Previously, Black Zetsu had intended to bewitch Nagato Uzumaki through the modified Six Paths Secret Technique he had taught him. He would abandon Madara Uchiha and have Nagato Uzumaki cast Infinite Tsukuyomi to free his mother from her seal. Unfortunately, his plan had fallen apart at the final hurdle. He had still underestimated the bond between Nagato Uzumaki and Konan.
Black Zetsu had conceived this idea because the changes in Nagato Uzumaki showed him that Nagato had already formed a faint connection with the Rinnegan.
After all, although the Rinnegan were not Nagato Uzumaki's own eyes but ones Madara Uchiha had transplanted into him, Nagato had nurtured them for years. Sealing the Imperfect Ten-Tails within himself had also awakened the Ōtsutsuki Clan bloodline buried deep in his body, allowing him to break through to the Six Paths level in one leap and even awaken the Six-Tomoe Rinnegan.
That was why Black Zetsu had wanted to bewitch Nagato Uzumaki and use him to cast Infinite Tsukuyomi, freeing his mother from her seal.
However, to have Nagato Uzumaki cast Infinite Tsukuyomi, his resolve had to be unwavering. There could not be the slightest emotional disturbance in his heart. Otherwise, no one would even need to interfere; Nagato's own fluctuating emotions would cause Infinite Tsukuyomi to collapse.
Once Infinite Tsukuyomi was cast, everyone in the shinobi world except Qingyun, who had already reached the Six Paths Level, would be wrapped in the God Tree's branches and have their chakra drained. Naturally, that included Konan.
That was why Black Zetsu had tried to persuade Nagato Uzumaki to kill Konan, cementing his resolve to cast Infinite Tsukuyomi.
But although he had lived for a thousand years and possessed an exceedingly sinister mind, he understood nothing of human emotions.
Nagato Uzumaki and Konan had known each