HSU: Ch. 340

Black Zetsu, now fully awake, immediately realized a very serious problem.

Forget the Eye of the Moon. He didn't even have a single hair from a tailed beast. So he immediately prostrated himself on the ground, slipping neatly into full kneeling mode.

"I am terribly sorry, Mother! Due to certain reasons, the tailed beasts have not yet been fully collected."

"So you still haven't finished. Hagoromo left behind many troublesome issues. You don't need to rush. It has already been so long. A little more time won't matter."

Kaguya had watched so many shows now. She felt she wasn't watching them for nothing.

Did they really think she was just slacking off?

She was the all-knowing progenitor of chakra. How could she possibly slack off?

All those stories highlighted one truth. Patience is an essential ingredient of success.

She felt that ever since she consumed the chakra fruit, she had lost this excellent virtue.

She once surpassed her companions by being patient, yet lost everything later because she lacked patience.

Truly ironic.

Now, her mindset had recovered.

With her endless lifespan, she had no reason to care about time. She could be more patient than anyone.

As for Black Zetsu...

"You have done very well all this time." She looked at him. "I have seen all your efforts. Once I return to the earth, I will give you a proper body. After all, you are also my child."

Black Zetsu looked up in shock.

What he saw in Kaguya's eyes was a trace of warmth.

"Ah, no, I'm fine... Mother..."

He was completely at a loss.

Though he always called Kaguya "Mother," he knew he was merely an emergency tool she created to resurrect herself. Just like Nagato was to Madara.

Hagoromo and Hamura were her true children, born of her blood. He wasn't like them. He wasn't even truly alive.

His greatest wish was simply that she would allow him to call her "Mother." To be acknowledged as her child... that was something he never thought possible.

Masashi watched the mother and child and felt this was a good outcome.

"Thank you for bringing him here," Kaguya said. "Although I could learn what he has done from you, it is still not the same."

It seemed she truly acknowledged him.

In the original timeline, she also pulled Black Zetsu into her sleeve. This was, in its own way, a form of protection.

At that time, Naruto and Sasuke were strong enough to kill Black Zetsu outright, and Yin-Yang Release was no longer a guaranteed safeguard. Perhaps, if the original timeline had ended with her victory, she might indeed have turned Black Zetsu into a true living being. After all, he had proven through his actions that he was the one who would accompany her until the very end.

"No need to thank me. It's what I should do. We're friends after all."

Black Zetsu shot Masashi a deeply grateful look. He had originally wanted to recommend Masashi to Mother. But now, it seemed his relationship with Mother was already excellent. Viewed from every angle, he felt like he was the one benefiting from their relationship.

Not that he minded. He liked this outcome.

"You and Zetsu can talk first. I'll step outside," Masashi said.

"No need to hurry," Kaguya stopped him. "Since you are here, there are things I must also tell you."

Faced with the serious, proper version of Kaguya, Masashi felt utterly unaccustomed, but he still didn't underestimate her.

Outside, the matter with Suna and Ame, he had originally come for Nagato and Madara. But apparently Nagato really wasn't there. With Nagato gone, the rest didn't require his personal supervision.

Itachi's skills in this area were more than sufficient. And most importantly, you absolutely couldn't underestimate Kaguya.

Otherwise...

"All right," he agreed readily.

At this point, even if Kaguya told him to leave, he wouldn't.

She smiled slightly, raised her hand, and the scenery around them changed.

The fields, trees, and palace all vanished, replaced by a gray-white expanse. The bright sky turned into a star-filled void.

Masashi looked around. This scenery... looked exactly like the lunar surface.

"This is where I reside. You should be very familiar with such scenery."

I am not. Don't talk nonsense. I've never even used a proper oxygen tank, let alone worn a spacesuit.

"Oh? You've never been here? That won't do." Because he hadn't shielded his thoughts, Kaguya received Masashi's inner muttering loud and clear. She puffed up proudly. "Isn't this what you people say? Mecha are a man's true romance. You cannot become a man inside a battleship."

Black Zetsu was confused.

What was Mother talking about? Why didn't he understand?

From the beginning, Kaguya had indeed viewed Black Zetsu merely as a tool. This had been her intention when she created him. If she were still in that lightless, hopeless sealed state, this idea probably wouldn't have changed.

But now, her view of him had shifted.

He might have been her temporary creation, but in Masashi's memories, she saw a Black Zetsu she had never expected.

One who didn't regard her as a master, but as a mother.

She despised her children's betrayal, but that hatred came from love.

And the truth was that the children she had actively loved had betrayed her, while the creation she made for convenience had accomplished what her true children failed to do. Love her wholeheartedly as their mother.

Through Black Zetsu, she realized something.

She was not alone. Even when she was sealed in darkness, forgotten by the world, there was someone who sought to save her, not out of fear, but out of emotion.

This moved her.

The loneliness brought by the seal surpassed even the isolation she felt after defying the Ōtsutsuki clan, and Black Zetsu's persistence, in such loneliness, was all the more precious.

She was not a failure.

