Noah stopped and observed the two spectral brothers.
Both had tense, nuanced expressions. During his account, Noah had mentioned details that no one else could know, things they had experienced firsthand. By now, any doubt about the veracity of his words had almost completely crumbled.
—What neither of you knows —he said calmly— is that just before you sealed Kaguya, she managed to execute one final move without you noticing.
Hagoromo slowly looked up.
—A… move?
Noah gave a slight smile.
—Do you remember the information I told you before about the karma seals?
—Yes… —Hamura finally replied, cautiously.
—We remember —added Hagoromo, a bad feeling growing in his chest.
Noah nodded.
—I don't know exactly how your mother managed it —he continued—, but she managed to alter her own karma seal and turn it into something else. Not a simple resurrection mechanism… but an extension of her will with a life of its own.
Both brothers' eyes hardened.
—In essence —Noah went on—, she gave birth to a third son.
—A… son? —Hamura repeated, incredulous.
—It has no fixed form —Noah explained—. I don't know exactly how to describe that thing. It manifests as a black, viscous mass that calls itself Black Zetsu.
—Its only purpose —Noah continued— is to revive your mother, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. It has no ambitions of its own, no doubts or conflicts. It can wait decades, centuries, or millennia if necessary. It will never stop until it fulfills its purpose.
—So… —Hagoromo murmured— even after sealing her…
—She never stopped acting —Noah concluded—. Black Zetsu has been pulling the strings from the shadows all this time, pushing history in the only direction that matters to it: the return of its mother.
Hagoromo stepped forward and grabbed Noah by the shoulders, with an urgency that contrasted with his previously serene appearance.
—Do you know where Black Zetsu is now? —he asked bluntly.
Noah calmly shook his head and gently pushed the old man's hands away.
—No. And even so, you'd better be patient and let me finish.
Hagoromo frowned but did not interrupt.
—After your battle against Kaguya —Noah continued—, Black Zetsu disappeared completely. Hagoromo, you divided the Jūbi into the nine tailed beasts and became the Sage of the Six Paths, while you, Hamura, took the Gedo Statue to the moon and founded the lunar Ōtsutsuki clan. From there, you both moved on, convinced that the threat was over.
—Decades later —Noah went on—, when you were nearing the end of your life, Hagoromo, you decided to pass on your will to one of your sons. Asura and Indra.
Hagoromo nodded slowly.
—I chose Asura —he said—. I believed his way of understanding the world…
—I know —Noah interrupted him—. And that decision was the exact point Black Zetsu was waiting for.
Hagoromo's eyes widened slightly.
—While you believed everything was over, Black Zetsu had already approached Indra. It was he who began whispering ideas to him, reinforcing his resentment at having been rejected by you despite being the firstborn. He fed his wounded pride and turned his frustration into envy toward Asura. Black Zetsu cultivated this hatred patiently. He pushed them against each other and started a cycle that did not end with them. A cycle of conflict that has continued for generations, manifesting again and again… up to the present day.
Hagoromo lowered his gaze, as if suddenly understanding the true scope of the consequences of his decision back then.
—So all this time… —he murmured.
—Everything has been part of his plan. One that is still advancing, even now.
—Hagoromo, do you remember the stone tablet you left as an inheritance for Indra's descendants? —Noah said calmly—. Black Zetsu also used it for his plan. He altered the original message and left carefully planted false clues.
Hagoromo frowned instantly.
—When the last reincarnations of Indra and Asura, Hashirama Senju and Uchiha Madara, came to their final confrontation, Madara had already picked up the clues left by Black Zetsu on the tablet. During the battle, he fought to the death against Hashirama and, before falling, tore off a piece of his flesh and devoured it.
—After that, Madara used Izanagi, sacrificing one of his eyes to alter reality and return to life. Later, he grafted onto his own body the piece of flesh he had taken from Hashirama, and over time he will manage to fuse the chakras of Indra and Asura within himself.
Noah made a brief pause before finishing the idea.
—That is how he would finally awaken the Rinnegan a few years later… exactly as Black Zetsu had been wishing all along.
—Although he had guided Madara along the path to awaken the Rinnegan, Black Zetsu never really expected him to succeed, so at the moment Madara awakens those eyes, he will appear before him and deceive him into believing that he is an extension of himself born from his Rinnegan, and will teach him to use it to summon the Gedo Statue and use it to absorb the chakra of the tailed beasts, thus reviving his mother.
Silence spread between the brothers as both absorbed everything they had just heard.
Noah watched their reactions unhurriedly.
Hagoromo took a few more moments to fully compose himself before letting out a slow sigh and looking at Noah.
—I thank you for the information —he said finally—. You have revealed truths that even we, after so many centuries, failed to understand.
Noah shrugged calmly.
—There's nothing to thank. This was a transaction from the beginning —he replied, letting the phrase fall naturally, subtly reminding him of their prior agreement.
Hagoromo nodded slowly.
—Even so, I must say it. You have cleared up mysteries that haunted us for years and shown us dangers that remain hidden in this world. That is no small thing.
After saying that, he stepped forward. His expression became more serious and focused.
—I will fulfill my part of the deal. I will transfer to you the knowledge of the Creation of All Things technique.
Before Noah could respond, Hagoromo placed a finger on his forehead. At the moment of contact, an avalanche of information began to flow directly into his mind.
Noah remained motionless as he absorbed this knowledge. What he was receiving was not just a technique, but a deep understanding of how to shape reality itself through chakra.
Hagoromo continued to observe Noah with an expression difficult to decipher, as if trying to measure something beyond his words. Noah caught the look almost immediately and rolled his eyes with evident exasperation.
—Old man, remember that there are different types of power in this world —he said frankly—. I have no interest in ruling over a bunch of individuals whom I would have to keep under control for my entire life. That's too much work, and I'm not willing to take it on. The last thing I want is to become a babysitter. I'm more interested in the power of ninjutsu. In a couple of years at most, when I have learned all the jutsus I desire, I will be able to leave this world.
Hagoromo remained silent for a few more seconds. Finally, he let out a small smile and nodded, deciding to believe his words.
—Can we count on you if a threat arises that endangers this world? —he asked.
Noah tilted his head slightly.
—Who knows. But I would advise you not to put all your eggs in one basket. I don't plan to stay here patiently waiting for the Ōtsutsuki to appear, nor do I want to become the guardian of this world.
Having said that, he opened the magic door in front of him and disappeared without looking back. Hagoromo and Hamura stood watching the empty space for a moment before exchanging solemn glances. Both knew that, from that moment on, they would have to seriously discuss how to deal with Black Zetsu.