Konoha: The thirty-year-old Uchiha is not motivated.

"despair"

Hearing footsteps approaching, Jiuzhuzi, who was lying on the ground barely breathing, struggled to lift his head. Seeing that it was Erzhuzi, who was recovering from serious injuries, a flicker of joy immediately crossed his face.
"Erzhuzi, hurry up and use that trick you used before to take Lao Da away."

"And what about you?"

"We'll help you hold that guy off."

Nine Pillars grinned, his hands gripping the black rod dripping blood from his lower abdomen, veins bulging on the back of his hands.

However, due to the powerful interference associated with the Yin-Yang Release artifact, and with his chakra already disordered, he was powerless to remove it.
Even so, Jiuzhuzi still tried to get up despite his weakness, but he failed several times and ended up covered in mud, looking extremely disheveled.

"Don't waste your energy. At this crucial moment, I have to take charge."

Looking at the comical Nine Pillars, Black Zetsu's face revealed a strange smile. He squatted down, placed his hand on the pillar, and extracted a bit of the chakra that carried the pillar's unique aura.

Then, under the questioning gaze of the other party, he raised one hand, and thin wooden branches extended from behind him, transforming into a wooden doll clone that looked exactly like the injured Jiuzhuzi.

What are you doing?

Staring in astonishment at his clone, which looked exactly like him and exuded the same aura, Jiuzhuzi was completely dumbfounded.
"Shhh."

After creating a substitute for the Nine Pillars using the "Disguise Technique - Limited Edition Wood Clone," Black Zetsu gave him a shushing gesture and pulled him instantly underground.
At this moment, the four pillars, suppressed by the Great Box Heaven, were almost unable to withstand it. As a Yin-Yang Release creation originating from the same source as the black rod, this black cube not only had an astonishing density, but its ability to interfere with perception and chakra circulation was also extremely remarkable.
After being forced to revert to his original form, he discovered that his oxygen-deprived brain was beginning to hallucinate, and people who shouldn't have been there were appearing in front of him.
"Erzhuzi?"

Black Zetsu created a substitute for Four Pillars by imitating the original, and carried him using the Mayfly Technique to run for several kilometers.

"puff!"

After the two emerged from the ground, Sizhuzi's pupils gradually focused as he saw the light of day again. Before he could ask anything, he heard Yizhuzi's urging voice in his ear.

"Sizhuzi, you're strong, come and help me quickly."

"You guys?"

The Four Pillars looked closely and saw that the First Pillar was performing a pulling therapy on the Ninth Pillar, but unfortunately, his role was that of a strategist, and he couldn't match the strength of the other pillars.

"Where's the prison guard?"

"I'm going to rescue Lao Da and his brother right now. You guys wait here for backup."

In response to the four pillars' question, Black Zetsu, who had already submerged halfway underground, turned around and gave the group a reassuring smile.

"Can"

"Four Pillars, hurry up, I can't hold this muscle idiot down!"

"immediately!"

When the Four Pillars turned around again, Black Zetsu had already disappeared.

"Ok?"

Just as Jigen had placed the black rod shackles on Uchiha Izuna, he turned his head with a sense of unease, his gaze sweeping over the several clones he had instantly killed not far away.

Am I overthinking it?

Cixian, who hadn't noticed anything amiss with a casual glance, frowned. For some reason, he felt something was off.

Meanwhile, Black Zetsu, lurking underground, was plotting how to rescue Izuna, who was cosplaying as a hedgehog. Judging from Jigen's appearance, he seemed to value Izuna highly. He wanted to use the method of taking away the Pillar Army to switch the prince with a tanuki, which seemed unrealistic.

Let's take Lao Ban away first.

The thought had barely formed in his mind when he immediately crept up to Madara Uchiha. Just as he was about to raise his hand to collect some of the other's chakra, he was repelled by a familiar yet brute force of energy.

"what?"

Looking at the large hand that was throbbing with pain, Black Zetsu's eyes were filled with astonishment.

