Ōtsutsuki sitting quietly upon a platform formed by one of the God Tree's enormous branches, her gaze fixed on the distant sky as though lost in thought.
"Mother!"
Black Zetsu's voice was filled with urgency and absolute loyalty.
Kaguya slowly turned her head.
Normally cold and expressionless, her beautiful face now carried a faint trace of melancholy, as if she were burdened by some heavy concern.
Seeing Black Zetsu's hurried appearance, a questioning look appeared in her pale Byakugan.
Black Zetsu dared not waste a single moment.
It hurried forward and reported everything in meticulous detail.
How it had secretly followed Hagoromo...
How it had hidden beside the waterfall...
And every word it had overheard between Hagoromo and Gamamaru.
It recounted everything.
Hagoromo's mastery of the Three Corpses Technique and Sage Mode.
Gamamaru's warning that the God Tree was Kaguya's ally, possessing unfathomable power.
And Hagoromo's decision to continue strengthening himself while seeking Hamura's assistance.
Not a single detail was omitted.
Kaguya listened quietly.
At first, her expression remained calm.
But as Black Zetsu continued, her face gradually grew colder, as though covered in frost.
Her delicate brows slowly knitted together.
An invisible pressure spread throughout the palace.
Once Black Zetsu had finished its report, it held its breath, cautiously watching Kaguya's expression.
Its heart was filled with anxiety.
It knew Hagoromo had obtained extraordinary new power.
More than anything, it feared that the news would wound—or enrage—its mother.
Silence filled the palace.
A suffocating silence.
Kaguya said nothing.
She merely sat there, gazing into the distance as though slowly digesting everything she had heard... or perhaps reflecting upon the past.
Only after a long while—so long that Black Zetsu was almost unable to restrain itself from speaking again—did Kaguya finally let out a quiet sigh.
That sigh carried emotions too complicated to describe.
Surprise.
Disappointment.
And perhaps...
The pain of feeling betrayed by her own child.
"I never imagined..."
Kaguya's voice was lower than usual.
"Hagoromo has secretly prepared so much."
"So meticulous..."
"Leaving the Divine Realm... cultivating in solitude... searching for power from beyond this world..."
"So that was all for one purpose."
"To obtain the strength to oppose me."
There was no furious outburst in her voice.
Only the cold understanding of someone wounded by the truth.
"Mother! What should we do now?"
Black Zetsu asked anxiously.
"Hagoromo has already mastered those powers from beyond this world. He's become incredibly strong."
"And now he's going to seek Lord Hamura."
"If the two brothers join forces..."
Kaguya fell silent once more.
This time, however, the silence was brief.
Her eyes gradually returned to their usual calm and unfathomable depth.
She slowly shook her head.
"Hagoromo..."
"...is my son."
She paused, as though emphasizing that simple fact—or perhaps trying to convince herself of it.
"I don't believe he would truly betray me."
"I don't believe he would genuinely raise his hand against me."
"Perhaps he has merely been deceived by that toad."
"Or perhaps he has misunderstood the current situation."
Her gaze drifted beyond the palace.
It was as though she could already see her son traveling home—or searching for Hamura.
"If he truly comes..."
"If he truly chooses to believe the words of outsiders and insists upon walking that path..."
Her voice became perfectly calm.
Almost resolute.
"Then..."
"I shall wait for him here."
"I want to see how far the son I raised with my own hands..."
"...can truly go."
"And why..."
"...he has chosen this path."
Kaguya made no preparations for battle.
She arranged no defenses.
Nor did she attempt to strike first.
Instead, she simply chose to wait—
A quiet, passive wait born from one final test...
And one last lingering hope.
Watching his mother's response, Black Zetsu became even more anxious.
Yet it dared not speak further.
Once Kaguya made a decision, almost nothing could change her mind.
Especially when it involved the complicated bond between herself and her two sons.
Looking at Kaguya's calm yet lonely back, Black Zetsu's dark body rippled slightly.
Silently, it swore an oath.
Hagoromo...
I don't care whether you've been deceived or whether you've truly turned against Mother...
You'd better not do something so foolish as to raise your hand against her.
Otherwise...
I, Black Zetsu, swear that no matter the cost, I will never forgive you.
Anyone who harms Mother... deserves to die.
Meanwhile, Hagoromo remained completely unaware that Black Zetsu had been spying on him.
His mind was occupied only with the excitement of his newfound power and his plans for the future.
As he offered Gamamaru his final farewell, the Great Toad Sage suddenly seemed to remember something.
With a gentle wave of one small forelimb, a mysterious talisman materialized in midair.
It radiated a soft, warm glow.
Its material resembled neither metal nor jade, and its surface was engraved with profound patterns that seemed to embody the laws of nature itself.
The talisman floated gently toward Hagoromo.
"Hagoromo," Gamamaru said solemnly, "before we part, allow me to give you one final gift."
"This is a Senjutsu Talisman that I obtained by chance many years ago."
"It contains extraordinarily pure life force and the very essence of natural energy."
"No matter how grievous your injuries may be..."
"So long as even the faintest spark of life remains..."
"Activate this talisman..."
"And it will heal every wound, restoring you completely."
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