บท 101: Jealous
"Mother," Black Zetsu in her loli form approached, holding Kaguya's hand, and asked, "Why didn't you kill her just now?"
Perhaps because she had returned to her original body, Black Zetsu's personality had changed. She was no longer as expressionless and gloomy as before; instead, she sometimes seemed a bit naive and adorable.
Kaguya speculated that Black Zetsu had developed a split personality from assuming a different identity for such a long time, becoming two distinct consciousnesses. The previous Black Zetsu was merely a disguise, not her true form. The childlike demeanor she displayed now might be her genuine self.
"Why would I kill her?" Kaguya blinked, curious.
"Because she offended you, Mother," Black Zetsu replied with lowered eyes, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Anyone who offends you deserves to die."
Black Zetsu's loli brow furrowed slightly, her serious demeanor resembling that of a little adult, prompting Kaguya to pinch her cheek playfully.
"It's nothing," Kaguya chuckled. "It's not a big deal, so let's not always think about killing."
Perhaps because she had never received much care from Kaguya growing up, Black Zetsu showed an intense attachment to her, even manifesting some pathological tendencies, as evidenced by her millennia-long scheming to free Kaguya.
Speaking of which, Black Zetsu was rather pitiful. Kaguya cared deeply for her two sons, showing them much love, and even though they sealed her away, she still longed for them. Black Zetsu, however, never received such affection, as shown in both the manga and anime, where Kaguya did not show any signs of care towards her.
"Oh," Black Zetsu murmured, seeming a bit disheartened, her mind lost in thought.
An idea suddenly struck Kaguya, and she smiled, teasing, "Are you jealous?"
"Jealous?" Black Zetsu's delicate face was full of confusion. "What is jealous?"
"Jealous means," Kaguya scratched her head, "when I'm nice to someone else, and it makes you unhappy, that's being jealous." Kaguya quickly realized she might have misinterpreted jealousy, which usually refers to romantic relationships, but since she had already said it, she didn't bother correcting herself.
"That's not true. As long as it aligns with Mother's wishes, it's okay," Black Zetsu replied earnestly. "No matter what you do, it's the right thing."
Such a good child, Kaguya was almost moved to tears. Nowadays, who doesn't deal with rebellious kids, needing coaxing for meals and sleep, constantly worrying about them getting into trouble? There was no child as worry-free as Black Zetsu.
Gently stroking Black Zetsu's hair, Kaguya smiled and said, "Don't worry, out of everyone, I like you the most."
"I like you too," Black Zetsu beamed, her eyes narrowing into crescent moons as she held Kaguya's hand.
She's still just a child, Kaguya thought. Although the other persona of Black Zetsu was cunning and shrewd, her true nature was quite endearing.
"Are you all right?" asked a handsome, blond man walking out of the white mist. It was indeed Minato Namikaze, not the fake from earlier.
Kaguya's Tenseigan easily saw through the transformation technique and could even detect shadow clones.
"No problem. How about you?" Kaguya replied.
"All sorted, except for one who got away," Minato said with a sheepish smile. "A young female ninja who has already mastered her bloodline limit."
Bloodline limit?
Kaguya immediately realized who it was and was relieved to know that Mei Terumi had escaped.
"Let's continue on our way then," Kaguya suggested.
"All right," Minato agreed.
Despite being in a relatively peaceful era, the journey was anything but peaceful. They encountered several groups of enemies along the way, from different nations and villages. There were ninjas from the major nations like the Hidden Cloud and Stone villages, as well as those from smaller countries like Grass and Waterfall villages.
However, these enemies were not particularly strong, mostly Chunin and Genin, with a few Jonin who couldn't match Minato's prowess. Kaguya rarely had to engage in battle, as Minato handled them efficiently, allowing her to enjoy a more relaxed journey.
Minato's prowess was impressive, already at Kage level despite his young age, a testament to his exceptional talent rather than just hard work.
The constant battles delayed their journey significantly. What should have taken just over a month ended up taking two months, and they were only halfway to their destination.
It was evident that the land was rife with conflict. Along the way, they saw ruins everywhere, with villages half-destroyed and only a fraction of the population surviving. Those who remained looked at them with suspicion, holding makeshift weapons, as if Kaguya's group were their mortal enemies.
As they traversed the desolate landscape, Kaguya felt a sense of melancholy. Noticing her mood, Black Zetsu appeared somewhat uneasy, knowing she was responsible for instigating the conflict. Although she didn't think she was wrong, seeing Kaguya's discomfort made her uneasy.
"It's not your fault," Kaguya suddenly said, taking Black Zetsu's hand with a gentle smile. "Even without you, the world would still fall into chaos. It's human nature, not your doing."
Indeed, while Black Zetsu orchestrated the chaos, war would have happened regardless. Conflict is inherent to human nature and cannot be easily altered by any one individual.
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