"Hamura used to watch over me here. Of course, he is no longer here, and his descendants no longer know of my existence. But Hagoromo is stronger than Hamura. He watches from the earth, gazing at the starry sky, at this prison he and Hamura built for me. His surveillance never ended. So, he will soon notice you."

"I've met him before," Masashi said. "At that time, I already had the Rinnegan."

"That is why I said you would draw his attention. And I must warn you. Hagoromo is extremely stubborn. Once he considers you an enemy, he will find a way to eliminate you."

"I'll keep that in mind," Masashi nodded.

Kaguya's warning was certainly driven by her own interests, but regardless of her motives, her point was valid.

The main issue was that Hagoromo was indeed a very stubborn man. This was evident from how he treated Naruto and Sasuke in the original timeline.

Even after admitting he had ignored Indra's feelings in the past, when facing the descendants of Indra and Asura, he still gave Naruto, the descendant of Asura, better treatment. He personally gathered all nine tailed beasts to vouch for him.

Naruto and the tailed beasts had already communicated before, but if Hagoromo had told the tailed beasts to help Sasuke instead, they would have obeyed. Because the only one they truly trusted was Hagoromo. Their recognition of Naruto came from the connection they sensed between the two. And because of Hagoromo's actions, Naruto became the jinchūriki of all nine tailed beasts combined.

In other words, Hagoromo had never changed his mindset. He merely acknowledged Indra's power while still hoping that power could be used for Asura's sake.

It was lucky the reincarnated pair in the original timeline, Naruto and Sasuke, were special. If it had been Indra himself, he would've likely self-destructed on the spot.

"He will not let go of anything or anyone related to me," Kaguya said to Masashi. "Meeting him means your actions have already disrupted his 'script,' or at least that you've gained the power of the tailed beasts."

"Perhaps. But personally, I don't take sides. Everything is based on mutual respect," Masashi smiled. "Of course, if you give up on things like the White Zetsu... I would definitely support you."

If Kaguya could abandon the whole White Zetsu business, then because of the Pure Land's nature, he truly wouldn't have any reason to side with Hagoromo.

Characters as self-righteous as Hagoromo were incredibly hard to get along with.

"If that time comes, I can grant you even greater power." Kaguya was not impatient. She had more patience than ever before. At the same time, she was certain that conflict between Hagoromo and Masashi was inevitable.

Masashi was not someone who bowed to force.

And Hagoromo, with no physical body, could not possibly subdue an Uchiha who could borrow Kaguya's power.

Now, she was actually looking forward to Hagoromo approaching Masashi again. Because then, she would also be able to meet Hagoromo.

And that meeting would be nothing like today.

---

Inside the cave, the fire flickered as the occasional breeze blew in. A snake slithered inside, holding a twig in its mouth. It flicked its head, tossing the twig accurately into the campfire, adding fuel once again.

After moving back and forth a few times to stabilize the flames, it leisurely crawled back out.

A Ryūchi Cave serpent with ambition doesn't pick and choose tasks.

Adding firewood or standing guard at the entrance, mere trifles, absolutely no problem.

As a dedicated snake, it firmly believed that opportunities to earn credit with its contractor were things it created for itself.

Once it left the cave, the snake hid its body within the vegetation and began secretly waiting for an opportunity, waiting for a good person to pass by so it could take a bite.

But people today just weren't what they used to be. Good people were getting harder and harder to find.

It felt like its fangs were going dull.

While that certain snake was lamenting the decline of social morality, inside the cave, the Black Zetsu covering Masashi suddenly turned liquid and began to separate.

Soon, Black Zetsu had already formed a figure beside him. Masashi opened his eyes as well, stood up, and stretched his limbs. Black Zetsu, however, simply stayed motionless where he was.

After finishing his stretching, Masashi glanced at the unmoving Black Zetsu. He didn't disturb him. Instead, he thought for a moment and took out another sealing scroll from within his seal-scroll set. How could he manage to have everything he needed with just one pair of sealing scrolls? Of course, he put seals inside the seals. After all, his income had long surpassed the point where he judged things by cost. Now he only cared whether they were good or not.

Spreading open the scroll, Masashi checked beside him. Black Zetsu still hadn't moved.

Pressing his finger on the seal and injecting a bit of chakra, he located what he wanted.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

When the smoke burst open, what appeared were a yukata, an obi, and a pair of shoes.

After taking the items, he bit his finger and performed the Summoning Technique once more. The smoke that exploded this time carried wind strong enough to almost blow out the fire.

A huge swarm of snakes poured out. All baby snakes, they instantly filled the cave.

He had been using baby snakes more and more recently, and he'd come to realize these little things were actually quite perceptive. Although Ryūchi Cave's service attitude was debatable and they were picky about clients, their skills were solid.

"Go guard the entrance." He waved, sending them off to reinforce the snake he had previously summoned for night watch.

It wasn't that he doubted that snake's dedication. It was simply that the upcoming matter could not afford any mishaps. He wouldn't feel secure without blocking the entrance with sheer numbers.

The snake swarm slithered out with a rustling sound.

