"Damn you, Uzumaki Gamu!! Why can he get other Tailed Beasts to help him?!" Black Zetsu furiously smashed the crystal ball in his hand-no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't understand why the Tailed Beasts would help Uzumaki Gamu!
Nearly a thousand years had passed, and humans had never befriended the Tailed Beasts! Why had everything changed now? (Uzumaki Gamu: You just don't get it, do you? When you're out in the world, friends are what you count on! Yeah~)
Black Zetsu had really gone all out this time-while Uzumaki Gamu was still wandering around the Land of Wind, Black Zetsu had immediately returned to the Land of Fire and used his mind-control abilities to take over a talented Uchiha boy-the very one he was possessing now!
Then Black Zetsu had brought that body to the Land of Earth, but... he hadn't immediately made the boy control a Tailed Beast. After all, the boy had only just awakened a one-tomoe Sharingan. Eyes at that level couldn't even stand up to a Tailed Beast glaring back~
The first thing Black Zetsu had done was use his mind-control abilities to forcibly stimulate the boy's brain and push his eyes to awaken-two tomoe, three tomoe, and even... the Mangekyō!!!
That was an option?
The Mangekyō could only awaken when an Uchiha experienced overwhelming negative emotions-having to kill or witness the death of someone they deeply loved-and produced special chakra. Black Zetsu, an expert at mind control, excelled at that sort of thing. For instance... he played images of the boy's family being murdered, fabricated by Black Zetsu himself, on a twenty-four-hour loop inside his brain. The boy hadn't lasted long before awakening his Mangekyō!
Which brought up another question: who exactly was that guy who witnessed his parents and entire clan die, then furiously awakened a single tomoe? Well, perhaps he had been too young, and his chakra and body couldn't support a higher-level Sharingan... but later, someone locked him inside the Tsukuyomi Space and made him watch footage of his entire clan being murdered for months, and he still didn't even awaken three tomoe? Plenty of Uchiha had awakened their Mangekyō at twelve, you know~ (Sasuke: ...)
Back to the point. Once the Mangekyō had awakened, its ocular power was sufficient to control a Tailed Beast. If necessary, Black Zetsu could use his own power to strengthen it. Although that would consume his mental energy and affect his later plans to revive Kaguya, now wasn't the time to worry about that. If Uzumaki Gamu wasn't eliminated, he would become a major threat!
In short, he had finally assembled everything needed to control a Tailed Beast! Black Zetsu immediately made the boy take control of one, and then... the events from earlier had unfolded!
After spending an enormous amount of mental energy, he had not only failed to kill Uzumaki Gamu but might even have given him the power of two more Tailed Beasts-he had no evidence, but Black Zetsu just had that feeling.
"No, I can't keep attacking him with Tailed Beasts. That only helps him collect more of them. But if I don't use this approach, how am I supposed to kill him?!" Black Zetsu had reached an impasse, unsure how to deal with Uzumaki Gamu.
After a brief period of thought, Black Zetsu came up with an idea. "As expected, humans should be dealt with by other humans... manipulating the darkness in someone's heart and having a person who truly hates him fight him is the most likely way to kill him..."
Black Zetsu's plan was to find someone who genuinely resented Uzumaki Gamu and would sacrifice everything to kill him-only that level of resolve could possibly defeat this man chosen by Hagoromo!
And right now, there was a suitable candidate-Kaguya Jun!
He hated Uzumaki Gamu from the bottom of his heart and would give up everything to kill him! With just a little temptation, Black Zetsu could use the prospect of killing Uzumaki Gamu to keep him firmly under his control!
However, resolve alone wasn't enough-resolve couldn't turn into power out of thin air! Although the Kaguya Clan had inherited some of the Otsutsuki's power, honestly... compared to Uzumaki Gamu's current strength, it wasn't remotely enough!
Fortunately... Black Zetsu still had some spare cards up his sleeve!
