In a quiet corner of the ninja world, deep within a hidden cave, Black Zetsu collapsed on the cold stone floor of his secret base and burst into uncontrollable sobs.
"Why… why is my life so miserable?" he wailed. "I lost my mother the moment I was born. I finally managed to make some money, and then… I was betrayed by my own little brother! Wuwuwu…"
This was the first time in over a thousand years that Black Zetsu had truly broken down like this. He had faced centuries of frustration, countless failed plans, and endless loneliness, but never before had he felt this kind of betrayal—this kind of helplessness.
Even when he had tried everything to rescue his mother from the moon and failed, he had never collapsed so completely.
Time passed. Eventually, his sobs grew quiet, and Black Zetsu wiped the tears from his face in silence.
Maybe… this is what it means to be an adult? he thought bitterly.
He sat up from the floor and stared blankly at the cave walls for a long time. The emptiness surrounding him felt louder than any scream.
Then, with a bitter smile, he muttered to himself, "Who would have thought? Me, a legendary thief of the ninja world, reduced to this…"
He laughed coldly. "I've stolen from countless homes, swindled shinobi clans, outwitted even the greatest minds... and now? I got robbed in my own house."
It was the ultimate irony. Like a hunter being eaten by his prey. Or a birdcatcher being pecked by a sparrow.
The most infuriating part wasn't just that he had been robbed. It was who had robbed him—Ah Fei, his most trusted brother. That betrayal cut deeper than any kunai.
No one could say how long Black Zetsu sat in that silence. But eventually, he clenched his fists and rose to his feet, his expression steeled with determination.
"So what if I lost 2.6 billion?" he growled. "I'll earn it back. Every last coin."
But before that, there was something more pressing to do.
He had to find Ah Fei.
And for that, he needed help. So Black Zetsu made his way toward the one person who might be able to help—Peter, the eccentric shopkeeper with suspiciously vast resources.
---
Meanwhile, at the edge of the Land of Fire—Peter's Shop
Peter lounged in a recliner, sipping on a warm drink while tapping idly on his laptop.
"I wonder how long it'll take for Black Zetsu and Obito to gather those tens of billions," Peter murmured to himself.
If they could gather that kind of wealth, Peter would finally be able to buy top-tier products—relics, tools, and chakra artifacts that would allow him to finally explore the vast, dangerous ninja world. Up until now, he had remained sheltered. Not out of cowardice—okay, maybe a little—but mainly because he knew how fragile he was compared to the monsters out there.
Just then, the bell above his shop door rang.
Ding-dong!
Peter's eyes sparkled. "Finally! A customer!"
He glanced toward the door, hoping it wasn't some broke rogue-nin asking for freebies again.
When he saw who entered, he practically leaped from his seat.
"Boss Black Zetsu!" Peter greeted with exaggerated joy. "What an honor it is to have you here! Forgive me for not welcoming you personally at the door!"
To Peter, Black Zetsu wasn't just any customer—he was a VIP. True, he hadn't actually spent any money yet, but when he did, it was never small. His orders were worth billions. Literally.
Peter had to treat him well—very well.
Black Zetsu, however, looked uncomfortable with Peter's over-the-top enthusiasm.
"Boss, that's too much," Black Zetsu said awkwardly. In his mind, Peter was the real big shot. The man seemed to know everything and had access to resources even Kage-level shinobi would envy.
Peter rubbed his hands together with excitement. "Boss Zetsu, I take it you've come to settle the bill? Don't worry, once the money is in place, I'll call the team and we'll blow up the moon for you, just like you wanted!"
Black Zetsu's face lit up for a moment—then dimmed just as quickly.
Peter noticed the sudden shift and was slightly confused. "What's the matter? You don't look too happy."
Black Zetsu sighed deeply and finally explained everything that had happened: the betrayal, the theft, and his 2.6 billion taels vanishing without a trace.
Peter's jaw dropped as he listened. So that's where Ah Fei and the White Zetsu got all that money!
No wonder they were throwing taels around like confetti.
"Heh… so that's how it was," Peter chuckled. "Ah Fei did spend quite a bit here. Asked me to do a full body transformation, actually."
Black Zetsu's expression soured. "I knew it," he said darkly.
The… strange substances left behind in the base had already convinced him that something wasn't right. And now, he had confirmation.
His purpose in coming here was simple—to hire Peter to help him locate Ah Fei. He had assumed the body transformation might've cost a fortune, but still… 2.6 billion? Surely not.
He looked at Peter and asked cautiously, "Boss, how much does it normally cost to transform someone's body?"
Peter replied cheerfully, "Only 50 million. Why? Are you interested?"
Black Zetsu's tense shoulders relaxed. Only 50 million? That meant the rest of the money—2.55 billion taels—must still be stashed somewhere. If he could track down Ah Fei, he could recover almost everything!
He laughed in relief. "Whew… good. For a moment, I thought he spent all of it."
Peter watched him laugh and assumed he'd finally gone insane from the betrayal. He patted him on the back awkwardly.
"Don't worry too much," Peter said kindly. "It's just 2.6 billion. You'll recover. Hang in there."
Black Zetsu: "???"
"Wait a second…" Black Zetsu's expression froze. "Boss… are you saying… Ah Fei spent 2.6 billion here?"
Peter nodded. "Yes. He brought dozens of White Zetsu and asked me to transform them all. The unit cost is 50 million per body. Multiply that by… what, 52? Yeah, that's 2.6 billion."
Black Zetsu's world crumbled.
His legs gave out, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. He collapsed on the spot, unconscious.
Peter rushed to his side. At first, he considered giving him mouth-to-mouth, but then stopped short after looking at his strange, shadowy face.
If this were Tsunade or Mei Terumi, Peter thought, I'd have no problem diving in. But this guy… ugh.
Instead, he decided to try a safer, more respectful method—he lifted Black Zetsu gently into his arms, then pinched his philtrum, just like they do in the old dramas.
"I swear, there's something weirdly romantic about this…" Peter muttered under his breath.
Surprisingly, it worked.
Black Zetsu stirred and slowly opened his eyes.
Peter beamed. "Hey! You're awake! You okay?"
Black Zetsu's gaze was unfocused. He stared blankly at the ceiling. Then, when his vision cleared and he recognized Peter's face, his whole body trembled.
"Two… two point six billion…" he whispered.
Then his head slumped sideways, and he passed out again.