Death Is Nothing-I Was Destined to Be Revived Once More

It felt like falling into an abyss.

This is the moment Black Zetsu fears the most.

If Shirou Emiya's target was Kaguya, and his purpose in attacking Indra a thousand years ago was to encounter her, then everything he had experienced in his life, and all his actions over the past thousand years, were shrouded in darkness from the very moment they met.

"How is that possible..."

Black Zetsu's body was trembling.

"At that time..."

"You must be a very young child, right?"

Shirou Emiya recalled the first time he met Black Zetsu, describing the scene. "He was wearing a straw hat that he'd stolen from somewhere, and he looked like he was wearing a simple bamboo basket, like a young child..."

"But..."

"You are also very vigilant."

"He has never revealed anything about Kaguya."

"..."

Black Zetsu couldn't help but recall the time when it was left behind in the Shinobi World by Kaguya Otsutsuki. Back then, it was indeed not very tall, and the plan was extremely difficult to execute.

But...

Nothing is more difficult than now!

"At that time..."

"Have I already fallen for their trick?"

Black Zetsu's voice was somewhat embarrassed as he stared intently at Shirou Emiya's figure.

It shuddered at the sight, for Shirou Emiya looked exactly the same as he had in Ancient Era!

A small Slug was hanging on its shoulder...

He exuded absolute confidence and composure...

It was as if nothing in this world could move him.

In fact...

Indeed, nothing could move him anymore.

Because everything in this world was already under his control, but Black Zetsu, who was in his grasp, did not feel good inside.

Black Zetsu recalled their harmonious past a thousand years ago.

The more comfortable it was with Shirou Emiya back then, the more it hated Shirou Emiya now!

"No..."

"What do you mean?"

Naruto Uzumaki was a little confused.

"The roles have been reversed."

Sasuke Uchiha could only explain to his foolish friend, saying in a deep voice, "Black Zetsu always believed that Shirou Emiya a pawn in its plan to resurrect Kaguya..."

"But..."

Sasuke Uchiha but sneer, "Black Zetsu never imagined that the pawn it had always thought it was was actually the player who had been secretly manipulating it..."

"But..."

As Sasuke Uchiha said this, his eyes were fixed on Shirou Emiya: "This man's scheming is frighteningly deep..."

The entire Hidden Konoha learned from Orochimaru that Shirou Emiya the Leader of Akatsuki, and the incident that occurred during the Chunin Exams four years prior was already terrifying enough...

But...

There is still a game within a game.

There is still chess within chess.

"So..."

Naruto Uzumaki's body remained immobile, but his simple values immediately shifted his mindset. "Actually, Emiya is still a good person..."

"..."

Sasuke Uchiha on it.

Good people and bad people...

It's not something that can be explained in just a few words!

"Snort..."

"Just a hypocritical good person!"

"Don't think Shirou Emiya any good!"

Black Zetsu overheard the conversation between the two brats and, enraged, couldn't help but curse aloud. Unable to accept being manipulated, it immediately dragged more people into the mess. "Do you think Shirou Emiya didn't toy with your fates?!"

"You and Sasuke Uchiha have always been his pawns!"

Black Zetsu stared at Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha, growing angrier with each passing thought. He immediately revealed their past. "The entire Shinobi World was his pawn, even your Chakra past lives Ashura and Indra, were his pawns!"

"..."

Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha both fell silent.

Because...

Black Zetsu said was true.

Shirou Emiya seems to have deceived too many people.

The Sage of Sage of Six Paths and his son from Ancient Era, many ninjas of Konoha, Madara Uchiha, Black Zetsu... There are too many victims in the Shinobi World who have been deceived and manipulated by him.

"I'm curious..."

Black Zetsu glared at Shirou Emiya, grinding his teeth in hatred, yet also wanting to use this moment to ask the truth he sought, "You already knew about my relationship with Kaguya in Ancient Era, yet you still chose death Ancient Era..."

Could it be...?

At that time...

Isn't this guy afraid of dying completely?

"It wouldn't matter if I didn't choose..."

"Because human life has an end."

Shirou Emiya nodded and continued casually, "At that time, my power was already comparable to that of the Sage of Six Paths. Even if I rashly became the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, I might not necessarily gain immortality, but I would certainly gain even greater power, which would inevitably arouse your vigilance..."

"If I could gain immortality through the power of the Ten-Tails..."

"Then you will definitely be afraid of my existence and dare not revive Kaguya."

"If I cannot gain immortality through the power of the Ten-Tails..."

"Then you will surely prevent my resurrection because you fear my power."

"That death was the best opportunity."

