Black Zetsu: Quack! I can't die, ya hear!

He discovered that Uchiha Obito's condition was off, looking utterly battered, to the point where even his hand wasn't his own.

"It succeeded, but it also failed. An accident happened." Uchiha Obito looked at Black Zetsu, shook his head, then recounted what had occurred within the Uchiha Clan.

After hearing Uchiha Obito's words, Black Zetsu fell silent, unsure of what to say. Good grief, a clan annihilation plan that was practically a sure thing had still managed to go so wrong—Uchiha Itachi had even thrown his own life away. Two wastes!

"The Mangekyo Sharingan has flaws. Obito, are you certain the Uchiha Clan has been destroyed? Is only that one left?" Black Zetsu asked after a moment of silence. He needed to ensure the plan proceeded smoothly. This newly emerged Uchiha was far too strong—having just awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan, he could take on two opponents alone and even kill one of them. It was absurd. Such a powerful figure might cause some trouble for his plan in the future.

"I'm sure. By that time, most of the Uchiha Clan members had already been killed. Once that guy's Dōryoku is worn down enough, I'll definitely kill that lunatic!" Uchiha Obito nodded, speaking with resentment. He never imagined that a simple clan annihilation mission would produce such a damn variable. Why couldn't those damned bastards just wait obediently to die and contribute to his ultimate plan? Damn it!

"That's fine. No matter how strong that guy is, he's still just a pair of Mangekyo Sharingan. With the Uchiha Clan wiped out, he's doomed to never reach the true Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan." Black Zetsu nodded, relieved. He shouldn't have felt tense in the first place—after all, it was just an Uchiha who had awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan. But this guy's combat power was astonishing; awakening and activating Susanoo right away, killing Uchiha Itachi, and even pushing Obito into a corner—he was a monster. If someone like that obtained the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, it would be very unfavorable for his plan.

"But maybe I won't need to act. With such a big commotion, Shimura Danzō and the others won't just sit by. That guy might already be dead by now." Uchiha Obito seemed to recall something and said with some regret.

"Alright, let's head to Konoha now. Maybe we can still get our hands on a new pair of Mangekyo Sharingan." Black Zetsu nodded and suggested.

"Good!" Uchiha Obito nodded, lifting his reattached hand. White Zetsu's flesh had incredibly strong vitality; in the short time since it had been reattached, he could already feel it and could form hand seals slightly. Soon, the two sped toward the Land of Fire at great speed, afraid that if they were too slow, Uchiha Yue would be completely killed by Konoha's people and that pair of Mangekyo Sharingan destroyed.

Not long after... "Is this... Konoha?" Uchiha Obito and Black Zetsu stared blankly at Konoha. The current Konoha was utterly empty, a bone-chilling cold enveloping the entire village, and this chill was still spreading. Snowflakes had begun to fall from the sky. Though the moon was visible in the sky, no moonlight shone down; the whole of Konoha was plunged into deep gloom. Looking up, they could see a blurry flow of moonlight surging like a stream in the sky, along with a massive, indistinct human-shaped shadow.

"How did it become like this? Something's wrong!" Uchiha Obito stared blankly at the scene before him. It was completely different from what he had imagined. In his mind, that guy should have gone berserk by now and started fighting Shimura Danzō and the others. Either he would stop, and Hiruzen Sarutobi would step in to mediate, or he would keep fighting, taking on all of Konoha alone and entering a near-death state, where he and Black Zetsu would wait for the chance to seize that pair of Mangekyo Sharingan. But what was happening now? Why was Konoha reduced to ruins? And what was that thing in the sky? This scene had completely exceeded Uchiha Obito's expectations. Likewise, it had also exceeded Black Zetsu's expectations.

"Obito, is this the guy you were talking about? Are you sure he's from your Uchiha Clan? Are you sure that's the Mangekyo Sharingan?" Black Zetsu stared at the scene before him, speaking incredulously. Such power had completely surpassed the limits of what the Mangekyo Sharingan could achieve. In his memory, even Uchiha Madara couldn't reach this level. He might be able to briefly contend with a village on his own, but he absolutely lacked the ability to radiate his power over such a vast range.

"I... I don't know!" Uchiha Obito shook his head, then looked at the blurry figure in the sky. He wasn't sure anymore either. Just then, the field of force spread to them, and the power within Obito and Black Zetsu began to drain uncontrollably.

"Not good!" Black Zetsu quickly dove into the ground, and after finding it useless, immediately rushed out of the energy-draining field's range. "Damn it, what kind of ability is this? It can even absorb the power inside me!" Not long after, Black Zetsu stared grimly at the spot where he had just stood. He was different from ordinary beings; he had no true physical body, being a mass of special Chakra. That energy drain, applied to others, would just extract their internal energy. Even if most of their energy was drained, as long as they survived and escaped, they could recover after some rest. But he, Black Zetsu, was different—his body was made of Chakra. This thing was draining the Chakra that composed his body. A little extraction was fine, but once too much was taken, his body would directly collapse, and he would die on the spot.

"I will die!" Black Zetsu looked up at the figure in the sky. For the first time in so many years, he felt the threat of death. If he stayed inside any longer, his body would definitely collapse, and he would die within. A monster, a true monster! Fear flickered in Black Zetsu's eyes. He couldn't die—he was his mother's hope. If he died, who would revive her? Stay away from here, stay away from this monster!

"Zetsu, did you feel it too? Once enveloped by that power, the energy inside you drains uncontrollably. I have a feeling that if you go deep inside, even if you do nothing, if you can't escape in time, the end result is death." At that moment, Uchiha Obito also rushed over, speaking with lingering fear, based on the rate his internal energy had been draining just now...