"No… it was you!"
Black Zetsu truly lived up to his reputation as a millennia-old schemer. After the initial shock passed, his mind snapped back into clarity.
He needed only a moment to identify the source of the catastrophe.
Uchiha Jin.
There could be no one else.
Until today, Obito had been nothing more than a pawn—easily manipulated by him and Madara alike. It was only after encountering Jin that Obito had turned.
Which meant—
Jin had revealed everything.
But how?
Black Zetsu's gaze drifted toward Jin's eyes—now calm, ordinary again.
A Mangekyō ability like Uchiha Fugaku's…?
Yes. Fugaku had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan.
He had simply never told anyone.
Because Fugaku's abilities weren't destructive powerhouses, he had hidden them in silence. Only because he was clan head—and thus constantly monitored—had Black Zetsu discovered the truth.
One of Fugaku's eyes could rewind the past of a location.
The other could glimpse the future of an event.
Not overwhelming abilities—but terrifying in the right hands.
The problem?
Fugaku lacked the nerve to use them decisively.
Too cautious. Too hesitant.
In the end, he chose inaction.
Jin… was different.
If Jin possessed a stronger version of that power, it would explain everything.
"Hmph. So you figured it out. What of it?" Obito sneered, then turned to Jin.
"Jin-sensei, someone like him is too dangerous. We should just kill him."
Hatred aside, Obito feared Black Zetsu's mind.
In a battle of schemes, ten Obitos tied together wouldn't match him.
Better to end it cleanly.
But Jin shook his head.
"No need to kill him."
"For now, seal him inside your Kamui space. He may still be useful."
"Useful?" Obito frowned. "For what?"
Jin looked at Black Zetsu meaningfully.
"To help us free Ōtsutsuki Kaguya."
Silence fell.
Obito blinked.
Black Zetsu froze.
"…What?"
Jin continued calmly.
"If you think about it carefully, we have no fundamental conflict with Kaguya."
"In fact… we share a common enemy."
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
"We could form an alliance."
Obito reacted first. "You mean… the celestial Ōtsutsuki clan?"
Even Black Zetsu was stunned.
Jin knew about the extraterrestrial Ōtsutsuki?
Jin nodded.
"If Kaguya hadn't ambushed Isshiki at the critical moment thousands of years ago, this world likely would've been devoured back then."
"She created White Zetsu through Infinite Tsukuyomi to prepare for that clan's retaliation."
"And we face the same threat."
"Kaguya chose the method she believed correct."
"But if we possess the strength to speak as equals…"
"Her methods could change."
"Countless White Zetsu are nothing compared to a single Six Paths–level powerhouse."
"For us, Kaguya herself is an Ōtsutsuki."
"With her, we divide the pressure."
"Together, we benefit. Divided, we both fall."
Obito frowned. "Are the Ōtsutsuki really that strong?"
Jin's tone turned grave.
"In the current shinobi world, fewer than five people could survive ten moves against an Ōtsutsuki."
"If they fight to the death? Not one could last a hundred."
Obito's pupils shrank.
"Not even you or Minato-sensei?"
"No."
Jin answered without hesitation.
The gap in life forms was absolute.
Below Six Paths level, resistance was meaningless.
Minato and Obito might escape with mobility.
Orochimaru might cheat death.
Jin himself might last a few exchanges.
But victory?
Impossible.
Even Naruto and Sasuke—after losing their Six Paths power—were toyed with.
That was reality.
So abandoning Kaguya as potential combat power would be foolish.
Jin turned to Black Zetsu.
"Well?"
Black Zetsu's eyes flickered.
"So your plan… is to release my mother only when the Ōtsutsuki descend?"
"More or less," Jin said calmly.
"You won't have to wait long."
"In about twenty years, new Ōtsutsuki will arrive."
"And Isshiki… isn't dead."
Black Zetsu's expression cracked.
"What?!"
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