Black Zetsu fell silent, not because he did not know the answer.
He knew where Hagoromo and Hamura had gone better than any living shinobi.
He also knew how much had changed behind those two names.
But Kaguya had only just extended a thread of consciousness out of the seal.
The last events she remembered were still her two children joining forces against her.
If Black Zetsu told her that Hagoromo had later divided the Ten-Tails' power into nine living beings, and that countless new chakra relationships had formed across the Shinobi World over the centuries, she might keep asking questions.
Why would the Nine Tailed Beasts refuse?
Why did the white bodies she had created possess consciousness beyond their names?
Why, after preparing for so many years, could Black Zetsu still advance her revival only through tampering and deception?
None of those questions fell within the command to "bring Mother back."
Black Zetsu finally spoke.
"They betrayed you."
Those words were sent directly into the fissure through black chakra.
The Land of Rivers recorded that they lacked one layer of Lunar Surface echo compared with ordinary speech.
Black Zetsu was not explaining things to the present world.
Instead, he was using an old authority that only Kaguya could receive, trying to define the first piece of history she would see upon awakening before anyone else could.
The Lunar Surface gave no response.
"Hagoromo stole the God Tree's power and gave it to people who should never have possessed chakra."
"Hamura left you on the moon and had his descendants guard the seal."
He compressed a long history into a single betrayal.
He retained only the parts that could make Kaguya continue demanding its return.
Gen did not directly refute him.
If Konoha rushed to defend Hagoromo, the conversation would