In Amegakure, Jūzō leaned somewhat idly against a wall along the street, watching the drizzling rain fall from the eaves. It pooled into streams, eventually feeding into the Hidden Rain Village's vast and complex underground drainage system.
"What's taking so long?" Jūzō muttered, picking at his ear with an air of growing impatience.
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the ground before him shifted. Black Zetsu, fused with a White Zetsu, emerged halfway from the pavement.
"It seems I haven't lost my way," Black Zetsu remarked with a smirk upon seeing Jūzō.
Jūzō shot him a weary look. "But you seem to be late."
Black Zetsu was about to retort that Jūzō had simply arrived too early, but before he could make a sound, Jūzō waved him off. "Move it. Diarmuid-sama is waiting for you, and his time is limited."
Denied his rebuttal, Black Zetsu could only follow Jūzō. He asked with a hint of surprise, "Is Diarmuid that busy? He's been so quiet these past few years, I thought he was off enjoying the good life."
"Hardly," Jūzō denied without hesitation. He offered no further explanation, simply stating, "You'll understand once you see him."
Curious but knowing better than to press, Black Zetsu fell silent. Soon, Jūzō led him into Diarmuid's quarters. Upon entering, he saw Diarmuid leisurely brewing tea while a soothing melody drifted through the room.
Black Zetsu traced the sound to a beaded curtain, where a woman sat plucking the strings of a koto. His memory was impeccable; despite the hazy silhouette, he recognized her as Diarmuid's "trophy," the one called Shiramu Ameri.
Diarmuid certainly knows how to live, Black Zetsu thought to himself. He pulled his gaze away, ignoring the domestic details to look at Diarmuid. A sense of confusion welled up. Jūzō is as unreliable as ever. He said I'd understand once I saw him? I don't understand a damn thing. Diarmuid looks exactly the same.
He kept these thoughts to himself.
"Boss, I'll head out then," Jūzō said.
Diarmuid chuckled. "Not staying for a cup of tea?"
"No thanks, no thanks. I'm a liquor man. Tea isn't for me. I'll leave you two to your business," Jūzō waved a hand and made a quick exit, sliding the door shut behind him.
Only then did Black Zetsu speak. "Haven't heard much from you for years. I thought you might have retired from the shinobi world."
Diarmuid looked at him with a smile. "I've been busy with my training."
"Is that so?" Black Zetsu was mildly surprised. He scrutinized Diarmuid again but still perceived no visible change. On second thought, for someone of Diarmuid's caliber, a few years might not yield a massive leap forward; his baseline power was already gargantuan.
A Genin might spend five years becoming a Chunin or even a Jonin. But a Jonin, after five years, might still just be a Jonin.
Diarmuid didn't elaborate. Instead, he asked, "And you? How have these years been? Is that boy, Obito, giving you any trouble?"
Black Zetsu pulled his wandering thoughts back and shook his head helplessly. He walked forward and sat across from Diarmuid. Diarmuid slid a freshly brewed cup of tea toward him.
"I wouldn't say there's been no progress, but the results aren't ideal," Black Zetsu admitted, taking a sip of the tea.
Over the last few years, Black Zetsu had essentially become a "talent manager," with Obito as his "product." To accelerate Obito's growth, he had been frantically accepting all sorts of miscellaneous missions across the shinobi world, forcing Obito to execute them to gain combat experience. This hadn't changed much from his original plan, though he had originally wanted Kakuzu and Jūzō to mentor the boy, a request Diarmuid had denied.
The awkward part was that Black Zetsu lacked a knack for "management," and Obito wasn't exactly cut out for the mercenary life. Furthermore, as the peace in the shinobi world persisted, the total volume of available missions had decreased, even if border frictions remained.
On top of that, the competition was fierce. With nearly two hundred thousand shinobi demobilized globally, many had turned to the private mercenary sector. It was a classic case of too many wolves and not enough meat.
Obito's strength was top-tier, but he and Black Zetsu lacked a competitive edge in the business. Even the Yorozuya had felt the pinch; Kakuzu and Jūzō hadn't landed any high-quality contracts lately. The economy was simply in a slump.
However, the Yorozuya's impact was limited. Jūzō and Kakuzu were elite specialists who took on the difficult, complex jobs that others couldn't handle.
"Having trouble breaking into the market?" Diarmuid teased.
