The wrath of the Uchiha clan was inevitable. The proud Uchiha had always had a low tolerance for disgrace, and in their eyes, what Black Zetsu had done was no different than defecating on their heads.
Faced with such humiliation, it was only natural for the clan elders to be furious.
However, Uchiha Kei spoke in a grave tone: "Everyone, there is no need for anger or shame. Yes, the one beneath our feet is indeed vile—but you must understand, he may be a being who has lived for over a thousand years and possesses this world's most advanced concealment techniques."
"If it weren't for the Nine Tails' powerful ability to sense malice and detect his presence, we may have never discovered him in our entire lives."
The moment Uchiha Kei finished, every elder's expression changed dramatically. Their faces showed disbelief.
"Nani!? A being that's lived for over a thousand years?! There's actually something like that?!"
"Are you serious? Someone that ancient? And also extremely good at hiding? That's... terrifying! How can something so monstrous exist in the shinobi world?!"
"Can... can someone like that really exist? I'm sorry, Kei-kun, I'm not doubting you—it's just... it's so hard to believe."
The elders all chimed in with disbelief and shock. It was utterly mind-blowing.
Uchiha Kei calmly replied, "Gentlemen, the information is accurate. As for how I came by it—let's just say I have a special source. And that source is beyond question."
At this, the elders exchanged thoughtful looks. One excitable elder opened his mouth to speak but was cut off by Uchiha Setsuna—the clan's top Kei-booster: "Everyone, if Kei-kun says it, then it must be true. Don't forget, he said it was the Nine Tails who told him about the mysterious figure underground."
Upon hearing this, the room froze for a second—then suddenly, realization dawned. Of course. The Nine Tails must have told Kei about the ancient entity hiding beneath them. No one knew how long the Nine Tails had been alive.
There were even rumors that it had existed since ancient times—wandering the world for millennia until the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, finally sealed it inside Mito Uzumaki, ending the fox's era of rampaging through the world like a natural disaster.
So if it was the Nine Tails who gave Kei the intel, then there was no doubt about the truth.
More importantly—Kei could actually get along with the Nine Tails. To the point that the beast warned him of the presence beneath the Uchiha compound!
Incredible! How did Kei-kun do it? That beast, feared as a calamity, was actually helping him? Absolutely unbelievable!
In that instant, admiration and awe filled the eyes of every elder looking at Uchiha Kei. Then came the inevitable cliché of a compliment—
"As expected of Kei-kun. He's done something none of us could even dream of."
As for the fact that Kei hadn't actually explained much and only said he had a 'special information source,' the elders filled in the blanks with their own imaginations—
A Jinchūriki was considered the village's top strategic weapon, and the higher-ups in Konoha had always been cautious about the Uchiha approaching them. If it got out that Uchiha Kei had established friendly ties with the Nine Tails and even received help from it... who knew what kind of chaos that would cause?
So Kei was smart to claim he had a special intel source—it was clearly a hint: Don't blab about the Nine Tails.
Everything made sense now.
It was a perfect, closed-loop cover story.
Immediately, the elders assured Kei they understood and would keep the Nine Tails matter secret. Kei, meanwhile, noted how far off the mark their assumptions were—but he wasn't about to correct them. After all, being a transmigrator was his greatest secret.
Let them believe it was the Nine Tails. Saved him the trouble of explaining.
And if one day someone figured out the Nine Tails wasn't the source?
Kei would simply say: "Did I ever say it was the Nine Tails? That was your own interpretation."
So no, he wasn't the one in the wrong—it was the world!
But setting that aside, it was time to focus on the entity hiding below.
Uchiha Kei said, "Based on my intel, the thing beneath us is something called 'Zetsu,' made up of Black Zetsu and White Zetsu. White Zetsu is a mass-produced entity that looks human but isn't. It's more like a plant-based clone created from Wood Style and Hashirama cells."
"It's incredibly good at hiding and can transform and mimic others so convincingly that even elite sensory ninja can't tell the difference. Even the Sharingan can't distinguish it—but Sage Chakra can counter it."