For example... the Mangekyō Sharingan this Uchiha boy had just awakened. And then there were... the Hashirama cells Black Zetsu had secretly collected before!
Because of Uzumaki Gamu's influence, Black Zetsu had always worried that Hashirama might undergo some strange changes, so he had secretly collected samples from his body. Back in the early days, before Hashirama became invincible, he still got injured, so the process hadn't been difficult. Of course, the quality of those Hashirama cells wasn't as good as the current ones. However, Black Zetsu also had cells from several previous reincarnations of Asura. Although none were as good as Hashirama's, mixing them together should produce some knockoff Hashirama cells with abilities comparable to his current cells.
By combining an ordinary Mangekyō, knockoff Hashirama cells, and the Kaguya Clan's power, he should be able to create a powerful monster! The only question was whether Kaguya Jun could withstand the first two-both the Mangekyō and Hashirama cells held tremendous power. One careless mistake, and the backlash from those powers could kill him.
However, in his pursuit of killing Uzumaki Gamu for revenge, Kaguya Jun had probably long since stopped caring about his own life. Excessive use of Shikotsumyaku also caused an early death, so he wouldn't care about the backlash from these two powers either. In fact... with the knockoff Hashirama cells, his Shikotsumyaku might not be quite so lethal to him anymore!
At that thought, Black Zetsu chuckled. "Excellent. This should be the most promising way to kill Uzumaki Gamu. However, it will take time... even with all three powers assembled, it still feels unstable... what if I add Tailed Beast Power?" To eliminate this successor of Hagoromo once and for all, Black Zetsu intended to use every method available and create a true monster!
Speaking of which... just how much did you hate Hagoromo, to want his successor dead this badly? (Uzumaki Gamu: ...I have absolutely nothing to do with him. Why do you hate me so much? I don't understand!! Hagoromo: Who told you to call yourself the second Sage of Six Paths? If you dare say that, prepare to get stabbed in the back by him! Uzumaki Gamu: Was that why Obito ended up having his body toyed with by Black Zetsu back then?)
With that thought, Black Zetsu killed the young man he was possessing by snapping his neck, then dug the awakened Mangekyō Sharingan out of his eyes and disappeared into the darkness with them.
-Preparing ninja tools-
After Uzumaki Gamu injected senjutsu chakra into Kokuō's body, he successfully freed her from the control.
Once the control was broken, Kokuō collapsed straight onto the ground.
Seeing that, Uzumaki Gamu asked curiously, "Um... is big sis going to be okay?"
"Of course she is. Do you think we're porcelain dolls?" Shukaku said, exasperated.
Meanwhile, Son Goku asked in confusion, "So... what exactly is going on?" He had only helped earlier because he trusted Shukaku. He actually had no idea what had happened, and now that he had a chance, naturally he wanted to ask!
So Uzumaki Gamu and Shukaku explained everything together-not just Kokuō's attack, of course, but also what had happened earlier in the Land of Wind, including everything involving Shukaku.
After hearing their explanation, Son Goku looked at mini Shukaku and asked, "...Did you choose to follow him because you think he's the person the old man spoke of?"
"...I thought so at first. Now... I'm not sure," Shukaku said, shaking his head. At first, he had thought Uzumaki Gamu really was the Sage of Six Paths reincarnated, but now it seemed they had absolutely nothing to do with each other.
Still, Shukaku didn't regret his decision. "Well, I don't know whether he's the one, but following him is incredibly fun!!" After spending some time with Uzumaki Gamu, Shukaku had discovered... Uzumaki Gamu was practically his dream jinchūriki!! (Uzumaki Gamu: ...Huh?)
Not only did this man have no prejudice against Tailed Beasts, he was witty and funny with his own people-Uzumaki Gamu often made Shukaku laugh during their conversations-and ruthless toward others. He suited Shukaku's tastes perfectly!
There was never a shortage of entertainment around Uzumaki Gamu! It was far better than staying inside that pitch-black pot!
