HSU: Ch. 339

According to Black Zetsu's memories, ever since he was born, he had never run this fast.

This friend Masashi, yeah, he's worth keeping around.

The only bad part was that he was being forced to run this fast.

"No! No! Wrong way! It's this direction!"

Boom!

Masashi, still sprinting, stomped down, and a Lightning Release blast blew a crater into the ground beneath him. The crackling arcs of lightning hadn't even faded before he vanished toward another direction entirely.

Black Zetsu's head poked out from Masashi's shoulder.

The whole thing had started when Black Zetsu discovered that Masashi was far, far faster than he was when running, so he had volunteered to switch to a new tactic.

He would navigate, and Masashi would just... floor it.

Familiar scenery finally appeared ahead. A long coastline, and a beach covered in gravel and sand.

Masashi had once brought the young incarnations of Indra and Asura here for field training. They ran all the way, and it didn't even take half the night.

The nighttime seascape of the Land of Rivers was much simpler than anything on Earth.

The current shinobi world, in terms of societal development, was still a medieval agrarian society. Human traces in the wilderness were pitifully few.

The sea was dark and calm, silent and deep. Waves pushed onto the shore, brushing lightly against the rocks, soft enough to lull one to sleep.

Moonlight spilled down, and the flowing waves shimmered like trembling scales. The light made the sky look hazy.

"My turn now," Black Zetsu said, thrilled by the scene. "Take a break. I'll handle things from here."

"You're still using my body. Hurry up," Masashi grumbled, then allowed Black Zetsu to temporarily take control.

Soon, black liquid covered him entirely.

Masashi vanished, replaced by a larger version of Black Zetsu.

And the first thing he felt was Masashi's overwhelmingly powerful ocular force.

Good thing the Rinnegan isn't activated yet... he thought.

Too much ocular power in the Rinnegan wasn't something just anyone could withstand.

Even transplanted high-level Sharingan had similar restrictions.

And although Masashi's eyes were only three-tomoe Sharingan, the ocular power contained within them was genuinely on the Mangekyō level.

Though for Masashi, even keeping them active all the time caused no strain.

Black Zetsu didn't make him deactivate them. Using those eyes made travel much faster.

Wearing Masashi's "skin," he immediately sank underground.

With Masashi's Sharingan, his chakra-sensing ability was dramatically heightened.

Black Zetsu's base was dug deep underground.

By his experience, this depth ensured that none of the White Zetsu being cultivated inside could be sensed from the surface by any chakra sensor.

White Zetsu were modified from humans, but also unlike humans. They were fully chakra-activated biological weapons. They didn't produce chakra like normal ninjas.

Their entire bodies were chakra.

Yet after barely sinking for a moment, a cluster of glowing points, each representing a White Zetsu, had already appeared through the Sharingan's vision.

Masashi, you've created a new milestone in history...

Black Zetsu finally understood how Masashi managed to learn the Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack.

No Uchiha in history had ever possessed such powerful chakra-perception ability.

With foundations this strong, it was practically a secret technique by itself.

Good thing Masashi was born an Uchiha and not a Hyūga. His perception was chakra-focused, or he might've been able to perform the full Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack as well.

Of course, the Hyūga lacked ancestors as absurdly overpowered as those of the Uchiha and Senju. Hamura was truly dead. He wasn't going to suddenly pop up in someone's mind and hand out cheat codes.

The reason Uchiha and Senju could sit at the top of the shinobi world for so long had a lot to do with a certain evil old man who loved chatting with reincarnations.

But Black Zetsu felt that whatever this friend of his had achieved, it was all due to his own strength. None of it had anything to do with that evil old man.

Hagoromo, I'll be the one to win in the end. Blame yourself for being a lousy parent!

Through the Sharingan's vision, the depths below had already become a "sea" of chakra light. Excitement surged inside him as he spread his arms wide, as if embracing the future.

"What are you getting all emotional for?" Masashi's disgruntled voice came out of Black Zetsu's mouth. "Hurry up and get in. This pose looks stupid, I swear."

Well... as expected of an Uchiha. This friend of his had the Uchiha clan's usual problem. Only cared about fighting, zero appreciation for atmosphere.

