"Kehehehe… as expected of a reserve member of the organization."
From beneath the earth, a small, beady-eyed black figure slowly emerged. "I hid so deeply, and yet you still discovered me."
It was Zetsu—but not the usual one. To be precise, it was Black Zetsu.
Without White Zetsu's half, the resemblance to a certain "little black silhouette" from a detective manga was uncanny… except with sharper, more sinister eyes.
"Zetsu-senpai, I told you before—you can't escape my sensory perception." Naruto greeted the appearance without surprise, his expression calm and composed as always.
"And you seem… different from usual. Hm. Where's your other half?"
He was, of course, referring to White Zetsu.
Black Zetsu explained: "He and I are separate beings. Though we are both Zetsu, we are not one and the same."
'Naruto, this one's aura feels strange.'
Inside the seal space, Kakarot—rarely one to speak up—frowned thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.
'It's not exactly evil… but it's not good, either. Odd. This is the first time I've sensed something like this.'
Indeed, though Black Zetsu was the hidden mastermind behind the events of the Naruto world, his abilities were invested entirely in stealth and survival. His direct combat power was mediocre at best. And unlike most villains, he was not given to senseless slaughter. His goal was singular—resurrecting his mother.
Unlike a certain filial pretender, this was truly the greatest filial son of the shinobi world.
Judged solely by purpose, he was not necessarily a "bad person."
But could one say he had never committed evil deeds? Hardly. He had caused plenty.
The truth was, he could not be called pure evil—nor could he be absolved of it.
This was the difference between worlds. In Dragon Ball, the line between good and evil was stark. The three main villains of the Z era—Frieza, Cell, Majin Buu—were pure embodiments of evil. Unless reincarnated after death, they could never be redeemed. Even Vegeta, despite his redemption arc, still went to Hell when he died.
But Naruto was different. No matter how many atrocities one committed, as long as the villain had a tragic backstory, it could be spun into "sympathy" and "redemption."
Even Danzō—the man scapegoated as the very "evil of this world"—still had people excusing his actions. If he had been written with a bit more style, he would no doubt have been another fan-favorite character.
'Sensei, you will encounter more beings with this kind of aura in the future.' Kakarot spoke again. Once, he had been unable to sense anything outside the seal, but as Naruto's strength grew, so did his awareness of the world.
'Our worlds are fundamentally different.'
"Is that so…" Kakarot blinked, then grinned. "Hahaha! I don't really get it, but I am curious about this world. I want to learn more."
You really don't. Beneath the surface of passion, bonds, and "friendship," this world ran on deceit, betrayal, and lies.
In this land, ordinary people could never escape the curse of their bloodline.
In a sense, Neji's old words were true: "Destiny cannot be changed. It is decided from the moment you are born."
"Zetsu-senpai, what brings you to me?" Naruto asked evenly. "As far as I recall, the Leader hasn't issued any new orders. Has something changed?"
Black Zetsu shook his head. "I am not here on Pain's behalf."
"Then state your purpose."
Naruto's voice sharpened, his gaze cutting straight into him like a blade.
Even that fleeting eye contact made Black Zetsu's chest tighten with unease.
The Nine-Tails brat's eyes… there was something unnerving about them. More terrifying even than when he had once stood before Indra himself.
"Naruto… Uzumaki Naruto, may I call you that?" For the first time, Black Zetsu felt a twinge of regret for his decision. But with recent chaos and Obito proving unreliable, he had little choice but to press on.
"You are aware that the Nine-Tails sealed within you is the foremost of the nine tailed beasts, yes?"
"Then do you know why the tailed beasts exist at all?"
"The tailed beasts are born from human malice fused with natural energy," Naruto recited the common understanding in the shinobi world.
Of course, the shinobi who coveted the power of the tailed beasts would never record the truth.
Instead, they demonized the beasts, smeared them with lies, and then claimed the moral high ground to justify capturing them.
That had always been the way of things.
Even if a jinchūriki who knew the truth tried to explain, who would believe the words of a "monster"?
After being betrayed so many times, the tailed beasts stopped explaining.
There was no point.
"No, that is not the truth." Black Zetsu shook his head. "The tailed beasts merely absorb the emotions of humans. Their bodies are unique, drawing in the stray spiritual energies that drift through the world. Even if they do not actively absorb it, this energy naturally adheres to them."
"And because resentment is the strongest, most frequent of human emotions—born wherever injustice exists, born wherever war is waged—this world has never been without hatred. For thousands of years, negative energy has saturated the air. That is why the tailed beasts appear to be embodiments of hatred."
"But that is not their origin."
In other words, the tailed beasts were products of Yin–Yang Release. Their chakra was not conjured from nothing, but gathered from the Yin and Yang chakra scattered throughout the world.
The Yin Release encompassed all things spiritual—emotions included.
And by absorbing these energies, the tailed beasts grew. Originally, when they were first created, the nine beasts were only small, almost cute creatures. Over a thousand years, they grew into the colossal monsters of legend.
"They were not born of nature—they were created."
As Naruto's interest deepened, Black Zetsu pressed further, raising more questions.
"Do you know who created the nine tailed beasts? Do you know his purpose in doing so?"
"Do you know what mission the tailed beasts truly carry?"
Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Zetsu-senpai… don't tell me you're saying you know the answer?"
"Then let me tell you a story." Black Zetsu's voice sank, adopting an ancient, weary tone, as if recalling an age long gone.
"Thousands of years ago, at the dawn of heaven and earth, the Sage of Six Paths bestowed chakra upon humanity. To protect the shinobi world, he created the nine tailed beasts."
Wait a second.
Why did that sound so familiar?
Wasn't this the same nonsense I used to fool Nagato?
"Do you know the true mission of the jinchūriki? Do you desire the Sage of Six Paths' legacy?"
Naruto's expression twisted into something unreadable. To Black Zetsu, it looked like awe. To Naruto himself…
Is this guy seriously trying to scam me?
Black Zetsu's voice grew honeyed, full of temptation:
"Do you want to know the truth of this world? Do you want to understand the meaning of life?"
"Do you want to truly live?"
"…No. Not interested."
Naruto's answer was immediate, firm, and final.