Jigen * Black Zetsu

White Zetsu chuckled twice, his voice echoing among the underground rock walls. "Hey, thanks to you calling me out more often, the efficiency has greatly improved!"

"Stop talking nonsense!" Black Zetsu snapped. "Did you find it?"

White Zetsu immediately composed himself and nodded vigorously. "Found it!"

Where?

"It's within the Land of Rice Fields, Lord Black Zetsu." Another White Zetsu emerged from the wall. "Deep within a very dense forest, the surface appears normal, but the underground space is vast."

"He must have been there for quite some time; there were no signs of anyone else around."

Black Zetsu remained silent, his dark yellow eyes gleaming with a dangerous light in the darkness.

Jigen.

No, it should be called -- Ōtsutsuki Isshiki.

The man betrayed by Kaguya, barely clinging to life yet still alive. He hides beneath the Land of Rice Fields, like a lurking venomous snake, waiting for his chance to see the light of day again.

Black Zetsu hadn't originally intended to go find him so soon.

His relationship with Isshiki is quite delicate.

Kaguya's will as an embodiment and Isshiki remnant of Isshiki.

One desires to restore his "mother's" sight, while the other seeks to reclaim the power that was taken from him. Both lie dormant for countless years, waiting for the opportune moment to fulfill their long-cherished wishes.

But right now, they have a common enemy.

That outsider named Uchiha Izuna.

Black Zetsu knew how powerful his body was, as Kaguya's will.

If even someone as invincible as him could be injured, this outsider must possess power capable of threatening the Ōtsutsuki Clan.

And... it was just a little bit more, just a tiny bit more, Indra's reincarnation would be able to embark on that path. As long as Izuna dies, Indra will awaken the Rinnegan and execute the Eye of the Moon Plan!

The fruit that tree bears will be a gift to celebrate Mother's return!

However, this fruit can be used as Chips to negotiate with Isshiki. As long as he can kill Izuna, this major threat, then who will get the fruit... well, that's another story.

"What is his current condition?" Black Zetsu asked.

White Zetsu tilted his head, as if recalling something. "Hmm... how should I put it, it's not very stable?"

"Not very stable?"

"Sometimes it gets really weird, like something's trying to pop out of it," White Zetsu gestured with his hands. "But he seems to have a way of controlling it, so you probably can't use that to threaten him."

Black Zetsu did not respond immediately.

He could roughly guess the state of Isshiki.

After being severely injured by Kaguya, it barely managed to parasitize Jigen's body, clinging to life by relying on this vessel.

Human society cannot accept a monster that has lived for thousands of years. To integrate, one must frequently change identities, which is very troublesome. That is why Isshiki has been hiding and has not come out.

As for the so-called "something is about to emerge," that's just Isshiki's twisted sense of humor. How could the Mental Power of Ordinary People possibly withstand the Ōtsutsuki Clan?

It's just a little bit of leisure and enjoyment to add some fun to life.

That's not important. What's important is that he needs someone strong enough to help him defeat Izuna.

And Isshiki was the best candidate he could think of.

"Continue monitoring," Black Zetsu said coldly. "Don't approach, don't alert him. I'm going there myself."

White Zetsu blinked. "But Lord Black Zetsu, you don't even have a physical form anymore—"

"I said I'd go myself." Black Zetsu's voice left no room for negotiation. "You just need to do your job."

White Zetsu shrugged.

Black Zetsu closed his eyes, feeling the faint, slowly recovering Chakra within his body.

After being severely injured by Izuna's blue flames, he couldn't even solidify his physical form and could only move around outside as a White Zetsu.

Even now, he has only barely recovered about 30%.

But 30% is enough.

He was just going to see someone, not to fight.

Black Zetsu's phantom slowly attached itself to White Zetsu's body, sinking deeper into the darkness of the earth, moving towards the Land of Rice Fields.

The Land of Rice Fields is located northeast of the Land of Fire, and its distance from Konoha is neither too far nor too close.

What would take Ordinary People several days to trek through the mountains is merely a matter of a few hours for Black Zetsu, who can move freely through the rock formations.

As the rock layer overhead gradually thinned and the texture of the soil changed from the reddish-brown common in the Land of Fire to the grayish-black unique to the Land of Rice Fields, Black Zetsu knew that their destination was near.

