Chapter 340: Kara Organization
Black Zetsu thought for a moment and realized that this theory might actually be true.
He was more familiar with the world's bloodlines than Nagato and the others. He also had a deeper understanding of the descendants of the Sage of Six Paths and Hamura.
Even though the shinobi world had evolved over a thousand years, reaching the peak of combat experience and techniques, anyone seeking a higher level of power would inevitably have to trace their origins.
—In other words, the power of Kaguya's lineage.
If Jigen's abilities had nothing to do with the Sage of Six Paths or Hamura, then it wasn't surprising that his power came from his mother, Kaguya.
Who would have thought?
The so-called Otsutsuki Main Family, the very ones tasked with guarding her seal, had secretly stolen Kaguya's power.
This was... fantastic.
A glint of excitement flashed in Black Zetsu's eyes.
If there was another way to restore his mother's strength, he wouldn't hesitate for a second.
But then…
Black Zetsu glanced at Black Zetsu No. 2 and quickly calmed down, feeling a wave of cold dread.
Even if they could steal power, would his mother ever get it back?
And now that the Eye of the Moon Plan had been exposed by Shinichi, Nagato would never cast Infinite Tsukuyomi.
Everything was ruined…
—
Meanwhile, Shinichi frowned, deep in thought. After hesitating for a moment, he nodded slightly.
"It's possible."
Jigen had neither the Sage's Rinnegan nor the Tenseigan of the ancestors.
His abilities had nothing to do with the Giant Tenseigan either.
It was entirely possible that he had stolen Kaguya's power.
Hmph.
That would align perfectly with what he thought of the Main Family.
A bunch of idiots who couldn't even comprehend the will of the ancestors.
A few survivors had escaped to Earth, and what would they do next?
Of course—they would research Kaguya's power to take revenge on the Branch Family!
Shinichi's mind filled with a chain of logical conclusions:
The Main Family was wiped out.
A few survivors escaped the Moon.
They researched Kaguya's power to prepare for revenge.
Since the Main Family had the most ancestral knowledge, it made sense that they understood Kaguya better than anyone.
It wasn't far-fetched for them to make progress in harnessing her power.
At this point, both Shinichi and Nagato had accepted half of what Black Zetsu No. 2 said.
They waited silently, expecting him to continue.
Seeing that his made-up story had convinced everyone, Black Zetsu No. 2 cleared his throat and continued.
"So, we need to locate Jigen's legacy—
—Bayakushi."
—
Amegakure – Main Street
A group of people had gathered around a public notice board, staring at the new bounty posters.
"Akatsuki Leader Nagato – Bounty: 1 Billion Ryo."
"Akatsuki Member Konan – Bounty: 200 Million Ryo."
"Akatsuki Member Tomoko– Bounty: 200 Million Ryo."
"Akatsuki Member Black Zetsu – Bounty: 100 Million Ryo."
"Note: Anyone providing information on the above individuals will be rewarded with 2 Million Ryo."
"Hiss—"
Gasps spread through the crowd as they read the final line.
An elderly man muttered in confusion, "What did they do to warrant a 2-million reward just for information?"
That kind of money was life-changing in Amegakure.
If you were careful, it could last an entire lifetime.
Of course, that's only if you could keep yourself alive long enough to enjoy it.
Another villager nodded.
"Yeah, I'm curious too. These bounties are higher than most rogue ninjas. They must have committed some serious atrocities."
"I heard Akatsuki has a summon called the Ten-Tails—"
"A monster that moves like a natural disaster."
"Not as terrifying as Hyuga Fuji, though."
Someone else chimed in.
"That guy wiped out three small nations. Even Iwagakure is barely alive because of him. His bounty has risen to 4.5 trillion Ryo!"
"Akatsuki, huh? I've heard of them before."
The crowd turned toward a young man, who was staring at the bounty posters in thought.
"Akatsuki originally came from Amegakure."
"What?! That terrorist group started here? No way!"
"It's true. But they weren't always like this."
Another person—an older local—joined the conversation.
"Back then, Akatsuki was a peaceful group. They helped people without asking for payment. And even if they did take money, they only charged the lowest possible fee."
The crowd fell silent.
Seeing that the speaker was a well-respected elder, no one dared to interrupt or argue.
This man had a special condition—if he got too angry, he would immediately pass out.
Since no one wanted to be accused of elder abuse, they all quietly listened.
"Their original leader was Yahiko. They were truly good people."
The elder's tone grew heavy, tinged with sadness.
"But two years ago, something happened. They vanished completely… and then, recently, they resurfaced—attacking Iwagakure."
The crowd erupted into chatter.
"Wait, you're saying they were the ones who raided Iwagakure—seven times?!"
"I heard that battle crippled Iwa so badly that Kirigakure took advantage and nearly destroyed them. So Akatsuki was behind it?"
"I never knew Amegakure produced such powerful figures…"
The murmurs grew louder.
Someone then brought up the Blood Moon Incident.
"Remember the Blood Moon event?"
"Of course. I was outside when it happened—got sucked into that weird space. When I woke up, I caught a cold. Still remember it vividly."
"That's nothing! I was in the middle of doing my schoolwork. In the dream, I finished all my assignments… but when I woke up, I had to do them all over again! Pure suffering!"
"Can you guys shut up and let me finish?"
The crowd went silent, focusing back on the young man.
"From what I heard, Akatsuki was behind the Blood Moon Incident. They tried to use it to take over the ninja world."
"But their plot was discovered, and the Great Nations stopped them."
Someone frowned.
"Wait… I thought it was Snow Country that stopped Akatsuki?"
"Yeah, didn't Snow Country save everyone?"
The young man scowled.
"Where did you hear that nonsense? Why would Snow Country care about us?"
"Well, if that's not true, then explain this—why did the borders of every nation fall in under 30 minutes? And why did they all immediately agree to peace talks?
"Isn't it because Snow Country stopped Akatsuki first, woke up early, and secured victory?"
"Uh… well… that is…"
The young man had no response.
Luckily, no one pressed him further, so he quietly slipped away, sighing to himself.
No matter how dumb people were, he couldn't spin a story where losing their entire defense line in 30 minutes was somehow a good thing.
No matter how he framed it, it only made Amegakure look worse.
Wait…
Didn't Amegakure already have a reputation for being weak?
Their only strong leader was Hanzo the Salamander, and he was long dead.
The realization hit hard, leaving the young man with complicated emotions.
—
Meanwhile, underground, Bayakushi listened to a human clone's report.
"Akatsuki initiated a technique similar to Infinite Tsukuyomi. The Ten-Tails has also been revived."
A faint smirk appeared on his face.
"Interesting. If I can obtain the Sage of Six Paths' Ten-Tails, then avenging Lord Isshiki will finally be within reach…"