Chapter 32: You Wouldn't Want to Disappoint Kaguya, Would You?

Emiya Shigen had finally agreed to learn how to lie.

Black Zetsu felt a profound sense of relief. It knew that once Emiya Shigen began to deceive and hide the truth from others, he would inevitably be forced to weave more lies to cover his tracks in the future.

Truly... how wonderful!

Black Zetsu looked forward to seeing what Emiya Shigen would be like when he began to deceive others, much like one might look forward to watching something beautiful fall into a mire, becoming stained and muddied.

This feeling... was simply too delightful!

"Emiya," Black Zetsu didn't hesitate, immediately leaking all the intelligence on Uchiha Madara, hoping Emiya would prepare early. "Right now, Uchiha Madara is desperate to see you."

"Uchiha Madara has been attempting to awaken the Rinnegan based on the stone tablet left by the Sage of the Six Paths. The tablet mentions that when the forces of yin and yang interact, one can attain the myriad manifestations of the world."

"The tablet was referring to the chakra of Indra and Asura."

"Uchiha Madara does not yet know that these 'myriad manifestations' are the Rinnegan. He tried to fuse his own chakra with that of Senju Hashirama, but his process for awakening this power failed. That is why he wants to ask you about the secrets of the ancient era..."

"I understand."

Emiya Shigen nodded and began to reorganize the scrolls on his desk. "I will finish attending to the patients at the Konoha Hospital soon, and then I will go to meet him..."

"Very well."

Black Zetsu felt a twinge of helplessness. It knew it could not change Emiya Shigen regarding this matter.

"By the way, Black Zetsu," Emiya Shigen noticed that Black Zetsu seemed to have forgotten something important again and had to remind it. "What about the method the Sage of the Six Paths mentioned for resurrecting the Goddess of Rabbit?"

"It is... the Infinite Tsukuyomi."

Black Zetsu gritted its teeth. It couldn't hide such things; it needed to keep weaving more lies around its initial deception. "The final message left on the stone tablet by the Sage of the Six Paths describes the power of the Infinite Tsukuyomi. It is an ultimate genjutsu capable of enveloping the entire world..."

"When the light of the Infinite Tsukuyomi covers the earth, humanity will be immersed in the world of their most longed-for dreams. That dream world can satisfy every desire of mankind..."

"Is that so?"

Emiya Shigen’s brow furrowed, appearing conflicted. "In other words, the Infinite Tsukuyomi allows humanity to wallow in an eternal, beautiful dream. The existence of this dream world allows people to escape the suffering of reality and satisfy their greed for desire..."

"If that is the case..."

"Humanity might be destroyed because of the Infinite Tsukuyomi..."

"But they would also find true peace at the very last moment of their lives..."

"It is a pity..."

Ultimately, Emiya Shigen shook his head. He could not make a choice that went against his own nature in front of Black Zetsu. "This is not the future we want."

"True..."

Black Zetsu nodded. It couldn't help but feel fortunate that it hadn't tried to trick Emiya Shigen with the Infinite Tsukuyomi back then. It sighed softly, "The true purpose of the Infinite Tsukuyomi is merely to awaken Kaguya. This is the truth that the Sage of the Six Paths never told his descendants..."

"When humanity enters the dream..."

"The shadow of Kaguya will appear silently..."

"When the chakra of all humanity gathers together..."

"The progenitor of chakra will be able to descend upon this world once more..."

"When humanity wakes from their dreams..."

"The world will enter eternal peace under Kaguya’s protection."

"Indeed."

Emiya Shigen finally nodded in satisfaction. "This is what we want. Only under the protection of the Goddess of Rabbit can the world usher in eternal peace..."

"..."

Black Zetsu realized that deceiving a good man like Emiya Shigen was not easy, as it had to meticulously craft lies that would satisfy him.

"However..."

"For Madara..."

"He might favor the Infinite Tsukuyomi even more."

Black Zetsu sighed, feeling compelled to warn Emiya Shigen not to show any flaws. "Compared to your willingness to expend more energy to lead humanity toward genuine peace, letting them enter the dream of the Infinite Tsukuyomi is far simpler..."

"For people like Uchiha Madara, who have experienced the hardships of war, the Infinite Tsukuyomi is the solution they desire most. Humanity often cannot accept the difficulty and toil required to create a beautiful future, and would rather surrender themselves to the comfort of a beautiful dream..."