"Lord Black Zetsu, he's just ahead." White Zetsu's voice rang out in the darkness, casually boasting. "We should see him in about three miles ahead, but something just doesn't feel right."

"What's the meaning?"

"When I get close to that area, my body becomes... strange," White Zetsu said, puzzled. "It's like something is repelling me. Does Lord Black Zetsu know why?"

Black Zetsu did not respond.

The aura of Ōtsutsuki Isshiki might be difficult for humans or other creatures to detect, but for Black Zetsu and White Zetsu, who also come from "that world," it is as clear as a torch in the night.

This is one of the reasons why White Zetsu was able to find the Isshiki so quickly.

This was a sense of oppression emanating from a higher-ranking ruler; even he didn't want to approach easily. If it weren't for the fact that White Zetsu was mindless, they might have been scared away by this oppressive aura.

Black Zetsu slowed down and finally stopped at the edge of an underground cavern.

The cavern was small, about the size of a room, with jagged rock walls all around, as if it had been forcibly squeezed out by something. There were no signs of human excavation; it seemed more like a space naturally formed by some force.

In the very center of the hollow, there was a person sitting on a stone.

He was a man who looked to be in his thirties, tall and wearing a white robe. His long hair was loose over his shoulders, and his face was cold and pale. His eyes were closed, and his breathing was extremely slow, so slow that it was almost imperceptible.

If it weren't for the almost imperceptible rise and fall of his chest, Black Zetsu would have thought it was a corpse.

Jigen.

Or rather, it was a container where the Ōtsutsuki Isshiki temporarily resided.

"Come out," the man said, his voice hoarse—a characteristic of someone who hasn't spoken in a long time. "You thing that crawled out from underground, stop spying there."

Black Zetsu didn't move.

"You think I can't sense your presence?" The man slowly opened his eyes.

A pair of black eyes, their pupils devoid of any emotion, like two lifeless stones.

Black Zetsu felt a chill run down his spine. Forced by the pressure, he could only reveal his form from the rock wall, a black phantom occupying half of White Zetsu's body.

"Long time no see," Black Zetsu said calmly, "Isshiki."

Isshiki was no response.

He stared at Black Zetsu for a long time, so long that White Zetsu began to fidget uncomfortably.

"Kaguya's Will." Isshiki's lips twitched slightly, the expression unreadable, whether it was a smile or something else. "You dare show your face before me?"

"I've come to you to discuss cooperation," Black Zetsu said bluntly.

"Cooperation? We don't have anything going on..."

"We have a common enemy," Black Zetsu interrupted him, "He's a threat to you too."

Isshiki's eyebrows twitched slightly. "Oh? Is that so?"

Black Zetsu wasted no time and recounted everything about Izuna in detail.

From the moment Izuna appeared, to his actions in Konoha, to the blue flame imbued with special energy that could severely injure him, and the current situation that forced Black Zetsu to hide underground and lick his wounds.

He specifically emphasized Izuna's status as an "outsider".

"He's not Uchiha Izuna from this world," Black Zetsu said. "He comes from another place, his abilities are strange, and his senses are sharp. More importantly, I suspect... he seems to have some kind of understanding of the Ōtsutsuki Clan."

Isshiki's expression finally changed.

"So, you've come here to have me kill him?" Isshiki said, "Because you can't kill him."

Black Zetsu did not deny it. "I currently have no physical form, and my power has only recovered to 30%. If he continues to develop like this, the Eye of the Moon Plan will be hindered. And the Eye of the Moon Plan— "

"The Eye of the Moon Plan has nothing to do with me." Isshiki interrupted him again. "Infinite Tsukuyomi, that's your plan, not mine."

"But the fruit of the God Tree will never be meaningless to you." Black Zetsu's voice carried a hint of seduction. "You're struggling to maintain your current state, aren't you? How much longer can that container hold on?"

Isshiki's eyes narrowed slightly.

Black Zetsu continued, "If you can obtain the fruit of the God Tree, you will not only regain your full power, but also become stronger. Even... surpassing your previous state is not impossible."

A long silence fell over the void.

Occasionally, the sound of water droplets falling from the rock strata overhead could be heard, one drop at a time, exceptionally clear in the silence.

