While the Senju Clan was in an uproar over the relocation order, Kaito ‘s original body was still entangled with Madara outside Konoha…
[Congratulations, Host!
Uchiha Madara’s Bond Value with the Host has exceeded 90%.]
“I don’t know why the Bond Value went up instead of down, but I don’t have time to worry about that now!”
Kaito immediately shouted behind him,
“Madara, listen to me!
It was Black Zetsu!
It had to be Black Zetsu!”
At the same time, he screamed inwardly:
System!
Hurry!
Make him believe me!
At that very moment, Madara was right behind him, his fist mere inches from Kaito ‘s back.
A cruel smile had already appeared on his face.
But just as he was about to strike, he heard Hashirama mention the name “Black Zetsu.”
For some reason, the moment he heard those words, a sharp pain shot through his Sharingan.
An inexplicable surge of anger welled up inside him.
He stopped.
“Black Zetsu?”
“We need to go somewhere first.
It’s pretty far away, so I’ll explain on the way.”
Kaito finally let out a breath of relief and kept moving at full speed.
“What do you know about the Tailed Beasts?” he asked.
“They’re nothing but beasts.”
Madara snorted.
“They exist only to cause chaos.”
“According to ancient records of the Senju Clan, they were created when the Sage of Six Paths split the Ten-Tails into nine parts.
They’re extremely important.”
Kaito paused.
“And…
when I awakened Wood Release, the Sage of Six Paths appeared to me in a dream.
He told me many things about the past.”
“Ridiculous!”
Madara stopped walking immediately.
“You mean to tell me that this Black Zetsu is the Sage of Six Paths’ brother, and that he’s been manipulating events for centuries just to resurrect his mother?”
“Perhaps the Sage wanted us to resolve the regrets of our previous lives and join forces against the coming crisis.”
Kaito looked at him seriously.
“He said we’re both descended from his bloodline.”
Madara’s expression instantly turned cold.
“Utter nonsense!”
His voice grew harsher.
“So many years of war.
Countless dead on both sides.”
He stared at Kaito with a complicated expression.
“And now you’re telling me that the Uchiha and Senju are brother clans?
That you and I are the reincarnations of brothers?”
Kaito sighed.
“I couldn’t believe it either at first, which is why I didn’t tell you immediately.”
“But think about it.
Since your time, has another Senju ever awakened Wood Release?
And how many Uchiha have awakened the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan?”
“That proves nothing.”
“What if I told you I could help you awaken the Rinnegan?”
“What?”
Madara’s heart skipped a beat.
“How?”
Kaito merely smiled mysteriously.
“You’ll find out when the time comes.”
He quickly changed the subject.
“But you understand Black Zetsu’s threat now, right?
It had to be responsible for the underwear incident.
It wanted to destroy the bond between us and stop you from becoming Hokage.”
“I don’t know how strong it is.”
Madara crossed his arms.
“But then we’ll simply become stronger.”
“Exactly.”
Kaito nodded.
“That’s why we’re going to those three places.”
Shikkotsu Forest.
Ryūchi Cave.
Mount Myōboku.
“The natural energy you mentioned?”
“That’s right.”
Kaito ‘s expression became solemn.
“The enemies we’ll face in the future are far too powerful.
I’d rather believe something without evidence than helplessly watch the world be destroyed.”
Madara was silent for a moment.
“You really haven’t changed.”
“Haha…
what are you talking about?”
Kaito scratched his head and laughed foolishly while thinking to himself:
I just don’t want to die mysteriously in two years.
Following Hashirama’s memories and the information he knew, Kaito continued to lead the way.
The next day.
The two finally arrived at Shikkotsu Forest.
Dense mist filled the air.
Black trees twisted into grotesque shapes, and an eerie atmosphere permeated the surroundings.
A single misstep could send someone sinking into a swamp.
Madara stood beside Kaito with his arms crossed.
“This place doesn’t seem special.”
“That’s because you can’t sense it yet.”
Kaito looked around.
“The natural energy here is incredibly dense.
We’re here to learn, so let me do the talking.”
“As you wish.”
As soon as Madara finished speaking, rustling sounds echoed from within the cave.
Moments later, countless small white slugs with blue markings appeared before them.
The slugs quickly merged together, forming a much larger slug.
Its eye stalks swayed warily.
Despite its appearance, it spoke with the sweet voice of a young girl.
“Who are you?
Why have you come here?”
“My name is Senju Hashirama.
This is Uchiha Madara.”