"Although I had long understood that what Ashura said was impossible to achieve, I did hold onto a sliver of hope that the peaceful future Ashura spoke of would come true, but my primary purpose was indeed to arrange a meaningful death..."

"Madman!"

Black Zetsu gritted his teeth and cursed out loud.

Because Shirou Emiya was too calm when he talked about death, and even when he talked about arranging his own death, he was just as composed!

This guy...

He's a complete madman!

Even Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki were stunned!

"This is the best way."

"As long as there is one sacrifice..."

"My corpse will be remembered throughout the Shinobi World."

"Because I am the world's first true medical ninja, Ashura's descendants will protect my body because of my sacrifice, and you will not choose to sabotage me secretly because of our past cooperation..."

"Certainly..."

"This does not fully guarantee one's resurrection."

"So I left behind two different Crystal Coffin..."

"One of the coffins is reserved for Ashura's descendants, because their clan is the most suitable of humans to become medical ninjas, and also the most talented ninja clan. After all, they cannot rely on the Sharingan limit that Indra's descendants are almost destined to awaken, unlike Indra's descendants. The Chakra conflict between Ashura and Indra will also lead to a war among their descendants. Ashura's descendants will surely develop more forbidden techniques in order to fight against Indra's descendants. Forbidden power often symbolizes strength, and in the end, it will make people sink deeper and deeper..."

"Sooner or later..."

"They will begin to study the soul."

"..."

This statement is self-evident.

Because everyone understands what Shirou Emiya means.

Even without Tobirama Senju, another branch of the Uzumaki Clan, descendants of Ashura, did indeed begin researching the soul...

But...

Second Hokage Tobirama Senju of Konoha, was ultimately the biggest culprit. His research into the soul went too far, and eventually, that bastard who only knew how to create forbidden techniques developed the Impure World Reincarnation technique, which caused such a disaster...

"It doesn't matter if my guess doesn't come true..."

Shirou Emiya naturally wouldn't reveal his knowledge of the Shinobi World's history, because he had indeed prepared a backup plan. "I left another coffin in the Slug's Corpse Bone Forest, another Crystal Coffin that will surely resurrect me in the future..."

"On that Crystal Coffin..."

"I left behind my last words."

"If someone can pass the Slug's test, they will obtain the Crystal Coffin. And once that Crystal Coffin enters the Shinobi World, someone will eventually discover my last words, and they will understand how to research and revive me..."

"Somewhat coincidentally..."

"Both Crystal Coffin were eventually put into use."

"The first Crystal Coffin was used by Tobirama Senju to Impure World Reincarnation me through the Impure World Reincarnation technique. However, the timing of the revival wasn't quite right, but it was enough to give me another chance to get entangled with you, so that I could arrange my second return to the Underworld and my second Impure World Reincarnation..."

"At that time, I also met Tsunade. I believed that Tsunade would definitely take my Crystal Coffin out of the Slug's hands. I also met Orochimaru, who has been curious about forbidden things since childhood. He will definitely find an opportunity to get the second Crystal Coffin and Impure World Reincarnation me for the second time..."

"This time..."

"I can finally confirm..."

"It won't take as long as it did a thousand years ago."

Shirou Emiya looked at Black Zetsu and continued softly, "As long as I regain your trust during the time after my first Impure World Reincarnation, you will surely look forward to my return and will definitely not hinder my second resurrection..."

"I just didn't expect..."

"In Ancient Era, it was no easy feat to get any information about Kaguya from you. You protected yourself like a newborn baby terrified of the new world..."

"Until I was Impure World Reincarnation, you, having lived through a thousand years, perhaps had become arrogant and complacent from manipulating the fates of too many people, and finally revealed the story of Kaguya. This was somewhat unexpected..."

When Shirou Emiya got to this point, a look of surprise finally appeared on his face, as if he had seen his formidable opponent inexplicably start making mistakes.

"After all, everything I said back then was just to gain your trust more. I never expected you to confess everything this time, and even seem smug about successfully deceiving me..."

"I..."

Black Zetsu really wanted to swear.

Just moments ago, he was so proud of himself when he mentioned that meeting, but now, Black Zetsu is just as furious when he hears Shirou Emiya talk about it again!

"At that time..."

"Actually, we think exactly the same thing..."

"Just as you're contemplating how I must have felt, filled with remorse and pain, when you uncovered the truth about how you deceived me, I also want to know how you feel at this moment..."

"Is it regret... or anger and embarrassment...?"

"If you need a reference..."

"I can tell you how I felt just now, when you were so smug..."

Shirou Emiya's gaze fell on Black Zetsu, his eyes filled with a peculiar emotion, as if a strong person were looking down on a powerless weak person struggling smugly in front of him.

This feeling...

Generally referred to as...

"Mercy."