At that moment, he sensed a very strange fluctuation. The feeling was familiar—he had briefly experienced it once before on the battlefield, but it had vanished too quickly to be certain.
I thought it was an illusion at the time, but it seems it wasn't.
Even though the chakra presence was strong, it carried no killing intent—no malice. Otherwise, he would have thrown a handful of exploding tags without hesitation.
He didn't need to wait long before the source revealed itself—and the sight made Tamura Hao pause in confusion.
A pool of black sludge oozed out from the corner of the room, its viscous form crawling until it took on the rough shape of a pitch-black humanoid head in front of him.
Tamura Hao blinked in surprise, unable to comprehend at first why this particular entity would seek him out.
"Is it because of Kaguya's phantom...?"
He quickly recalled the lingering image of Kaguya in his inner world. His mind immediately spun with possibilities.
In a moment of intuition, he allowed the residue of Kaguya's phantom chakra to deeply blend with his own. Tamura Hao even coaxed forth a simulation of maternal warmth—his face softening, eyes brightening with an almost loving glow. He crouched and gently touched Black Zetsu's cheek, his gaze brimming with affection as if regarding a lost child.
"...Mom!"
The sensation overwhelmed Black Zetsu, and he involuntarily blurted the word. The chakra emanating from this man—it was unmistakable. It was hers. Kaguya's. As pure as the day she was sealed.
For several long seconds, the two remained in that uncanny connection before Tamura Hao severed the chakra link with Kaguya's phantom. The maternal glow in his eyes faded instantly.
"Mother?"
"Are you... my sister's child?"
Tamura Hao looked bewildered.
"Why do you carry my sister's chakra?"
Black Zetsu remained motionless, scrutinizing the young man. Why did this stranger possess chakra so identical to that of his creator?
"Let's talk inside."
Tamura Hao dismissed Samehada to show he meant no hostility and gestured to the interior. Black Zetsu silently followed—he had too many questions to remain in hiding.
Once seated inside, Tamura Hao coaxed softly, "When I first refined chakra, my sister appeared in my consciousness. I dream of her constantly. She whispers about a child... it must be you."
"...A deed?"
Black Zetsu's eye narrowed in thought, recalling a forgotten Otsutsuki technique—an ancient genetic inscription method that allowed a powerful entity to record their essence into another being, potentially resurrecting through them.
But such imprints had rigid requirements. Not everyone could carry a deed. Moreover, this boy didn't seem to bear the full signature of a chakra contract—not visibly.
Still, the chakra was irrefutable.
This man… he is one of us. There's no mistaking that.
"Who exactly are you? Who is this sister of mine? Why did she appear in my body? Why can she absorb the power of the Sharingan and the residual chakra from Tobirama Senju's internal organs? And what's with her preference for the chakra of the Nine-Tails and Eight-Tails? Or even the chakra of Kaguya and the Uzumaki?"
Tamura Hao spoke rapidly, clearly troubled and seeking answers. His expression radiated seriousness.
"I am called Black Zetsu."
The black mass answered after a short pause. He had no name originally—his mother birthed him using the last of her will before being sealed, with no time to name him. He later chose the title Black Zetsu, to distinguish himself from the White Zetsu army that Kaguya had also spawned.
"My mother's name is Kaguya Ōtsutsuki. She is the progenitor of chakra in this world. All chakra—all of it—is a derivative of her power, and thus naturally returns to her.
But she was sealed away by her sons—Hagoromo and Hamura, the Sage of Six Paths and his brother. Her powers were split and suppressed. You... you're not a complete vessel, but you're clearly her successor.
You must help free her. Only by reviving her can you reach your full potential."
Black Zetsu's voice grew heavier, more emotional. For over a thousand years, he had labored in shadows alone. Now, finally, there was someone else—family. Someone who might share the burden.
"You're probably a backup my mother created. A contingency. You should call her Mother like I do. Not 'sister'."
He corrected the terminology with mild insistence. In his view, Tamura Hao was his younger brother—another of Kaguya's creations.
"I won't call her that. To me, she's my sister."
Tamura Hao rebutted firmly, his voice lowering.
"I need to know more about her."
Though displeased by the refusal, Black Zetsu didn't press the matter. He organized his thoughts and began recounting: "My mother arrived on this world from the stars long ago…"
While speaking, he kept a close eye on the boy. If this so-called 'successor' ever wavered in his loyalty to Kaguya, Black Zetsu would devour him without hesitation.
After the long tale ended, Tamura Hao seemed deep in thought. Then, he pulled out a kunai and began scratching at the wooden floor. A rough sketch began to form.
"This figure… is this the Sage of Six Paths—Hagoromo?"
The sketched face was vague but carried distinctive features.
Black Zetsu's eyes widened slightly.
"How do you know that form? Have you seen him?"
He felt a trace of panic. That likeness—especially the horns—matched the descriptions passed down from Kaguya's fragmented memories. But how? That man had died eons ago.
"His shadow is in all chakra. When he surfaces, my sister reacts instinctively—almost consuming it. Judging from your tone, though, this one isn't the Sage of Six Paths?"
Tamura Hao said it as if it were fact. He needed to drop subtle truths to mislead this thousand-year-old schemer.
Black Zetsu relaxed slightly. Then clarified:
"That figure was not Hagoromo—it was Ōtsutsuki Isshiki. My mother killed him in battle long ago. His remains became part of the Ten-Tails, accelerating its evolution into the Divine Tree.
His chakra permeates nature itself. It's not surprising that he lingers."
Tamura Hao gave a small nod and continued carving another sketch into the floor.
"This one, then—is this Hagoromo?"
This time the drawing was clearer. Tamura Hao's practiced hand—honed from recreating countless erotic masterpieces—gave the image an evocative weight.
"Yes. That's him. Hagoromo."
Black Zetsu's tone was heavy. He would never forget the face of the man who betrayed their mother.
"You've heard of Jinchūriki like the First Hokage's wife, right?"
Tamura Hao spoke again while scraping away the first image with his kunai.
He had suspected long ago that Black Zetsu might have information he needed. And now, with this unexpected visit, he intended to extract every drop.