Why did that chakra fluctuation just now have a hint of Hagoromo?
"Oh?"

On the other side, Jigen, who had just placed his hand on Izuna's head, suddenly looked up and, following the fleeting aura of the Divine Tree, quickly locked onto Uchiha Madara, who was sitting cross-legged.
"What an unexpected surprise."

A rare look of joy appeared on Jigen's face. Although the aura had only appeared for a moment, based on his years of experience in planting trees, it was definitely the chakra fruit he had been dreaming of.

"Oops!"

Black Zetsu's expression tightened as he sensed Cixian's gaze. Had he been discovered?
In this situation, running away with Madara would be the best solution, but that would mean abandoning Izuna Uchiha.

Do I have to choose one of the two?
Black Zetsu glanced at Madara Uchiha, who was deep in thought with his eyes closed, gritted his teeth, and made a decision that went against his mother's wishes.

He stood resolutely before Madara Uchiha, his eyes filled with an unprecedented determination. With no one else present, he knew that even if he fought in his original form, no one would notice.

"Whoosh!"

The Chakra Fruit was naturally a much higher priority than Uchiha Izuna. Without looking back, Jigen tossed it aside and flashed to appear in front of Uchiha Madara. Looking at the prepared Black Zetsu, a mocking smile appeared on his lips.
"That good-for-nothing from before, now that he's been given a second chance at life, why doesn't he cherish it?"

"Although this is the first time we've met, for some reason, I feel extremely disgusted with you the moment I see you."

Looking up at the lofty Jigen, Black Zetsu's true form slowly emerged from behind the clone.

Perhaps due to inheriting some of Kaguya's thoughts, his large, beady eyes, reflecting the viscous, black liquid on his face, were filled with intense disgust.
"You are."

At this moment, Jigen truly looked at Black Zetsu for the first time. Through the unique identification methods of the Otsutsuki clan, he could clearly sense the distinctive aura emanating from the other.

The scent that belongs exclusively to that foolish woman, Kaguya.

"Are you also part of that stupid woman's scheme?"

Cixian's face darkened with anger, his cold gaze fixed on the black phantom floating behind the clone. He hadn't expected Kaguya to have become so clever, understanding the principle of not putting all your eggs in one basket.

"Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique!"

However, what greeted him was not Black Zetsu's answer, but a gaping, menacing maw, its imposing presence overwhelming.

After Black Zetsu possessed the clone of Hashirama Senju, the clone's attributes underwent a comprehensive qualitative leap, and its strength surged to a point where it could rival the original Hashirama in his prime within a short period of time.
"Oh!"

Without a second thought, Jigen raised his hand. His Karma power could completely counter any chakra-based ninjutsu. But the moment his large hand slammed onto the wooden dragon head, his expression suddenly changed.
"What?!"

His Karma power malfunctioned; not only did he fail to absorb the Wood Dragon's chakra, but he was also violently knocked away, landing in an extremely disheveled manner.

What did you do?

"Hehe, guess."

Black Zetsu hadn't expected that simply mixing a certain proportion of Yin-Yang Release into Wood Release would cause such unexpected damage to Jigen.
“A mere wedge without even a container dares to fool me.”

Brushing the dust off his clothes, Jigen, having inadvertently suffered a setback, stared dangerously at Black Zetsu. Needless to say, he had already guessed the answer: only the power of Karma could harm another Karma.

"Shh!"

Raising his hand, Jigen swung a black rod, deciding to use his prized physical skills to thoroughly humiliate Kaguya's Karma to vent his anger.
"Melee? Then so be it." Black Zetsu chuckled, and the clone he possessed immediately leaped into the air, clasping its hands together. A huge phantom sat down towards Jigen.

"You call this hand-to-hand combat?"

