One had to admit—if it were an ordinary hot-blooded, chūnibyō teenager, Black Zetsu's words would have been enough to ignite their spirit, filling them with grand ambitions to "change the world."
But his target was Naruto.
And while Naruto was willing to play along, he was not about to let Black Zetsu control the pace.
So Black Zetsu received a response that was sharp, clean, and absolute—Naruto's decisive rejection.
For once, it was Black Zetsu's turn to be dumbfounded.
"I laid out so much, and now you're telling me it's none of your business? Shouldn't you be dedicating yourself to 'ending the shinobi world'? To saving—or at least destroying—this rotten system?"
Why wasn't this Nine-Tails brat playing along with the script?
Troublesome…
Seeing Naruto completely unmoved, Black Zetsu began to despair a little inside.
"Seriously? Out of words already? So much for composure…"
Since Zetsu seemed stuck, Naruto took the initiative to steer the conversation:
"I understand now. Zetsu-senpai said all this to tell me that the organization led by that 'Kashin Koji' is capturing tailed beasts—and that this is tied to their origin, right?"
"In the end, they'll come after me for the Nine-Tails. So I should be prepared?"
Black Zetsu, relieved to be given a lifeline, seized it immediately:
"Exactly. Their goal is to revive the partner of the legendary god—the mythical divine beast, the Ten-Tails."
"It is said that gaining the Ten-Tails' power allows one to rival the Sage of Six Paths himself."
Obito was useless, Madara was stuck in the Pure Land… tricking this Nine-Tails brat into gathering the beasts and becoming the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki wasn't the worst outcome. At the very least, it might lead to reviving Madara.
"Turning the Ten-Tails into a 'divine beast'? Truly impressive spin…"
Hardly anyone in the shinobi world even knew of the Ten-Tails' existence. Not even the nine tailed beasts themselves, who were merely fragments of its chakra, understood it. That gave Black Zetsu free rein to embellish.
He went on to reveal several long-buried secrets of the past millennium, even dropping the line "The Sage's chakra still watches over this world." He then casually demonstrated a bit of Yin–Yang Release before Naruto's eyes.
After all, this was his specialty. Centuries of practice, subtle enough to stab Madara's very heart without notice—his mastery of Yin–Yang Release was among the highest in the shinobi world.
"Not bad… this Yin–Yang Release will be mine someday."
Seeing Naruto's expression turn ever more "respectful," Black Zetsu inwardly nodded with satisfaction.
"Zetsu-senpai," Naruto spoke with a respectful but questioning tone, "with all this knowledge… surely your true identity is not merely 'Zetsu,' is it?"
That look—half-believing, half-doubting—was exactly the opening Black Zetsu had been waiting for.
"Here it comes…"
This was the critical moment. If he could reveal an identity that carried enough weight, everything would fall into place. That was how he had ensnared Indra, and later Madara.
"Yes… my true identity is the embodiment of Madara Uchiha's will—"
But before he could even finish, Naruto cut him off:
"Anyone who knows such ancient secrets, and who wields Yin–Yang Release with such mastery, could hardly be from the last century. No… you must be far older."
Black Zetsu: "…?!"
Damn. Overplayed it.
He realized he had let slip too much information—things Madara could never have known. Claiming to be Madara now would unravel all his carefully built mystique.
The Madara card was strong… but not strong enough.
"This Nine-Tails brat is tougher to fool than both Indra and Madara combined…"
So who should he claim to be?
Before he could decide, Naruto spoke again:
"I see now. You're the incarnation of the Sage of Six Paths, aren't you?"
"…Why didn't I think of that?!"
Compared to the Sage, Madara's name was second-rate.
Black Zetsu was just about to nod—when Naruto shook his head.
"No… that can't be right. Kurama never mentioned it."
Ah, yes. He had forgotten—Naruto was unlike other jinchūriki. He could directly communicate with the Nine-Tails. Any false claim to be the Sage could be exposed immediately.
Before Black Zetsu could scramble for another cover story, Naruto spoke again:
"But Kurama did say he sensed a familiar aura from you."
Black Zetsu: "…???"
Wait—what?
Kurama could do that?!
This was bad. The lie was collapsing, and retreat was starting to look very tempting. Another few centuries of hiding wouldn't hurt—survival was all that mattered.
Still, Naruto pressed on:
"If you could say, 'The Sage's chakra still watches over this world,' then it means you must be connected to him."
Naruto lifted an imaginary pair of glasses up his nose, pointed at Zetsu, and declared:
"There's only one truth: Zetsu-senpai, you must be a descendant of the Sage of Six Paths, aren't you?"
"I've heard from Kurama that the Sage left behind a small clan—possibly even direct descendants."
"Zetsu-senpai, am I right?"
Black Zetsu: "…!!!"
Ah! Yes! Yes! Yes!!!
"I underestimated you…" Black Zetsu quickly adjusted, adopting a tone that mimicked Madara's gravitas:
"Indeed—I am the Sage's son… the incarnation of Indra's will."
Sasuke, barely holding back his laughter, froze.
"…Huh? You're Indra's will? Then what the hell does that make me?"
Good thing he didn't try claiming to be Asura.
"As I thought," Naruto murmured, as though digesting the revelation. After a pause, he asked slowly:
"Then, Zetsu-senpai… your role in the organization. Is it to guide the Leader? Or… to guide me?"
Black Zetsu: "…Good excuse. Mine now."
"In the past, I guided the one who bore the Sage's Eye. Now, you too are among them—you too have the qualifications to inherit the Sage's legacy."
His words were carefully aimed to sow discord between Naruto and Nagato, just as he had once sown discord between Indra and Asura.
But his true concern was still that mysterious group who had suddenly appeared and stolen the Eight-Tails.
"A new enemy has emerged. We cannot remain stagnant."
"They are gathering the tailed beasts. That alone makes them an immense threat."
"Then does Zetsu-senpai know where they are?" Naruto pressed. His sensory range still didn't cover the entire continent; he could find them eventually, but it would take too much time.
"Rather than waiting to be attacked… why don't we strike first?"
The sooner the hidden threat was dealt with, the sooner the world could breathe easier. And besides—this was the perfect opportunity to send some expendable pawns ahead.
At last, hearing Naruto fall into step with him, Black Zetsu let out a silent sigh of relief. Just moments ago, he had exhausted every trick in his arsenal—if that hadn't worked, retreat would have been his only option.
"But of course," Black Zetsu said with great pride. "There is no place I cannot infiltrate. This vast land itself is but an extension of me!"