The Beginning of Everything

Hearing Madara's words, Black Zetsu's heart sank suddenly.

An unexpected reason? A re-evaluation of this path?

As expected, the initial plan was correct!

But where did that unexpected event come from?

Uchiha Madara, who should have been the most promising piece in his thousand-year-old game of chess to reach the Infinite Tsukuyomi, was also the most resolute man.

When exactly did he begin to look back and re-examine the path he should have followed to the end?

Is there really someone in this world who can shake Uchiha Madara's will?!

Just as Black Zetsu was still lost in thought, an unpleasant snort suddenly rang out from beside Madara.

"Hmph, given your style Uchiha Madara..."

Obito finally couldn't hold back and gave Madara a sarcastic look:

"It's as if you thought about all that back then."

Wasn't it because back then, when he was spying on me and Kou, he listened attentively when he was lecturing me?

Did you start to suspect something only after it seemed to make sense at first glance, and then you started to doubt it the more you thought about it? What kind of shrewd strategist are you pretending to be!

Madara's body stiffened almost imperceptibly for a moment, then he suppressed the embarrassment that had risen on his face, turned to Obito, and scoffed:

What do you know, you little brat?

Didn't Uchiha Kuro teach you a principle back then? Something like, "Practice is the only way to test the truth."

When I saw the inscription on the stone tablet, I didn't hesitate to implement the Eye of the Moon Plan. Wasn't that also a manifestation of putting my ideas into practice?

If you can't even understand this principle, it's clear your brain hasn't improved much over the years.

"... Don't try to act like you know everything about this in front of me."

Obito retorted without hesitation, his brows furrowing noticeably:

He also said, "Never embark on an unfamiliar road without a thorough understanding of it."

"This is a principle that even a kid can understand. You, a legend of the Ninja World, surely didn't understand it back then?"

The veins on Ban's forehead bulged, and he was about to retort, but then he seemed to remember something amusing and let out a wicked laugh.

"Hmph, are you trying to prove to me that you know him better than I do? You're just like a little brat fighting over candy."

He looked at Obito's face, which had instantly darkened, and mocked him mercilessly:

"But if you really know him as well as you think you do."

Why were you so shocked when I told you in the Genjutsu space that the kid had actually been living behind a mask all along?

You've known him for so many years, yet the only time you truly understood him was because of me, an outsider. That's really...

At this point, Ban paused, turned to look in the direction of the Valley of the End, and murmured softly as if remembering something:

"A true friend is someone who can sense a change even before the other person has noticed it."

"You seem to have quite a good interest in sentimental musings, Madara."

Obito coldly turned his head to the other side, recalling Madara's words, and couldn't help but grit his teeth.

He suppressed the bitterness and resentment surging within him, looked at Black Zetsu again, and urged in a deep voice:

"Although I can tell you're in good spirits, you'd better not forget the important matter."

We need to get this sorted out quickly; we have a ton of work to do later, and we don't have time to waste on this useless person!

"Tsk, what an impatient brat."

Ban scoffed dismissively, suppressing those untimely old thoughts back into the depths of his heart.

He stared expressionlessly at Black Zetsu in front of him, raised his hand, and Hand Seals with one hand.

"You don't need to say more, I... naturally won't give it any chance to escape from here!"

Having said that, the majestic, deep blue Crow Tengu slowly raised the arm that was holding the Totsuka Blade and pulled it backward.

On the blade, the suction force belonging to the divine weapon itself, powerful enough to drag everything in the world into a permanent seal, suddenly rose!

Black Zetsu's pierced body, like Ning the Second captured by Nie Xiaoqian, was pulled by that powerful force and dragged towards the wine gourd beside the Crow Tengu statue.

"Damn it!!"

Black Zetsu roared in despair.

It struggled frantically, its pitch-black body desperately gripping the ground, trying to grab onto anything it could to slow the unstoppable suction.

However, being so small, it could do nothing but stare at the dark mouth of the gourd, a sense of terror it had never felt before rising in its heart.

Is this really the end?

My thousand-year plan, my grand ambition to resurrect my mother...

I've finally made it this far, I was so close to bringing Mother back to life!

But because of these two chess pieces—

"I'm not reconciled! I'm not reconciled at all!!!"

Madara watched Black Zetsu howling with great pleasure, a satisfied smile playing on his lips, as if he were enjoying the entire process of the life force in Black Zetsu's eyes slowly dying out.

"Weren't you just asking when exactly we became aware of your presence?"

Madara spoke calmly, his voice not loud, yet it pierced through Black Zetsu's increasingly faint roar.

Black Zetsu's pupils contracted sharply as he struggled to turn the single eye, which was about to be dragged into the gourd, toward Madara.

Let me tell you the answer.

Madara didn't look directly at Black Zetsu, but instead meaningfully glanced at Obito, who was standing to the side with his arms crossed and his head turned away:

"It all started when I was searching for someone to carry out the Eye of the Moon Plan, and I began selecting a suitable candidate from within the Uchiha Clan."

"When selecting a suitable candidate from within the Uchiha Clan..."

Black Zetsu murmured under his breath, then, as if he instantly understood something, he gritted his teeth and shouted out that name:

"Uchiha --Knock!!"

"Heh, you reacted quite quickly."

It seems that kid really left a deep impression on you.

Madara seemed completely unsurprised, and said meaningfully:

"That makes sense, after all, in our plan... he was meant to force you to slip up."

"Varied?!"

Upon hearing Madara's words, Black Zetsu's pupils suddenly contracted.

As the mastermind behind the scenes who has existed for a thousand years and secretly pushed the Ninja World to its current state, he is definitely not a fool.

Almost instantly, he understood the deeper meaning behind Ban's words...

Black Zetsu instinctively glanced at Obito, who stood coldly beside Madara, and roared through gritted teeth:

"This brat has repeatedly allowed that monster Uchiha Kuro to grow stronger over the years... Was this also part of your plan?!"

"Good."

Madara spoke calmly, his tone filled with a certainty that sent a chill down Black Zetsu's spine:

"After all, if we don't create an 'unexpected factor' that is completely out of everyone's control and can turn the Eye of the Moon Plan upside down..."

If I didn't keep most of your attention focused on "how to get rid of him," how could I have the spare time to investigate the hidden history behind your back, waiting for you to reveal your true colors?

"Uchiha... Madara!!"

"Shut up, you beast."

Ban said coldly, looking down at the black shadow that was about to be completely swallowed by the Totsuka Blade, with only a small part still trembling wildly outside the gourd's mouth, and slowly said:

"Your wails are indeed strangely melodious, but I'm tired of them."

"Be good and let me finish."

"About all this... the real beginning."

Sorry, my fever hasn't completely subsided, and I haven't fully recovered. I'll postpone the midnight update for another day. Sorry everyone...