"Tell me, or I'll stab you to death right now," Black Zetsu threatened, controlling Fuyuki's body.
"Go on, do it! If you've got the guts, stab me to death. I, Hyuga Fuyuki, would be a coward if I begged for mercy." Fuyuki stood his ground, not believing for a second that this Unlucky Person would dare stab him.
Fuyuki didn't know how Unlucky Person had found out he could summon Kaguya-hime. But just the fact that he could summon Kaguya meant this thousand-year-old orphan wouldn't dare kill him outright—unless he was willing to give up on his mother!
"You think I wouldn't dare?"
"Go on, harder! Aim for the heart!"
"Don't push me! I really will stab you!"
"Come on, stab me!"
"Tch." Black Zetsu spat. "Do you really think I'm an idiot? If I kill you, how am I supposed to interrogate you for information? Compared to death, I have plenty of ways to make you wish you were dead!"
When Black Zetsu had decided to ambush Fuyuki, he'd already worked out what to do next.
He'd start by threatening Fuyuki with death. If Fuyuki revealed how he'd stolen Kaguya's power, Black Zetsu would grant him a painless death. That was plan one.
If that failed, he'd move on to plan two: use torture to force Fuyuki to reveal the information, then kill him in agony.
If both plans failed, Black Zetsu would kill Fuyuki without hesitation to keep information about the Rabbit Goddess from getting out. After all, he only needed to wait a few more years to see his mother again. There was no need to rush.
The real reason Black Zetsu had attacked Fuyuki was to keep information about his mother from being leaked.
As for the Summoning Jutsu that could summon the Rabbit Goddess, it would be nice to get it, but Black Zetsu wouldn't lose any sleep if he couldn't.
At the end of the day, Black Zetsu just wanted to kill Fuyuki!
"Black Zetsu."
A gentle woman's voice suddenly came from Fuyuki's mouth. Black Zetsu froze, then cried out in shock, "Mother?"
"I'm a man. Everyone knows there are no moms who are men, so that makes you an orphan!" Fuyuki's voice turned mocking. "Changing my voice is a real strain. I only managed two words before my throat went hoarse. Good boy, go get your mother a glass of ice-cold cola to calm her down!"
"Bastard, you dare make a fool of me?" Black Zetsu was both shocked and furious. He hadn't expected Fuyuki to know so much about his mother—and to mock him anyway. Did he really think Black Zetsu wouldn't dare kill him?
"Die, you brat!"
Black Zetsu couldn't stand Fuyuki's taunts. Fuyuki was nothing more than a piece of history Black Zetsu had created, yet he dared deceive the very one who had shaped the history of the Ninja World.
Controlling Fuyuki's body, Black Zetsu gathered all his chakra in his right hand and transformed it into Gentle Fist chakra. He aimed for Fuyuki's heart, ready to erase him from the Ninja World!
"Black Zetsu! Stop!"
The moment Kaguya-hime spoke, a mass of black chains shot from Fuyuki's body, ripping Black Zetsu free and leaving him dangling like a kite in front of the Hyuga Clan's deserted storage shed.
"Y-you... I... you..." Black Zetsu gaped in shock, unable to believe his eyes.
Fuyuki stood on the ground, but a woman's phantom image had appeared behind him. Her brow furrowed as she stared at Black Zetsu in confusion, as if asking what had happened and why he had attacked her newly adopted son.
Black Zetsu stammered for a long moment. In the end, all he could say was, "Mother..."
"Black Zetsu, it's been a long time." Kaguya beckoned. Fuyuki released the magic that held Black Zetsu, letting Otsutsuki Chenxiang enjoy his mother's touch. Unfortunately, Kaguya-hime was only a projection of her will, not a physical being.
Black Zetsu lunged at her, but passed straight through Kaguya-hime and crashed onto the flagstones.
Black Zetsu got up and shouted, "Hyuga Fuyuki!"
It had to be him! He hadn't stolen Mother's power. He had used some method to bypass the Sage of Six Paths' seal and summon Mother's will and power to Earth!
From beginning to end, this seven-year-old brat had toyed with him! Teased him! Mocked him!
"It has nothing to do with Fuyuki." Kaguya looked regretfully at her own arm, as if she lamented being unable to touch her third son, whom she hadn't seen in a thousand years. "There's too little chakra. Fuyuki can't make me appear in physical form, and even my will can only remain on Earth briefly. I can't stay for long."
"I've seen all your efforts."
"Mother..." Black Zetsu looked ashamed. "I'm sorry to have kept you waiting for a thousand years. Soon, very soon, you'll be able to descend upon Earth once more as the Rabbit Goddess and wipe out every insect that stole your power!"
"Thank you for all your hard work, Black Zetsu."
Kaguya looked pleased. Then she descended to the ground and pointed at Fuyuki. "He's my son. You shouldn't hurt each other. You should try to understand one another."
Fuyuki decided to make things even worse. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around Kaguya-hime's waist, then flashed Black Zetsu a meaningful, comical grin and raised his eyebrows as if to show off.
Whether Kaguya-hime appeared as a projection or in physical form depended on how much chakra Fuyuki put into it.
Of course, he was angry that Black Zetsu had attacked him without reason.
But he couldn't kill Black Zetsu. Even if the Ancestor didn't stop him, Fuyuki still couldn't kill this creature, which had split off from an alien. Black Zetsu didn't have any remarkable techniques; all his skills were geared toward survival. His ability to stay alive rivaled that of a Six Paths Level old-timer.
Fuyuki's seemingly simple hug was a truly vicious move. For a super momma's boy like Black Zetsu, it was enough to drive him mad with jealousy. But Kaguya-hime had told them to get along.
So even if Black Zetsu was so frustrated he could spit oil, he couldn't disobey his mother.
"You two should get along. I'm going back," Kaguya-hime said. Her figure slowly faded away, leaving Fuyuki and Black Zetsu staring at each other. Fuyuki covered his mouth, grinning wickedly. "Tsk, tsk. Looks like Mother isn't very impressed with you! You spent a thousand years, and I did better in just a few."
"You..." Black Zetsu was so furious he could feel his three corpse spirits jumping.
As Fuyuki walked away, he taunted him. "There's a saying, but I don't know if you've heard it, Unlucky Person: a mother always loves her youngest child most. Compared to the older ones, the youngest is usually at a disadvantage!"
"I'm young, cute, weak, and helpless. I'm bound to bring out a mother's loving instincts and desire to protect me."
"You..." Black Zetsu ground his shark-like teeth together with a crackle.
Black Zetsu regretted everything now!
Why had he bothered interrogating Fuyuki? If he'd known this guy was Mother's adopted son, he should've chopped him to pieces right from the start and dumped him in a sewer!
Don't ask. He regretted it.
Ask again, and he regretted it even more!
"Hyuga Fuyuki, I'll remember this grudge!" Black Zetsu said darkly.
"Ah, Mother's favoritism means I can always do whatever I want! Black Zetsu, beg me. If you beg, I'll let you enjoy Mother's love."
"Go to your birth mother, you bastard!" Black Zetsu yelled at Fuyuki's retreating back, then slowly sank into the ground.
Beg Fuyuki?
He'd rather wait a few years, until Mother was fully revived!
Then he'd find a chance to kill this bastard!
Before you continue