Black Zetsu hurried back to the Akatsuki base, his expression grim.
A barely concealed unease and agitation filled his heart.
No sooner had his figure appeared in the dim corridor than Obito came toward him and impatiently asked,
"Zetsu, how did your investigation go?"
Black Zetsu's face was completely black, making any expression impossible to discern...
In truth, he was glaring at Obito in extreme displeasure, but Obito could not make out his face at all.
At that moment, Black Zetsu forcibly suppressed the anger surging within him and spoke with great restraint.
"Obito, what exactly happened between you and that Uchiha Yuan that day... Tell me every detail, without leaving out a single word..."
"Let me think..."
Obito slowly recalled Yuan's indifferent tone that night, his unruffled smile, and his eventual death, then recounted the entire matter to Black Zetsu exactly as it had happened.
Black Zetsu listened solemnly to Obito's account, his expression growing darker and darker.
"Conceptual enhancement? Supporting other Mangekyō Sharingan?"
Black Zetsu muttered thoughtfully, a trace of disbelief showing in his eyes.
"Could he have been lying, deliberately concealing the true information about his Sharingan?"
"At the very least, my ocular power was enhanced, and he placed a contract on me."
Black Zetsu: "..."
You really were a genius. Uchiha Itachi hadn't fallen for it, but you had.
After all, he was Wise Two—he had wisdom, just not much of it. ٩(๑^o^๑)
"Yes, that was it..."
Obito then took the bottle containing Yuan's Mangekyō Sharingan from his clothes and casually tossed it to Black Zetsu...
"His Sharingan activated the World-Ending Power. I want to know whether there's any way to use them to reverse this disaster."
Black Zetsu caught the bottle and stared at the pair of strange eyes within. A chill he could not suppress flashed through the depths of his pupils.
Though those Mangekyō Sharingan had already been sealed away, the eerie, oppressive aura they gave off still made one's heart tremble.
"Indeed, that's a good idea."
Black Zetsu said in a deep voice, still staring fixedly at the Sharingan in the bottle. "But we know nothing about this ability. Acting rashly could lead to consequences we can't predict..."
As Black Zetsu pondered, White Zetsu beside him suddenly spoke carelessly. "Why not let me try those Mangekyō Sharingan? Maybe we'll learn something."
Black Zetsu shot White Zetsu a cold glare and barked, "No! Until we have thoroughly uncovered the truth of Yuan's abilities, we absolutely cannot transplant his Sharingan carelessly."
"If he left some special resurrection method in those eyes, or an even more dangerous contingency, touching them recklessly will only cause a greater disaster!"
White Zetsu was an excellent vessel for all kinds of forbidden techniques...
Who knew what would happen if those Sharingan were transplanted into him...
Obito nodded upon hearing that. "I considered that too, so I haven't acted rashly."
Even if you acted, you wouldn't be able to figure anything out...
After a brief silence, Black Zetsu spoke again, his tone easing.
"What about Uchiha Itachi? What does he think of this?"
"He knows nothing about Yuan. He had no idea Yuan had concealed a Mangekyō Sharingan."
Black Zetsu furrowed his brow and sank into deep silence once more.
As he stared at the pair of Sharingan in his hand, brimming with an eerie aura, countless complicated thoughts passed through his mind.
"Although Itachi doesn't know yet, the situation has reached the point where it can no longer be hidden. The survival of the entire Shinobi World is at stake. He will inevitably become involved in handling this."
"It isn't just Itachi's concern. The entire Akatsuki must get involved."
Deep beneath Konoha, the Root base lay in dead silence.
Shimura Danzō sat alone in a dark secret chamber, his expression twisted as he clutched his right eye in pain.
His face was pale, cold sweat covered his forehead, and he endured excruciating torment.
Ever since Shisui's Sharingan had suddenly undergone a mutation that day and its ocular power had vanished in an instant, he had not known a single day of peace.
On the surface, everything seemed to have calmed down, but Shisui's lingering voice echoed through Danzō's mind at every moment.
The voice seemed to come from the underworld, low and cold as it repeatedly whispered strange words.
The Shinobi World... needed nuclear peace...
This world should not have any ninja...
The existence of all ninja was the source of war and suffering... Only complete destruction could bring true peace...
Did Kotoamatsukami truly exist?
All manner of terrifying, apocalyptic thoughts repeatedly tortured Danzō's consciousness, constantly battering his mental defenses.
He had tried countless times to resist and free himself from that lingering temptation, yet he had failed again and again.
At that moment, Danzō was filled with fury and terror. His fingers dug deeply into both sides of his cheeks, his nails nearly tearing through the skin as he let out a low roar!
"Shisui... I never thought you were this kind of person! So this Sharingan of yours was actually a trap!"
His voice was hoarse and furious, carrying resentment and despair that had been suppressed for far too long.
After an unbearable bout of intense headache and mental torment, Danzō suddenly raised his right hand!
He tried to dig out his own Sharingan with his fingers, hoping to escape that nightmare-like voice that drove him mad.
Just as his fingers were about to touch his eyeball, he suddenly stopped. His arm trembled as it hung in midair, struggling intensely.
His chest rose and fell violently as he panted harshly, as though he had just gone through a life-and-death battle. Cold sweat had soaked his entire body.
No... I can't do this...
I need this eye. It is my power... I absolutely cannot let you control me!
Yet Shisui's hair-raising voice continued to echo beside his ears, mercilessly tormenting his mind like a curse...
Nuclear peace... The end of the Shinobi World... This is the only correct choice...
Danzō trembled all over, his heart sinking into unprecedented terror.
He seemed to see a vision of the future: ruins and silence, all life returning to nothingness, with only destruction and darkness spreading endlessly across the earth.
"Who am I... I am Danzō! I am Konoha's Root!"
Danzō's shrill roar resounded through the Root base, echoing through the sinister, freezing underground space.
He struggled desperately to control his own will, only to discover that the Wood Release Cells within his body had begun to riot violently.
"Not good!"
Danzō hastily tried to suppress them, but the power of Wood Release burst forth like an uncontrollable flood. Thick trees and vines grew wildly, instantly spreading and intertwining throughout the underground chamber.
At the same time, deeper beneath Konoha, that strange dead wood formed from Uchiha Yuan's corpse.
As if it had sensed a summons, it slowly extended toward the tree formed by Danzō's rampaging Wood Release, grafting itself onto it and rapidly merging with it.
A moment later, Danzō managed with difficulty to stabilize the out-of-control riot of cells within his body, panting heavily.
Yet he failed to notice that the dead wood formed from Yuan had silently flowed back into his body along with the returning Wood Release Cells.
In an instant, the densely packed Sharingan embedded in his right arm became tainted with a trace of eerie energy.
And Danzō himself remained completely unaware.
Before you continue