Although even if he hadn't spoken, there was a high probability that this burden would still fall upon them, reality doesn't allow for "what ifs." That elder's fate likely wouldn't end well either.
After another round of heated debate, the elders of Kumogakure pushed back fiercely. In the end, they managed to avoid open conflict with Konohagakure. Instead, they proposed a different plan: kidnap a Konoha shinobi to draw out Kawaki Aoba.
And their target? Yuhi Kurenai.
That's right—they set their sights directly on the woman known to be close to Kawaki Aoba.
It must be said, the plan was audacious.
But while reckless, the people of Kumogakure weren't fools.
They could bear the infamy of provoking someone like Kawaki Aoba, but they wouldn't accept doing the heavy lifting alone—especially not when it came to risking direct retaliation.
So, the operation would ultimately involve cooperation among the other Great Nations as well.
Naturally, Danzo Shimura—ever the shadow lurking behind Konoha's politics—would not remain idle.
With his still-functioning intelligence network, he was tasked with uncovering Kurenai's movements and seizing an opportunity to strike once she left the village.
For reasons unknown, Danzo seemed unusually confident. To him, even if he was a disgraced remnant of the old era, Konoha's surveillance structure now was like a sieve.
Though this aroused some suspicion, no one dared question him. Everyone had their secrets, after all.
And at such a critical time, probing into others' affairs recklessly could lead to unnecessary fallout. As long as Danzo could guarantee results, no one cared about his methods.
The summit concluded, and the various shinobi returned to their villages. After all, their own Tailed Beasts still required protection and supervision, and this mission couldn't come at the cost of internal stability.
Meanwhile, taking advantage of the distraction, Black Zetsu slipped underground once more.
But rather than return to Amegakure to report to Nagato or attempt contact with Uchiha Madara, Black Zetsu tunneled directly into a secluded town within the Land of Fire.
There, in a hidden manor, lived a woman with pale skin and two crimson dots on her forehead—just above the temples.
Were any shinobi from Kirigakure to witness her, they would be shocked. Wasn't this the missing heiress of the Kaguya clan, said to have vanished from the clan grounds only days prior? How could she appear here, deep within the Land of Fire?
Black Zetsu erupted from the ground with barely-contained excitement and reverence. "Mother!" he cried.
Indeed, the woman was none other than a vessel—an incarnation of Otsutsuki Kaguya, who by all accounts should still have been sealed on the moon.
However, this was not Kaguya's full form.
Rather, it was a fragment of her consciousness and scattered chakra that had taken root within the body of a Kaguya clan descendant—one of the few in the modern era who still retained the faintest vestiges of her bloodline.
In essence, this was another incarnation of Otsutsuki Kaguya. Not her true body, but enough to exert a dangerous influence.
The fracture in the lunar seal, unintentionally weakened by Madara's activation of the Infinite Tsukuyomi decades ago, had allowed a sliver of her chakra to leak out—just enough to facilitate this form's awakening.
Even with just this fragment, her chakra was sufficient to purify the host body's lineage, gradually reshaping it. Though not yet strong, it was enough for her to move through the shinobi world without fear.
Upon Black Zetsu's arrival, Kaguya said nothing. She simply extended her sleeve. Without hesitation, Zetsu morphed into a black mass and flowed into it.
Black Zetsu, after all, was a creation born from her Yin-Yang Release and embedded with her will. He was not a complete lifeform but a sentient extension of her power.
Their communication did not require words. Chakra contact alone was enough for Kaguya to absorb his memories and understand all that had transpired.
If her true body had returned, even this physical contact would be unnecessary.
After absorbing the memories, Kaguya remained silent in thought.
Reviving her original body by recreating the Ten-Tails and sealing it into a Jinchuriki remained the most direct method. It wasn't the only option, but for now, it seemed the most viable.
Still, the ninja world had grown more unpredictable than she'd anticipated.
These so-called shinobi were supposed to be weak. Yet individuals like Uchiha Madara and that boy from Konoha—Kawaki Aoba—gave her pause.
Somehow, among these "ants," true threats had emerged—one of them, disturbingly, born of her own son's legacy.
Although Kaguya had never personally seen Kawaki Aoba, the wave of unease she felt when nearing Konoha days ago still lingered.
The last time she had experienced such a sensation… had been thousands of years ago.
Kaguya had always possessed raw power but lacked refined combat technique. She herself acknowledged her deficiencies in battle tactics—understandable, as she had once been only a servant in the Otsutsuki hierarchy.
Combat was never meant to be her strength.
It was precisely because of this—and because of her desperation to escape her fate—that she betrayed Otsutsuki Isshiki and consumed the Chakra Fruit.
It was a dangerous gamble, but her instincts—her greatest gift—had never failed her before.
Even now, those instincts screamed a warning.
Something in this era, someone, would stand in her way.
And she would need to act soon—before that someone grew too powerful to stop.
At first, Otsutsuki Kaguya had only paid slight attention to her circumstances. However, as the God Tree fruit neared maturation, the warning in her heart intensified.
Due to an unexpected event, she noticed the strange way Isshiki Otsutsuki was looking at her, and it dawned on her that the true source of the danger wasn't the native inhabitants of this planet but rather Isshiki Otsutsuki, who was standing beside her.
Although she had mentally prepared herself to be consumed by him and later resurrected through the Karma seal, her ominous premonition continued to remind her that Isshiki's intention was to kill her completely—without the possibility of resurrection.
