Chapter 139: Deciphering the Uchiha Stone Tablet
Western region of the Land of Fire.
Several days had passed since that battle. Uchiha Taiga and Yugito Nii had been traveling west, crossing forests and hills, following the river until now.
Of course, they weren't moving non-stop. Taiga wasn't in a hurry. Even though he had just fought Uchiha Madara, to him, this was a journey, not a rushed march. He took his time, appearing quite relaxed.
Two more days west from here lay the border. Beyond that was the Land of Rivers, and further west was the Land of Wind.
His destination was Sunagakure, home to the One-Tail, Shukaku.
His plan to collect the Tailed Beasts was still in motion. He wouldn't change his pace just because Uchiha Madara had appeared.
Even if he went to Sunagakure and couldn't find Shukaku, it didn't matter. He would take it slow; Taiga was in no rush.
Life on the road was no different than before.
They traveled by day and rested by night. Yugito handled the cooking, and Taiga handled the eating.
The only difference was that he now carried something extra in his hand—a transparent glass jar containing a tiny, black, humanoid figure.
Black Zetsu.
This mastermind, who had secretly manipulated the ninja world for centuries, was now sealed inside a jar barely half the size of a palm, looking like a delicate trinket.
Taiga held it in his hand, using it as a tool to stave off boredom. When the journey grew dull, he would shake the jar and watch the little black figure bounce against the glass walls.
Or he would talk to it through the glass, listening to its hoarse, desperate voice beg, promise, threaten, and flatter.
It was highly entertaining.
"You brat, you're still too young in the end. Do you really think you can keep me sealed? I am Uchiha Obito's creation, and he will return."
This was a threat, feigning ignorance.
"Let me go. I pose absolutely no threat to you."
This was a plea, feigning ignorance.
"Want to learn secret jutsu? I know several."
This was a temptation, feigning ignorance.
"I know many secrets of the ninja world. As long as you do as I say..."
This was yet another temptation, feigning ignorance.
Every time Black Zetsu tried to manipulate him, it failed. Taiga completely shattered its rhythm.
"You little thing, are you still refusing to tell the truth? Or do you think I don't have the means to deal with you?"
Taiga raised the jar and shook it against the sunlight.
The sun's rays pierced through the glass, illuminating the tiny black figure curled up inside, making it look pitiful and helpless.
Yet, its voice still echoed from the jar, carrying an indescribable hint of a smile.
"Hehehe, how could that be? For a powerhouse like you, dealing with me would surely be simple. But I can make you stronger. I can tell you the truth of the ninja world. I can help you obtain the power of Hagoromo Otsutsuki..."
"Hagoromo Otsutsuki?"
Taiga raised an eyebrow. "You're already a prisoner, yet you're still trying to deceive people. You're quite dangerous, little thing."
Black Zetsu's voice paused.
Taiga lowered the jar, tied it back to his waist, and patted it.
"I don't expect much from you anyway. Once I'm ready, I'll dissect you and study you thoroughly."
His tone was entirely casual.
Yugito crouched by the stream, washing the pots and bowls.
Hearing Taiga's words, she glanced sideways at the jar on his waist, her lips twitching slightly.
She had a feeling that whatever was inside that jar was nothing good, but since Taiga said it was useful, she didn't say much.
The two rested in a wooded mountain area.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. A gentle breeze blew, rustling the foliage.
Yugito was building a fire to cook. Wild vegetables and dry rations boiled in the pot, emitting a faint aroma.
Taiga sat on a large rock, unfastening his three ninja blades from his waist and laying them out one by one in front of him. He dipped a strip of cloth into blade oil and carefully wiped the edges, his movements slow and meticulous.
Suddenly, his hands paused.
Taiga didn't look up, his gaze still fixed on the blade, but his ears twitched.
"Someone is coming."
Yugito dropped what she was doing, her hand resting on the hilt of her ninja blade as she leaned forward slightly.
She looked in the direction Taiga was facing, but saw nothing.
The woods were too dense, and the sunlight was too blinding. All she could see was a patch of dappled light and shadow.
"Don't worry, they're acquaintances."
Yugito breathed a sigh of relief and moved her hand away from her blade.
The footsteps drew closer.
It wasn't just one person; it was a group.
The sound of footsteps crunching on fallen leaves rustled through the air.
Someone walked at the front with steady steps. Others followed behind with brisk paces. A few walked slightly slower, seemingly observing their surroundings.
A squad emerged from the woods.
The man leading them wore a Konoha flak jacket with a ninja blade hanging at his waist. His expression was stern and exhausted, with heavy dark circles under his eyes, as if he had traveled a long distance. Beside him was a woman wearing the same Konoha flak jacket, her hair tied back, her features soft, and her eyes gentle.
Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Mikoto.
Behind them were over a dozen Uchiha clan ninjas. Some wore the Police Force uniform, while others wore ordinary dark civilian clothes. Everyone's face bore the weary marks of a long, arduous journey.
"Taiga!"
Seeing the young man sitting on the rock, Mikoto quickened her pace significantly.
Tears welled up in her eyes, swirling in the corners.
Taiga looked up at them, the corners of his mouth curving into a slight smile.
"It's been a while, Sister Mikoto. I didn't expect you to come looking for me."
Yugito stood up from the campfire and took two steps back, making room for them.
She didn't speak, simply standing quietly to the side. Her hand rested on her ninja blade, but her posture was much more relaxed.
Her gaze lingered on Mikoto for a moment before shifting to the Uchiha clansmen following behind.
Fugaku stepped forward and stopped in front of Taiga.
He stood there, looking at the young man on the rock. The sunlight shone from behind him, casting his shadow over Taiga.
His lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he swallowed the polite pleasantries.
Instead, Fugaku crouched down, unfastened a sealing scroll from his back, and unrolled it on the ground.
"Taiga-kun, I have something I want you to see."
His voice was deep, carrying a suppressed solemnity.
He bit his finger, smeared the blood across the scroll, and formed hand signs.
A puff of white smoke erupted. As it cleared, a stone tablet appeared before everyone.
The tablet was entirely black with a smooth surface. It was less than a meter tall, only half a meter wide, and a little over a hand's breadth thick.
The surface was densely carved with text. The characters were standard ninja world script, recording the Uchiha clan's sacrificial rituals and some prayers for blessings.
The edges of the tablet were somewhat worn, making it look incredibly ancient.
Taiga naturally knew what it was, but he hadn't expected Fugaku to bring it directly to him.
"Did Tsunade tell you?"
Fugaku nodded, his expression extremely grave.
"Yes, it was the news Lady Tsunade brought back. Uchiha Madara said there were secrets on this. I... managed to decipher a portion of it, but I couldn't see through the rest."
Taiga stood up from the rock, walked over to the stone tablet, and looked at the dense text.
His eyes shifted from white to crimson. Three tomoe surfaced in his irises, then connected and merged, transforming into the Mangekyo pattern.
The inscription became clear in his vision. Some of the distorted symbols seemed to translate into a language he could understand, appearing line by line in his mind.
Hagoromo Otsutsuki, the Ten-Tails, the God Tree, the origin of chakra, the Infinite Tsukuyomi... the method to achieve world peace.
He finished reading the entire inscription, then closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment.
When he opened his eyes again, the Mangekyo had faded, reverting to those white eyes.
"You shouldn't have brought this stone tablet out."
Fugaku's expression changed slightly.
Meanwhile, inside the small jar at Taiga's waist, Black Zetsu's tiny body was pressed tightly against the glass, its hollow mouth stretching into a wide, gaping smile.