"The Hidden Leaf... finally, we're here."
Black Zetsu muttered, voice low and hoarse, lurking in the shadows with peak villain vibes.
But...
"Yeah, yeah! That's the Hidden Leaf! It's super fun, super awesome! Black Zetsu, Black Zetsu, let's go play together! Let's go have fun with Tobi! If you possess Tobi, then we can enter the genjutsu game together!"
"So excited, so excited, super excited! Let's play together, let's play together, okay? Okay? Okay?"
"Come on, let's play! Let's play! Let's play! Ne, Black Zetsu, pleaaase?"
This was none other than the most abstract of all White Zetsus—the most annoying chatterbox: Tobi, currently possessed by Black Zetsu, speaking in a cheerful, irritating tone.
If he were isekai'd into the Marvel universe, he'd probably get along well with Deadpool.
Unfortunately, Black Zetsu had zero patience for Tobi. His expression darkened instantly. Without hesitation, he used his control over White Zetsu to summon a standard clone. After all, Black Zetsu had spread White Zetsu clones all across the shinobi world, making him its number one information broker.
Yes, even if Boruto clowned on him, he was still the so-called Shinobi World's top info master.
Black Zetsu shifted into a standard clone, reverting back to the classic black-and-white combo.
Now free from possession, Tobi twisted around dramatically. "Awww, awww, awww! You don't wanna hang out with me, Black Zetsu? That's so sad, so sad! If you were with me, we could play the genjutsu game! Why, why, why? Why are you abandoning me, Black Zetsu? Boohoohoo\~ Super duper sad!"
Black Zetsu said nothing and sank into the earth, leaving via the Mayfly Technique. He knew that talking to Tobi would only fuel the other's lunacy. That guy could babble you into insanity.
Tobi didn't seem to mind. He kept dancing around and mumbling to himself. Eventually, he summoned a White Zetsu and possessed it again.
Tobi, as a unique variant of White Zetsu, had special abilities. He could significantly enhance whoever he possessed, yet lacked powers of his own—not even transformation, which ordinary clones had. He always needed a host.
Now fully possessed, Tobi disappeared underground and made his way toward the Hidden Leaf.
————
Silently, Black Zetsu slipped beneath the Hidden Leaf's grand barrier and entered the village.
Though the barrier also extended underground, it couldn't affect a being like Black Zetsu, born of Yin-Yang Release. He passed through it like entering his own bathroom—effortless.
He headed straight for the Uchiha compound.
Despite his displeasure with Madara Uchiha's obsession with genjutsu games, and his growing anxiety over their plan to save their mother, Black Zetsu still needed Madara to fulfill the Moon's Eye Plan.
In a thousand years, only Madara had awakened the Rinnegan and been tricked into supporting the plan—a rare, loyal fool. Unless absolutely necessary, Black Zetsu couldn't afford to abandon him.
Thus, he continued pretending to be Madara's loyal subordinate and tried to follow Madara's commands to the letter.
"Let's see what's going on with the Uchiha right now\..."
He whispered underground, using the Mayfly Technique to merge into the compound walls, completely hidden—even Sharingan and elite sensory types couldn't detect him.
Even with Uchiha all around, no one noticed a thing. This was the terrifying freedom of Black and White Zetsu.
Then, he heard sounds of intense sorrow echoing from within the compound.
"Uwaaah\~\~\~ Iwanaga, Hisahisa! Nooo! Waaaaah!!!"
"Muranaka, Mayu... why?! Why did it have to end like this?!"
"I failed... I couldn't protect them... I deserve to die!"
"Damn it, damn it, damn it! I knew it wasn't real—I knew it was all fake! But I couldn't stop the tears! Damn it aaaaaah!!!"
"Hnghhhhhhaaaaaahhh—I don't accept this ending! Even if it's just a game! Even in a genjutsu world, I can't accept them dying like that!!!"
Voices poured out one after another. Different Uchiha, all sounding like they'd lost the people most important to them. Each filled with grief and rage.
They were scattered across rooms, alone or in groups. Each had a recently-used sealing scroll nearby, still radiating traces of chakra.
Clearly, they'd just finished playing a genjutsu-based game. The game? "Escape." The story? Trying—and failing—to save two beloved NPC companions.
Even in a game, the feeling of loss hit hard. Losing someone precious left many of these Uchiha barely holding it together.
And in mere moments, among these grieving Uchiha—those who hadn't awakened their Sharingan did so on the spot. Those who had it already? Their eyes evolved. Single-tomoe became two, two became three.
That gut-punch of loss beat any amount of torture. For a clan driven by love, nothing triggered growth like losing that love.
It was no surprise then, that a wave of Sharingan awakenings and evolutions swept through the compound.
But not a single one reached Mangekyō.
In this world where Uchiha Kei currently resided, the rules still matched canon. Awakening the Mangekyō Sharingan wasn't just about trauma—it also required extraordinary potential.
Among all these players who finished "Escape," none had managed it. Even those with years of three-tomoe experience showed no signs of reaching the next level.
The Mangekyō was just that hard.
The Uchiha clan elders were both thrilled and frustrated. They were happy to see so many awaken or upgrade their eyes—but not one had reached Mangekyō.
Was it impossible to unlock Mangekyō through genjutsu games?
So far, not a single success.
Even Uchiha Setsuna, who had recently awakened his Mangekyō, hadn't done it through the game. His awakening came from deep introspection after witnessing Uchiha Kei's brilliance and reflecting on his own failures.
Setsuna had the emotional depth and ocular talent built up over years. Even back when Madara was still around, he had been regarded as one of the Uchiha's elite—a true genius.
Madara had once said that Setsuna had the potential for Mangekyō. He'd just lacked the trigger.
So even if the clan had racked up many new Sharingan awakenings and upgrades through the genjutsu game, they still had zero Mangekyō users.
The elders couldn't help but worry.
And Black Zetsu, still unaware of these internal discussions, stood dumbfounded at the wails echoing through the compound. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.
Was this really the same Uchiha clan he remembered—arrogant, ignorant, always posturing?
What the hell happened here?! Did he somehow end up in the Senju or Uzumaki compound instead?
Even a non-human like Black Zetsu wanted to grimace. His urge to rant was overwhelming, but he didn't even know where to start.
In the end, he could only snarl bitterly: "Damn that game... what a menace. Madara's transformation wasn't a fluke. This game is corrupting the entire Uchiha clan. Look what they've become! Is this still the Uchiha I know?!"
He made up his mind. The creator of this genjutsu game had to die.
Who knew what the Uchiha would turn into next? What if Madara ended up just like them?
If that kind of disastrous transformation occurred, Black Zetsu would lose his mind. The Moon's Eye Plan depended on everything staying on track. He couldn't afford wildcards.
With the plan nearly ready—just needing a sacrificial pawn—he didn't want any variables.
Even if the genjutsu game could lead to Mangekyō awakenings, that was not part of the plan.
Black Zetsu never wanted the Uchiha to mass-awaken Mangekyō. The power came with too many unknowns. Too many risks.
If he could guarantee his mother-saving plan's success, he'd wipe out the entire Uchiha clan just to avoid complications.
That... was his true thought.
So no matter what, the creator of the genjutsu game must die!
Fuming internally, Black Zetsu continued sneaking through the Uchiha compound, gathering intel.
Soon, he stopped.
He had overheard the Uchiha clan leaders in conversation.