The name "Ōtsutsuki Kaguya" fell like a stone into a silent pond. Aside from Black Zetsu, the entire Akatsuki was lost in confusion.
Every member shared the same thought: Who?
Meanwhile, Black Zetsu was the most bewildered of them all. Hold on, buddy. Who the hell are you?
Black Zetsu had been working on the plan to resurrect Kaguya for over a thousand years. He had never sought a true ally; even Indra and his subsequent reincarnations were merely tools to be used. He knew he had eternal life but lacked raw power. He could afford to wait, but he could never afford to lose. He was his mother's only hope for freedom.
Because of this, Black Zetsu never gambled. When Uchiha Madara was killed by Senju Hashirama at the Valley of the End, Zetsu had simply abandoned that iteration of the plan and moved on. He had never shared his mission with anyone, nor had he ever intended to. He trusted no one.
And yet, today, a stranger had just uttered his mother's name.
Resurrecting Kaguya was the very goal Black Zetsu had been pursuing relentlessly for a millennium. How does he know? Who is this man?
As if hearing Black Zetsu's inner turmoil, Senya didn't dive straight into the details of the plan or the introduction of Kaguya. Instead, he introduced himself properly.
"Let me re-introduce myself. I am the leader of the Hidden Rain Village from twenty years in the future. I am also an archaeologist."
"What are you talking about? Twenty years in the future?"
"You can ask Zero or Byakko for confirmation," Senya shrugged, glancing at the others' stunned expressions. "I've already provided them with proof."
"It's true," Pain said flatly. "I have verified his identity. There is no need for doubt."
In reality, if Nagato truly wanted to verify the truth, he should have used the Naraka Path for a lie detector test or the Human Path to read Senya's memories directly. But Nagato still relied on more primitive methods of discernment, and he had already accepted Senya as a comrade. This was likely why Madara had chosen him, and why Naruto would eventually win him over with his 'Talk-no-Jutsu.' He was, in a way, far too naive.
Of course, Senya hadn't actually lied to him.
"Alright, now that the introduction is out of the way, please understand that what I'm about to tell you is based on future events and archaeological findings. The name 'Ōtsutsuki Kaguya' might be unfamiliar to you, but what about the 'Sage of Six Paths'?"
At the mention of that title, several gazes drifted toward Pain—specifically toward his Rinnegan.
"Ōtsutsuki Kaguya is the mother of the Sage of Six Paths. She was sealed away by the Sage and his brother through their combined efforts," Senya continued.
"Sealed? Why? Did she try to destroy the world or something?" Deidara asked, rubbing his chin.
"Close enough," Senya nodded.
"Wait, Deidara, how did you know that?" Hidan asked, looking at his partner in surprise.
"Common sense! What else would it be? You think the Sage of Six Paths sealed his own mother because she wouldn't buy him toys?" Deidara rolled his eyes.
"To be precise," Senya went on, "Kaguya intended to transform everyone into mindless beings to serve as her soldiers..."
"Huh? Then she's just a Great Demon King! Why the hell would we want to bring her back?" Hidan shouted. It was a bit rich coming from a man who worshipped a god of slaughter.
"Don't be so hasty. Listen to the rest," Senya said, raising a hand to settle the room. "Based on my archaeological findings, the Sage of Six Paths likely caused a millennium of trouble because he was just as impulsive as you are. Anyone with a brain should be asking the obvious question: Why did she need soldiers?"
He looked around the room. "If everyone in the world is turned into mindless soldiers, who is she supposed to fight with them?"
This question acted like a sudden gust of wind clearing a thick fog. The Akatsuki members paused. That's right. If there's no one left, what's the point of an army?
"The answer is simple: she created those soldiers for her own safety—and by extension, to protect this world."
"What?"
"The enemies Kaguya had to face were her own kin: the Ōtsutsuki Clan from outer space. To stand against them, she needed an army. Now, the individual strength of those soldiers was only around the level of a basic Chūnin, and since they lacked free will and the ability to use complex Ninjutsu, they were probably even weaker than that. But at the time, she had no choice."
Senya paced slightly as he explained. "Think about it. Ninjutsu was only created later by the Sage's son, Indra. Chakra was brought here by Kaguya, but the Sage only taught people how to refine it after she was sealed. In Kaguya's era, there were no ninja—only ordinary civilians. Transforming helpless villagers into Chūnin-level combatants was, from a purely tactical standpoint, a massive upgrade."
"But how would Kaguya view the modern shinobi world? Rationally speaking, there are still countless civilians, but the history of shinobi has produced numerous Kage-level and elite Jōnin masters. And then there's all of you—top-tier shinobi where a single individual is worth a thousand Chūnin. In this context, what point is there in turning a 'top-tier' ninja into a 'white-bread' Chūnin soldier? It's strategically pointless."
As Senya finished his explanation, the logic clicked for everyone in the room. Kaguya wasn't an idiot. Why would she "down-rank" her SSR units into R-rank fodder?
Only Black Zetsu sneered in the shadows. He had listened to all this talk, waiting for a profound revelation, only to get this?
The problem wasn't whether Kaguya would turn people into White Zetsu after she was revived. The problem was that to bring her back, she had to initiate the Infinite Tsukuyomi, absorb the chakra of the entire world, and return all things to one!
"So, the new goal of Akatsuki is to resurrect the mother of the Sage of Six Paths?"
"Hm... if you put it that way, it definitely sounds more intimidating than just collecting nine Tailed Beasts," Deidara admitted, nodding in agreement with Senya.
"Even the Tailed Beasts are difficult to control, let alone a being of that magnitude," Konan said, her brow furrowed. "Are you certain she will actually help us once she's revived?"
"Don't worry," Senya replied. "According to archaeological records, Kaguya is actually quite simple-minded and sweet. If you talk to her as an equal—and if you know how to talk—she's actually very easy to persuade."
"...Very well." Konan's lip twitched. Simple-minded and sweet? Was that really the right way to describe the Progenitor of Shinobi? She chose to ignore the choice of words and focused on the logistics. "How do we revive such a being? I assume it won't be easy."
The word "resurrect" was a sensitive topic here, considering Nagato possessed that very power.
"It certainly isn't simple," Senya said. "There are two ways to resurrect Kaguya. The first method requires the collection of the nine Tailed Beasts..."
"Then isn't that just the same as before?!" Hidan interrupted.
Black Zetsu, who had been busy trying to figure out how to trick Senya into becoming another pawn for his mother's revival, was suddenly paralyzed.
Senya... he knows how to bring her back?
But more importantly: What did he mean by "two ways"?
Black Zetsu had lived for over a thousand years, and he hadn't found a single alternative method!