Inside a wooden chamber within the Thousand-Armed Kannon.
Ryou's Spore Clone and the Seven-Tails were imprisoned inside.
At this moment, Ryou was vigorously whipping the Spore Clone with a wooden vine: "You ungrateful brat, who told you to rebel?"
The Spore Clone was speechless: "Original body, if you hit me like this, once I disappear and the chakra returns to the original body, it'll be like you're hitting yourself."
Ryou snorted: "I'll just block your chakra out!"
"Speak, what intelligence did you pass to Shisui?"
Ryou lashed out twice, and the Spore Clone said: "It's about the abilities of Madara's Rinnegan. If there were enough time, I would have even passed your information to Konoha."
"Tell them that conventional Ninjutsu doesn't work on you, they must use the Reaper Death Seal!"
"You've really rebelled!"
Crack, crack, crack—
Ryou lashed out a few more times, then couldn't help but grab the Spore Clone's hair and interrogate: "Did you reveal the ability of Limbo?"
The Spore Clone said: "The abilities of Madara's Rinnegan naturally include Limbo as well!"
Ryou sneered: "So what if you told them? Without the Six Paths Power and the Rinnegan, they can never hope to crack Limbo."
Madara's Limbo is even more insidious than Kotoamatsukami; it's completely invisible, physically immune, imperceptible, and unseen... and its strength is almost identical to the original body.
With a single Rinnegan, Madara can only summon one Limbo shadow; with both Rinnegan, he can summon four.
In the original work, only Sasuke, who possesses the Rinnegan, and Naruto, who activated Six Paths Sage Mode, can see or perceive the Limbo shadows.
It's incredibly insidious!
The Spore Clone said: "Original body, don't underestimate Orochimaru. He probably has already brought Hashirama back via Edo Tensei."
"I've already told Shisui the weakness of Limbo. I believe Orochimaru will definitely find a way to crack it."
Ryou angrily tore at the Spore Clone's hair, but in his heart, he was ecstatic.
Good job, Spore Clone!
Candy appeared on Ryou's shoulder and said: "Ryou, stop laughing, a White Zetsu is here."
Ryou retorted to Candy: "Which eye of yours saw me laughing?"
Ryou sensed the arrival of the White Zetsu clones and quickly had Candy seal this Spore Clone, which was controlled by Kotoamatsukami, into a scroll.
This kind of betrayal must never be known by Madara, or he'd be shocked to death.
Immediately, a White Zetsu appeared in the wooden chamber and informed Ryou: "Lord Ryou, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki and the Two-Tails Jinchuriki of Kumogakure have appeared in the Land of Waterfalls."
"They are heading towards Takigakure. Lord Black Zetsu wants you to capture the Eight-Tails and the Two-Tails."
Ryou's brow furrowed slightly, looking somewhat displeased.
Because he had been tired enough today.
In the morning, he had used every trick in the book to break through Pakura's tight defense.
Capturing the One-Tail Shukaku, fighting Chiyo and the elite Shinobi of Sunagakure, and fighting Tsume.
Hearing that Konan and Nagato couldn't handle the Seven-Tails, he teleported to Takigakure to help them settle it.
Shisui, Seven-Tails, Kakuzu, Jiraiya, Minato, the two Toad Sages of Mount Myōboku...
None of them were easy to deal with.
Especially Shisui; Ryou was terrified when fighting him, fearing Shisui would unexpectedly use Kotoamatsukami to control him.
Although Ryou's chakra was still full, his energy was exhausted.
It's like... a person still has strength and can run and jump, but having just finished the deed, they only want to contemplate philosophy.
Moreover, Minato probably hasn't gone far. If another big battle breaks out and he suddenly appears, using Flying Thunder God to take away the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails, what then?
It would be all for nothing again!
Black Zetsu wants him to capture the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails; even a tool shouldn't be used like this, right?
Ryou grabbed the White Zetsu clones by the neck and roared: "Am I not human? Am I even human at all?"
