Kaguya's Legacy

Zetsu felt slightly sluggish as he used the dead White Zetsu body to move toward a living one. He sadly couldn't command them remotely, so he had to find one rather than call on it, but it was a minor annoyance that did nothing to dampen his mood.

How could anything dampen his mood now that he had received the best news he could possibly get?

His mother was free; she was back, even if it was only a clone. It still meant he wasn't alone, that he hadn't failed.

To know that she had watched over him, watched as he worked hard for her, and that it all had been worth it, that made him happy, happier than he had ever been, but still, he knew that even more happiness awaited him once the plan was complete, and she was back completely.

Then, then they would be together, forever, and he would finally be complete.

Still, there was so much to do, more than he had even thought, with all the new changes to the great plan that had to be made... all the steps that needed to be taken to reach the best conclusion.

Already now, he was trying to think of how to reach the possible goals he now had. It wouldn't be easy, but finally, he had more to work with than a vague plan.

Even so, the many things he learned, the great secrets only known to his mother, troubled him as much as they honored him, because not even those two unfaithful sons, Hamura and Hagoromo, had been told about this.

Only he, only faithful Zetsu had been told about Isshiki Ōtsutsuki, it made him understand the wisdom behind the strange request of tracking down some immortal monk, he had almost feared it was he who was the target.

But who could have known there was someone like that hiding out there? Some defeated foe of his mother who didn't know when he should just die?

Indeed, having him run around was dangerous; it was better to get rid of him once and for all before the plans progressed too far, and he might show up to try and steal the chakra prepared for his mother.

Her clone was still weak, if this Isshiki gained the power of the nine Bijū, even if he was weaker than before, he would still be a major threat, perhaps too great for the clone to handle alone.

The plan had to be adjusted. It always had to be adjusted; things rarely went exactly as you wanted them, and when you had a plan that took decades, centuries, to complete, you had to expect it to be changed many, many times.

And while these changes were unexpected, that was hardly cause for concern; he would just have to work harder, all for the sake of his mother!

He had done it for a thousand years; what was a little more work?

It didn't take him long before he reached the nearest living White Zetsu. "You, come here," he ordered, and without waiting, he closed the distance himself, and slowly started to cover this new living host in himself.

"Hey, what happened to the other one?" The simple-minded White Zetsu didn't resist, but it still asked curiously. It didn't mind being changed, it didn't feel pain, but it still liked to talk.

"He is dead," Zetsu said simply as he took over the body.

He didn't bother explaining himself, because he knew this idiot couldn't keep a secret, and what made him worthy of knowing about his mother anyway? It was pointless to engage in conversation with these fools.

They were tools, as simple as that.

And speaking of tools, here came another one, Zetsu thought darkly as Obito appeared from his Kamui dimension. He barely bothered to cast a single glance at the fallen White Zetsu before locking back on Black Zetsu.

"It seems you have a falling-out with our newest member? Did you learn anything from her?" he asked.

Zetsu just barely managed to resist rolling his eye at this fool so eager to jump around like a clown, truly, a fool who was barely worthy of being a tool. "I didn't learn much, though it is clear that her Byakugan isn't able to see through Nagato, so at least we don't have to worry about that," he said, lying as easily as breathing.

"So she is not as perfect as she appears," Obito said, a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "Clearly the Byakugan falls far short of the Sharingan." He said proudly, fully aware that beyond his own Mangekyō Sharingan, there were both the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan and the far superior Rinnegan.

Both things the Byakugan couldn't even get close to.

Zetsu didn't correct him, though he did take pleasure in just how foolish such a notion was. This was his mother, even if just a clone, the Mother of Chakra, whatever it was, the Sharingan or Rinnegan; both were simply the runoff of her blood.

Compared to her noble Byakugan, what was the rest worth?

As for the Hyūga clan? They should be thankful they were even able to be connected to their mother, as for having eyes as powerful as hers? That would be a dream more foolish than Obito's plan of backstabbing Madara and taking control of the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

Still, Obito was a useful tool, and Zetsu didn't want to upset him right now. "That's true, but she is still a great asset to the Akatsuki. Her skills will be useful for capturing the jinchūriki." He pointed out.

Obito scoffed. "If she doesn't get in the way. I have a bad feeling about her. There is something... off about her story. A Kaguya clan survivor with the Shikotsumyaku and the Hyūga's Byakugan? The chances of that are astronomically low. There is more to her than she lets on." He said, trying to prod him for more information.

Zetsu just sighed, "And what do you want me to do? We know she is hiding things, but she is a powerful asset, and we need her for the plan. For now, we just have to keep an eye on her."

"I am not so sure about that," Obito said, clearly not liking this at all. "I think she is a bigger threat than you realize. We need to find out what she is really after. Her request to find an 'immortal monk' from the Sage's era... it's too convenient."

Zetsu couldn't believe that, of all times, this was the moment this fool decided to actually think. What a bother. "Is it? What scheme could there possibly be for such a request? I have no doubt she wants to use the Akatsuki for her own goals, but who among the members doesn't?" He pointed out.

Obito fell silent. He couldn't argue with that. Everyone there had their own agenda. "Still, it's best to be cautious. Keep a close watch on her. And let me know if she does anything... suspicious."

"You will be the first to know," Zetsu said, a small, unseen smile on his face. He had already known that Obito would want him to keep an eye on his mother, but so what? Wasn't that just perfect?

It would be a fine excuse to find ways to communicate with her without any problems, and would also allow him to feed Obito whatever information he wanted, and whatever might aid his quest in freeing his mother.

This was a gift from heaven, a perfect opportunity.

"Good," Obito said, satisfied that he had at least gotten Zetsu to agree. "I have other matters to attend to. Don't disappoint me." With that, he vanished, once again swallowed by the swirling vortex of Kamui.

With Obito gone, the White Zetsu could no longer stay silent, or rather, Black Zetsu didn't bother suppressing him as completely. "Laughing like that? Are we scheming? Planning something evil?" The white half asked curiously.

Black Zetsu ignored the question, not even bothering to dignify it with a response. Instead, he focused on the new mission. He had to find this 'immortal monk' that mother had spoken of. But he also had to be careful. He couldn't let anyone else find out about Isshiki. Not yet.

The information he had was... limited. Mother had not been able to see much, as her view from the moon was limited, and she had no information from after she formed her current clone body, giving them little to go on.

But he understood that it couldn't be any other way, and for this reason, Mother's decision to ask the entire Akatsuki for help was a brilliant move, as many of them would invest their own energy into locating their target due to their own selfish reasons.

Whatever their reason, it would serve his purpose.

Still, that was but one of many new things he had to take into account for his grand dream of releasing his mother completely.

The Akatsuki was a useful tool, but now, it needed more than just a few S-rank shinobi to achieve their goals, he needed a new tool, a new kind of soldier.

One that could be created in mass.

He didn't need them to be strong; they just had to be numerous, and to be useful, they needed to be easy to make and not too costly.

The Hashirama cells that Madara had collected were indeed a great way; they were perfect material to make more White Zetsu. Meaning he would be able to make a vast army without having to wake the slumbering forces that had remained since his mother's time.

With them, as well as the networks of Sasori and Orochimaru, it should be enough to gather more information, and if not?

He had long since learned the importance of money; with it, he could buy armies of grunts to search and the intelligence of entire shinobi villages.

If anyone knew anything, he would soon know that, and then, the entire force of the Akatsuki would be used to carry out his mother's will.

Just as it always should have been.

Everything, for Mother.

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