Chapitre 79: 79 - Underground Diplomacy
The world turned upside down as Masashi appeared headfirst on a rocky wall.
Having prepared himself thoroughly beforehand, he was ready to teleport back at the slightest hint of danger.
But there was none—everything seemed perfectly fine.
The area was even well-lit.
It was a spacious underground space filled with traces of artificial construction. He landed lightly and silently, surveying the surroundings.
The place seemed to have been a large room, though hastily vacated.
Probably overdid it with the preparations, but you never know with Madara's hideouts.
He sealed the "oxygen tank" he'd brought, as he hadn't used its contents yet. Before entering, he had already taken a deep breath outside.
The helmet portion of his equipment disappeared under his control—not due to recklessness, but because the "room" showed clear signs of habitation.
The unmade bed, personal items, and most importantly, the obvious air circulation meant this wasn't some toxic death trap.
Given the situation, he doubted anyone could convince him that an anaerobic organism had ever slept there.
Taking a deep breath, he found no odd smells.
As a ninja, mastering some medical ninjutsu was crucial. After all, the medical techniques of the shinobi world even included ways to heal respiratory issues.
With such skills in his arsenal, he felt at ease traversing any environment. This, however, did not align with his heavily armored appearance.
Ignoring this irony, he deactivated Sage Mode and his imposing aura before starting his inspection.
There was no giant golem in sight—only an old wooden bed and some personal items scattered around.
He found a few torn pipes and dried, unknown liquid stains on the ground. It seemed the occupant had left hastily, leaving many things disorganized.
Still, they hadn't been overly rushed, as everything important had been cleaned up thoroughly.
After searching the room and finding nothing of note, he noticed a door on one side of the room. It lacked a door panel, leaving the area beyond pitch black.
He created a shadow clone, which picked up an oil lamp. The oil hadn't been used up, so the clone lit the lamp and ventured into the darkness.
Masashi stayed behind, waiting patiently, his senses alert for any disturbance.
After a while, the shadow clone returned, its expression already suggesting bad news.
"Nothing?" Masashi asked, disappointed.
"Nothing," the clone said, holding up the now nearly-empty lamp. "And the oil's almost gone."
"Why didn't you just use a fire jutsu?"
"Are you kidding me? That space is so narrow; you want me to roast myself?"
"Make the flames smaller—you're a shadow clone. Be braver."
"Brave your head! You deal with this," the clone retorted, dismissing itself with a pop.
Masashi stood there, stunned. Sometimes my own personality is my worst enemy.
The thought had barely crossed his mind when the clone's memories flooded back.
Now he understood why it had been so upset.
The passage outside formed a circular loop around the room. Though there were many branches, each became progressively narrower until only an arm could fit through.
In such conditions, even the smallest fire would be useless. Expecting the clone to stick its head through was absurd—its head wasn't a drill, after all.
He glanced at the torn pipes on the ground, lost in thought.
Madara, not only did you build an ICU here, but also a walking trail?
The pipes were surprisingly long and telescopic.
After some rummaging, he found another oil lamp, fully stocked. He lit it, created another shadow clone, and together they explored further.
Reaching one branch, the clone indicated that there seemed to be a space on the other side.
Masashi tapped the wall before stabbing through it with the Kagutsuchi Blade. As expected, the blade pierced through, leaving a glowing orange hole.
Satisfied, he gestured to the shadow clone.
"Go ahead, Mewtwo."
The clone shot him a withering look. "I may be a clone, but you're an absolute jerk." Even my clones are getting sick of my attitude.
With that, the clone swung its fist against the rock wall, creating visible cracks. After a few more punches, air flowed through, carrying the scent of old stone.
A well-placed kick brought down the wall, revealing a spacious new passage.
"Looks like it was sealed from the other side," Masashi commented, studying the debris pattern.
The clone ignored him entirely.
They stepped into the new passage, immediately stopping in their tracks.
Someone was here. No, there was chakra.
Masashi tapped the clone, who dashed ahead, setting a marker at every turn. After three corners, the clone spotted a shadowy figure.