"Incredibly fun?" Son Goku's eyes lit up, and an idea came to him!
"...So that's what happened? In any case, thank you for saving me, human!" Kokuō was the one speaking. She had completely recovered from the dazed state caused by being controlled, and after listening to Shukaku and Uzumaki Gamu's explanation, she understood the whole sequence of events!
Uzumaki Gamu waved a hand. "No need to thank me. After all, it's entirely my fault you were controlled... speaking of which, do you remember what the person controlling you looked like?"
Kokuō answered, "I'm not sure. His body was pitch-black, so I couldn't make out his appearance. I could only see the Sharingan in the darkness... its ocular power was incredibly strong. One look at me, and I lost consciousness. But... he didn't seem conscious himself either!"
"Pitch-black, and not conscious himself? Great, that settles it. It was Black Zetsu!" Now Uzumaki Gamu could finally confirm that the person plotting against His Majesty was Black Zetsu!
Shukaku asked curiously, "Who's Black Zetsu?"
"Well... let's talk about that later!" When Uzumaki Gamu spotted people floating nearby, he decided not to reveal that information-Ishikawa and the others had followed them and were hovering a short distance away.
Shukaku also understood that some secrets couldn't be discussed with other people around, so he stopped asking!
Next, Uzumaki Gamu said to Son Goku and Kokuō, "My personal troubles disturbed both of you while you were resting. Please accept my apologies."
"No, I should be thanking you... you saved me, and I have to repay you!" Kokuō said. "Since Shukaku gave you his power, I'll give you a portion of mine too!"
"Hey, wait! Are you coming in here to steal my territory?" Shukaku complained, then gave her a look that saw right through her. "Actually, you don't want to thank him at all. You just want to follow Uzumaki Gamu around and have fun, don't you?"
Of course Shukaku understood his own siblings. Kokuō wasn't trying to thank him-she simply wanted to go out with Uzumaki Gamu.
But Kokuō wasn't the only one with that idea-Son Goku was already transferring his chakra into Uzumaki Gamu's body.
Uzumaki Gamu: Is my charm stat really that high? The Tailed Beasts are fighting to get inside my body? Rather than you being exceptionally charming, the Tailed Beasts were simply bored out of their minds! Now there was someone who neither coveted nor discriminated against them. Leaving with him was practically a dream come true!
Uzumaki Gamu didn't stop them, either. He simply accepted Son Goku and Kokuō's chakra!
Shukaku was dumbfounded. "Wait, you don't feel any resistance toward them?" Hadn't Uzumaki Gamu been so opposed to him before? Why was there no reaction to these two?
Uzumaki Gamu answered, "I've already broken that rule, so there's no point worrying about which Tailed Beast it is, right? Besides... Lava Release and Boil Release both feel pretty good!" Power was its own kind of beauty! Son Goku and Kokuō had impressive powers, and Uzumaki Gamu gladly accepted them!
After receiving some of their power, Uzumaki Gamu stopped the two Tailed Beasts. "You don't need to transfer all your power to me. Being completely confined inside me sounds pretty boring." Although following Uzumaki Gamu around offered plenty of entertainment, they would indeed lose their freedom! (Eren: Hmm? What did you just say?)
The two Tailed Beasts felt the same way-they stopped after transferring only a tenth of their power!
Wow, a tenth of the power of two Tailed Beasts! Had Uzumaki Gamu just traded a peashooter for a cannon? Was he completely overpowered now? Well, not quite. After all, it was only a tenth, not enough to bring about a decisive change... but if he could get another two... then it really would be a qualitative leap!
Inside Uzumaki Gamu's mental world, mini Shukaku looked at Son Goku and Kokuō, who had appeared beside him and were much larger than he was. "Damn it, even if you're giving him power, you can't give him a tenth all at once! A fiftieth would've been enough!" Shukaku only said that because he possessed just a fiftieth of his original body's power. Now he looked like a baby in Uzumaki Gamu's mental world... how could Shukaku possibly accept that?
