As an Uchiha I became the Jinchuriki of Senju Tobirama

Kazuki's and Black Zetsu's gazes collided—his tone carried a bone-deep weariness, tinged with an agitation he had never shown before: "I just want you to understand me, Zetsu… Fighting alone isn't easy."

Still caught in his rage, Black Zetsu trembled internally the moment he saw Kazuki's expression.

Over the course of a thousand years, Black Zetsu had encountered countless people. In order to be a truly competent manipulator behind the scenes, his skills in reading people had been honed to perfection.

A single expression, a single glance, the subtlest of gestures—Black Zetsu could glean someone's true thoughts from the smallest signs.

Without that ability, he never could've stayed beside so many reincarnations of Indra across generations.

And now, the look in Kazuki's eyes triggered something instinctive in him.

It told him that this "older brother" of his… was genuinely struggling inside.

This wasn't some cruel game or amusement like he'd always assumed.

Could it be… that he had misjudged Kazuki all along?

The thought rose unbidden from the depths of Black Zetsu's mind.

'No! What am I doing letting one look sway me?! This is Uchiha Kazuki—the most skilled liar and actor in the entire shinobi world…'

Snapping back to his senses, Black Zetsu kept warning himself not to fall into Kazuki's trap. He tried to respond forcefully, to push back against the nonsense Kazuki was spewing.

But when he opened his mouth, the tone came out strangely soft: "You… But why are you doing this? It's not that I don't understand you, it's just…"

Halfway through his sentence, even Black Zetsu found himself unable to go on.

Why was he speaking so gently?

The one in front of him was the man who was about to cost Kaguya her life!

Was there a part of him—deep down—that actually believed Kazuki was a good person?

That even using Kaguya as a filter was some kind of painful but necessary decision?

How absurd…

Black Zetsu was shaken by his own reaction.

"Calling it a 'filter' makes it sound simple," Kazuki said, letting out a deep sigh. His gaze grew heavy as he stared at the stream before him, watching the carefree fish swimming about in the reflection.

"In truth, finding a suitable candidate is extremely difficult."

"It's like the logic behind being a jinchūriki. Not just anyone can contain a tailed beast… and it's the same reason you chose Uchiha Madara."

"Out of all the shinobi you could reach, Madara was the best choice to control the Ten-Tails' power, and to ensure the success of Infinite Tsukuyomi. If it had been anyone else, they likely would've been overwhelmed by the Ten-Tails and lost control of its power entirely."

Black Zetsu nodded quietly.

He knew Kazuki was telling the truth.

"To bear Gaia's consciousness and the power of the Ōtsutsuki God," Kazuki said slowly, "the host must at least be at the Six Paths level... For the sheer magnitude of the power they embody, that's already the bare minimum."

"Besides myself, there are only six living beings in the shinobi world at that level: the brothers Ōtsutsuki Hamura and Hagoromo, the trio of Urashiki, Momoshiki, and Isshiki, and finally—Kaguya."

"You're probably wondering—since there are five Ōtsutsuki, and each of them could easily serve as test subjects for me—why don't I just use one of them as the filter, right?"

Black Zetsu nodded, gradually becoming more and more engrossed.

It was beginning to see that Kazuki truly seemed… lonely. As the strongest being on this planet, there was hardly anything left that actually mattered to him.

Did he really need to explain all this to it?

Even if Black Zetsu disagreed with his plan, who in this world could possibly stop Kazuki?

Perhaps… perhaps he really had come just to gain its approval. Perhaps this older brother, who had walked so far and now stood so high, had simply wanted someone of his own to talk to after everything.

For a brief moment, Black Zetsu thought of Uchiha Obito.

Back then, Obito had been like this too. Even though Uchiha Rin was just a completely ordinary girl with no talent whatsoever—

Whenever he came home, Obito would still go on and on, endlessly recounting his little shinobi stories...

"Whether it's Gaia's consciousness or the Ōtsutsuki God's corpse... in truth, both of them are calling out to me, urging me to take them."

Kazuki spoke slowly.

"You want to know why I let that little turtle go? Because even without it leading the way, the moment I deliberately focused my perception on the ocean, I sensed an overwhelming Ōtsutsuki-type chakra—it triggered a powerful craving within my bloodline, luring me with overwhelming desire to obtain it."

"That craving was both intense and insidious... If not for my strength, I might have already fallen under its spell, throwing everything aside in a mad search for the Ōtsutsuki God's corpse."

"It's the same with Gaia's consciousness."

"Both of these forces... they've already chosen me. They both want me as their vessel."

"Zetsu, tell me—do you think power in this world ever offers itself up willingly?"

Black Zetsu shook its head. "Of course… of course not."

"So… the Ōtsutsuki God's corpse is actively luring you?" Black Zetsu muttered. "To be honest, it reminds me of when I tampered with the Uchiha Stone Tablet to guide Madara toward awakening the Rinnegan…"

Its brows furrowed. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵✶𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮✶𝓷𝓮𝓽

"And Gaia's consciousness is doing the same thing. If that's true, then there's definitely something deeply wrong with both these powers. But—there's still one thing I don't understand."

