Chapter 395 395: Just a Turtle, a Corpse, and a God
Black Zetsu couldn't hold back anymore.
Listening to Kazuki's words, Black Zetsu suddenly realized that Kazuki's manipulative nature—his tendency to toy with others—might just be a trivial flaw in comparison.
He truly did have the intent to protect.
With deep foresight, he was laying out long-term plans for Kaguya's sake...
His reckless pursuit of power stemmed from a powerful sense of impending crisis, a fear that the invading Ōtsutsuki would be too strong to handle...
Black Zetsu wanted to speak.
He wanted to ask—why not flee to another time-space, or go into hiding, or something along those lines...
But the gap in power between them was too vast. The things they could perceive—their scope of understanding—weren't even on the same level.
Quick-witted as he was, Black Zetsu understood one thing:
Anything he could think of, Kazuki would have already considered. And if Kazuki hadn't acted on it, then it meant that once one reached his level... fleeing or hiding simply wasn't a viable option anymore.
Just like how ordinary shinobi couldn't resolve the threats posed by Kamui's pocket dimension or phasing abilities—
If an Ōtsutsuki adapted to such spatial techniques, it wasn't like they couldn't find a way to counter them.
After all, every Ōtsutsuki possessed some level of control over space similar to Kamui. Even Kaguya—whose combat strength was her weak point—had once used Yomotsu Hirasaka to relocate and deploy her All-Killing Ash Bones.
"Gaia's consciousness... the Ōtsutsuki god... what are those...?"
Black Zetsu furrowed his brow and asked in a low voice, "Is that... the key to how you plan to face the disasters ahead?"
The term "Gaia's consciousness" was completely unfamiliar to Black Zetsu.
But the "Ōtsutsuki god"—even though he'd never heard of such a being before—just the crude simplicity of that name was enough to speak volumes...
A god among the Ōtsutsuki? What kind of existence must that be?
"The so-called Gaia's consciousness refers to the core power of this planet... Natural energy can be considered a shallow manifestation of that power leaking outward…"
"You can think of natural energy as the heat released with every breath this planet takes. And once I've obtained Gaia's consciousness, I am the planet itself!"
Black Zetsu froze.
Becoming the planet itself—it sounded impressive, but… was it actually useful?
After all, the Divine Tree of the Ōtsutsuki had already absorbed most of the natural energy of the ninja world… and yet, the Divine Tree was still just a fairly common tool among the Ōtsutsuki.
But then Kazuki's words clicked into place—
Black Zetsu was struck dumb.
The Divine Tree was said to have a special affinity for the ninja world, but in truth, all it really did was draw out natural energy. It had never tapped into the planet's true core...
To put it more bluntly, the Divine Tree was just a parasite clinging to the planet's skin. It might appear to drain all the nutrients from the surface, but it never actually reached the real depths within.
"So, it seems... you understand now," Kazuki said softly. "The notion that the Divine Tree can destroy a planet—how laughable. It's like humans fearing a bloodsucking insect."
"It's just that most planets never develop a consciousness... so they don't drive off the parasites like a living organism would. But what if one does awaken?"
Kazuki fixed his gaze on Black Zetsu, waiting for its response.
Black Zetsu trembled all over.
A fallen giant's corpse can't swat away the flies feeding on it...
But if that giant were to awaken, swatting off the parasites clinging to its body would be as easy as a few casual slaps—or just taking a bath…
Was Kazuki aiming to become that giant?
"Gaia's consciousness is one of my contingencies… To be honest, I'm somewhat wary of this power. According to my intel, whoever acquires it will be designated by the planet itself as its guardian."
Kazuki chuckled lightly. "It reminds me of those two sons of Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo… endlessly reincarnating through chakra, constantly influencing the thoughts of their hosts…"
"If such overwhelming power and will were to descend upon me, would it wash away who I am and turn me into someone else? I might lose my sense of self and become nothing more than a puppet bound to defend this planet."
Kazuki glanced at Black Zetsu. "If that happens… then Kaguya, as the first invader of this world, might end up being viewed as an enemy by the 'me' shaped by that power. I worry I might accidentally kill her…"
Black Zetsu nodded solemnly, sharing that concern.
Even without the planet's will possessing him—just with Kazuki's current strength alone—if he ever developed true killing intent toward Kaguya, it would already be a terrifying situation…
Black Zetsu thought for a long time, then let out a silent sigh of resignation.
At this level of existence, these matters were already beyond its reach. Conventional schemes and countermeasures simply didn't apply to the scale of challenges Kazuki now faced.
"Then… what will you do?" Black Zetsu asked, visibly worried. "Even for someone like you, wouldn't the influence of the planet's will be impossible to resist?"