Kokuō explained, "We chose a tenth for a reason! That amount of power can help him without affecting us too much. Although you trust him, we don't know whether he's truly trustworthy, so... we still have to hold something back!" Although the Tailed Beasts were eager to go out and have fun, they weren't completely without concerns. Uzumaki Gamu still needed to be evaluated, so they wouldn't give him too much power!
Son Goku continued, "We can quickly recover a tenth of our power through training. But you... why did you only give him a fiftieth?"
"...Shut up! None of your business!!" Shukaku had originally wanted to give him a tenth too, but his antics had made Uzumaki Gamu sever the chakra channel. Afterward, Shukaku had rather hoped Uzumaki Gamu would ask him for more power, but Uzumaki Gamu hadn't cared about it at all. (Uzumaki Gamu: Magnet Release is so much fun~) Shukaku had been too proud to offer more himself, so they had remained stuck at that fiftieth!
Now Shukaku regretted it deeply... if only he had taken the initiative!! Then his siblings wouldn't be showing him up now!
Well, these two weren't too bad. But if that damn fox saw him like this, he would laugh at him for the rest of his life!
In short, Uzumaki Gamu had acquired two more Tailed Beasts-his Tailed Beast collection was now one-third complete.
Hovering nearby, Ishikawa said to Mu beside him, "...Can humans and Tailed Beasts really get along this happily?"
Mu said, "...Perhaps we can't, but he... managed it." So why could Uzumaki Gamu do it?
Nearby, after seeing this scene, Lala asked Mito, "Those Tailed Beasts seem really nice. Why is everyone afraid of them?"
"...I'm not sure either. After all..." Mito looked at Uzumaki Gamu. "After all, only my second brother can do something like this! That's what makes him so amazing... he always does things no one else would even dare imagine!"
Well, that brought this Tailed Beast attack to an end. After a brief conversation, Uzumaki Gamu took Son Goku and Kokuō home, then returned to the village where Ishikawa lived.
Ishikawa asked in surprise, "You're planning to leave?"
Uzumaki Gamu nodded. "Yes. Now that I know someone is plotting against me, carrying on wandering around without a care would be a bit too reckless. I'm going to take my sister and the others home, then settle accounts with the person trying to kill me!"
"I see..." Ishikawa nodded in agreement with Uzumaki Gamu's decision. Whoever wanted Uzumaki Gamu dead was quite something, sending Tailed Beasts to attack him every time-an ordinary person couldn't withstand attacks like that.
Even Uzumaki Gamu couldn't guarantee he would come through unharmed every time!
So Ishikawa didn't try too hard to make him stay! However, he still had a few final questions, so he spoke up. "Little brother, before you leave, there's something I'm still puzzled about. I hope you can explain it."
"Yes, I'll answer any question I can!" Naturally, if it's something I can't tell you, I won't be able to answer~ Uzumaki Gamu added inwardly.
Ishikawa asked, "How did you manage to get along so well with the Tailed Beasts?"
"Well... I just treat them as equals?" Uzumaki Gamu thought for a moment. "I suppose you find it difficult because of the prejudices built up over the years. Prejudice in people's hearts is a mountain-you've always regarded Tailed Beasts as symbols of disaster, so you can't even speak properly to them from the outset. The Tailed Beasts can sense your emotions too, so naturally, friendly communication becomes impossible. That happens between people as well!"
Uzumaki Gamu paused before continuing. "The major ninja clans are now held back by prejudices accumulated in the past. They can't communicate amicably, so their conflicts intensify and deepen their hatred for one another... you can't bring peace to the world like that! To change our world, the first thing we need to do is set aside our prejudices and start communicating as equals... well, of course, the other side might refuse to listen. That's when you bring out the big stick!" If you wouldn't listen and didn't want to smile, you were putting him in a difficult position. He could only beat you until you felt like smiling!