"As for Black Zetsu, he's the leader. Though he can't shapeshift like White Zetsu and is more of a formless, jelly-like organism, he can possess any biological host, including White Zetsu, and control their bodies."
"If a jōnin encounters Black Zetsu and gets possessed, they're almost guaranteed to lose control of their body—unless they have Sage Chakra or a unique ability. Otherwise, they'll need someone else to save them."
"Black Zetsu is immune to all ninjutsu except top-tier sealing jutsu. Even taijutsu doesn't work well because of his jelly-like form."
As Kei explained, the elders went from indignant to increasingly horrified. Their faces darkened.
Listening to Kei was like hearing a horror story. The only word that came to mind was: unsolvable.
White Zetsu was bad enough—at least his stealth could be countered. But Black Zetsu? That thing was a nightmare.
Its abilities were pure sleaze and uncounterable. Only high-level sealing techniques could hurt it, and the Uchiha clan wasn't exactly known for those.
They were screwed.
Even the most arrogant elder had to admit—they had no countermeasure against this opponent.
One hot-tempered elder snapped, "What the hell is this? Dammit! So only the Uzumaki clan could deal with Black Zetsu?! But the Uzumaki are extinct! The only ones left in Konoha are a Jinchūriki and a little girl who hasn't even grown up yet! Are we just helpless against him?!"
The others looked grim—they shared the same thought.
Uchiha Kei considered mentioning that Yin-Yang Release could also hurt Black Zetsu, but that required wielding the power of the Sage of Six Paths.
Right now, even the likes of Madara Uchiha couldn't use it. He understood the principles but lacked the crucial item—
The Rinnegan.
Which meant, technically, only Nagato, the current Rinnegan wielder, could use Yin-Yang Release—and even he probably didn't know how yet.
So it was possible in theory, but not in practice. Kei didn't even bring it up.
Then suddenly, Uchiha Fugaku's eyes widened in horror.
"Wait! If only advanced sealing jutsu works on Black Zetsu, then doesn't that make the Uzumaki his natural enemies? But if he's been lurking for over a thousand years, why would he let such a clan survive?!"
"Was the destruction of the Uzumaki clan really just the result of joint attacks by the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Mist?"
The room fell into stunned silence.
Then Uchiha Setsuna, his Mangekyō Sharingan glowing, spoke with grim authority:
"Though I've never liked those stubborn brutes of the Uzumaki clan, I must admit—no one in the shinobi world surpasses their sealing and barrier techniques."
"Their protective barriers were said to be so strong that even the First Hokage and our own Lord Madara would've had to expend massive effort to break them. The joint forces of the Hidden Mist and Hidden Cloud were powerful, yes—but compared to the First Hokage and Madara, they're mere fireflies next to the moon."
"We've never understood how Uzushiogakure fell so quickly. We assumed the invaders had some method to bypass their barriers. Even Konoha panicked and overhauled its own defenses afterward."
"But if the one who dismantled those barriers was Black Zetsu himself, everything makes sense."
"According to Kei-kun, Black Zetsu can bypass barriers entirely. He could've entered during the invasion and taken them down from within—letting the enemy forces storm in and wipe out the Uzumaki in one swift campaign."
"In fact, the entire invasion may have been orchestrated by Black Zetsu. For a millennia-old master of stealth and deception, such a scheme is entirely possible."
As Uchiha Setsuna unraveled the terrifying conspiracy, a chilling picture emerged. The elders broke out in cold sweat. Even Kei was stunned.
So... the fall of the Uzumaki clan could be explained like *that*?
In the original story, the reason was never made clear—just fan theories. Even Kei hadn't known. Konoha never found out either—Uzushiogakure fell too fast for reinforcements to arrive.
Now, with insight from local shinobi logic, a highly plausible theory had taken shape. And Black Zetsu had every reason to do it.
For a manipulator like him, a powerful clan that posed a real threat simply had to be erased.
Then Uchiha Seishin spoke, face dark as pitch.
"If that Black Zetsu really was the one behind the Uzumaki massacre... then what does he want with our Uchiha compound? Is it our turn? Does he see us as a threat, too?"
The room's temperature seemed to plummet—as if someone had turned the AC to max.
A bone-deep chill ran through everyone.