Seeing the wooden Arhat figure descend from the sky, its muscles bulging, Cixian, who had just retreated, turned a frighteningly dark expression.
Unfortunately, his voice was too soft and was quickly drowned out by the sound of the wooden dummy wielding its fists wildly.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Black Zetsu, manipulating the wooden Arhat with its Vajra body, unleashed a barrage of punches, forcing Cixian to retreat repeatedly and gaining the upper hand for a time.

"hateful."

Cixian was so angry that his already dwindling hair almost fell out. If it weren't for the fact that this body's compatibility was too low, and that forcibly using all of the original body's power would greatly shorten its lifespan, he would have already slapped this arrogant wedge into a pile of mud.
"So you're not that strong after all~"

Relying on the fact that the enemy dared not use their full power, Black Zetsu thoroughly enjoyed the thrill of avenging his mother, his mouth practically smirking to the heavens. His smug and self-satisfied face infuriated Cixian.

"Let's see how long you can keep up your arrogance!"

Cixian's eyes widened suddenly, and he pulled out countless miniature black boxes from his pupil technique space.

Based on his years of experience in surviving, Black Zetsu quickly sensed impending danger and immediately manipulated the wooden dummy to turn and run.

"Trying to run? Too late!"

As Cixian roared in anger, the sky above the wooden figure was shrouded in boundless darkness. Looking up at the black cube falling like a meteor, Hei Zetsu decisively abandoned the wooden Arhat.
"Boom! Rumble!"

The next second, the poor wooden figure was swallowed up by the black rain and shattered into a pile of wood chips.

"Wood Release: Ranking Technique!"

Seeing that he was about to be crushed into a two-dimensional shape by the Great Box Heaven, Black Zetsu clapped his hands together again, and a wooden shield with a fanged, demonic face rose from the ground, protecting him tightly.
"Crack! Pop! Crack!"

Violent impacts echoed one after another, and large amounts of smoke and dust swept upwards, engulfing the entire battlefield in the blink of an eye.

"Humph!"

Amidst the rising dust, Cixian appeared atop the battered demon-face shield, his raised hand slamming down with a devastating blow. Countless sharp black rods easily pierced through the defense, which was on the verge of collapse after being smashed by Da Xia Tian.
"Bah!"

"Ok?"

Instead of hearing the expected sound of blood and flesh splattering, Cixian frowned slightly.
"despair"

Just as he was about to reach out and pry open the shield to search for Black Zetsu, a barely perceptible soft sound suddenly broke the silence of the battlefield.

"Shh!"

Without any hesitation, Cixian swung a black rod sharply in the direction of the sound. The ear-piercing whistling sound instantly drowned out all other noises, and the billowing dust was torn into a clearly visible trail.

"Pfft!"

At the end of the trajectory, Black Zetsu stared resentfully at the black rod embedded in his thigh, nearly stumbling and dropping Uchiha Izuna.
"I almost fell for your trick."

Jigen stared blankly at Black Zetsu, who was using a feint to try and save someone right under his nose, a hint of mockery in his eyes.
No wonder this guy kept trying to provoke me; he was trying to distract me so he could take Uchiha Izuna away.
"It's troublesome."

Black Zetsu frowned, searching for a way out. Although the black rods hadn't pierced his main body, they had disrupted the clone's chakra circulation. Now he only had two chances to cast a technique.

"Trying to take them away is wishful thinking."

In Jigen's eyes, Black Zetsu, having been hit by his black rod, was already a sitting duck. Now it was time for his revenge. Hopefully, Kaguya's Karma seal could withstand a bit of damage.
"Humph!"

Seeing Jigen slowly approaching, Black Zetsu snorted coldly and used the Mayfly Technique to instantly burrow underground.
"Ok?"

Having lost Black Zetsu's aura, Jigen immediately turned to look at the Pillar Legion not far away. Finding them all reduced to pieces of rotten wood, he instantly realized he'd been tricked; these guys had been switched out.
His expression softened somewhat when he shifted his gaze to Uchiha Madara.
As long as this one is still here, it's fine; as for the others, they're gone.

