Kaito pinched the Truth-Seeking Orb in his hand with slight force.
With a series of cracking sounds, the orb shattered into countless black fragments, scattering through the air.
Madara's eyes widened abruptly, his face filled with disbelief.
Kaito smiled lightly and spoke,
"Is that it? Is this all you've got?"
As Madara stared in shock, a white robe appeared on Kaito's body, and two horns grew from his head.
Twelve Truth-Seeking Orbs floated behind him, while Kaito stood there quietly, a black staff in his hand.
In his Rinnegan, there was neither sorrow nor joy.
...
"How is this possible!?"
Madara and Black Zetsu cried out almost simultaneously. Black Zetsu, terrified, instantly melted into a puddle of black water and slipped into Madara's sleeve.
From Kaito, he could clearly sense an aura that filled him with dread—something fundamentally different from Madara's.
Madara's power, when stripped down, was essentially the power of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. From him, Black Zetsu felt a familiar closeness.
But from Kaito, it was a completely different sensation.
Black Zetsu carried Kaguya's memories, and he knew very well what she feared most.
She feared the other Ōtsutsuki coming here!
And right now, in Kaito's form, what he saw was a true Ōtsutsuki!
In that instant, everything seemed to fall into place.
But precisely because of that, the shock in his heart could no longer be contained, and he shouted out loud,
"I get it now! You're no Uchiha at all! You're an Ōtsutsuki! You've come to capture Mother!"
Madara froze, stunned. Who was this "Mother" Black Zetsu was talking about?
The moment Black Zetsu blurted it out, he regretted it deeply.
If Madara realized something was off, then his entire plan to rescue Mother was as good as ruined.
But fate always takes the worst turn—Madara frowned and asked,
"What are you talking about? What is an Ōtsutsuki? And who is this Mother you speak of?"
"Uh, Madara-sama, actually..."
Black Zetsu stammered for a long time, but still failed to come up with a convincing explanation.
Madara's doubts only grew heavier. He was beginning to realize this "creation" of his wasn't nearly as simple as he thought.
Standing before them, Kaito suddenly spoke,
"No wonder they call you the most dutiful son of the shinobi world. Honestly, I kind of admire you."
As he said this, Kaito began walking step by step toward Madara.
Madara immediately flew into the sky, trying to put some distance between them.
Kaito sighed softly.
"Why run? I only wanted a little chat with the dutiful son."
Before the words even finished leaving his lips, Kaito's figure vanished from sight.
The next instant, he appeared directly above Madara.
Madara spun around in shock—only to be met with the swing of an unremarkable-looking fist.
Boom!
With a deafening crash, Madara was blasted from the sky, slamming deep into the ground.
"Kh... cough..."
Madara lay slanted in the crater, his clothes torn to shreds, blood spewing from his mouth.
His expression was one of pure disbelief as he cupped a handful of his own blood.
He had become the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki, wielding power on par with the Sage of Six Paths.
And yet—he had been injured!
And not by anything complex—just one punch from Kaito!
His wounds were healing, but the recovery was abnormally slow, far beneath what this body should have been capable of.
While Madara sat in stunned silence, Black Zetsu had already slithered quietly from his sleeve, creeping toward his back.
...
Swish!
Kaito appeared before Madara once again.
Looking at Madara's disheveled state, he spoke calmly,
"Now do you see the difference between us?"
Madara struggled to his feet, glaring intently at Kaito. After a long pause, he asked,
"Uchiha Kaito... Can you tell me how you obtained this power?"
That Kaito possessed the Rinnegan was still within the bounds of Madara's understanding.
But the fact that Kaito's power surpassed even his own as the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki—that was something Madara could not comprehend.
Kaito offered no answer.
Instead, a black shadow slowly unfurled behind him.
The shadow took the form of a monstrous creature, its face dominated by a massive red Rinnegan.
Most striking of all—behind it floated ten long, slender tails.
Seeing the beast, Madara could no longer contain himself.
"The Ten-Tails!?"
At the same time, a sharp scream rang out from behind him.
"So you really are an Ōtsutsuki!"
Madara spun around sharply—and there was Black Zetsu, sneaking behind him like a thief.
Black Zetsu cursed inwardly. He tried to explain (to lie), but Madara's foot came crashing down first, kicking him with brutal force.
The impact twisted Black Zetsu's body into the rock wall, but he wasn't truly harmed. He even feigned an aggrieved tone as he said,
"Madara-sama, what are you doing?"
Madara snorted coldly.
"I should be asking you. What were you scheming, skulking around behind me?"
"Madara-sama, you've misunderstood me! You know I don't have much power. I only hid behind you so I wouldn't drag you down!"
Of course, Madara didn't buy it.
He had lived far too long to be tricked so easily.
The way Black Zetsu had been lurking behind him just now was anything but harmless.
Madara grabbed him by the throat, lifting him into the air. His voice was ice-cold.
"I'll ask one more time. What exactly are you? And what do you want from me?"
Black Zetsu cursed in his heart.
What happened with Kaito today was far too unbelievable.
Even he, the ultimate schemer who had survived for a thousand years, had lost composure and exposed himself.
And knowing Madara's nature, there was no way he could smooth things over anymore.
After a long silence, Black Zetsu spoke again—his voice now utterly different from before.
It was low, heavy, and grave.
"Madara... does it really matter what I am? Don't you still want to complete the Infinite Tsukuyomi?"
Madara's brows lifted slightly.
He no longer trusted Black Zetsu, but he still believed in the stone tablet he had read.
Eradicating war through the Infinite Tsukuyomi remained his ultimate dream.
Pulling Black Zetsu close, he asked word by word,
"So you still have a way to turn this situation around?"
Black Zetsu let out a mysterious smile.
"Of course. As long as my mother is revived, something like the Infinite Tsukuyomi will be child's play."
At the mention of "Mother" once again, Madara couldn't help but ask,
"Who exactly is your mother?"
Before Black Zetsu could answer, Kaito suddenly appeared behind Madara, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Madara stiffened as he turned his head toward him.
Kaito's lips curled into a gentle smile, as if doing Black Zetsu a favor by answering for him.
"His mother's name is Ōtsutsuki Kaguya."