Black Zetsu nodded. "As you know, I'm at a significant disadvantage when it comes to networking."
Black Zetsu had many strengths, knowing ancient secrets, for one, but his habit of operating in the shadows meant he had few public connections. In the brokerage business, social reach was everything. He and Obito were hitting a wall.
"Hahahaha! I actually called you here for something related to that. I wanted to see if you're interested," Diarmuid laughed.
Black Zetsu was surprised. While the business slump was annoying, it wasn't a catastrophe. For Diarmuid to summon him specifically for this was strange.
"You know of Shimura Danzo, right?" Diarmuid asked.
Black Zetsu nodded instantly. "Of course. My intelligence network is solid. Shimura Danzo, the leader of Konoha's secret forces."
"Right. I've collaborated with him a few times, matters in the Land of Rain and such," Diarmuid noted. After a pause, he continued, "He has a job he wants to outsource. He came to me, but I don't have the time lately, and it's not convenient for me to be directly involved. I thought you might want to help out."
Black Zetsu blinked. Are you really calling me here for a business deal? To be honest, he wasn't particularly interested.
But just as he was about to politely decline, Diarmuid said, "Konoha is preparing to move against the Uchiha. They want to purge the clan and need some external assistance..."
The word "Uchiha" silenced Black Zetsu immediately. His mind began to race.
Obito wasn't entirely useless; he and Black Zetsu had previously discussed whether the Uchiha clan posed a threat to the Eye of the Moon Plan. After much consideration, Black Zetsu concluded they did. The Uchiha were powerful, and there was no telling how many more elites they might produce over time.
Among the current generation, Itachi and Shisui both possessed immense potential. Even Black Zetsu didn't know exactly how many members had awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan; for instance, he was unaware of Fugaku's secret.
While the Infinite Tsukuyomi is a genjutsu ordinary people cannot resist, those with the Mangekyō Sharingan capable of manifesting Susanoo can block the red moonlight. Therefore, the Uchiha were a variable the Eye of the Moon Plan could do without.
Imagine successfully launching the plan, only for a dozen Susanoo to pop up... it would be awkward. They could eventually be dealt with, but it would be a headache.
If the Uchiha were wiped out ahead of schedule, the problem would be solved. Black Zetsu wouldn't have considered it using Obito's strength alone, going into the Uchiha compound solo was a suicide mission, but if the entire village wanted them gone...
This was an incredible opportunity.
"Is that so?" Black Zetsu said aloud. "I'd heard tensions were high between the Uchiha and the village, but I didn't think it would come to this."
"So? Interested?" Diarmuid asked with a smirk.
Black Zetsu nodded. "Of course. As you know, we have deep ties to the Uchiha. If they can be eradicated, we are more than happy to oblige."
Diarmuid didn't pry. "I will recommend you to Danzo under the name of the Yorozuya. Our group intends to act from the shadows. You will be the ones operating in the open."
"So you're moving against them too?" Black Zetsu asked, curious. If Diarmuid's group was involved, the outcome was guaranteed.
Diarmuid nodded plainly. "I want Sharingan. A lot of them."
Black Zetsu knew they were researching these powers, so it didn't strike him as odd. "Fine. I'll help you collect them."
Historically, two groups gained a vast amount of Sharingan from the Uchiha's fall: Danzo, who also secured Kotoamatsukami, and the duo of Obito and Black Zetsu. Now, Diarmuid intended to take a massive bite out of both their shares.
"Good," Diarmuid said. "Return and prepare quickly. We'll meet in Konoha."
Black Zetsu was startled. "You're going too?"
"Of course," Diarmuid said without hesitation. "There are certain things I must obtain personally."
Kotoamatsukami.
There was no way Diarmuid was letting Danzo get his hands on that. Danzo was an audacious man, and currently, Diarmuid was likely the strongest person he knew. Danzo probably felt that if Diarmuid helped him wholeheartedly, he could become Hokage in no time. If such a man also obtained Kotoamatsukami... Diarmuid wouldn't want to be anywhere near him. It would be too dangerous.
Moreover, for the truly powerful, a tool like Kotoamatsukami is something that must either be possessed or destroyed. There is no middle ground.
If Danzo hadn't died before Madara's return, a single Kotoamatsukami might have resolved a lot of messy business before it even started...