Naruto: The Hyuga Mastermind

Chapter 106: Madara: As My Will, It's Only Right for You to Sacrifice Yourself

"You are Lord Madara's will. He would never abandon you," White Zetsu said with his signature cheerful grin.

Black Zetsu: "…"

Why did it feel like they were just trying to placate him…?

But, after all, he had waited a thousand years for a single Uchiha Madara. If he missed this chance, how much longer would he have to wait?

Surely… it would be fine.

Black Zetsu didn't believe that any human could truly learn much from experimenting on him. Once the interest faded, he would be released.

With that thought, Black Zetsu hesitated for a moment too long, missing his chance to escape entirely. Left with no other option, he accepted his fate and closed his eyes.

Madara would never abandon him!

Clinging to this strange form of faith, Black Zetsu allowed his consciousness to slip into slumber.

As the sealing jutsu fully enveloped Black Zetsu, compressing him into a sphere, Hyuga Fuji shifted his gaze to the side. From the shadows, Sakumo Hatake stepped forward, picked up the sealed Black Zetsu, and silently left.

Once Sakumo was gone, White Zetsu's usual carefree smile disappeared, replaced by a rare look of seriousness.

"Lord Fuji, are you really going to hand over the Edo Tensei technique to Uchiha Madara?"

White Zetsu hadn't betrayed Madara. After all, he wasn't truly Madara's subordinate—he was Hyuga Fuji's creation, through and through.

Fuji nodded calmly. "It's an equivalent exchange. Give it to him."

"…"

Was that strange black creature really worth such a valuable technique?

White Zetsu couldn't help but feel puzzled but refrained from questioning further. He obediently stored the scroll containing the Edo Tensei technique, preparing to deliver it to Madara later. Instead, he shifted the topic to the intelligence they had gathered.

"Lord Fuji, based on the information collected by our White Zetsu network and Madara's operatives, it seems that, aside from the Land of Water, all the major nations have been involved. Additionally, some of the bounty hunters in the black market have been acting unusually and are beginning to gather."

"The Daimyo of the Land of Fire doesn't seem to be merely testing the Fourth Hokage's stance. Rather, he seems to…"

"He's distancing himself from suspicion," Fuji interrupted, his gaze fixed on the thriving streets of Konoha outside the window. His voice remained calm.

The Daimyo's public bounty on Hyuga Fuji's life not only demonstrated his dissatisfaction with Konoha but also suggested that he hadn't fully severed ties with the village.

Most people would interpret it that way.

Or rather, Shikaku and the others were content to think no further.

That's why Fuji played along and only disclosed this matter to Tsunade.

But what if there was another possibility?

What if the Daimyo's public display of dissatisfaction was a calculated move to collaborate with the underground black market in a staged performance, forcing Konoha to take a public stance?

If Konoha didn't want to provoke a full-scale fallout with the Daimyo, they would have no choice but to pin the blame squarely on the black market and avoid probing further.

Furthermore, to demonstrate loyalty, Konoha would likely escalate its crackdown on black market activity beyond the Land of Fire, offending the upper echelons of the black market in other nations.

In this scenario, the tensions between Konoha and the black market would naturally have nothing to do with the Daimyo.

By orchestrating this farce, the Daimyo could neatly extricate himself from the political whirlpool while maintaining his interests.

Meanwhile, his allies within the black market would have already retreated safely under his arrangements.

Having merely raised bounties and staged a show, the Daimyo successfully redirected all enmity toward Konoha and the black market.

Any retaliation against Konoha's leadership by the black market, or vice versa, would be entirely unrelated to him.

And as long as the Daimyo discreetly cooperated in certain matters, other nations would willingly accept the blame, ensuring that relations between Konoha and the Land of Fire remained intact.

"It seems the Daimyo will make the first move," Fuji mused, his eyes narrowing. "Which bounty hunters are involved in this?"

"Blood Hand, made up of rogue ninja from various nations; Wanderer, composed of vagrant shinobi; and… Xuanyuan Syndicate (The one that forced fourth Raikage and his team to run away. Has unique Jutsu that absorbs chakra and explodes inside enemy. Couldn't find the name.) ! All of them are top-tier bounty hunter groups known for taking down targets worth over thirty million ryō. Some individual bounty hunters remain unidentified," White Zetsu reported, his tone unusually heavy.

These bounty hunter groups were no joke.

Even at his peak, White Zetsu wouldn't stand a chance one-on-one against members of these organizations.

"Xuanyuan Syndicate, huh?" Fuji withdrew his gaze from the window, smiling faintly at White Zetsu. "Without intelligence on them, I'd be just as likely to die at their hands as anyone else."

"You jest, Lord Fuji," White Zetsu replied.

Fuji chuckled and shook his head without elaborating. Instead, he asked, "How's the infiltration progressing?"

"Due to the Daimyo's recent maneuvers, our operatives in the Land of Fire have successfully identified and replaced all high-ranking black market members."

"Good. Continue infiltrating as Konoha escalates its actions."

Turning his attention fully to White Zetsu, Fuji smiled and said, "Your daughter has been located. Along with the others from your clan, I'll ensure they're safely brought back."

White Zetsu's heart surged with emotion. He bowed deeply. "Thank you, Lord Fuji!"

---

"Lord Madara, this is the Edo Tensei technique."

"Hmm."

In a dim underground chamber, Madara took the scroll handed to him by White Zetsu, his tone slightly curious as he asked, "How is Black Zetsu doing?"

"He's been sealed by Hyuga Fuji," White Zetsu replied.

"I see…"

Madara nodded thoughtfully.

Through Black Zetsu's efforts, he had established contact with Hyuga Fuji some time ago.

Based on their exchanges, Madara knew that obtaining the Edo Tensei technique through mere leverage was impossible. Force wasn't an option either—he was no longer in his prime, and staying alive was already a challenge.

But he still had other means—negotiation.

Many things under his control would undoubtedly appeal to someone with Fuji's background in research under Orochimaru.

Initially, Madara had contemplated what to offer in exchange. Unexpectedly, Fuji had been the first to propose a deal, directly asking for Black Zetsu.

If Fuji had demanded Yin-Yang Release techniques, Madara might have hesitated. But Black Zetsu? A mere creation of Yin-Yang Release? He could always make another one.

And so, this mutually satisfying transaction was concluded.

As for Black Zetsu's opinion?

Hmph, as Madara's will, wasn't it only right for him to sacrifice himself?

Madara hadn't even bothered asking for Black Zetsu's consent.

After all, if he did ask, Black Zetsu would undoubtedly agree, so why waste time?

Now that Black Zetsu was gone, Madara needed to create a replacement to avoid arousing Obito's suspicion.

Turning to White Zetsu, Madara commanded, "Step forward."

White Zetsu obeyed, standing still as Madara placed a hand on his shoulder. Through the power of Yin-Yang Release, half of White Zetsu's body gradually turned black.

"Hmm?"

Having created Black Zetsu once before, Madara immediately noticed something off this time.

This new Black Zetsu felt weaker—why?

The process, which had previously been effortless, now nearly drained his remaining strength.

Taking a deep breath, Madara frowned at White Zetsu's newly blackened half. Unable to discern the issue after some thought, he pushed his concerns aside for the moment and issued new instructions.

"Go find Obito and inform him of the Daimyo of the Land of Fire's recent actions. He'll need this intelligence."

"Understood!"

White Zetsu tested his movements, finding the new Black Zetsu half unproblematic. He quickly retreated to fulfill Madara's orders.

It was just a monitoring tool, after all. He had plenty of ways to evade its oversight and continue reporting to Fuji.

(Chapter End)