MTLNOVEL Chapter 165: Chapter 175
"Hmm…"
Black Zetsu nodded, but inwardly scoffed.
Because it understood Uchiha Madara's thoughts very clearly. Both Madara and Hashirama longed for peace—yet Hashirama's path was to get along with everyone, to nurture the seeds of peace in every ninja's heart.
That took time. That took cultivation. And the seeds had to grow straight—they couldn't twist into something else.
But reality proved—Senju Hashirama, even the Sage of Six Paths, failed.
A thousand years of war followed the Sage.
And after Hashirama's attempt at peace? Three Great Ninja Wars erupted.
Even the very founding vision of the village was violated and crumbled.
He had hoped children wouldn't have to go to the battlefield… yet the reality was, all the children were sent into war.
He had hoped ninjas could live into adulthood—but in reality, once a ninja reached adulthood, they were all sacrificed for the village.
And Madara saw it all.
That's why he knew just how cruelly Hashirama's dream was trampled.
So his idea was—if there are chakras, and there are ninjas, and war continues to arise because of them… then why not take chakra away?
According to ancient texts, it was the Sage of Six Paths who distributed chakra to humanity, founding the Shinobi Sect—and from there, ninjas were born.
And then came war.
So… what if everything was reset?
Reclaim everyone's chakra.
Then all people's power levels would plummet.
Even if they wanted to fight—they couldn't.
Madara's plan was to summon the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, i.e., the Ten Tails, to absorb the chakra of the world—then cast Infinite Tsukuyomi.
Infinite Tsukuyomi would trap everyone in a perfect eternal dream.
So in Madara's mind, he was offering everyone a world they'd be satisfied with.
Wasn't that beautiful?
The problem is—
Madara's thinking was far too naïve, and far too arrogant.
Even if you remove chakra from humanity—humans fought long before chakra existed.
Where there are people, there will be conflict.
And if the Divine Tree absorbed everyone, they'd all become White Zetsu.
So… Madara's plan was doomed to fail.
And as for true peace…
Even Black Zetsu didn't have the answer.
In silence, Black Zetsu led Madara to the tomb of Ōtsutsuki Hamura.
"One of the more worthwhile techniques Toneri left behind was his clan's puppet arts," Black Zetsu explained.
"Not interested," Madara said flatly. "I have Limbo: Border Jail. Isn't that way stronger than puppets?"
"…True," Black Zetsu nodded.
Though Black Zetsu, like other Ōtsutsuki, generally looked down on all other beings, even it had to admit…
In the last thousand years, despite all its schemes, it had witnessed the evolution of ninjutsu firsthand.
The progress and chakra development of ninja was astounding.
Someone like Senju Tobirama—that genius—was someone who even Black Zetsu had to acknowledge.
Yes, the blood of the Ōtsutsuki clan had diluted over time. That was unfortunate.
But what came of it? Incredible things.
For instance—true pureblooded Ōtsutsuki, like Kaguya-sama, had innate powers such as Amenominaka.
Yet the "diluted" Uchiha descendants had awakened Mangekyō Sharingan, each with unique personal abilities.
So…
Sometimes Black Zetsu even wondered—was this really blood dilution… or some kind of regression to a purer form?
"So, the Hyuga clan in Konoha…" Uchiha Madara spoke up, "They're related to the white-eyed clan on the moon, right?"
"Oh…" Black Zetsu's tone grew cold. "The Hyuga? They're a failed branch."
"…." Madara fell silent.
Well, alright.
The Hyuga's advantage was the Byakugan. But Madara didn't think that was anything special.
After all—every single Hyuga was born with it.
Wasn't it just cabbage in every field, then? What was there to be impressed about?
Still…
"The architecture of the Ōtsutsuki on the moon is impressive…"
Madara followed Black Zetsu into the palace of the Ōtsutsuki, the same one Toneri had brought Black Zetsu to before.
Likely because it had lost its owner, the entire place was littered with inactive Ōtsutsuki puppets, all collapsed and lifeless.
"Yes, it can serve as a temporary base."
"Way more comfortable than the underground base in the Land of Grass," Black Zetsu said.
Eventually, they reached the room containing the hidden weapon Toneri had shown Black Zetsu—the Giant Tenseigan.
"And this…"
"…is the Giant Tenseigan?"
Even Madara couldn't hide his shock.
The enormous Tenseigan hovered like a glowing orb, rotating slowly, radiating dazzling, radiant energy.
"According to Toneri, this was made by collecting the eyes of his clan's descendants."
"All the Byakugan gathered into one place, forming this mighty Tenseigan," Black Zetsu explained.
"I see…"
Madara raised his hand.
"I suggest you don't touch it yet," Black Zetsu said quickly. "First, we should cut open the moon and obtain Hamura's power."
"Toneri said only branch family members could use the Tenseigan."
"He may have claimed that, but who knows if there are side effects?"
"There's only one Sage inscription left from Mount Myōboku," Black Zetsu warned.
"…" Madara. "You're saying… if I mess with the Tenseigan, I might die?"
"It's possible," Black Zetsu said. "If it was that easy to use, why did Toneri only have one eye and leave the other empty?"
The truth was, it was Black Zetsu's possession that gave Toneri the Tenseigan in the first place. But of course, it would never tell Madara that.
So instead, it made up the story that Toneri was born with only one.
And now that Toneri was sealed in the sphere next to the moon, there was no fear of him speaking up…
"…" Madara.
Still, he nodded.
"Fair point…"
"I do respect the inheritance of power."
"Then…"
"Let's go check out the power of the Sage's brother!"
"If I gain that power, then claiming the Tenseigan afterward won't be overstepping."
Madara immediately left the palace with Black Zetsu, walking a long distance further outward—
—just to avoid destroying the palace when he cut the moon open.
Uchiha Madara stood atop the moon.
He began forming hand signs, and his purple Rinnegan turned crimson—
—the Sharingan returned.
Massive blue chakra surged around his body—
Then, a 50-meter tall Susanoo appeared.
Madara's Susanoo had multiple forms, and even this 50-meter version would cause a Kage-level opponent to hesitate.
It had four arms, each wielding lightning-shaped blades.
But this alone wasn't enough to split open the moon.
So—
"WAAA—!!"
Chakra surged from Madara again.
The 50-meter Susanoo expanded—
Covered in more massive blue chakra—it grew even larger and stronger.
200 meters… no, 250 meters tall.
It actually outgrew the earlier 200-meter Crow Tengu Susanoo by another 50 meters!
"Hahahaha…"
"This is the power of my ultimate complete form," Uchiha Madara said.
"Like a god."
"Stronger than ever!"
"Hahahahaha…"
Madara looked thoroughly pleased with himself.
"..." Black Zetsu. "Just hurry up and slice it open already."
"Maintaining this form burns through chakra fast," Black Zetsu added.
It was speechless—this idiot was overjoyed just because his Susanoo was 250 meters tall…
Truly a moron.
Sometimes, Black Zetsu felt—tricking Madara really wasn't its fault.
"Fine!"
Uchiha Madara controlled the massive Crow Tengu Susanoo and drew a chakra-forged weapon.
"One slash to split the moon!"
"This kind of thing—only I, Uchiha Madara, can do it!"
At the same time, Black Zetsu stared at something off to the side—
Just beside the moon, floating in space, was a stone sphere created by Kitahara Kaede using Chibaku Tensei—
—the prison that sealed Toneri.
It was about one-tenth the size of the moon.
But…
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