Kaguya couldn't understand what she had done to provoke Isshiki into harboring such intentions, but she was not about to sit idly by and wait for her death.
There was no way she would simply accept her demise, which led to her consuming the God Tree fruit and ambushing Isshiki.
Initially, Kaguya had intended to flee before the members of the Otsutsuki clan arrived. Even wandering the universe would be better than being hunted by her own kin once the truth was exposed.
However, things did not go as planned. Just as she had resolved to leave, the power from the God Tree fruit began to run wild within her.
It was then that Kaguya realized that after consuming the God Tree fruit, she hadn't fully absorbed its power. Although her life essence had been completely transformed, much of its energy remained undigested.
Kaguya tried many times to harness the power for herself, but it was beyond her control.
This led to the decision that she would come to regret.
Unable to contain the immense power, she chose to create life to temporarily bear the burden. When she had fully channeled the power within her, she could retrieve the separated chakra and slowly digest it.
At the time, Kaguya had considered the possibility that the vessel bearing such tremendous power might rebel against her.
Therefore, she split the energy into two portions, creating Hagoromo Otsutsuki and Hamura Otsutsuki.
She remembered how the ignorant mortals of this planet even considered it a blessing that she had given birth to two divine children.
In retrospect, that idea was utterly absurd.
Now, Kaguya thought of her past actions with ridicule and sorrow, even wishing she could cry at her own foolishness.
Knowing now how overwhelming the power had been, why had she divided it into just two portions?
Had she split the energy into a dozen or more parts, she wouldn't have been stuck suspended in the sky above the ninja world for thousands of years.
Kaguya was filled with regret, but it was a regret born from hindsight. All she wanted now was to reclaim her power and flee far into the stars, as far as she could go, to avoid encountering any more members of the Otsutsuki clan.
As for the White Zetsu, they were biological weapons. Kaguya planned to take a few with her, knowing she would need some tools to command when arriving on a strange planet. She couldn't possibly do everything herself.
As for expecting them to fight off members of the Otsutsuki clan, that was just a deception. Only fools would believe such nonsense.
Whether her imprisonment had made Kaguya smarter, or whether she now understood she was not truly invincible in the ninja world, she was much wiser now.
The most notable change was that she could now patiently analyze the situation in the ninja world. This was unbelievable to her, as she had once never taken the natives of the ninja world seriously.
She retrieved a bundle of scrolls and a pen from somewhere.
She wrote down the key individuals in the ninja world who concerned her the most:
Hamura Otsutsuki — Kawaki Aoba (Suspected to be Hamura's backup plan, though unconfirmed.)
Hagoromo Otsutsuki — Madara Uchiha (Possesses Hagoromo's power, controlled by Hagoromo. Has Six Paths-level abilities and could pose a significant threat to her main body.)
Isshiki Otsutsuki — Leader of the hidden organization (Unseen, but believed to be almost as powerful as Madara Uchiha. Possesses a terrifying Six Paths ninja tool capable of threatening her main body.)
After writing down the names of these three figures, she paused, then added two more lines:
Ten-Tails Jinchuriki Plan (In progress, hoping to assist Ai Jia's escape.)
Seal Breaking Plan (The power of the clone is insufficient to break the lunar seal. A large-scale disturbance might alert Hagoromo and Hamura.)
"It seems the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki plan should be prioritized," Kaguya finally spoke. Her voice was cold and emotionless.
A mental wave emanated from Black Zetsu, who was standing nearby.
"It's no trouble, rescuing Mother from the seal is the purpose of my existence. But Mother, what are your plans now? Is there anything I can assist with?"
Kaguya fell into thought.
What should she do next? Her initial plan was to follow Black Zetsu to Amegakure to inspect the Ten-Tails husk. However, after careful consideration, she decided to add a backup plan to her escape.
Kawaki Aoba was the biggest obstacle to her plans. He was the most dangerous part of the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki plan.
"Ai Jia will remain in the Land of Fire. If everything goes smoothly, no further action is needed. But if anything happens to Kawaki Aoba, Ai Jia's clone will impede his progress."
"Mother!" Black Zetsu cried out, his voice filled with urgency.
"There will be no accidents. I will definitely rescue you. Those rebellious sons, Hamura and Hagoromo, will pay the price for their actions."
Kaguya said nothing further. It wasn't that she doubted Black Zetsu's loyalty, but because there was no need to say more. When she had created Black Zetsu, she had imbued him with a portion of her own characteristics, ensuring he could never betray her.
Additionally, she had replenished him with a special Six Paths chakra. As long as he didn't encounter Hamura or Hagoromo, Black Zetsu would be completely safe in the ninja world. This gave her peace of mind.
The Moon? She would blow it up seven or eight times in a minute.
After a brief exchange with his mother, Black Zetsu prepared to return to Amegakure.
As always, he needed to report to Madara Uchiha before deceiving Nagato.
However, unlike before, Black Zetsu's determination was stronger than ever.
In thousands of years, this was the closest he had come to success. With his mother's clone personally overseeing things, there would be no mistakes this time.
Black Zetsu transformed back into Otsutsuki Chenxiang, unaware that every move was under surveillance by Kawaki Aoba.
In Konoha Village, Kawaki Aoba sat casually by a tea table, a smile on his face, exuding calm confidence.
Everything seemed normal, but now, compared to before, there was one noticeable difference—Kawaki Aoba had a tail wagging lazily behind him.
Yes, after much effort and the friendly contribution of the Four-Tails, Kawaki Aoba's Saiyan form was now fully realized.
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