Meeting Black Zetsu (Part 1)

Tsunade and Tsunato had only recently left when Zhang Miao's keen ears picked up the sound of dice rolling in the adjacent room, producing a series of "click-clack" noises.

Hearing this sound, Zhang Miao's lips curled into a smile once again.

"It seems like they've found a match. Now I can leave with peace of mind!"

With this in mind, Zhang Miao immediately sent a message to Tsunato and Shizuna, instructing them to get along well with Tsunade and Shizune. After giving the two women his advice, Zhang Miao leaped out of the window and manipulated sand to fly toward Konohagakure.

According to Zhang Miao's plan, he had originally intended to return to Konohagakure and reunite with Naruto and the others. Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. He had only covered half of the distance when he was stopped by a person in a black cloak with a checkered mask covering their face.

Once the figure halted Zhang Miao's progress, they knelt down on one knee.

"Gyobito greets the boss!"

The person who stopped Zhang Miao was none other than Uchiha Gyobito. Ever since Zhang Miao had recruited Uchiha Gyobito, he had been sent to be alongside Tobi. Only by staying close to Tobi could Zhang Miao continuously collect Tobi's ninja fragments. These fragments, in turn, could be used to recruit Madara.

But now, he had returned, indicating that there might be a delay in collecting Tobi's fragments in the next few days, which would extend the time needed to recruit Uchiha Madara.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Miao's brow furrowed.

"Gyobito, didn't I tell you to stay with Tobi? Why did you come back?"

Seemingly aware of Zhang Miao's displeasure, Uchiha Gyobito immediately lowered his head.

"Boss, it's like this. Following your orders, I gained Tobi's trust and also made contact with Black Zetsu. However, he's extremely cautious, so it took a lot of time."

"Hmm?" Hearing Gyobito's explanation, Zhang Miao seemed to understand something and raised an eyebrow. "From what you're saying... have you managed to deal with Black Zetsu now?"

"I'm sorry, boss!"

As soon as Zhang Miao finished speaking, Gyobito immediately shook his head.

"He's too cautious. I still haven't fully gained his trust. Also, he's now aware of your existence, boss. So I came to consult you: should we...?"

At this point, Gyobito gestured as if to cut something with his hand. Seeing this, Zhang Miao couldn't help but smile, shaking his head as he laughed.

"No, we can't kill Black Zetsu. He can only be sealed. Besides, he's as slippery as an eel, and it's easy for him to escape. Finding him again will be a real challenge."

"This..."

Gyobito hadn't expected Black Zetsu to be so difficult to deal with, so upon hearing Zhang Miao's words, he furrowed his brow.

"What should we do, then? I'm afraid he'll come looking for you soon!"

"Haha, all the better if he comes. I was worried he wouldn't!"

Watching Gyobito's concerned expression, Zhang Miao laughed heartily once more and patted Gyobito's shoulder, saying, "Alright, I understand the situation. You don't need to worry about Black Zetsu for now. Let him come to me. You can go back to Tobi's side. Off you go!"

"Yes, boss!"

Upon hearing Zhang Miao's words, Gyobito promptly acknowledged and then disappeared using the Body Flicker Technique.

After watching Gyobito disappear, Zhang Miao glanced once more in the direction of Konohagakure and let out a disappointed sigh.

"Tsk... it seems I can't return to Konohagakure for now. Well, let's deal with Black Zetsu first!"

With this decision in mind, Zhang Miao took a deep breath and lifted off from the ground, soaring towards the Land of Waves.

Zhang Miao didn't want Naruto to be exposed to Black Zetsu too early, so he planned to make contact with Black Zetsu in the Land of Waves. As for what to do once he made contact, Zhang Miao believed it boiled down to one word: deception.

The antagonistic struggles in the world of ninja often revolved around this word – "deception." Nagato was deceived by Tobi, Tobi was deceived by Madara, and Madara was also a victim, deceived by Black Zetsu. So, for Zhang Miao, deceiving Black Zetsu held no psychological burden. The real issue lay in whether he could succeed.

"I should be able to do it. After all, I'm a man favored by the Will of the World. I shouldn't have any trouble deceiving Black Zetsu, no matter how cunning he is."

With renewed confidence, Zhang Miao arrived in the Land of Waves and took up residence in the central tower of the village, awaiting Black Zetsu to come to him.

Waiting for the rabbit under the tree is a task that requires patience. Luckily, Black Zetsu didn't take as long as Zhang Miao had anticipated. After he had been in the Land of Waves for only a few days, Black Zetsu arrived.

Sitting in his office, Zhang Miao watched as the "humanoid venus flytrap" emerged from the wooden floor in front of him, wearing a black outfit with red clouds that marked him as a member of "Akatsuki."

"The Third Son of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, Kaguya's Will. I've been waiting for you."

Black Zetsu had been temporarily created by Kaguya Ōtsutsuki during the sealing process performed by the Sage of the Six Paths. His purpose was to revive Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, and he was considered a manifestation of her consciousness. In some sense, he could be seen as Kaguya's son.

Zhang Miao had learned all of this from watching Naruto, but within the current ninja world, only Black Zetsu himself knew this secret.

Therefore, when Zhang Miao uttered those words, Black Zetsu was taken aback.

"How... how do you know? Who are you?"

Seeing Black Zetsu's shocked and uneasy expression, Zhang Miao knew that his "opening move" had been successful. He couldn't help but smile.

"Haha, don't worry. If I had any ill intentions towards you, I wouldn't have ignored the changes you made to the Uchiha clan's ancestral stone tablet. What do you think?"

The Uchiha clan's ancestral stone tablet had been left by the Sage of the Six Paths. After the Sage's death, the contents of the tablet had been secretly altered by Black Zetsu. Madara wasn't aware that the contents of his clan's ancestral stone tablet had been tampered with, and after seeing the altered content, he had firmly believed that the "Infinite Tsukuyomi" was the only way to save the Uchiha clan. This belief eventually led to a series of tragic events.

Madara had created many tragedies, but in the end, he himself became a tragedy. It was quite a lamentable situation, especially when he realized that Black Zetsu had deceived him during their confrontation.

In the entire Naruto series, even though Black Zetsu appeared only briefly, he was undoubtedly a genuine "boss."

But now, this "boss" stood before Zhang Miao, wearing a shocked expression.

"How... how do you know about the Uchiha clan's stone tablet? Who are you?"

Seeing Black Zetsu's eyes filled with fear and hostility, Zhang Miao's smile grew even brighter.

"Hehe, you can call me a god!"

With that, the eye in the center of Zhang Miao's forehead suddenly opened wide. Seeing this, Black Zetsu's eyes widened in shock once again.

"This... this is..."