But the next second, his relaxed expression tightened again. The Black Zetsu, whom he thought had escaped, emerged from the ground behind Madara Uchiha, carrying the hedgehog-like Izuna Uchiha in his left hand.
Judging from their posture, they actually wanted to take the person away right in front of him.

"Don't think about it!"

If Black Zetsu really succeeds in evacuating millions of his troops, wouldn't he be ridiculed by that stupid woman Kaguya for thousands of years? Given her big mouth, within three hundred years, the entire home planet would know about his embarrassing incident.
Goodbye!

With Izuna in his left hand and Raizo in his right, Black Zetsu felt confident that he was the MVP of this round. Before leaving, he gave Jigen a sarcastic smile.
"Lao Ban, you brothers have to polish my shoes when you get back."

"Fu?"

Just as he was about to use his mayfly technique to escape, a black and red teleportation portal suddenly appeared out of thin air in front of him. Cixian, who had been a hundred meters away just a moment ago, was now standing inside the portal, looking at him with icy eyes.

"Why didn't you use this trick sooner?"

Black Zetsu, locked on by the opponent's killing intent, wore a bitter expression. "If you had just said you knew space-time ninjutsu, I wouldn't be wasting my time here."
Cixian didn't answer. He couldn't very well say that he was forced to use even his usual ability to run away, could he?

"Pfft!"

With a single raised hand, a black rod instantly pierced through Black Zetsu's chest, tearing through flesh and blood as a large amount of blood spurted out, splashing all over Madara Uchiha's calm face.

"Cough cough cough cough."

This time, Jigen's strike was precise. Black Zetsu's aura was weakening at a visible rate, and the word "death," which he had never imagined, surfaced in his mind for the first time.

Dear Mother, I'm sorry, I might be dying.

Black Zetsu, who had gradually shrunk into a small ball of black liquid, raised his head, his gaze slowly falling on Uchiha Madara beside him, his expression full of complexity.
This reincarnated being, on whom so much hope was placed, ultimately failed to fulfill his plan to save his mother.

However, he gave himself a different kind of new life.

After a thousand years of wandering, for the first time, Black Zetsu felt a sense of belonging—the simple warmth of returning home with a shopping basket, knowing someone would be waiting for him at the door.
At that moment, he seemed to hear the cheerful music of a dance troupe playing in his ears. Izuna Uchiha and the Pillar Army were playing music on either side, while Madara Uchiha danced alone on the stage. He sat below, a spectator, yet also a participant in the music.
"Lao Ban, the years I've spent with you have been more interesting than the previous thousand years combined."

Memories of his time with the others surfaced frame by frame. Though the past few years had been short, they had filled a void of a thousand years. Black Zetsu felt a pang of regret, but also a deep sense of fulfillment.
"Is this your last words? I believe it. In human terms, it's just too cheesy."

Jigen couldn't understand Black Zetsu's feelings, but through study and reading, he found a barely suitable adjective.
Goodbye, Kaguya.

"Snapped!"

Just as he opened his large hand, about to use the wedge-like power in his palm to completely obliterate Black Zetsu, a large hand suddenly gripped his wrist.

Turning his head following the familiar scent, Cixian's pupils contracted slightly, and his eyes reflected a cold, purple aura.
"boom!"

The next second, a terrifying repulsive force instantly sent Jigen flying. Uchiha Madara, who had been meditating and AFKing in the fountain for a while, finally logged in just before the enemy was about to push the crystal.
"Bah!"

With a simple flick of his wrist, he pulled the black rod from Black Zetsu's body, then gripped it tightly, instantly shattering the seemingly indestructible Yin-Yang Release artifact.

Glancing at the weakened Sasuke, Madara Uchiha's newly-made purple-rimmed eyes blazed with unprecedented fury.

The last time I was this angry was when my older cousin took Izunajiro and the others to a foot bath but didn't invite him.

"Very good, let the dance continue!" (End of Chapter)