"You're right, Black Zetsu. This power operates on a level far beyond me," Kazuki admitted plainly, then continued slowly: "But I have no choice. With the Ōtsutsuki reinforcements possibly warping into this world at any moment from beyond space… I am the only one on this planet with even a sliver of hope to resist them. I can't afford to abandon such a crucial source of power."
"Do you understand, Black Zetsu?"
Black Zetsu gave a silent nod.
Of course it understood. This was like a desperate gambler backed into a corner—no matter how terrifying the consequences of touching that pile of money might be, they'd reach for it all the same…
But Kazuki wasn't some reckless gambler driven by greed.
He was a protector, forced to take risks in the face of overwhelming enemies.
"That's why I must make use of every resource at my disposal to find a way to obtain Gaia's consciousness," Kazuki said, looking toward Kaguya. A trace of helplessness and fatigue appeared naturally in his eyes.
Black Zetsu held its breath, heart pounding faster, waiting for Kazuki's next words.
As the former mastermind behind the scenes of the ninja world, Black Zetsu considered itself a specialist in acquiring power…
But even its schemes had never gone beyond the scale of the Nine Tailed Beasts and the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
And now Kazuki had set his sights directly on the planet beneath their feet.
It was like a small business owner—who had just found a bit of success—listening to the CEO of a publicly traded company meticulously laying out a grand, world-shaping future...
This was a full-blown dimensional suppression.
Yet Kazuki didn't continue elaborating on Gaia's consciousness. Instead, he pivoted toward his other target: "Besides seizing the planet's power, I have a second plan—what I mentioned earlier: the Ōtsutsuki god…"
"The so-called Ōtsutsuki god is named Shibai. According to legend, with a mere wave of his hand he could summon space-rending gales, a single stomp could trigger quakes that devastate the earth's surface, and his voice alone could call down lightning fierce enough to shatter the heavens…"
Kazuki spoke softly, "He was the one in the Ōtsutsuki clan closest to a true god—having devoured countless chakra fruits and undergone endless reincarnations. It's been a long time since he was last seen…"
"Most likely, he has discarded his physical form, transcended dimensions, and become a different kind of lifeform altogether."
Black Zetsu listened blankly to Kazuki's interpretation of the Ōtsutsuki god, his head spinning slightly.
Wait, hold on—aren't we just from a branch family of the Ōtsutsuki? How the hell do you know so much about a god-tier figure from the main family…?
"This intel came from Momoshiki and Urashiki. When I drove them into the ocean depths, I buried some chakra into their wounds. That allowed me to access fragments of the information stored in their minds…"
Kazuki looked at Black Zetsu with some curiosity, and said with a hint of confusion: "Didn't you realize? If I hadn't deliberately kept them alive to extract intel about incoming reinforcements, I would've executed them on the spot."
Black Zetsu opened its mouth and forced a stiff smile. "Yes, yes… of course…"
"Unfortunately, I can't control Urashiki and the others directly. All I can do is infiltrate their minds with chakra and steal information when they're caught off guard…"
"Otherwise, I wouldn't be in such a rush. Compared to killing them early and buying myself a few more decades, what I value more is intel on their reinforcements—so I let them live."
Kazuki casually explained the source of his intelligence, then continued: "From Momoshiki and Urashiki, I obtained a treasure of the Ōtsutsuki clan… This artifact once belonged to Ōtsutsuki Shibai, yet it somehow ended up abandoned on this very planet."
"Combining that with the intel suggesting he discarded his body and ascended—what does that make you think of, Zetsu?"
Black Zetsu took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "He… ascended in the ninja world! That's why his artifact was left behind here!"
"Exactly, Zetsu," Kazuki affirmed.
Then, he brought out Karasuki and placed the little turtle before Black Zetsu.
"This is it… All things considered, it's been a great help to me," Kazuki said as he gently stroked the turtle's slightly rough, matte-textured shell.
"It's here in this world, isn't it? In Momoshiki's memories, you were accidentally fished up from the seafloor by some shinobi…"
"Is that also where Ōtsutsuki Shibai's discarded remains are located?"
Karasuki's heart jolted. Shrinking back a bit, it nodded hesitantly. "Yes…"
Kazuki nodded in understanding.
A glint of menace flashed in Black Zetsu's eyes. He barked sternly, "If you know, then spit it out now! Don't think for a second that you can keep hiding it!"
"What, you still think you have leverage here? Know your place!"
The little turtle shook its head frantically.
"No, no! I truly don't know where Master is! I'm just a turtle capable of traveling through time and space. I was lucky just to escape from the seal he kept me in—I wouldn't dare to guard him or anything!"
"You think we'll believe that nonsense?" A cold, sinister look spread across Black Zetsu's face as he spoke: "There are always ways to make you talk."
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