Akatsuki's Attention, Black Zetsu's Speculation

Just as Izayoi and the sister duo were recording those beautiful moments.

Inside a Steel Building in the Rain Hidden Village, where torrential rain poured down, a figure was communicating with a vividly colored Thought Projection.

"Sasori, what is it?"

"Leader, have you ever been to the Land of Rivers? Or rather, other than the other five Paths of Pain, do you have any other bodies?"

"Why do you ask?" Deva Path Pain said expressionlessly.

"Answer me."

"No."

"Good. I believe you."

Sasori of the Red Sand nodded and said gravely, "Deidara and I encountered someone in the Land of Rivers. He could summon meteors and used the same Repulsion and Gravity as you."

At that, Deva Path Pain's expression finally changed slightly. "Who was he?"

"I don't know." Sasori of the Red Sand shook his head. "He wore a black robe, had long white hair, and a pure white mask with no eyeholes. His senses were ridiculously powerful."

"He suddenly came after us, first summoning a meteor to intimidate us, then threatening me to hand over my Puppet Technique and the method for creating Human Puppets. Yet he had no intention of killing us."

"So you suspect it was me," Deva Path Pain said flatly.

"I can't rule out that possibility."

Sasori of the Red Sand stared at Deva Path Pain's Rinnegan, then suddenly let out a low laugh. "I've only ever seen this rule-like power on you. If it wasn't you, then that means there is someone else in this world with eyes like yours—or at least eyes on the same level."

"It seems the Ninja World isn't as boring as I imagined."

After he finished speaking, Sasori of the Red Sand's Thought Projection slowly contracted and vanished.

Deva Path Pain stood there for several seconds before extending the hand wearing a ring from his sleeve.

The next second, the word Zero on the ring began to emit a faint glow.

Several minutes later, a creature that looked like a pitcher plant wearing a black trench coat, with its face and body divided into black and white halves, emerged from the ground.

"Leader, what are your orders?" Black Zetsu asked in a hoarse voice.

"Have your clones investigate someone..."

Deva Path Pain told Black and White Zetsu everything Sasori of the Red Sand had just reported.

"Nani?!"

White Zetsu cried out in shock, "Other than the Leader, there is actually someone else in this world who can use Shinra Tensei and Almighty Pull?"

"I can't rule out the possibility that it is a secret technique capable of controlling Repulsion and Gravity, but that possibility is very small." Deva Path Pain voiced his analysis. "He wore a pure white mask without eyeholes. He probably wasn't showing off his senses; he simply didn't want others to see his eyes. He specifically sought out Sasori solely to obtain his Puppet Technique and the method for creating Human Puppets. If the eyes beneath his mask are the same as mine, then he likely wants to create the Six Paths of Pain."

"Investigate him. If his eyes truly are Rinnegan, then we must find and kill him before he can compete with me for control of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path."

"Understood."

Black and White Zetsu nodded, then used the Mayfly Technique to sink into the ground and disappear.

Half an hour later, Black and White Zetsu spoke with Obito Uchiha in the Kamui Dimension.

"A Mysterious Man who can use Shinra Tensei and Almighty Pull?"

Obito Uchiha stared at Black Zetsu, who represented Madara Uchiha's will, and asked, "Do you think it's possible that there are secret techniques other than the Rinnegan that can use Gravity?"

"I think Nagato's analysis makes a lot of sense," Black Zetsu said.

"In other words, some lucky person obtained a Rinnegan and Six Paths Technique that were born in some past era and passed down after their owner died?" Obito Uchiha instantly understood what Black Zetsu meant. The expression on his face beneath the mask could not be seen.

Black Zetsu said nothing, but his mood was extremely heavy.

He did not believe that anyone besides Nagato possessed the Rinnegan.

After all, for the Second Rinnegan to be born, Black Zetsu had spent a thousand years, both openly and covertly, manipulating Indra Otsutsuki and generations of Indra's reincarnations.

He was also certain that Hagoromo Otsutsuki had not passed down his Rinnegan.

If he had passed down the Rinnegan, then over the past thousand years, someone would have inherited it and used its abilities.

As long as someone had used the Rinnegan's abilities, Black Zetsu would not have had to wait until the generation of Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju.

But abilities like Repulsion and Gravity could not be controlled by just any secret technique.

The moon in the sky had been created by Gravity.

White hair, a mask without eyeholes, senses powerful enough to replace sight...

Black Zetsu already had a guess.

If nothing unexpected had happened, that mysterious person came from... the moon.

Could it be that Hamura Otsutsuki's eyes possessed such abilities as well?

Black Zetsu thought to himself.

He had been born too late. When he arrived, his mother had just been Sealed.

In the peaceful Ninja World, only Hagoromo Otsutsuki had taken action when he embarked on his journey of atonement. Hamura Otsutsuki, on the other hand, had taken wives and concubines and developed his clan.

Black Zetsu feared them and did not dare get too close.

He only knew that after Hagoromo Otsutsuki became the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, Hamura Otsutsuki had led part of their clan to settle on the moon.

At first, the two branches of the clan had remained in contact.

This also let Black Zetsu learn one thing: somewhere in the Ninja World, there was a spatial passage connecting Earth and the moon.

This spatial passage had not been created by Hagoromo Otsutsuki, but by Hamura Otsutsuki.

His Byakugan could evolve as well, but it did not become the Rinnegan.

Aside from creating spatial passages, Black Zetsu did not know what other abilities this unknown dojutsu possessed.

Whenever he thought of the moon branch preparing to establish contact with Earth again—and of that terrifying fellow who could use Repulsion and Gravity to summon meteors—Black Zetsu could not help cursing inwardly.

Damn Hagoromo and Hamura. A thousand years have passed, and you two unfilial sons still have unknown contingencies beyond Asura and Indra's reincarnations.

"Scorpion's Human Puppets can preserve the Kekkei Genkai and ninjutsu their puppets possessed while alive. If that person also has the Rinnegan and wants to create the Six Paths of Pain, he should hunt down people with powerful Kekkei Genkai."

After cursing his two brothers in his heart, Black Zetsu said to Obito Uchiha, "I'll have the White Zetsu Clones keep an eye on the Ninja World's powerful figures. The moment they find any trace of him, they'll notify you and Nagato immediately."

"Alright."

Obito Uchiha nodded.

Other than that, they had no other options.

That Mysterious Man was simply too cautious.

That was precisely why they had to eliminate him as soon as possible.

Flight, Repulsion and Gravity, summoning meteors—even without the Rinnegan, that Mysterious Man was a major threat.

Such a dangerous existence had to be dealt with in advance if he could not be brought under their control. Otherwise, he might become a major obstacle to their plans.