Black Zetsu dropped into the chakra ocean below.

The White Zetsu were growing at an excellent rate. Judging by this "ocean," they were flourishing.

Deep underground, a lump of black goo fell from the rocky ceiling.

Black Zetsu twisted midair in a neat flip and landed gracefully on his feet. Then he detached himself from Masashi's body.

Masashi didn't deactivate his Sharingan, because the base's interior was as always, pitch black.

Black Zetsu didn't need light. His eyes were practically decorative.

And this wasn't Madara's cozy little house, so there were no tools for lighting a fire. But with the Sharingan open, the place was bright enough to be blinding.

"You're really getting more and more practiced at this," Masashi couldn't help sighing. "Seriously, you never thought about opening a livestock farm or something? I swear you alone could supply all the pork in the Land of Fire."

"Pork?" Black Zetsu froze for a moment, then realized Masashi was mocking his skill at cultivating White Zetsu, comparing it to raising pigs.

He was not pleased.

"Nonsense! Pigs don't grow nearly as fast as White Zetsu!"

"...Fine, let's go. To the cultivation chamber. There's at least a little light there."

Black Zetsu nodded and began leading the way.

After a series of twists and turns through complex passageways, Masashi finally arrived at the base's cultivation chamber as he wished.

The moment he stepped in, he deactivated his Sharingan.

It had to be said. The sight before him was truly spectacular.

Countless White Zetsu.

Below the cultivation chamber lay an enormous incubation pool, where rows of White Zetsu stood perfectly still, lined up in formation, the queue disappearing into the darkness far ahead. And around the chamber, the rocky walls were covered with White Zetsu pods, each hanging like a large white cocoon.

At first glance, it felt like stepping into a hive.

Anyone with trypophobia would definitely not want to be here.

Though these White Zetsu looked like villainous monsters, they were actually dumb as rocks.

"White Zetsu Army"? Such a fearsome-sounding name. Masashi absolutely did not agree with it.

He found a place to sit inside the chamber and waved at Black Zetsu.

"Hey, come sit."

Black Zetsu froze. Suddenly, he felt like... he wasn't mentally prepared for this.

What was with this embarrassing, nervous feeling like someone afraid to return home?

Kaguya must be disappointed in him! She must be!

After all this time, he still hadn't freed her!

Though born without a heart, he felt unbearably uneasy and tense at this moment.

Seeing him pacing back and forth, Masashi roughly understood his thoughts.

His Sharingan instantly transformed into Rinnegan. He reached out, grabbed Black Zetsu with a Banshō Ten'in, and yanked the dithering creature straight over.

His hand smacked down firmly onto Black Zetsu's shoulder.

The crack echoed loudly.

"We're already here. What are you hesitating for?" he tapped his own eyes. "Alright, this time don't cover me completely. Just the upper half. Left or right, your choice."

He remembered that in the original timeline, just one of Madara's Rinnegan was almost enough to make Black Zetsu lose consciousness.

Even an unglyphed Rinnegan possessed ocular power strong enough that Black Zetsu couldn't fully withstand it.

Ocular strength varied among Sharingan and Rinnegan alike, but Masashi believed that as long as it was only one eye, Black Zetsu could handle it. After all, he survived Madara's.

"Oh, and one more thing. I share the Rinnegan's vision with Kaguya."

Black Zetsu jolted violently at those words.

"You mean, Mother..."

"Yep. She saw all that dumb stuff you were doing just now, so... are you sure you don't want to hurry up?"

Black Zetsu immediately began liquefying without another word.

Then he spread over the left half of Masashi's body.

"Ugh..."

He let out a strained sound.

The pressure from this Rinnegan was stronger than both Sharingan combined.

"I'm starting."

Masashi raised his right hand and formed a seal. Both Rinnegan activated simultaneously, linking into Kaguya's mindscape.

And in Black Zetsu's "vision," true darkness descended.

But a moment later, the darkness was replaced by brilliant, dazzling chaos. Even he could not perceive anything clearly. When he regained awareness, he was already standing in a vast, white world.

Beside him stood Masashi.

And ahead of them was a door.