Kaito explained,
“We were guided here by a dream from the Sage of Six Paths to learn Sage Arts.”
“The Sage of Six Paths?”
The slug fell silent.
“What an ancient name.”
“So he never truly disappeared.”
After thinking for a moment, it asked,
“Even so, what does that have to do with me?”
“I have a dream.”
Kaito spread his arms dramatically.
“I want to abolish the daimyo system, master Sage Arts, defeat the Divine Tree, unify the world, and achieve true peace.”
Madara’s lips curled upward.
He actually nodded in approval.
“A noble dream.”
The slug tilted its head.
“But that’s a human matter.”
“And then?”
“I intend to unite all available forces against a powerful enemy.”
Kaito looked directly at it.
“You’re familiar with the Divine Tree, the Ten-Tails, and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, aren’t you?”
“…”
“You’re not wrong.”
The slug finally replied.
“But that woman was sealed within the moon by the Sage of Six Paths.
She cannot escape.”
“No.”
Kaito shook his head.
“She will return.”
“She has a third son named Black Zetsu.
He has existed for over a thousand years, sowing conflict throughout history in order to resurrect his mother.”
As he spoke, he turned to Madara.
“Black Zetsu manipulated our previous incarnations—Asura and Indra—and altered the Uchiha Stone Tablet.”
He coughed awkwardly.
“So…
about the underwear incident…”
“Enough!”
Madara exploded instantly.
Just hearing the words “Black Zetsu” now made his blood boil.
“I’m going to find that bastard.”
“So am I.”
Kaito nodded.
“But as for history, Lady Katsuyu can verify it.”
The slug tried to recall distant memories.
“I vaguely remember that the Sage’s sons were indeed named Asura and Indra.”
“They fought.”
“Indra was defeated and departed.”
“Afterward, the two brothers severed all ties.”
“And not long after that, the Sage passed away.”
It paused.
“As for Black Zetsu…
I’ve never heard of such a being.”
After thinking for a while longer, it said:
“If you can tell me the Sage of Six Paths’ true name, then I’ll believe you.”
Kaito smiled.
“His name was Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki.”
“He also had a younger brother, Hamura Ōtsutsuki.”
“His brother remained on the moon to guard Kaguya, and his descendants continue to monitor this world to this day.”
The slug stared at him.
“Not only did you answer correctly, but you’ve also spoken of things even I didn’t know.”
“It seems you truly are someone extraordinary.”
“Very well.”
“Come inside.”
As the slug turned to lead the way, Madara lowered his voice.
“Those things you said earlier…”
“They’re true?”
The cave grew darker the deeper they traveled.
Whoosh.
Kaito lit two torches.
The flames brought a small amount of warmth.
“When we return, check the Uchiha Stone Tablet yourself.”
His expression turned serious.
“The contents were altered.”
“They were designed to guide you toward a false peace.”
“And if you succeeded…”
He looked directly at Madara.
“Black Zetsu would sacrifice you and use your body to resurrect Kaguya.”
A chill ran through Madara’s entire body.
“That bastard…”
His voice dripped with killing intent.
“He won’t succeed.”
At that moment, the slug suddenly spoke.
“Before learning Sage Arts, I must warn you.”
“When absorbing natural energy, one must proceed with extreme caution.”
“A single mistake will result in assimilation.”
“No matter how powerful you are, you remain insignificant before the forces of nature.”
“We understand.”
The two men raised their torches and followed the slug deeper into the cave.
After walking for a long time, they finally encountered the true master of Shikkotsu Forest.
The enormous body of Katsuyu filled the entire cavern.
The large slug that had guided them merged back into the colossal being.
A thunderous voice echoed throughout the cave.
“My name is Katsuyu.”
“I have learned of your request.”
“I shall now teach you how to sense natural energy.”
“Thank you very much!”
Katsuyu began her explanation.
“Natural energy is one of the fundamental energies that comprise the world.”
“It exists within the air, the earth, and the water.”
“If balance is not maintained during absorption, the body will undergo mutation.”
“When balanced with physical and spiritual energy, it creates Senjutsu Chakra, whose power far exceeds ordinary ninjutsu.”
“After entering Sage Mode, one can perceive the flow of natural energy in the surrounding environment and even predict an opponent’s movements.”
Meanwhile, deep beneath the earth, in a place shrouded in darkness…
A black humanoid figure suddenly felt a wave of unease for no apparent reason.
For some reason, Black Zetsu had a very bad feeling.