At that moment, Black Zetsu's figure trembled violently within the rock wall.
Because once Lin Ze succeeded, it would mean-
Time would no longer be on his side.
Lifespan would no longer be a weapon he could use to outlast Lin Ze.
Once Lin Ze attained kekkei mōra, his very form of life would undergo a complete transformation. Living for hundreds or thousands of years, or even longer than Otsutsuki Kaguya, would all be possible.
What could he wait for then?
Wait for Lin Ze to die of old age?
That day would never come.
Wait for Lin Ze to grow careless and expose an opening?
Who in the Shinobi World could make someone with kekkei mōra expose an opening?
Wait for Obito and Nagato to grow strong enough to defeat him?
What a joke.
For the first time, Black Zetsu felt-
Panic.
Bone-deep panic.
He had lived for a thousand years, yet never before had he sensed the scent of "failure" so clearly.
"I can't... let him succeed..."
Black Zetsu's hoarse voice whispered deep within the rock wall, as faint as a mosquito's buzz, yet filled with unprecedented killing intent and fear.
He slowly steadied the fluctuations of his chakra, regaining the composure of the thousand-year-old schemer he was:
"Obito."
"Once Nagato arrives, don't delay. Begin reviving the Ten-Tails immediately."
Obito frowned slightly. "You want to make a move against Nagato now? Why the rush?"
"Yes."
"I'm afraid delays will lead to trouble."
Black Zetsu offered no further explanation.
Obito glanced at him and finally nodded. "Understood."
Black Zetsu said nothing more.
He slowly sank into the shadows, heading toward the Ōtsutsuki Palace.
Lin Ze had to die!
*Even if it took every pawn he had gathered over the past thousand years, even if he had to sacrifice both