Black Zetsu's sinister gaze turned toward Lucian.
More precisely, toward the space behind Lucian.
There stood three children, eyes full of shock, fear, and worship.
The leftmost boy, who kept his head lowered with red hair covering his eyes, suddenly looked up. Within his terror, ripple-like light-purple pupils appeared.
The eye that governs life and death, yin and yang: the Rinnegan.
"Trouble ahead…"
Black Zetsu felt heavy-hearted.
It had only been a few years since the Rinnegan was transplanted.
Madara's "successor" had not been found, so Black Zetsu had been secretly watching over the red-haired boy to prevent accidents.
Who could have known that after leaving for half a day, such an accident would occur.
"Damn it, how could things go south this fast."
Black Zetsu cursed inwardly, racking his brains for a way to take Nagato away.
Just then, Lucian lifted his eyes to the side, and an overwhelming pressure descended, making Black Zetsu tense all over.
Bad, run.
Boom.
As Black Zetsu and White Zetsu burrowed into the ground, a small Holy Arrow shot down in an instant, blasting a deep pit in the earth.
A faint cry of pain drifted out.
"Escaped?"
Lucian glanced once and did not mind it.
That gloomy spiritual entity paired with a wisp of obscure will needed no guessing to be the dutiful son Black Zetsu.
In most ways he was ordinary, but in the art of running away he was first in the shinobi world.
As for Black Zetsu, Lucian did not dislike him.
In a world ruled by power, there is no good or evil. A dutiful son saves his mother and kills or deceives some along the way.
Whose hands are not stained with blood.
Of course, that premise holds only if Black Zetsu does not oppose him. Otherwise he must die.
"Konan."
"Mm-mm, I'm here, Lord Lucian."
The future cool-tempered angel was now a sweet little loli, soft and adorable.
Konan nodded her little head and stole a glance at Lucian, then lowered her blushing face, her voice syrupy.
Ah, Lord Lucian was too charming.
Not only Konan; Yahiko and Nagato were dizzy inside as well.
Yes, Lucian's existence was like that of a god, calmly annihilating any foe.
Lucian did not fit in with those silly shinobi at all.
"I will grant you power, but to follow me, power alone is not enough."
"Mikoto will remain. You have three days to gather all military forces in the Land of Rain and soothe the populace."
"All who resist are to be killed without mercy."
As his words fell, Lucian's voice, borne on reishi, spread across the Land of Rain, making countless people think they were hallucinating.
From this moment, the Land of Rain belonged to Lucian.
"Yes, Lord Lucian."
The three children were thrilled. It is in human nature to revere the strong and yearn for power.
They wanted to become as strong as Kushina and Mikoto and share Lucian's burdens.
When Mikoto left with the three, only Lucian, Kushina, and a few like Jiraiya remained.
"Ah, haha, well, I… ahem…"
Jiraiya gave a dry laugh, his thoughts in disarray.
Huh?
If Lucian acted, everyone would die.
"The one who will bring great reform to the shinobi world…"
Within these months, Jiraiya had returned to Mount Myōboku once: first to study Sage Mode, and second to hear the Great Toad Sage's view of Lucian.
The Great Toad Sage spoke only a few broken lines.
"Because Konoha faces calamity, the shinobi world will undergo great reform."
"Sage, is Konoha… destroyed?"
"I only vaguely heard the words five A-rated tourist attraction. Nothing more could be seen."
"…"
Five A-rated tourist attraction.
What was that.
For the common folk of the shinobi world, it is enough to eat their fill. Shinobi struggle to live. Nobles do not dare travel outside their own nations.
The concept of tourist attractions did not exist in Jiraiya's mind.
A place to travel.
But what did five A-rated mean.
Jiraiya's head was a muddle, yet he understood that the conflict between Lucian and Konoha could not be reconciled.
"Kushina."
Tsunade's attention was entirely on the red-haired beauty, who looked more familiar the more she looked, and she could not help but speak. "Kushina, is that you?"
When she saw Kushina instinctively avert her gaze, a little at a loss, Tsunade understood.
"It really is, but…"
Tsunade now doubted her life.
Where did that little loli go. She was already almost bigger than me now.
Fine. When Tsunade was young, she was not that big. Her later development was not exactly normal.
Too big is not necessarily good. It is easy to cause… ahem.
"Kushina? Uzumaki Kushina."
Jiraiya was dumbfounded. Such a big child—who could believe it.
But since Lucian had gone from a child to an adult in a blink, Orochimaru's heart pounded even harder.
It was not only his own life he could manipulate. Could he also manipulate others' lives.
Truly.
He could truly grant me immortality.
"Interesting."
Seeing everyone's bewildered faces, Lucian felt amused.
Especially Tsunade. Hey, hey, where are you looking. Chaotic thoughts.
Women's minds are indeed unusual.
"Me."
Kushina took a deep breath and met their eyes coldly.
"Listen well. I was never a Konoha person. I only lived there a few years. From today on, I have no connection to Konoha."
"Anyone who dares to stand against Lord Lucian is my mortal enemy."