"Why is it that only you are being drawn in by this temptation? Let's set Gaia's consciousness aside for the moment—shouldn't the Ōtsutsuki God's corpse exert the same lure over anyone with Ōtsutsuki blood?"

"I mean… Isshiki and the Sage of Six Paths have existed on this planet for ages. Are you saying they've both managed to resist this temptation?"

Black Zetsu raised its doubts, locking its eyes tightly on Kazuki.

If Kazuki couldn't answer this question—then he was lying.

"Zetsu, if I'm a mortal, then Isshiki and the Sage of Six Paths are insects. If I'm an Ōtsutsuki, then those other 'pure-blooded' Ōtsutsuki are the mortals."

Kazuki's tone remained calm, but his words carried a cold detachment that came from overwhelming power: "What are they, really? How could they ever compare to me?"

"The Sage of Six Paths has no body. Ōtsutsuki Isshiki is heavily wounded. As for the others, they're barely even worthy of being my opponents. If the Ōtsutsuki God's corpse were something that could choose them…"

Kazuki's voice was calm, yet it carried an unparalleled arrogance: "Then I simply don't need that power."

"I don't believe that even a divine husk would ever choose the body of an insect. If such a thing were to happen, it could only mean that the so-called Ōtsutsuki God is nothing special—and neither is the so-called Ōtsutsuki clan!"

Black Zetsu opened its mouth slightly, stunned.

Arrogant. Unbelievably arrogant...

He was calling Isshiki and the Sage of Six Paths insects and mortals?

And yet, Black Zetsu understood the logic behind Kazuki's words.

It was similar to the power of the tailed beasts—if such power could be sealed inside an ordinary shinobi, then clearly, it wasn't all that strong to begin with…

If the Ōtsutsuki God had truly chosen someone like Isshiki or the Sage of Six Paths—crippled members of the Ōtsutsuki clan—

Then it could only mean that this so-called god wasn't that powerful either. At the very least, not powerful enough to stand above all others in a fundamentally different league.

That was the logic Kazuki was trying to convey.

"I'll continue."

"Even though they're weak," Kazuki said gravely, "if I used them as the filter and forcibly awakened Gaia's consciousness and the power of the Ōtsutsuki God—then poured it into their bodies…"

"I couldn't guarantee what would happen. Under such forceful infusion, I don't believe that someone at the level of Isshiki or the Sage of Six Paths could resist the will of those powers."

"Even if I preemptively put safeguards in place, there's still a high chance they'd be overwhelmed—allowing Gaia's consciousness or the Ōtsutsuki God to emerge on this planet in a half-formed state."

"But Kaguya is different."

Kazuki looked at Black Zetsu and said quietly, "Within Kaguya's soul is a mark—one I placed in her from the very beginning, back when she was still inside my body."

"That mark runs deep. With every emotional fluctuation, it burrows deeper into the essence of her soul. It not only allows her to inherit my power…"

"…but it also gives me the confidence to use the bond between our souls to ensure that Kaguya's consciousness won't be completely washed away by these two overwhelming forces."

"You've probably realized it by now… this soul imprint is linked to emotional fluctuations. It's similar to my eye techniques—it's a jutsu born from my Rinnegan, awakened specifically for Kaguya."

"In other words, as long as I'm alive, Kaguya won't die. She is my best firewall—my best filter. I'll help her resist the consciousness within those powers, allowing her to channel the pure energy directly into me. That way, I'll have a real shot at defeating our final enemy."

Black Zetsu fell silent.

Kazuki's logic flowed smoothly…

But the real question was—was it right to do this to Kaguya?

"Zetsu, the reason I asked you to betray Kaguya… is because you're the one she holds most dear."

"Your betrayal will stir powerful emotions, and that emotional shock will trigger the soul imprint between her and me. Only then can I be more confident that her mind won't collapse under the pressure of those supreme forces."

"It's a last resort."

"If you truly care about Kaguya—not just out of a desire to fulfill some self-serving notion of filial piety—then I hope you can overcome this mental block and join me in putting on this act."

"Betrayal is often the greatest form of loyalty… At least, for you and me. We're doing this for Kaguya—enduring the pain of being scorched alive by our own hearts."

Kazuki slowly exhaled a long breath.

"Whether you help me or not… I'm doing this either way."

"But this isn't a threat."

"Because I'll be the one to burn my life first—going out to face the Ōtsutsuki reinforcements head-on. If I win, all is well. I'll consume their corpses and extend my life."

"I'll tell Kaguya everything in advance. And if I lose… then I'll activate the plan, and let Kaguya obtain those two supreme powers for me."

Kazuki looked at the dumbstruck Black Zetsu and gave a helpless smile.

"You thought I was someone who just reaps the rewards?"

"I'm not. Do you think I don't know how risky this is for Kaguya?"

"That's why I'll be the one to place my life on the table first."

"That's who I am."

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