All of them carefully avoided Black Zetsu. That dark thing carried a scent that made them instinctively afraid.

A long while after the snakes had left, Black Zetsu still hadn't moved. Masashi didn't rush him. Their mental connection was still active. It was only the first time, needing some time was normal. It wasn't like in the original timeline where Madara had already laid all the groundwork.

After some time, Black Zetsu finally began to change. His surface lines shifted, gradually taking on the shape of a female body.

Masashi focused intently.

At this moment, the coloration of Black Zetsu's body also began to change, and long hair "grew" from his head. Finally, someone who should not appear in this era appeared.

Masashi quickly grabbed the yukata and draped it over her, avoiding certain scenes that required harmonious censoring.

Black Zetsu had vanished. Sitting before Masashi was Kaguya. Black Zetsu was essentially an extension of Kaguya's true body.

If Black Zetsu, out of self-preservation, refused to carry out this plan, then as long as someone pursued the power of the Ten-Tails, Kaguya could use that person to gain the Rinnegan and then revive herself using Black Zetsu as a body.

However, at that time she would erase Black Zetsu's consciousness and reclaim all chakra for herself. But now she would not do that. Black Zetsu's loyalty moved her, so much so that she truly had the thought of turning Black Zetsu into her own flesh-and-blood child. It wasn't difficult. As long as she reclaimed the God Tree's power, she could do it.

Just like when she once gave birth to Hagoromo and Hamura.

But before any of that, she had to return to the physical world, not using a descendant's body like before, but her own.

And so we come to the scene before them now.

However, at this moment she did not possess the overwhelming powers of the original timeline, where even a casual gesture could alter nature itself. Aside from still retaining immense spiritual power, the rest of her abilities were essentially the same as Black Zetsu's. If she were a vehicle, calling this "downgraded" would be generous. This was basically just an empty shell.

"Kaguya-hime, welcome back." Masashi placed the shoes before her. "In your current condition, I personally recommend wearing them. It'll make walking easier."

Kaguya looked at the shoes Masashi had set down.

They were men's shoes. Specifically, the kind ninjas commonly wore.

She touched the black yukata draped over her, then looked at the identical one on Masashi.

"Is this the same as what you're wearing?"

"Of course," Masashi said. "What respectable man brings women's clothing when he goes out?"

"I think you should have," Kaguya replied.

She had been exposed to all kinds of anime by now. She wasn't the same as she once was, she cared quite a bit about clothing nowadays.

For example, her favorite was Asuna's outfit.

She intended to stand up.

Masashi pushed her back down and pulled the yukata closed before it could slip off.

"Kaguya-hime, you should put your clothes on properly first. It's cold outside," he said, handing the obi to her.

"I don't know how," Kaguya didn't even try to take it. She said it as if it were obvious. "I've never worn this kind of clothing. And even if I have, I no longer remember how."

In the mindscape, she didn't need clothing, she just transformed.

Technically, she could transform through Black Zetsu as well, but she wanted to fully experience everything in the real world, including clothing, so she chose to come out bare.

"Fine, I'll teach you," Masashi said. It made sense.

After not doing something for a thousand years, forgetting was natural.

Besides, modern clothing styles were completely different from ancient ones.

It was fortunate that in the Naruto world, no one cared about the proper way to wear a kimono. Otherwise, the way Kaguya had just tugged it on, with her hair loose, would have made her look completely untamed.

"This is how you wear this outfit. Try to remember. Also, how long do you plan to stay?"

"Are you that unwilling to have me around? Even so, I can still lend you my power," Kaguya frowned.

"I'm thinking about Zetsu. He's still employed elsewhere," Masashi said.

"I don't mind." From within Kaguya's sleeve, a blob of black appeared. Black Zetsu formed eyes and a mouth. "Where Mother goes, I go."

"Alright, then let's settle the matter of your identity first."

"I am the progenitor of chakra!" Kaguya declared. "You figure it out."

"Before that, you'll need to shrink the horns on your head," Masashi said, ignoring her declaration.

"Why?" Kaguya clearly liked her horns. "They are an important symbol of me."

"Because no one in this world has those anymore." Masashi pointed at himself. "I'm a descendant of Indra. Do I have horns?"

"Mother, I think Masashi makes sense," Black Zetsu said from her sleeve. "People today no longer know your greatness. Under current circumstances, it is better to infiltrate them first."

"Fine, I shall endure it once more. But this is the last time. I will not make any further compromises," Kaguya agreed.

The two horns on her head turned black, then slowly retracted into her skull.

Honestly, Masashi increasingly felt that Kaguya now looked like a slime.

Right, he should add "That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime" to the library. Kaguya would probably love that anime.

"Now, regarding your identity. Let's go over it." Masashi moved to the simplest part. "You'll act as a member of the Hyūga clan. If anyone asks, I'll handle it. If someone questions you directly, don't respond."

"I am going outside." Kaguya's attention was no longer on the topic at all. She was already fascinatedly placing her hands near the campfire, savoring its warmth.

This sensation was completely different from that of the mindscape.

The physical reality she now experienced was more interesting to her than anything else.