A hoarse, somber voice drifted out from Kaguya's sleeve.
Black Zetsu poked out half of his black head, his yellow eyes fixed intently on Madara Uchiha, his tone tinged with a hint of irrepressible regret.
"Look over there."
Black Zetsu extended a black tentacle, pointing at Madara, who was currently wreaking havoc while controlling his Susanoo.
"That man... Madara Uchiha. He was the vessel I originally prepared for your resurrection."
Black Zetsu's voice carried a hint of seeking credit. "He is the reincarnation of Indra, possessing the ultimate Yin Release chakra. Now, he's even obtained the Rinnegan and Hashirama's cells. If we used his body for your resurrection, it would definitely be much stronger than this homunculus Orochimaru created."
Kaguya's pure white eyes shifted slightly, looking toward Madara.
Indeed.
The chakra radiating from that man was filled with aggression and power.
He was a perfect combat vessel.
"Mother," Black Zetsu whispered, his tone seductive. "The situation is chaotic right now. That fool Jiraiya is keeping Madara occupied, and Minato Namikaze is watching like a hawk nearby. If we take this opportunity and use Madara's trust in me to ambush him..."
"As long as you can occupy his body, we can reclaim most of your power immediately! When that happens, whether it's this Konoha or that damned toad, they will all crawl at your feet!"
Black Zetsu grew more excited as he spoke.
He was sick of living under someone else's roof.
He was tired of being treated like a lab rat by Orochimaru and being ordered around by that purple toad.
He was Kaguya's will, the child of the Progenitor of Chakra. How could he have fallen to such a state?
However.
Facing Black Zetsu's highly tempting proposal, Kaguya's face remained impassive.
She simply withdrew her gaze and parted her crimson lips to utter two words:
"No."
Black Zetsu was stunned.
"Why? Mother, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
Kaguya turned around, her gaze landing on the purple toad perched on the shoulder of Minato Namikaze, who was observing the battle nearby.
A deep sense of wariness flashed through her eyes.
"The people of Konoha won't allow it."
Kaguya's voice was calm.
"And there is no need."
Black Zetsu was confused. "But..."
"Zetsu," Kaguya interrupted. "Do you still not see it?"
Kaguya reached out her pale hand, gently stroking the rough grain of the railing.
During her time living in Konoha, she spent most of her days cooperating with Orochimaru's research or watching those boring soap operas.
But she hadn't been idle.
As the Progenitor of Chakra, her perception of power was keener than anyone's.
That toad named Gamakon.
That guy who spent all day perched on the Hokage's shoulder, looking lazy and doing nothing but complaining and eating snacks.
He was the real 'monster' here.
"I've tested him."
Various details from the past half month surfaced in Kaguya's mind.
Several times, while cooperating with the experiments, she had deliberately faked chakra rampages to test Konoha's bottom line.
Or she tried to use her ocular powers to analyze the structure of Konoha's barriers.
Every single time.
No matter how discreet she was—even if it was just a shift in her gaze or a slight movement of chakra—
That toad would appear in her sight instantly.
It did nothing.
No warnings, no attacks.
It just watched her quietly.
It watched her with those golden toad eyes that seemed capable of piercing through any soul, wearing a half-smile.
That look was like watching a clown performing a clumsy act.
All her methods and tests were transparent before that toad.
"All my intentions were neutralized by him without a sound."
Kaguya's body trembled slightly. "Even Orochimaru didn't notice my little maneuvers, but he... he knew everything."
After this half-month of mental chess, Kaguya had fully understood one fact.
Between her and that being named Gamakon, there lay an insurmountable chasm.
It was a gap even larger than the one between her and the Otsutsuki Main House.
"If I really did as you said and tried to seize Madara's body..."
Kaguya glanced at the still-rambling Black Zetsu, a trace of pity flashing in her eyes.
"I'm afraid that the second before I even made a move, I would already be dead."
"That toad... the only reason he keeps us around is because we still have 'research value' and because we are 'allies.'"
"The moment I show uncontrollable ambition..."
Kaguya didn't finish her sentence.
But Black Zetsu felt a bone-chilling cold.
Looking at Kaguya's profile—so calm it was almost resigned—waves of shock crashed through his mind.
The proud Rabbit Goddess, the mother who once wanted to challenge the entire Otsutsuki Main House, had actually... been beaten into submission?
And through fear, no less?
"So, let it be."
Kaguya looked back at the battlefield, watching the insufferably arrogant Madara Uchiha, a mocking curve touching the corners of her lips.
It was a mockery of Madara, and also of her own former ignorant self.
"Whether I'm being researched or used as a weapon..."
"At least here, I am safe."
Kaguya took a deep breath, sensing the aura in the air that made her tremble.
She had an extremely powerful intuition.
"Even if the harvesters from the Main House arrived..."
Kaguya thought of Momoshiki, Kinshiki, and even Isshiki—names that had filled her with fear for a thousand years.
"Even if they came in person, they would be no match for Gamakon."
"In that case, why would I offend a being even more terrifying than the Otsutsuki Main House just for the sake of a mere body like Madara Uchiha's?"
Kaguya turned away, no longer looking at the battlefield.
She picked up a cup of milk tea from the table next to her, gracefully inserted the straw, and took a sip.
"Zetsu, just watch the show quietly."
"The show has only just begun."