Without hesitation, the clone activated its chakra cloak, the blue energy illuminating the darkness, and slashed down with a chakra blade.
The figure reached out to grab the blade but was cleaved in two. However, the clone detected even more chakra signatures appearing around it, emerging from the very walls.
Masashi sensed them too.
The way these presences manifested reminded him of something.
No way...
Clicking his tongue, he recalled his initial low expectations. Had he underestimated how much was left behind?
In the clone's "vision," the approaching chakra signatures were clear. Without hesitation, it unleashed Corrosive Steam, filling the area with corrosive vapor faster than the enemies could move.
Screams echoed in the darkness, but more chakra signatures emerged.
When the new attackers leaped into view, they were met with a massive chakra-formed hand slamming down. The blue energy illuminated their twisted forms for a brief moment before crushing them against the ground.
The underground space shook as stone walls trembled, dust and small rocks raining down from the ceiling.
Outside, Masashi listened to the commotion while activating his Sharingan. Though he hadn't entered Sage Mode, he remained vigilant.
Several chakra signatures were creeping toward him, their movements betraying their hostile intent.
He extinguished the oil lamp.
In the darkness, sage markings appeared on his face.
In one swift motion, he conjured a flaming blade, extending it outward. Spinning in place, the blade slashed a full 360 degrees, cutting down the attackers and setting them ablaze.
The most distinct chakra figure was skewered to the ground as the blade extended further, burning a trench into the stone floor. The smell of scorched rock filled the air.
Relighting the lamp, he examined the figure impaled on his blade.
It didn't burn, despite the flame piercing its chest—proof of its origin in Yin-Yang Release.
"Well, well..." Masashi feigned surprise. "Isn't this the great Will of Madara? What's happened to you?"
---
How many years had it been since Black Zetsu last felt vulnerable?
A thousand?
More?
Now, pinned by this flame blade, that familiar sensation of danger returned.
He could sense it clearly—the blade wasn't just hot, it was fused with both mental and physical energy.
Hagoromo had systematically theorized and summarized the use of chakra, enabling humanity to master it more effectively.
At the peak of this system lay the highest nature of chakra—Yin-Yang Release.
Even now, Masashi was far from reaching such a realm.
This wasn't something attainable through normal training anyway. Just as Uchiha's conventional training couldn't possibly grant them the Rinnegan, the Mangekyō Sharingan itself was already a shortcut, forged by the efforts of countless generations of Uchiha.
"Masashi."
Black Zetsu grasped the fiery blade that had pierced his chest, the flames licking at his dark form without consuming him. "I never thought it would be you."
He tried to pull the blade out but failed.
He let out a sigh.
His gaze fell on Masashi's three-tomoe Sharingan. The flickering oil lamp cast unstable shadows on his face, but those crimson eyes stood out, almost glowing in the dark.
It was merely an illusion caused by the intense activity of his ocular power.
Black Zetsu loosened his grip. The boy's Kagutsuchi was truly flawless.
If Masashi could be swayed to his side, this descendant of Indra might one day wield Susanoo perfectly with just the three-tomoe Sharingan.
The Complete Body Susanoo was a creation of Indra himself, modeled after the life forms of the tailed beasts. It was the strongest ocular jutsu designed specifically for the Sharingan, usable as long as one's ocular power was sufficient.
The myriad ocular techniques of later generations followed a similar principle.
Yin Release was abstract—it brought to reality the reflection of one's inner desires. And as a tangible result, ocular techniques were not impossible to learn.
Take Kagutsuchi, for instance—could there be a better example?
"Do you want to destroy me?" he asked.
He didn't sense any intent to kill from Masashi.
Black Zetsu had waited here, expecting a "fierce battle" with Masashi, who, with his three-tomoe Sharingan, should have struggled mightily in such an environment.
The script dictated that he would then recognize Masashi's identity and stand down, setting the stage to begin influencing the boy.
Masashi was the most perfect Uchiha he had ever seen. His Sharingan was steadily evolving into Indra's Eye—the original form of the Sharingan.
