Chapter 198: Further Discussion with the Filial Son
A dead duck's mouth is stubborn…
Watching Black Zetsu feign calmness, Ryosuke replied casually, "If I didn't already have irrefutable evidence proving that your so-called grand plan is to awaken and unlock that taboo, I might've really been fooled by your act."
He paused. As Black Zetsu's expression grew harder to maintain, Ryosuke smiled and added, "But unfortunately, since I already know the truth, your performance just looks laughable. I told you before—there's no point in making pointless efforts."
This was the third time he'd said that in their brief exchange.
Ryosuke calmly lifted his hand, picked up the teacup, and took a sip, savoring the fragrance. Ignoring Black Zetsu's darkening expression, he smiled again and said, "You can ask anything you want. I'll decide whether or not I feel like answering."
"But I won't answer. No matter what you try, it's useless."
Bang!
Black Zetsu suddenly stood up. The stone bench scraped and toppled over with a dull thud under his force.
"You want to stop me?" His face darkened, voice hoarse—like a dying traveler gasping for words in the middle of a desert. Though it was White Zetsu's body on the surface, the gloom and ferocity of Black Zetsu's essence had completely taken over.
His plan was exposed.
He tried to hold back, to stay calm. But the fury, the persistence, the thousand years of suffocating patience… it all erupted at once.
The atmosphere grew tense.
Dormant chakra began to stir in both Ryosuke and Black Zetsu. It wasn't an explosion, not yet—but the air shimmered with pressure.
What if the plan fails…?
That thought had never crossed Black Zetsu's mind. If it failed—if this plan truly collapsed—would he really have to wait another thousand years? Would he need to wait for those who could stand in his way to die off, wait for the pieces on the board to mature once more, wait for the situation to stabilize again?
But there's no guarantee that another Uchiha Ryosuke, Senju Ryosuke, or Taketori Ryosuke wouldn't appear next time.
A thousand years… it's too long.
I can't wait anymore!
That desperation filled his voice and expression, leaking out for Ryosuke to see. He made no secret of the fact that if Ryosuke didn't give the answers he wanted… he was prepared to act.
But—
"So what are you going to do if I decide to stop you?"
Ryosuke smiled as he looked at him. He wasn't provoking. He was curious—curious what Black Zetsu thought he could do.
Chakra surged in Ryosuke's body like crashing waves, gathering in his eyes.
The whites of his eyes glowed—translucent, pure, radiant, like the cloudless blue sky.
He stared at Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu stared back.
Neither moved.
Neither spoke.
The breeze rustled the leaves.
White clouds floated lazily overhead.
Ryosuke sat still.
Black Zetsu remained standing.
And in the quiet… impulse faded.
Black Zetsu regretted standing up. Regretted speaking.
Under Ryosuke's gaze—the gaze of Otsutsuki Ryosuke—his rage, suspicion, and fear slowly receded, buried deep in his soul once more.
Those eyes… his mother had no memory of such eyes.
Is he truly not of the Otsutsuki clan?
No, impossible.
Black Zetsu had witnessed the end of that battle with his own eyes.
The sage power that had split the heavens with thousands of striking fists—those were unmistakably the Eighty Gods Vaccum Attack from his mother's memory.
But… why was there no record of his pupil technique?
What was this unknown ocular power?
"I really am a member of the Hyuga clan."
Finally, it was Ryosuke who broke the silence.
"Sit down. I don't like looking up at people when I'm talking, but I also think it's rude to look away."
Black Zetsu, his heart now calmed by the silence, walked down the steps, picked up the fallen stone bench, and sat across from Ryosuke again. His face was blank now—expressionless, like a mask of paralysis.
"Today is our first real meeting."
Ryosuke gently picked up Black Zetsu's cold teacup, poured out the tea, and refilled it.
"We've never really had a grudge, have we? The only one you care about… is your mother, right?"
He spoke softly, gently.
"The only reason there's any conflict between us is because of her resurrection."
"You know her nature better than anyone. If she really comes back from the seal, she'll start over again—turning this planet and the people into food for the Sacred Tree. That's something I can't allow."
"…So there's nothing to discuss?"
Black Zetsu's eyes narrowed coldly.
"No, no. Just hear me out."
Ryosuke waved his hand, smiling lightly.
"Actually, I'm very curious about your mother. I'm even looking forward to her resurrection."
"Though I'm from the Hyuga clan, in a sense… I've inherited the blood and genes of the Otsutsuki through her. But those didn't come with any inheritance. That's why I want to see her for myself. I want to understand the power of the Otsutsuki."
"Strictly speaking, we're not enemies. In fact, we share the same blood, the same origins… even similar goals. Thin as the connection may be."
"And you—"
Black Zetsu froze.
Could it be… had he found a true ally after a thousand years?
"Yes, I agree to resurrect your mother."
Ryosuke's tone remained calm, even respectful.
"She's a pitiful existence, too."
"But not yet. I need time."
"…Are you joking?"
The stunned look on Black Zetsu's face cracked.
Sadness and joy clashed inside him. Ryosuke's contradictory statements only worsened his already volatile mood.
Was this… just a way to stall him?
"Relax. Don't be so tense."
Ryosuke took another sip of the sweet tea, moistening his throat.
"I don't know how you felt reading the history of the ninja world across a thousand years. But can you truly say, in your heart, that your mother should return… just to turn this world back into a lifeless wasteland like before?"
