Birth of Black Zetsu (Part 1)

Graveyard of the Mountains~

Uchiha Madara sat grimly on a wide chair, but his face had an unusual flush of color. Several tubes from the Gedo Statue were connected to his back as he listened to White Zetsu's report.

"...That's the situation, Lord Madara!"

"We may never be able to sneak into Konoha for fun again. This guy's presence is extremely dangerous, extremely terrifying, and he spotted me immediately!"

White Zetsu complained noisily, and Madara waved him off, dismissing the disgruntled White Zetsu.

Beside him, Nagato was anxiously supporting Uzumaki Kana. After several months together, Nagato had come to see this fellow Uzumaki, whom he had never met before, as his trusted sister.

Uzumaki Kana was the mother of Karin in the original timeline and was now around the same age as Minato, about sixteen or seventeen years old. However, her naturally delicate doll-like face made her appear younger than her age.

"Madara, are you okay?"

Nagato looked worriedly at Madara. After years of working together, his relationship with Madara was fairly harmonious.

Kana also looked at Uchiha Madara with concern. Despite Madara drawing a large amount of her chakra to sustain his life after his battle with Fuma, she still saw him as a hero and a great benefactor who had rescued her from the hell of Kusagakure.

Madara's massacre of Kusagakure had also cleansed her of the torment she had endured for years.

He was a man she would dedicate her life to repaying. Even in matters of life and death, if Madara needed her, she would not hesitate to give up her life.

"No matter. The plan just needs some adjustments."

Madara's tone remained unchanged, still giving off an air of complete control, but inside he was churning. Even he was shaken by the intelligence White Zetsu had brought.

"That man seems to have shown growth beyond all taijutsu users, stepping into a new realm..."

"Even the Box of Ultimate Bliss couldn't contain him, and it has mutated the Six Path Tools as well..."

Madara closed his eyes and pondered for a long time, then directed his gaze at Nagato, speaking slowly:

"Nagato, in one month, I will entrust these Rinnegan to you. You must train even harder to bring light to this ninja world."

Nagato responded solemnly, his voice deep:

"I swear on my life, I will use your eyes to bring true light to the ninja world. The Eye of the Moon Plan will be the goal of my life!"

Madara nodded slightly, then shifted his gaze toward Uzumaki Kana.

"As for you, you still can't keep up with Nagato's pace. You need to make some changes."

Uzumaki Kana, filled with fervor, loudly declared:

"I am willing to give everything for Lord Madara and Nagato's ideals. Please, give me your orders!"

During Madara's absence, Nagato had quickly formed a close bond with her. The two scattered remnants of the Uzumaki clan had sparked a particularly warm connection.

In their daily conversations, Nagato had subtly shared his vision of changing the ninja world, which deeply captivated her. This girl, who had suffered so much in the ninja world, was utterly defenseless against such grand ideals.

Madara pondered. Kana's arrival was also outside his original plans.

"It seems there's a special bond between Nagato and Kana. This is something I can use..."

"Nagato, after three years of training, seems mentally stronger than before..."

Although Nagato still treated Madara with great respect, Madara could detect a slight unease in his expression.

Just like Obito in the previous life, if not for things falling apart in his plans, Madara would never have had the chance to return to the living world. He would have remained a decaying corpse, eternally sleeping underground.

"I must find a way to control Nagato, and I need to find someone strong enough to oversee the implementation of the Eye of the Moon Plan..."

Madara felt a headache coming on. Fuma's blockade against the Uchiha clan was tight, and now, with the suspected development of malicious perception abilities, Madara's intelligence network had been fundamentally severed.

For the first time, a flicker of tenderness appeared in Madara's eyes as he glanced at the ground on his right. Then, shaking his head, he murmured:

"It's still not time to disturb Izuna's rest..."

If there was anyone Madara truly cared for in this world, it was not his father, Tajima, but Izuna, who had sacrificed his eyes and everything for him.

His love for his younger brother was so deep that even when he saw someone who resembled Izuna, like Sasuke, he couldn't bring himself to kill them.

"Well, you should already have a rough idea of the Eye of the Moon plan. If you want to join, you'll have to give everything to improve your strength."

Madara slowly stroked Kana's head, but his tone was strict.

Uzumaki Kana nodded without hesitation, her voice loud and resolute:

"I've been ready for a long time, Lord Madara!"

Madara slowly formed a hand seal with one hand, and the Gedo Statue behind him roared, extending several tubes that connected to Kana, ruthlessly piercing her skin.

"Glug, glug, glug..."

The substance flowing through the Gedo Statue's tubes entered Kana's body, and a thin layer of white began to form on her skin.

Kana bit her lip in pain, making no sound, but the twisted expression on her face showed she was enduring great suffering.

"Ahhhhhhh!"

Kana finally couldn't bear the agony any longer, letting out a heart-wrenching scream.

But Madara coldly shook his head, indifferent to Kana's cries of pain.

In truth, this was a test for Uzumaki Kana, but it was also a way to save her life.

Madara, possessing the power of all creation, required chakra absorption dozens of times greater than what others needed to sustain his life.

After draining Kana of her chakra, her foundation had been severely damaged, and her life force greatly weakened, showing signs of an impending sudden death.

Madara's action was to inject the pure energy of the God Tree into Kana's body, triggering a transformation. However, the power of the God Tree wasn't something ordinary people could endure.

In the experiments with Wood Release in Konoha, only one in hundreds survived, and this was a force that surpassed even Hashirama's cells.

Madara summoned a White Zetsu, and as the confused creature approached, Madara's hand gripped its face tightly.

"Six Paths: Soul Infusion"

White Zetsu howled as half its body was soaked in black yin-release chakra, transforming it into a half-black, half-white being that knelt on one leg, saying:

"I submit to your will, my master."

Madara nodded slightly and introduced it to Nagato:

"This is a will I created with Six Paths ninjutsu. You can consider it as half of myself. Its name is Black Zetsu."

"From now on, it will guide your training."

Nagato nodded but couldn't help glancing at the writhing, agonized Kana beside him.

Madara coldly waved his hand, and Black Zetsu led Nagato out of the cave. Though Nagato looked back repeatedly, Black Zetsu firmly and politely escorted him out.

"If I want to use the Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique, my current life force may not be enough to resurrect Izuna, even with the support of the Gedo Statue. I still need several years..."

"No, I shouldn't disturb Izuna's rest. Given the current state of the world, a large-scale conflict in the ninja world is inevitable, and perhaps I can find an Uchiha who truly meets the conditions during the chaos..."

Madara slowly walked toward Kana and placed a secret seal within her body, injecting a trace of Rinnegan chakra to help her suppress the chaotic chakra within.

Kana, gritting her teeth through the pain, murmured, "Thank you, Lord Madara, for your help. I will become your most powerful tool!"

Madara snorted coldly and returned to his seat, adjusting the energy of the Gedo Statue within him, remaining silent.

The failure against Fuma weighed heavily on Madara, leaving the man who had only ever been defeated by Hashirama with a rare sense of frustration.

Outside the cave, the Black Zetsu that Madara had created was slowly infiltrated from the ground by a purer yin-yang release substance, replacing its will.

This unknown entity that replaced Black Zetsu was none other than Kaguya's true "third child," Zetsu!

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