"Escape?"
"How ridiculous!!!"
"You're just someone else's pawn."
"Did you really think you controlled everything?"
"Think carefully—who do you believe is truly pulling the strings behind everything happening now?"
Kawaki once again held out until Limbo: Border Jail cooled down. It wouldn't be easy for Madara to defeat him completely.
As for Zetsu, that devious schemer, Kawaki had no intention of letting him off easy.
"What are you trying to say?"
Madara continued fending off attacks from Daibutsu, seemingly ready to endure this drawn-out battle with Kawaki and see who could last longer.
He glanced at Zetsu, a sudden wave of doubt rising in his mind.
"What do I mean?"
"Why don't you ask the person right beside you?"
Kawaki gradually steadied his emotions, skillfully maneuvering Daibutsu to exchange blows evenly with Armored Outer Path Susano'o.
The invisible shockwave sent Hashirama and the others flying farther back.
"Lord Madara, don't listen to this brat's nonsense!"
"Everything's still going according to your plan, isn't it?"
Zetsu maintained an outward calm, but his mind was in turmoil. He couldn't tell whether Kawaki was trying to stir things up or actually knew something.
But that was impossible, wasn't it?
How could Kawaki—who was barely an adult—possibly know about his thousand-year schemes?
He shot Kawaki a glance before hurrying to explain things to Madara.
"Did he say anything?"
Madara paused, stumbling backward from Daibutsu's blow. He subtly stepped away from Zetsu without showing his suspicion.
"Only you stand by my side, right?"
"If not you, then who else could he be referring to?"
Zetsu quickly caught on, offering a perfectly reasonable excuse for his suspicious behavior.
"Did your resurrection really unfold exactly how you planned?"
"You never completed your final move before your death—it was missing the most crucial piece."
"With only Nagato involved, your chances of revival were practically zero."
"I'm sure you understand this better than anyone."
Kawaki had enough evidence to convince Madara—and when that time came, it would be Zetsu's end.
Without Zetsu—the biggest wild card—none of this should've happened today.
In his original plan, the moment Madara died, everything should've ended.
"I've only ever carried out your will."
"Even if your final step didn't go as planned, I still brought you back to life."
"Right?"
Before Madara could speak, Zetsu leapt to defend himself, speaking logically and persuasively.
Following Madara's way of thinking, since Zetsu was a product of his own will, this completely served his master's interests.
As for Impure World Reincarnation, Madara hadn't even bothered to look into it back then, and even less so now.
Madara remained silent, shifting his gaze toward Kawaki.
Clearly, he still chose to trust Zetsu—at least for now.
"Kaguya Ōtsutsuki."
"You should be familiar with that name, shouldn't you?"
Kawaki knew he'd have to pull out the ultimate move to get Zetsu to break.
The moment those words were spoken, Zetsu felt icy chills crawling up his spine.
He swallowed nervously, hoping Kawaki knew as little as possible—or better yet, nothing at all.
"What about it?" Madara frowned slightly, unsure what Kawaki was aiming to imply.
"What you saw on the Uchiha clan's stone tablet is all true."
"However, the purpose of the Moon's Eye Plan isn't to create a peaceful world."
"Dreaming beautifully for a few days before dying—how could such a world symbolize peace?"
"Only someone as twisted as you could possibly believe that."
Kawaki truly felt deep contempt for Madara's intellect. How could a normal person be so dumb?
"What do you know about it?"
"Then tell me, what exactly is the real purpose of the Moon's Eye Plan?"
Madara glared furiously at Kawaki. The long sword in his Armored Outer Path Susano'o heavily chopped down onto Daibutsu twice.
"Why don't you ask that guy next to you?"
"The Uchiha stone tablet was rewritten by him personally."
Kawaki pouted slightly, looking at Zetsu with mockery all over his face.
"Me rewrite it? That's absurd!"
"How old do you think I am? I haven't even existed for that many years!"
Under Madara's gaze, if Zetsu had a heart, it probably would've jumped out of fear.
He forced himself to remain calm, yet the duality of his face made him look absurdly comical.
"Oh please, don't act so humble."
"A thousand-year-old monster willingly becoming someone's servant?"
"Unless you had a massive hidden agenda, I wouldn't believe it for a second."
"What's your take, Lord Madara?"
Kawaki poured more fuel onto the fire, speaking lightly and teasingly—he was determined to back Zetsu into a corner.
"A thousand years?"
"What the hell even *are* you?"
Recalling every strange anomaly from the past, Madara's suspicions grew exponentially.
With a low shout, the look he gave Zetsu turned fierce.
"Don't listen to his nonsense! I'm merely a product of your will!"
"There's no way I've lived for a thousand years!"
Zetsu's attitude was clear—he'd rather die than admit anything.
He simply refused to believe Kawaki had any evidence proving his age.
"The Sage of Six Paths wasn't Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's only son."
"One of her sons was the Sage of Six Paths, while the other son is standing right beside you—this guy called Zetsu."
"The Moon's Eye Plan is, in fact, the crucial first step toward reviving Kaguya Ōtsutsuki."
"He intends to use your life to resurrect his mother."
"So tell me—who's the pawn here? You… or him?"
The sheer volume of information Kawaki unleashed left Madara reeling—his mind nearly shutting down.
Wait, so this thing called Zetsu counts as a person too?
Hadn't he remembered both of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's sons being actual humans?
Using your life to revive Kaguya Ōtsutsuki—did Zetsu really have that power?
Ohhh!
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Countless thoughts flashed through his mind until Zetsu's voice startled him back to reality.
"I would never be someone ruthless enough to seal away Mother!"
"And those two are hardly worthy of being Mother's sons!"
As soon as Zetsu spoke two sentences, he realized he'd been tricked.
What nonsense about being one of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's sons—these were clearly traps Kawaki Hatake had deliberately laid out.
In that instant, Zetsu understood clearly—Kawaki knew everything.
And now, he was utterly finished.
"You're the embodiment of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's will?"
"And the Moon's Eye Plan was something you intentionally led me toward?"
At that moment, Madara's sharp mind clicked into overdrive. He precisely caught the key phrases hidden within Zetsu's words.
Sealed… Mother.
Everything suddenly clicked in his mind.
The Sage of Six Paths and his brother sealed away Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the Ōtsutsuki matriarch. Born from Kaguya's will under unknown circumstances, Zetsu came into being.
He outlived the Sage of Six Paths and exhausted every possible method. Finally, he saw the hope of Kaguya's revival within himself, which gave him the strength to defy death.
Her resurrection was inevitable—no further action was needed.
As for how Zetsu intended to use his body to bring Kaguya back, Madara had no interest in finding out.
Madara had no intention of letting Zetsu live long enough to see it happen.
"Kawaki Hatake, you deserve to die!!"
Zetsu ignored Madara's taunt, muttered a curse, and instantly morphed into a White Zetsu clone before shifting into a black mass attempting to flee.
"Still trying to run?"
Madara raised his hand and fired several black rods, impaling Black Zetsu and pinning him to his Armored Outer Path Susano'o. No matter how fiercely Black Zetsu struggled, he couldn't break free.
...
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