"Ugh—"
The White Zetsu clones's neck was gripped by Ryou, making it unable to breathe; it wanted to say it was just a messenger.
With a snap, Ryou directly distorted the neck of that White Zetsu clones.
Candy cursed: "What a waste! Absorbing it would have been at least one life!"
Ryou tossed the White Zetsu clones aside, and the Great Tree of Takigakure extended its roots to absorb it.
The Great Tree of Takigakure is now like a small Divine Tree; Yang Release creatures like White Zetsu are the most tempting to it.
Ryou didn't want to fight anymore; he had already over-fulfilled Madara's mission.
A pitcher plant appeared; it was Black and White Zetsu.
White Zetsu said: "Lord Ryou, you've destroyed another one of my clones."
Where did Ryou's lives come from?
Aside from some scum murderers, the vast majority were White Zetsu clones.
Every time the White Zetsu clones went to contact Ryou, they would write their wills in advance; Ryou basically treated them as food.
Ryou glared at White Zetsu: "What are you whining about? Whine again and I'll absorb you too!"
If Ryou could have obtained Kotoamatsukami earlier, the first thing he would have done was control White Zetsu, so all the White Zetsu would be his.
Not only would he inherit Madara's intelligence network, but he would also have a reserve of thousands of lives.
Unfortunately, he miscalculated the terror of Kotoamatsukami, and the Spore Clone was directly brainwashed into defecting.
Black Zetsu commanded Ryou in a low tone: "Ryou, I am Madara's will. I now command you to capture the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails."
"Super Giant Ball Rasengan!"
A super-sized Rasengan, a hundred times larger than a normal one, appeared in Ryou's hand. He thrust this Rasengan towards where Black and White Zetsu were.
White Zetsu activated the Mayfly Technique and shifted to a wooden wall over ten meters away.
White Zetsu questioned Ryou: "Lord Ryou, what is the meaning of this? Do you intend to betray Lord Madara's will?"
Ryou retracted the Rasengan and roared at White Zetsu: "If you're so capable, go capture them yourselves. Madara's mission for me was to capture the One-Tail. I only captured the Seven-Tails to help Konan and Nagato."
Black Zetsu said gloomily: "Ryou, you are Madara's man now. Capturing all the Tailed Beasts is your duty."
The most worrisome thing had happened: Ryou's power was growing stronger, and his instability was increasing.
Madara's Cursed Seal alone was no longer enough to control him.
Ryou pointed at Black Zetsu: "Fuck you! Try saying one more word. I don't believe Madara would hold me accountable for destroying you two."
"..."
Neither Black nor White Zetsu spoke.
It's true that White Zetsu is the original body of the White Zetsu clones, but without it, the White Zetsu clones can still function and will select a new original body.
In the original work, Sasuke killed the White Zetsu original body that was possessed along with Black Zetsu, yet the White Zetsu clones still followed orders.
The one truly controlling creatures like White Zetsu is the Gedo Statue; they were born from it.
Whoever controls the Gedo Statue can control the White Zetsu.
Black Zetsu is even more insignificant; it currently plays the role of a manifestation of will created by Madara, and Madara can have as many of those as he wants.
Ryou's importance, or rather his status, was above theirs.
After all, in terms of etiquette and bloodline, Ryou was the Crown Prince, the heir apparent.
While Black and White Zetsu were merely messenger eunuchs.
Seeing that Black and White Zetsu had fallen silent, Ryou controlled the Great Tree of Takigakure to expel them.
"Listen up from now on: I only listen to Madara's orders. I won't listen to anyone else's."
"Damn it, this pawn!!"
Black Zetsu was somewhat annoyed. In its script, everyone was its pawn—Hashirama was, and so was Madara.
Now, a mere pawn actually looked down on it so much; it was truly infuriating.
Black Zetsu really wanted to give him a backstab to let this kid know how powerful it was.
But it couldn't; its backstab had to be saved for Madara.
Just you wait, brat. Once Mother breaks the seal, you'll be the first one she deals with.