As soon as Natsume arrived, he had been closely watching Black Zetsu.
The Black Zetsu before him was not so much the same one from the original story as he was created by Isshiki Ōtsutsuki.
To be precise, he was created.
At first glance, there seemed to be no difference between him and the Black Zetsu originally created by Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
Perhaps this was a common trait among all members of the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
This Black Zetsu came into existence after Isshiki Ōtsutsuki was sealed away.
At that time, Natsume and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki had already returned to the ninja world, so they had never met face-to-face.
Plus, since Black Zetsu had been focused on trying to ambush Nagato, he hadn't paid much attention to them.
When that black light appeared, Natsume immediately raised his hand without hesitation.
Nagato and Konan, who had been watching him intently, assumed he was preparing an attack and instinctively launched a ninjutsu in response.
Nagato was still weakened from using Super: Almighty Push, but that didn't mean he was defenseless.
[Shinra Tensei!]
His Rinnegan pulsed with power as a massive wave of repulsive force spread outward.
Konan's approach was straightforward.
Countless paper fragments transformed into shuriken, completely engulfing Natsume.
The next moment,
Nagato sensed something wrong.
He stared at Black Zetsu in disbelief.
That beam struck him, and instantly, he felt his body freeze up.
"Zetsu! What the hell are you doing?!"
Konan also noticed the dark chakra spreading across Nagato's face.
Black Zetsu chuckled darkly, ready to seize control—until his expression suddenly twisted in shock, and he staggered backward.
Nagato froze.
A surge of chakra unlike anything he had ever felt erupted from within him, instantly banishing the dark energy.
Coming back to his senses, Nagato wore an expression of shock.
This chakra was this pure in the ninja world?
As a member of the Uzumaki clan, possessing the Rinnegan, his own chakra quality was among the best.
Yet compared to this new chakra, it felt like comparing heaven and earth.
As if they belonged to completely different realms of existence.
"The chakra of the Ōtsutsuki Clan?!"
Before Nagato could process what was happening, Black Zetsu's voice cracked with fear as he spoke the answer.
"Nagato."
Natsume effortlessly batted away the paper shuriken with a casual wave, grinning through the impact of the Shinra Tensei. "Looks like your little organization isn't as tight-knit as you thought."
Nagato remained silent.
After Madara Uchiha died, Obito Uchiha disguised himself as Madara and approached him alongside Zetsu, attempting to recruit him.
But Yahiko rejected their offer.
Not long afterward, Yahiko died—killed by Hanzo the Demi-God, leader of Amegakure Village.
Devastated by the loss, Nagato turned radical and accepted Obito and Zetsu's invitation, forming the newly formed Akatsuki.
He had always known the two couldn't be fully trusted—but driven by ambition and a shared objective, he chose to ignore it.
He never imagined they'd actually betray him in such a direct ambush.
Now freed from the brief control, Nagato finally understood exactly what Black Zetsu had been after.
The Rinnegan.
After all, it was essential for the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
In other words, Black Zetsu was ready to abandon him.
This realization left Nagato feeling bleak.
Unable to defeat Natsume, and now betrayed by an ally—he truly had no one left.
His grand ambitions were instantly diminished.
Natsume suspected that Nagato's decision to end his life in the original story might have stemmed from something like this.
In a state of defeat, swayed by Naruto Uzumaki's strength and Talk No Jutsu, he simply handed the future over to him.
"Who are you?!"
Black Zetsu broke the silence first.
Within his mind, the image of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki had already surfaced.
However, he didn't believe she could escape from her seal.
Thus, he believed Natsume, like himself, had been created by someone else.
The goal: to rescue Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
Their methods were the only difference.
Black Zetsu had gathered Madara Uchiha and the Akatsuki, aiming to assemble the Ten-Tails.
Natsume started with Konoha, uniting the Five Great Villages, also aiming to create the Ten-Tails.
At this moment, Black Zetsu thought deeply.
The more he thought about it, the more sense it made.
"Who am I?"
Natsume smiled slightly. "Why does everyone always ask me that?"
"We can cooperate."
Black Zetsu ignored his teasing tone.
Because of the Otsutsuki Clan's Chakra, he saw Natsume as one of his own kind.
More importantly, right now there was no way to escape—he'd already been targeted.
If he could escape, even without the Rinnegan, he could wait for another chance.
But now, he had no choice but to gamble everything.
"Cooperate?"
Natsume raised an eyebrow.
This was something he hadn't expected.
"Because our goals are the same."
Black Zetsu raised his hand, pointing toward the sky.
Natsume instantly understood what he meant.
In a certain sense, it truly was so.
Except one wanted to save people, while the other wanted to kill.
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, privately considering it potentially feasible.
But ultimately unnecessary.
Whether cooperating or not, Natsume could still free Isshiki Ōtsutsuki.
He glanced at Black Zetsu, wondering whether the Chakra of the Otsutsuki Clan could eliminate him.
This guy really knows how to survive.
Realizing this, Natsume used the Heavenly Network Log-in Device to notify Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
Time to let the professionals handle it.
"I wonder what you think about this?"
Black Zetsu grew anxious and couldn't help but ask again.
Nagato and Konan stood silently beside them.
Regardless of whether they tried to stop anything or not, it would be meaningless anyway.
They could only stand by and watch events unfold.
"You betrayed the Akatsuki before—what's stopping you from betraying me?"
[This mini-chapter isn't over yet! More excitement coming!]
Natsume shook his head and said,
Black Zetsu's expression darkened.
Since negotiations failed, he could only try to flee.
Though there was no guarantee he could actually escape.
If it were anyone else, he'd have confidence.
But against a ninja who possessed the Chakra of the Otsutsuki Clan, it was hard to say.
Still, he had no choice but to give it a try.
The next moment,
Black Zetsu suddenly stiffened.
Space twisted open, revealing a deep, mysterious door.
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
She was still dressed plainly as an unremarkable kunoichi, but the Rinne-Sharingan on her forehead sent chills down Black Zetsu's spine.
"Da… Da…"
Black Zetsu was so terrified he couldn't even finish his words.
This was impossible!
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki frowned slightly.
The scent of Isshiki Ōtsutsuki.
Without hesitation, she lifted her hand.
[Amenominaka!]
She vanished along with Black Zetsu.
This place is meant for battle, and staying here would endanger Natsume. Also, there's barely enough space to maneuver here.
Natsume didn't pay it any mind and turned his gaze toward Nagato and Konan. The two instantly felt as if they were facing a deadly threat.
"You two," Natsume asked with a smile, "want to join the Hidden Leaf Village?"
"Not interested," Nagato answered without hesitation.
"Nope. You do."
Natsume shook his head and said, "Nagato's goal has always been achieving so-called world peace. I can help him get there. Well, it might not be the peace Nagato imagined, but it's still genuine world peace. Of course, the cost would be some serious labor."
As for his current refusal? Totally irrelevant.
"I assume the Akatsuki organization never defaults on its debts," Natsume suddenly asked, seeing Nagato's fearless expression.
"...?"
At those words, Nagato momentarily froze. What did that mean?
Natsume pulled out the loan contract signed between Ena Uzumaki and Konan back then.
"Please have a look."
He tossed it to Konan.
"???"
Konan gave it a quick glance, her face full of question marks. "Who are you?!"
Here we go again—the same question.
Natsume couldn't help but smirk as he said, "I assume the Akatsuki organization never defaults on its debts."
Chapter End
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