"You've come to see me," Isshiki finally spoke, "Aren't you afraid I'll kill you?"

"You can't kill me." Black Zetsu said this in a completely flat tone. "You can't kill me right now."

Isshiki stared at him.

Black Zetsu calmly met his gaze.

The air between them seemed to freeze.

After a long while, Isshiki suddenly laughed.

His smile was meaningful.

"Interesting." Isshiki stood up, his tall figure casting a shadow in the empty space. "A brat who appeared out of nowhere actually managed to instill fear in Kaguya's will."

"I am not afraid," Black Zetsu corrected, "I am merely being cautious."

"Say what you will." Isshiki closer, looking down at him. "I'll be going to Konoha."

Black Zetsu's eyes lit up.

"But not now," Isshiki added, "And not because of you."

"But now is the only good opportunity!" Black Zetsu said anxiously, "If we miss this chance, who knows when the Eye of the Moon Plan will be able to open again!"

Isshiki did not answer.

Someone who can even wound Kaguya's will is also a threat to him.

It's important to know that even with the Black Rods created using Yin-Yang Release, Black Zetsu could only be controlled for a short time; his fluid nature made him extremely difficult to capture and eliminate.

And this guy named Uchiha Izuna was actually able to threaten him.

This means that this guy named Izuna also possesses something comparable to Yin-Yang Release.

One could even speculate that he possesses some kind of "divine power".

If that's really the case, then this guy who's hostile to Black Zetsu shouldn't be allowed to live.

Seeing Isshiki's thoughtful expression, Black Zetsu's anxious look faded, and a fleeting smile appeared in the darkness.

"Anyway, I'll pass on the news from Konoha to you," Black Zetsu said. "The Arena Challenge tomorrow and the day after will be a good opportunity; he should be defending his title for two days. If you want to see his Strength for yourself—"

"I know what I'm doing," Isshiki interrupted him. "You can leave now."

Black Zetsu didn't linger.

He sank into the ground and quickly left in the direction he had come from.

Silence returned to the hollow.

Isshiki stood still for a very long time.

His eyes stared into the boundless darkness at the depths of the void, his pupils reflecting no light.

"Kaguya..."

He murmured the name softly, his voice as light as a sigh.

"Your creations have become so weak that they must ask their enemies for help."

No one answered him.

The only sound in the empty space was his own breathing, slow and drawn-out, like some kind of lurking beast.

"Konoha... Uchiha Izuna..."

Isshiki stood up and walked in one direction, and the wall in front of him seemed to disappear into thin air, making way for him.

He wanted to see just what kind of skills that brat, who made Black Zetsu so wary, possessed.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Konoha.

Izuna sat in his Office, surrounded by a mountain of files piled up in front of him.

He sneezed.

"Who's talking about me?" He rubbed his nose and muttered.

Hikaku was sitting opposite him, helping him organize and categorize the files.

Upon hearing this, she looked up at him, then hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.

"Say what you want to say." Izuna didn't even look up.

"Lord Izuna, are you really going to defend the arena yourself?" Hikaku's tone carried a hint of worry. "Wheel series of matches like this will drain your stamina too much. What if—"

"There's no 'what if'," Izuna waved his hand. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Hikaku opened his mouth, but ultimately swallowed the words that were about to come out.

Hikaku and continued organizing the documents.

"Oh, right," Izuna suddenly remembered something, "Are there many people who signed up?"

Hikaku flipped through the register beside him. "Very many. More than two hundred people have already registered for the Ranking Matches, and it's still increasing. The Arena Challenge... not yet."

"Of course," Izuna grinned. "Nobody wants to be the first one to be cannon fodder."

He stretched, leaned back in his chair, and stared blankly at the ceiling.

"Speaking of which, the Hikaku..."

"Um?"

"Don't you ever have that feeling?" Izuna's voice suddenly softened, "Even though everything is arranged perfectly, I always feel like something's going to happen."

Hikaku's hand paused for a moment.

"Lord Izuna refers to..."

"I don't know," Izuna sighed. "Maybe I'm just overthinking it."

He sat up straight and picked up his pen again.

"Never mind, let's get today's work done first! Hikaku, this part is yours, I'll take the rest."

"Yes, Lord Izuna."