Yet, an extra push was required. Masashi had already pushed his bloodline to its limit, but transforming it into Indra's Eye was beyond his capability alone.
The Uchiha clan's focus on emotional stimulation was the right path. Madara's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan represented the pinnacle of this approach.
Masashi's path, however, ended here.
He could still grow stronger in the future, but that would only be in quantity, not quality.
"Destroy you? Why would I?" Masashi smiled at Black Zetsu.
With a slick sound, the fiery blade withdrew, and the sage markings faded from his face.
"Getting suddenly attacked—I had to beat you up first, just in case. Who knows if some bastard was trying to ambush me?" Though we both know that wasn't your real intention.
"..." This insufferable child...
It felt as though Masashi was insulting him.
This Uchiha—why did he have to get the last word every time?
It reminded him of Indra in this way, too—someone who never spared others with his words. The similarity was almost painful to witness.
Honestly, if it weren't for the lack of Indra's chakra within Masashi—and the timeline not matching up—he would have been convinced this boy was the reincarnation of Indra's chakra.
He stood up, brushing his chest. While he felt no pain, he was certainly irritated.
Whether he was the "Will of Madara" or his true self, Black Zetsu was technically Masashi's ancestor.
First, you cut me with a sword. Now, you burn me with fire. Truly, you Uchiha are filial to a fault!
"Why did you stop Obito?"
"Which time?" Masashi asked, tilting his head.
He had meddled with Obito's plans on multiple occasions. Couldn't Black Zetsu be more specific?
Black Zetsu was momentarily speechless. This boy takes pleasure in being difficult.
He started to understand why Obito always seemed so exasperated. From Masashi's tone, he clearly enjoyed himself!
"The Nine-Tails incident," he clarified.
"Oh, that." Masashi nodded knowingly, then spread his hands with theatrical innocence. "That wasn't my fault. I told you the timing wasn't right. Of course I had to step in."
"Did you really have to stop it that thoroughly?"
"If I didn't, I couldn't even go out for a skewer in peace. Were you guys trying to mess with me on purpose? Grabbing the Nine-Tails is one thing, but why parade it through the village? Are you insane?"
"That wasn't my doing. I tried to talk him out of it." For once, we agreed on something.
"Don't worry, I don't blame you." Masashi's tone shifted. "I get it. He's as stubborn as a mule. Must've given you a hard time back then, huh?"
Black Zetsu recalled the past.
In the beginning, Obito hadn't been much trouble. Most of the torment fell on Madara.
As Masashi said, Obito was stubborn like a mule.
Back then, the boy had partially awakened Kamui without even possessing the Mangekyō Sharingan. This had allowed him to enter Madara's domain, much to Madara's delight.
He wasn't omniscient. He hadn't foreseen that Obito's eyes would turn out to be so powerful. Kamui was genuinely an incredible ability, even by Warring States standards—a game-changer on the battlefield.
Madara's Plan A had been to recruit Obito, train him, and have him gather the tailed beasts to summon the Ten-Tails, which would then allow him to be revived through Nagato's Rinne Rebirth. With Madara's triumphant return, the plan could proceed smoothly.
But Obito, stubborn as ever, repeatedly dismissed Madara with a single line: "Nice to meet you, 'Grandpa.' Goodbye, Grandpa. I'm going to find Kakashi and Rin."
Had it not been for the tubes hooked up to him, Black Zetsu suspected Madara would have jumped up and clobbered the boy.
Even I wanted to strangle him at times.
But he was indeed tethered by tubes, so he had no choice but to come up with Plan B: Manipulate events so Obito would witness Rin's death, driving him into despair and compelling him to accept his ideology. Finally, the boy would resume Plan A.
After much effort, the plan had succeeded.
Yet Obito continued to act on his own whims.
With Madara gone, Black Zetsu became Obito's new target of frustration.
He was exhausted.
His sentiments aligned with Masashi's: Just grab the Nine-Tails and leave! Why the need for a grand show?
"Let's not talk about him anymore," Black Zetsu proposed.
"Let's talk about you instead, Masashi. Do you desire Indra's Eye?"
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