After hearing Uzumaki Gamu's words, Ishikawa remarked, speechless, "I don't know whether to call you an idealist or a violent thug... isn't going straight into a fight when talks break down a little too extreme?"
"Well, I'm not exactly a patient person~" As he spoke, Uzumaki Gamu clapped his hands together and used Wood Release: Little Sapling Technique! "This tree can serve as a memento of my visit. I hope I'll see it grown tall and strong the next time I come to the Land of Earth."
"...Is this a symbol of our friendship? Well, your big brother will take good care of it!" Ishikawa said with a smile. Befriending Uzumaki Gamu was an opportunity. Through that connection, perhaps he could establish good relations with the Land of Fire and cooperate in the future to reduce unnecessary conflict.
Well, these past few days of conversations with Uzumaki Gamu had already convinced Ishikawa to unite the ninja of the Land of Earth and establish its own hidden village, so he also had to start considering its future development. Using his relationship with Uzumaki Gamu to facilitate cooperation between the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire was a good plan!
Of course, that was a matter for later. His first priority was still to unite the shinobi world of the Land of Earth!
With everything said, Uzumaki Gamu was ready to leave. Before departing, however, he said to Mu, "My friend, I can tell you have exceptional potential, a one-in-ten-thousand ninjutsu genius. There's a technique you should be able to develop!"
Mu frowned at Uzumaki Gamu. "...Hmm? What are you trying to say? Just say it."
"I think you can develop a kekkei tōta. You should work toward that from now on!" Uzumaki Gamu said, patting Mu's shoulder.
"A kekkei tōta? What's that?" Mu asked.
"A new release technique that surpasses a kekkei genkai and requires the fusion of three basic chakra natures... from the look of you, you should be able to combine wind, fire, and earth to create Dust Release. Work toward that from now on!" Uzumaki Gamu encouraged him.
Uzumaki Gamu hadn't said that just to encourage Mu. The main reason was that developing Dust Release himself was too much trouble!
Uzumaki Gamu thought, Combining three natures is so hard. I don't have any time to work on it right now. I might as well leave the project to Mu. Once he develops Dust Release, I can come straight over and copy his answers~ A thought perfectly suited to Uzumaki Gamu's lazy mindset!
Naturally, Mu knew nothing of Uzumaki Gamu's ulterior motive. He took it as a kind suggestion and felt deeply grateful to Uzumaki Gamu. Mu would remember this kindness and repay him in the future-see that? He even had to thank him~
Of course, he would have to develop Dust Release first!
This time, everything that needed saying had truly been said. Uzumaki Gamu used Magnet Release to form a gold dust boat again, then departed with Mito and Lala!
Watching Uzumaki Gamu leave, Ishikawa said, "What an interesting young man. Perhaps the world will change because of him..." With that, Ishikawa turned and left!
Mu asked curiously, "Master, where are you going?"
Ishikawa said, "Well... I want to try what he just said... set aside my prejudices and communicate with the Tailed Beasts as equals, to see whether they can coexist with us... well, let's bring some alcohol!" Weren't you really just looking for a drink?
-Preparing ninja tools-
After they flew into the sky, Mito asked curiously, "Second brother, are we going straight back to the Land of Fire?"
"Hmm... more or less?" Uzumaki Gamu said hesitantly. Although he didn't know why, Black Zetsu remained determined to kill him. Unless he eliminated him, he couldn't enjoy traveling in peace!
Of course, Uzumaki Gamu wasn't afraid for himself, but having Mito and Lala with him gave him concerns.
My little sister is pretty strong, but better safe than sorry! Having important people nearby inevitably gave him something to worry about. With Mito around, Uzumaki Gamu couldn't devote himself completely to fighting!
Besides, his disciple wasn't very strong, so taking her along was dangerous too!
So... he would put their travel plans on hold, return to the Land of Fire, and deal with everything else afterward!
Before you continue