"I understand."

Emiya Shigen seemed to grasp Black Zetsu’s meaning. He nodded and said, "So we must use the Infinite Tsukuyomi to deceive Uchiha Madara..."

Emiya Shigen’s face was calm, as if he were resigned to the reality that he would have to deceive others in the future. "When I meet Uchiha Madara, I will tell him what he wants to hear and guide him to join our plan..."

"..."

Black Zetsu was very satisfied with its progress. At this moment, it laid out all its intentions. "We need Madara to awaken the Rinnegan. Only the appearance of the Rinnegan can trigger the plan. I call this the Eye of the Moon plan..."

"According to the records on the Sage's stone tablet..."

"The steps to cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi are quite troublesome."

Black Zetsu laid the entire plan for the Infinite Tsukuyomi out before Emiya Shigen. "Only by using the power of the Rinnegan can we summon the husk of the God Tree, use that husk to gather the world's Tailed Beasts to resurrect the tree, and then integrate the God Tree into your body..."

"Once you truly possess the power of the God Tree, approaching the moon will activate the Eye of the Moon, capable of casting the Infinite Tsukuyomi. At that moment, you can calm all of humanity and awaken the Goddess of Rabbit, who has been hiding and protecting the world all this time..."

"It sounds like..."

Emiya Shigen frowned, raising a point of curiosity. "This plan only requires the power of the Rinnegan; it doesn't seem to need me. Helping Uchiha Madara awaken the Rinnegan should be enough..."

"..."

Black Zetsu was momentarily choked by Emiya Shigen’s logic.

True...

The plan didn't strictly need Emiya Shigen...

However, upon seeing Emiya Shigen resurrected, Black Zetsu was constantly reminded of his terrifying execution capabilities back in the ancient era. It didn't fully trust Uchiha Madara’s competence and preferred to rely on Emiya Shigen in its heart.

After all...

Uchiha Madara couldn't even defeat Senju Hashirama...

Would Uchiha Madara have had a chance to collect the Tailed Beasts while Hashirama was still alive? Emiya Shigen, on the other hand, had personally crushed Asura and the Ninja Sect!

In Black Zetsu’s own mind, its original intent was merely to use Uchiha Madara to awaken the Rinnegan, then take control of his body, and have him use the Rinnegan to fully resurrect Emiya Shigen. It knew Emiya Shigen was not at his peak...

But that...

It didn't matter at all!

As long as Emiya Shigen was truly resurrected and possessed the power of the Rinnegan, no matter how troublesome the Eye of the Moon plan might be, Emiya Shigen would surely be able to accomplish it!

Besides...

If Emiya Shigen were to be absent...

It would truly be a waste of all the effort spent deceiving him...

Black Zetsu did not want to miss the moment Emiya Shigen realized he had been tricked and saw the truth—it wanted to see the look of despair and regret on his face.

That pleasure...

Always left Black Zetsu feeling intoxicated.

"Emiya."

"You are the most suitable candidate for the Eye of the Moon."

Thinking of this, Black Zetsu became even more excited and urged him repeatedly. "In this world, only you are qualified to witness the transformation of the world with your own eyes..."

Black Zetsu desperately wanted Emiya Shigen to agree. "Neither Uchiha Madara nor anyone else could possibly be more qualified than you to master the Eye of the Moon plan..."

"Only you..."

"Are the one Kaguya most wants to see..."

"Emiya."

Black Zetsu’s mouth twisted into a sinister smile, its words taking on a strange tone. "You wouldn't want the Goddess of Rabbit, whom you believe in, to resurrect and find an arrogant Uchiha Madara standing there instead, would you?"

"..."

Emiya Shigen fell silent.

This Black Zetsu...

It clearly wanted to use him as a sacrifice for Kaguya’s resurrection, yet it spoke as if he would truly be able to meet her...

"Very well."

Emiya Shigen sighed deeply and chose to agree. "I am only worried that I might not do a good enough job. If Lady Kaguya is not satisfied upon her resurrection, I hope we won't regret this decision then..."

"How could that be?"

Black Zetsu’s face lit up with excitement again, and its form silently slipped into the ground. "Then I shall return to keep a close eye on Uchiha Madara. He is currently searching for a chance to meet you near Konoha..."