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At that exact moment, Black Zetsu spoke up sharply and stopped him. "Wait! You absolutely cannot do that!"
Senju Tsuru froze, then looked at Black Zetsu in confusion. "Sage? Why not? This is the ideal opportunity to wipe out the Uchiha. Once they're gone, the Senju Clan can finally rest easy in the Shinobi world!"
Black Zetsu felt a chill run through him. He quickly explained, "The Uchiha Clan has been passed down for generations. Their strength is far deeper than what you see on the surface. Even with their clan head dead, they still have plenty of elites and hidden reserves. They are not a clan you can tear out by the roots so easily."
"Besides, every clan in the Shinobi world has its own agenda. If the Senju Clan destroys the Uchiha outright, we will instantly become the strongest power in the world. Once that happens, every other clan will see us as the common enemy and join forces to suppress us."
"And don't forget, the Sarutobi and Shimura Clans already have their own plans. After this war, they only cared about dividing the spoils and preserving their strength. If we fight the Uchiha to the bitter end, they will wait for their chance to stab us in the back and profit from both sides."
"Most important of all, the Senju Clan has already fought one war after another. The entire clan is tired of bloodshed. If you force another extermination war now, you will drain the clan's remaining strength and shake the people's hearts. The cost is too high."
"..." Tsuru's pupils tightened. After thinking through Black Zetsu's words, everything suddenly became clear.
"Sage, your words have truly opened my eyes. I understand now!"
Tsuru nodded repeatedly.
With that, he immediately withdrew the order to advance and completely abandoned the idea of destroying the Uchiha while they were vulnerable.
Seeing this, Black Zetsu secretly let out a long breath of relief.
Good... He had stopped Tsuru in time.
If they had really gone too far and crossed that man's line, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Black Zetsu did not want to risk going against Manji.
........
Elsewhere.
"Black Zetsu understands me well enough. He knew to stop Senju Tsuru at the right moment."
A trace of approval crossed Manji's eyes as he murmured to himself.
Black Zetsu had handled things just right. He was careful, not too forceful or too hesitant, just as Manji hoped.
Manji had already decided. When Black Zetsu came back, he would tell him right away that he had passed the test. That sense of balance was proof enough of his skill.
"Good thing I moved quickly. Otherwise, Uchiha Sa really would have been blown beyond recovery." Manji lowered his gaze to Uchiha Sa in front of him and sighed softly.
At the instant the explosive tags detonated, he had brought Uchiha Sa back.
If he had not, he would have had to piece her back together himself later.
Manji raised his hand, gathered his divine sense, and caught what was left of Uchiha Sa's fading soul, holding it steady in his palm.
"Although you once used words to tease me, I was never angry." Manji looked at the weak soul in his hand.
Then the Rinnegan in his eyes turned slightly. As his ocular power spread outward, a pitch-black portal opened in the air.
The gate looked a bit like Sasuke's space-time portal from the original story, but Manji had created it by studying the Ōtsutsuki time-space treasure tool. It let him travel freely between different dimensions.
Manji stepped through the portal. In the next instant, he appeared in Mount Myōboku.
He took care of Uchiha Sa's remains himself to keep them from decaying, then buried her deep in Mount Myōboku, in the cemetery where the past reincarnations of Indra and Asura rested.
Every generation of their reincarnations was buried there.
After placing the cenotaph, Manji took out the stone tablet and gathered power at his fingertip.
He slowly carved another mark on the "Asura" side of the tablet.
"Another generation..." he said softly.
At this point, the score between Asura's line and Indra's line had reached three to two.
........
"Shinobi Year 237: The Senju, Uzumaki, Sarutobi, and Shimura Clans jointly attacked the Hagoromo Clan. The Hagoromo Clan was destroyed."
"Shinobi Year 238: The Battle of Mount Kikyo broke out. The Senju Clan defeated the Uchiha Clan. Uchiha Sa died by suicide at Mount Kikyo."
"Shinobi Year 240: Pressured by the surrounding clans, the Taketori Clan retreated to the southeastern seas."
"Shinobi Year 250: Senju Tsuru governed the Senju Clan and began a policy of recovery and restoration."
"Shinobi Year 280: Senju Tsuru stepped down with rare restraint and passed the clan head position to a capable successor."
Fukasaku put down his brush after finishing the last stroke in the historical record. He took a deep breath and closed the heavy history book.
"Senju Tsuru is old now. Looking at it this way, Black Zetsu should be coming back soon..."
He looked out from the study at the silver utility poles lining the mountain road and sighed softly. Then he stopped writing and carefully put the historical record away.
........
The Senju Clan grounds.
Inside a side chamber of the clan head's residence.
An old man with white hair and a beard sat slumped on a soft couch. His body was bent, and his breathing was weak. This was Senju Tsuru, now in his old age.
"Sage, how much time do you think I have left?"
He lifted his eyes toward Black Zetsu, who remained attached to his hand, and asked in a dry voice.
Black Zetsu looked at the old man in front of him. The sharpness Tsuru once had was long gone, leaving only a frail, aging body. Black Zetsu felt a mix of emotions.
All these years, he had stayed by Tsuru's side, helping him run the clan, balance the powers in the Shinobi world, and keep the Senju and Uchiha Clans in check. Because of this, the Senju Clan stayed one of the strongest in the world.
"With me secretly protecting you, living to a hundred will not be difficult."
Black Zetsu spoke slowly, his tone certain.
Tsuru's cloudy eyes brightened at once. A relieved smile spread across his face. "A hundred... Then I have no regrets."
In the chaotic Shinobi world, where lives were cheap, most shinobi did not live past thirty. Living to a hundred was something few could even dream of.
He struggled to sit up slightly, then looked at Black Zetsu with earnest reluctance. "Sage, are you truly unwilling to stay?"
To Tsuru, Black Zetsu was more than just a teacher now. He hoped this unmatched strategist would stay with the clan and help his descendants for generations to come.
After all, without Black Zetsu, the useless boy from back then never could have risen to the position of clan head, much less led the Senju Clan to dominate the Shinobi world.
If someone as mediocre as him could reach such heights with Black Zetsu's support, then what could his talented children and grandchildren accomplish if Black Zetsu guided them?
Surely the glory of the Senju Clan would continue without end.
Black Zetsu's face grew tense. He felt a reluctant emotion he could not easily describe.
He and Senju Tsuru had been together for decades. Tsuru had gone from a young, inexperienced clan head to an old man near death, and over time, he had become a true friend who understood Black Zetsu.
But Black Zetsu knew that nothing lasted forever.
In the end, he had to return to Mount Myōboku.
"I came to your side to help you achieve great things. Now you have led the Senju Clan to stability and prosperity. Since my mission is done, it makes sense for me to leave."
Black Zetsu spoke slowly.
"..." Hearing this, Tsuru's cloudy eyes relaxed with a tender smile.
He looked at Black Zetsu and fell silent for a while.
At last, he asked the question he had buried in his heart for decades.
"Sage, can you tell me the truth? Who sent you to help me? Is there truly some unseen arrangement in this world? Is there such a thing as predetermined fate?"
He had never been a fool.
For all these years, he had never understood why Black Zetsu, who had no blood ties or past connection to him, had suddenly appeared at his side out of nowhere.
Why had Black Zetsu poured so much effort into helping someone who had once been dismissed as useless?
He had always wanted an answer.
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