"But I don't want to see that happen again. That's why I need strength—real strength. Enough to stand against her, or at least to try. Only when I have that will I agree to release her from the seal."
"…Are you kidding me?"
Black Zetsu's voice trembled.
"She's Kaguya Otsutsuki!"
Black Zetsu frowned.
"Even the legendary Sage of Six Paths in your ninja world is her descendant. If it hadn't been for that accident back then, she never would've been sealed away along with her powers. And now you—a young brat—actually think you can challenge her, or even… surpass her? Are you dreaming?"
"You think I can't surpass her? Just because she's a goddess from a thousand years ago?" Ryosuke replied calmly, almost sounding bored.
He sighed, shaking his head slightly. "Unfortunately for her, the gap between us isn't that large anymore. With just a bit more time and a Sacred Tree Fruit, that gap might disappear entirely."
Black Zetsu's frown slowly faded, replaced with a subtle shift in his expression.
"You want me to help you obtain the Sacred Tree Fruit? That's not… impossible."
"No, no, no—don't get the wrong idea."
Ryosuke chuckled, shaking his head. "I don't plan to boost my strength with the Sacred Tree Fruit—at least not for now."
He paused and looked at Black Zetsu with a faint smile.
"Besides, if I really wanted the Sacred Tree Fruit, I wouldn't be partnering with you. I'm not in the mood to get backstabbed by a so-called ally and have my body hijacked to revive Kaguya Ōtsutsuki."
Snap—
The stone bench beneath Black Zetsu crumbled into pieces.
He stood just in time to avoid falling, but his mind wasn't on that. Not anymore. His attention locked entirely onto Ryosuke—and for the first time, he unconsciously took a step back.
As Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's third son and a thousand-year-old existence, Black Zetsu had long known to be cautious. He was afraid of Ryosuke's strength, sure, but until now, he'd also believed he could escape if things went south.
But now…
Something had changed.
A deeper, colder fear settled in.
He couldn't even bring himself to look directly into Ryosuke's eyes anymore. He had watched them the entire time they'd spoken—until now. Now, his gaze slipped, avoiding contact.
How did he know?
How did he figure out what I was thinking? What I was planning?
A storm of questions surged in his mind. Just moments ago, Ryosuke had exposed his inner thoughts so casually, so precisely, it had nearly caused Black Zetsu to sever his connection with White Zetsu and flee outright.
And then—suddenly—it hit him.
He remembered something…
A distant memory from his mother's past. Her life on their home planet. The true power of the Ōtsutsuki clan.
In a flash, realization bloomed.
He can see through the future!
He can see through the heart!
Black Zetsu's thoughts scrambled as he desperately tried to suppress his panic.
He finally understood.
"You… you're definitely a member of the Hyūga clan," he said slowly, cautiously taking another step back. "But… you're no ordinary Hyūga. Your bloodline has returned to its origin. You possess blood and abilities even closer to Kaguya than Hamura himself!"
His voice trembled with certainty.
As Kaguya's will made flesh, he knew more about her than anyone. Including the truth behind the Byakugan.
Unlike the Hyūga, the Ōtsutsuki's Tenseigan was far more than a visual jutsu. It rivaled the Rinnegan. It could see through thoughts. See through the future.
But that potential had been lost—diluted—when Hamura's descendants inherited it. For a thousand years, no one in the Hyūga clan had even come close to awakening those true powers.
So he had stopped paying attention to them.
But now, he realized… he had made a grave mistake.
"Good," Ryosuke said with a light clap, smirking. "You could've found this out with time and research, but to deduce it from just a brief conversation? I'll admit, that's impressive."
As for the ancestral bloodline—well, after Ryosuke's strength was revealed, many in the clan had already guessed the truth. So admitting it now made no difference.
Confirmation from him only made it official.
Black Zetsu, now completely certain, turned around without hesitation.
He was done here.
With abilities like those—future sight, mind reading—what was the point of sticking around? Any scheme he came up with would be laid bare the moment he thought of it.
The future? Probably already seen.
His thoughts? Probably already exposed.
The longer he stayed here, the more vulnerable he became.
He began to merge with the ground—
"Wait!"
Ryosuke called out, surprised by Black Zetsu's sudden retreat.
He hadn't expected such a dramatic reaction.
"There's something else—something about the other world!"
Black Zetsu froze mid-action. Slowly, he turned his head, one eye visible as he looked back at Ryosuke.
"When you and Obito sent those people over," Ryosuke continued, "one of them was from another world. I'm sure you've explored his memories by now—and learned about the world he came from."
He wasn't going to beat around the bush this time.
"Since you've seen his memories, you should know that different worlds have different systems of power. That guy—Blueno—might not be a threat to your mother. But he's not the only one. There are others from different worlds here now."
Still silent, Black Zetsu didn't interrupt. But Ryosuke could sense his attention.
"These outsiders are strong. Unpredictable. And the worlds they come from? Some have beings they call 'gods.'"
He took a step forward but stopped when Black Zetsu stepped back again.
Ryosuke raised both hands slightly in a disarming gesture.
"Look—I'm not saying this to scare you. I'm saying this because times have changed. The world has changed. And even if you do manage to revive your mother… she may not be able to rule the world like before."
There was a pause.
Then, Ryosuke said softly, "Black Zetsu… we don't have to be enemies."
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