Yumeko sat on the ground, resting her chin in her hands. While rubbing her still slightly numb wrists, she secretly sized up Aino, who was standing not far away.
"Um... Miss Aino?"
"You don't seem to like talking very much?"
She tentatively spoke, her voice carrying a hint of ingratiation.
Aino slightly turned her head and looked at her, a faint smile appearing at the corners of her mouth. "I'm used to it."
Yumeko's eyes lit up, and she immediately became energetic. As if she had found someone she could talk to, she moved forward a little.
"Then what do you usually do on the Moon? Look at the stars? Count meteors? Or... help look after unlucky people like me who have been locked up here?"
Aino chuckled softly and walked a few steps closer before sitting down opposite her.
"I used to have more free time. Now that there's a talkative person around, it's not bad.", Aino said.
"Huh? Are you complimenting me?"
"But I really have to stay here until Konoha is established... Won't I die of boredom?"
Yumeko proudly raised her chin, then sighed again.
The two of them began chatting like this, with one sentence here and another there.
One was a transmigrator locked up on the Moon, while the other was a Moon guardian accustomed to silence.
———
Arisu's figure slowly faded away in the lunar alternate space.
The next moment, he reappeared in a northern town, standing in front of Uchiha Katsu.
The night wind was still dry and cold, and traces of the earlier fight still lingered in the air.
Arisu looked at the young man in front of him, who had just gone through an absurd farce, and spoke calmly. "Katsu, from now on, you are my representative in the mortal world."
Uchiha Katsu was slightly stunned, then solemnly nodded.
Arisu continued, "There are a few things you need to remember."
"First, don't easily expose your true identity or abilities. You are already 'dead,' so continue traveling the world as a traveler."
"Second, the general direction of history can be adjusted slightly, but don't easily overturn the core turning points, such as the reconciliation between the Senju and Uchiha, and the establishment of Konoha."
"You can observe from the sidelines, or push things forward in secret, but don't put yourself in the spotlight."
"Third, if you encounter an existence that could truly shake the foundations, or someone like that woman just now who knows things they shouldn't know, observe first, then decide whether to act."
"When you're unsure, contact me directly."
"Fourth, your life is more important than the plot. Retreat when you should. You don't need to die for some so-called destiny."
Arisu paused, his gaze falling on Uchiha Katsu, his tone softening slightly. "You've already broken free from that predetermined track. From now on, how you walk it is up to you. I only need you to watch this world for me at critical moments."
After saying that, he reached out and lightly patted Uchiha Katsu on the shoulder.
"Wait, there's one more thing."
Arisu suddenly added.
"Oh right, your story... actually isn't completely over yet."
Uchiha Katsu paused mid-step and turned around, his brows slightly furrowed.
"You mean...", Uchiha Katsu hesitated.
Arisu stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze falling on him, his tone unhurried. "Think about it yourself. Haven't you forgotten something important?"
Uchiha Katsu fell silent.
Uchiha Katsu lowered his head, quickly going through the memories of this life intertwined with those of his previous life in his mind.
Faking his death, withdrawing from history, severing his bond with Mio... He had done all of these.
But he always felt that something was still missing.
After a moment, he suddenly raised his head, his eyes lighting up, a hint of realization in his voice. "I remember now."
"My Izanagi, and my swordsmanship... haven't truly been passed down yet."
Katsu paused, his tone becoming solemn, "The Land of Iron in later generations, those warriors who regard the sword as their soul, and the foundation of the entire samurai class's swordsmanship, all originate from me to a large extent."
"And the Hatake clan. If I completely disappear now, all of these things will end with me."
Arisu did not speak immediately. He merely nodded.
Uchiha Katsu took a deep breath and immediately said, "These things can't simply disappear. I'll find a way to leave behind the true method of using Izanagi, as well as the essence of my swordsmanship, in a way that won't expose my identity."
He raised his head and solemnly nodded at Arisu.
"I'll handle this myself."
Arisu smiled slightly, his voice calm.
"Go. Remember... don't make too much of a fuss."
Uchiha Katsu said nothing more.
He turned around, and his figure soon blended into the night of the northern town.
Arisu raised his head, his gaze falling into the depths of the night sky.
The next moment, Arisu's figure had quietly disappeared into the night of the northern town.
When he appeared again, he was in a hidden cave.
On a stone slab, a black mass of a figure was lazily lying there. It was Black Zetsu.
At this moment, Black Zetsu was bored stiff, staring at the rock wall above him while repeatedly thinking about the same thing.
"Strange... Why hasn't the system issued a new mission yet?"
Black Zetsu turned over, his black body wriggling slightly.
"If the system never issues another mission, how am I supposed to keep gaining power? Those rewards, those abilities... They can't just stop here, right?"
Just as he was lost in his thoughts...
A cold, mechanical, emotionless voice suddenly rang out in his mind.
[Ding!]
[Current host status detected: Idle.]
[A new mission is now being issued.]
Black Zetsu instantly perked up and bounced off the stone slab, an excited light flashing in his black eyes.
"It's here! It's finally here!"
He eagerly waited for the rest of the content.
Arisu stood in the shadows, the corners of his mouth slightly curling upward.
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
[Ding!]
[New mission issued.]
[Mission Name: Maintain the Cycle of Reincarnation]
[Mission Content:]
[1. Continue secretly observing and guiding the reincarnation trajectories of Indra and Asura, ensuring that their chakras always remain in a state of mutual restraint and entanglement. Do not sever or excessively divert them ahead of time.]
[2. Over the next several hundred years, appropriately push forward the conflicts and reconciliation between the Uchiha and Senju, but do not arbitrarily alter the key turning points that ultimately lead to the establishment of Konoha.]
[3. Strictly prohibit actively exposing your own existence (except to Uchiha Madara), but disguises are permitted. Directly interfering with the actions of high-level existences is prohibited unless the system issues another command.]
[4. If you discover any abnormal variable that could seriously deviate from the established order of reincarnation, immediately report it to the system. Do not handle it without authorization.]
[Mission Rewards:]
[Slight increase in basic chakra reserves]
[Enhanced concealment ability (Minor adjustment to the Mayfly Technique)]
[Unlock "Reincarnation Observation" permission (allows vague perception of the general direction of reincarnated chakra)]
[Mission Punishment:]
[If you arbitrarily deviate from the core direction of the mission, or attempt to escape the system's control, all currently acquired additional powers will be forcibly stripped away, and you will be placed into permanent slumber.]
[System Prompt:]
[The host must always remember: your purpose for existing is to maintain the order of reincarnation, not to break it.]
▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
After hearing this, Black Zetsu's black body trembled slightly.
His system seemed a little cold... Didn't failure used to come without punishment?
"Maintain reincarnation... protect the direction of the plot...", Black Zetsu muttered to himself.
"Got it! As long as I complete these things, I can continue getting stronger!"
Black Zetsu thought about it and decided that he should obey after all.