"She is behind that door. She already knows you're here. Go on. It's simple. See the handle? Grab it, twist, and you'll go in. Of course, if you think that lacks flair, you can kick the door open. But personally, I recommend the first option."

Black Zetsu took a deep breath, ignoring Masashi's annoying commentary like "You don't even have a nose, why breathe?" and walked step by step toward the door, gripping the handle.

The next moment, he made up his mind and opened the door.

Creak!

Although he had never entered the mindscape before, he had to admit, Masashi had made this place quite realistic.

How long had it been since this door was last oiled?

But he quickly stopped thinking about that. Because he was extremely excited right now!

He opened the door fully, and the world on the other side revealed itself.

It was a normal room.

There wasn't much furniture, just a large bed.

Opposite the bed was a huge screen that covered the entire wall. And lying horizontally on the bed was a figure that filled all of his memories.

Crunch.

He noticed that the figure had taken something out and taken a bite, but because the person was facing away, he couldn't see what it was.

More eye-catching than that, however, was the giant screen. It was playing something he had never seen before.

"Mother?" He couldn't help but call out softly.

"Hm?"

The person on the bed turned around.

Black Zetsu finally saw clearly.

It was a woman whose appearance resembled Kaguya almost perfectly. Even the horns on her head were the same. But this woman's cheeks were puffed out like a hamster, chewing who-knows-what.

Even worse, there were crumbs around her mouth.

---

The woman lying on the bed was indeed Kaguya.

Recently, she had become obsessed with watching mecha anime. Through these shows, she discovered the qualities she once ignored in ordinary humans. These weak yet shining little beings intrigued her greatly.

She was enjoying her show when she heard someone behind her call "Mother."

Her first reaction was that Masashi wanted to call her "Mom."

Which wasn't unacceptable, so she forgot to hit pause and simply turned her head to check.

Only to find a strange creature standing in the doorway.

It looked familiar.

"Masashi? You're playing with this too? But this look really isn't working," Kaguya said. She had been binge-watching so hard that her brain wasn't fully engaged, and she made a professional-level critique of the "Masashi" in the doorway.

"My apologies for the interruption. Masashi is outside. I'll go get him," Black Zetsu said politely, then quietly stepped back out and closed the door.

Back in the endless white space, he stared at the door in silence.

Behind him, Masashi watched with curiosity.

What's going on? Why did he come back out?

"Masashi," Black Zetsu finally spoke.

"What is it?"

"I think you opened the wrong door."

Where the heck would I get multiple doors? There's only this ONE!

Annoyed, he said, "Stop being dramatic. There's only this door. Just go in."

"No. You definitely have another door," Black Zetsu said firmly. "Don't hide it."

"Fu..." Masashi was about to curse, then paused as a thought hit him. He pushed aside the suddenly-zen Black Zetsu, opened the door, and stuck his head inside.

On the giant screen, a middle-aged man's distorted expression filled Masashi's view.

In front of that display, Kaguya jerked her head around, clearly irritated.

"What business do you have with me now? You've already made me rewatch this once!"

"Nothing. Please continue." Masashi immediately understood, pulled his head back, closed the door, and turned to Black Zetsu.

"Your mother is right in there. Why did you come out?"

"Stop joking." Black Zetsu laughed heartily. "I didn't know you were this thoughtful. You even found someone who looks exactly like Mother. I get it, you didn't want me to be nervous. Don't worry, I'm not nervous anymore."

"I'm afraid of your nonsense." Masashi grabbed him and dragged him toward the door. "Cut the theatrics. I'll go in with you."

"No!" Black Zetsu shrieked, struggling like crazy. "I want to see Mother! That is NOT Mother!"

"Calm down. I know it's hard for you to accept, but that really is your mother. The original."

"Impossible! She would NEVER eat like a hamster!"

Masashi really wanted to tell him that the existence of the door was purely symbolic, a formality, because his mind and Kaguya's were already linked. Meaning... Black Zetsu's voice could be heard perfectly well from the other side.

Bang!

He punched Black Zetsu so hard he landed on his back, limbs up.

"Calm down. Idolizing someone isn't healthy. It's fake. Real love is accepting every part of someone. Your mother has been alone for ages. Why shouldn't she have a hobby?"

Black Zetsu's mind was buzzing.

"You don't understand Mother. She would never be like that, she..."

Masashi realized there was no reasoning with him.

There was no helping it. Having an infinite lifespan and tirelessly working toward a single goal for a thousand years were two completely different things. To Black Zetsu, Kaguya wasn't merely his creator. She was his faith. Therefore, the image of her in his heart was inevitably sacred.

Which was why blind worship was such a terrible thing.

It distorted reality. Badly.

Since reasoning wouldn't work, he stopped trying. He simply grabbed Black Zetsu, pulled the door open again, tossed him inside, and shut the door.

"Hahahahahaha!"

From the other side came Black Zetsu's wild, ecstatic laughter.

Startled, Masashi hurriedly opened the door again.

Light filled his vision.

The room was gone. In its place was a completely different scene.

A vast grassy plain, towering divine trees, and a shrine beneath the greatest of them.

Black Zetsu stood in the middle of the field, dancing with joy. This was the place where his mother had once lived, exactly the same as in his memories. No doubt about it. This was the real mother. She must have heard his call and agreed to see him.

As for earlier, that must have been an illusion she cast out of disappointment in his performance, refusing to meet him.

Kaguya's illusions... those were powerful enough to turn falsehood into reality.

"Masashi! Look! Mother is willing to see me! She's not angry with me anymore!"

"As long as you're happy," Masashi replied.

He stepped through the doorway into this world and walked to Black Zetsu's side.

"Come with me! We'll go greet her together. I'll make sure to recommend you properly!"

Black Zetsu was so excited he could barely speak coherently. He had completely forgotten that Masashi was the one who brought him in here. He felt as though he had returned to the moment he was first created.

The memories Kaguya had given him and his own memories blurred together.

In this moment, he forgot the Eye of the Moon. He only wanted to see his mother as soon as possible.

Masashi looked at him. Though he knew, politically speaking, he shouldn't feel this way, a wave of sympathy rose within him.

Honestly, he doubted Kaguya had ever regarded Black Zetsu as her child. The "will incarnate" story was something Black Zetsu fabricated to deceive Madara. But in Kaguya's case, that might actually be the truth.

Unlike Hagoromo and Hamura, Black Zetsu was something she had "pinched together" using Yin-Yang Release.

He didn't know how Kaguya had given birth to Hagoromo and Hamura, but judging from their purely Ōtsutsuki traits, it surely wasn't as crude as how Black Zetsu came into being. Yet ironically, he was the "child" who loved her the most, so deeply he had erased his own self.

Masashi was a father himself now. If his child ended up in a state like Black Zetsu, it would break his heart. He sincerely hoped Kaguya would regard Black Zetsu as a child rather than a tool, even just a little.

"Let's go," he said at last. "Take me to see your mother."

At a time like this, whatever Black Zetsu said, he would go along with it.

"Mm! Mm!" Black Zetsu nodded. "I'll be sure to speak well of you to Mother. She's very gentle!"

"Thanks," Masashi said, patting him.

Black Zetsu was already grinning foolishly.

Under his "guidance," the two walked toward the shrine beneath the towering sacred tree. Along the way, he proudly explained everything about the plain, even identifying every plant by name. Someone with weaker tear ducts would probably have cried from being moved by his knowledge.

After a while, the two finally reached the shrine entrance.

It was the same place where Masashi had first met Kaguya in the mindscape.

Just as they arrived, the shrine's heavy doors opened without wind.

A graceful woman appeared in the doorway.

But to Masashi, she wasn't sacred at all. After all, he'd seen just how utterly useless she could be.

But in Black Zetsu's eyes, she was nothing of the sort. He immediately threw himself to the ground, well, almost slid like a baseball steal before ending in a full prostration.

"Mother!" His voice nearly broke with joy, though "nearly" because he had no tears to shed. "I can finally see you again!"

"Zetsu, it's you." Kaguya's lips curled slightly. "You brought Masashi to see me. Does that mean the tailed beasts have been gathered?"

Black Zetsu's excitement froze.

The tailed beasts?

Reality snapped back.

This wasn't the ancient world. This was the mindscape. And he bore the crucial task of freeing his mother!