Zetsu was a little surprised. If the thoughts were inherited from "Uchiha Kokuya's" body, then the current Uchiha Kokuya's enemy should be Uchiha Kagami, not Fumori masaki. Zetsu was very familiar with these people's short-sightedness; otherwise, they wouldn't have been exploitable.
After a moment's thought, Zetsu seemed to understand. This wisp of residual soul was summoned from the Pure Land by those cultists of Jashin in the Land of Demons back then. It was likely that the summoners' intentions also remained within it, and as far as Zetsu knew, it was Fumori masaki who had thwarted that operation.
But then again, even if these guys had succeeded in their summoning, what kind of consequences would it have brought? The Uchiha Kokuya in front of him didn't seem particularly special. Just as Zetsu was thinking this, he suddenly noticed something unusual.
Uchiha Kokuya's body was incomplete after falling into the mountain stream. Zetsu had to stitch his body back together, and some crucial parts were connected by Zetsu's own detached body parts. Logically, even with the infusion of the residual soul, allowing him to regain life, the injuries should still be present.
However, the guy in front of him seemed completely unaffected, as if the wounds on his body had no impact whatsoever. This surprised Zetsu, who thought, "Could it be that descending from the Pure Land still has some effect after all?"
The reborn Uchiha Kokuya felt the power surging through his entire body. He looked at the black shadow flowing over his body and asked, "What is this thing?"
"This is a part of my body, used to keep your body intact," Zetsu said.
"No need," Uchiha Kokuya replied. "Although I don't know what's going on, I feel like I won't die now. Fatal injuries to ordinary people are meaningless to me."
Zetsu remained silent for a moment, then withdrew his body from Uchiha Kokuya. After losing Zetsu's body parts filling the gaps, Uchiha Kokuya's wounds immediately gushed blood, but he merely wrapped them hastily with some gauze, and there was no other abnormality, not even affecting his movements.
This time, even the well-informed Zetsu couldn't help but be stunned. He could confirm that this was the power bestowed by the existence from the Pure Land. Was this near-immortality the power that the Jashin cultists sought back then?
Zetsu said this because he understood that true immortality belonged only to his "mother," Kaguya Otsutsuki. Kaguya Otsutsuki was an eternal and indestructible being; no jutsu could destroy her. The only way to seal her was with the Six Paths — Chibaku Tensei performed by Hagoromo and Hamura.
In Zetsu's opinion, Uchiha Kokuya's immortality was only in a physical sense, and unlike Kaguya Otsutsuki, who could recover quickly even with a damaged body, this showed the limitations of his immortality. As for mental indestructibility, there was probably no need to consider it; if he were that powerful, Zetsu wouldn't need to maintain his residual soul.
"Well, it's better than nothing," Zetsu thought to himself, carefully observing Uchiha Kokuya, who was getting used to his body.
Uchiha Kokuya's memories were also slowly becoming clearer. As Zetsu had thought, his memories were primarily composed of those of the body's original owner, "Uchiha Kokuya," and the intentions of the Jashin cultists from back then. The latter were vague and only influenced his subconscious, while the former predominated. He considered himself to be the true Uchiha Kokuya. He now turned his gaze to Zetsu and asked, "You are..."
"I am an artificial life form left by Madara. I serve him and those who inherit his will," Zetsu replied with a loyal demeanor. "My previous master was Uchiha Setsuna, but he is now dead. Now, you are my master."
Uchiha Kokuya tilted his head. Of course, he didn't know Zetsu. Only Uchiha Setsuna knew of Zetsu's existence, but he vaguely remembered Uchiha Setsuna mentioning that he had helpers outside. He asked, and after receiving Zetsu's confirmation, he said, "Is that so? Then I am your master from now on. You must obey me just as you obeyed Lord Setsuna, understand?"
Uchiha Kokuya felt that the other party had gone to great lengths to revive him, an Uchiha, and even used his own body to protect him, which showed his loyalty to the Uchiha clan. After asking a few questions, he confirmed that the other party was indeed connected to Uchiha Setsuna, and thus truly believed him.
"Of course, my master," Zetsu said, suppressing a laugh in his heart. "I will certainly obey your commands with the same attitude as I treated Uchiha Setsuna."
Uchiha Kokuya nodded in satisfaction and said, "Where are we now? Let's go outside and take a look."
Zetsu led Uchiha Kokuya out of the cave. The terrain of the Land of Rivers was mostly mountains and rivers, appearing quite complex and sparsely populated. As long as one ventured into the more treacherous areas, aside from situations like Uchiha Kagami taking risks, hardly anyone would come here.
And the current Uchiha Kokuya was alone. If he wanted to conceal his tracks, it wouldn't be as easy to detect as a large group. No matter what, he was an elite of the Uchiha clan. If he intended to flee alone, it would be almost impossible to find him without meticulous tracking by the Anbu.
Uchiha Kokuya instinctively took a breath of fresh air. Before, he was merely a dead body, only brought back to life by the power of the residual soul summoned by the Jashin cultists back then. And because he had gained immortality, he could move so easily.
Zetsu had originally prepared for Kokuya to rest and recover, but now it seemed unnecessary. Uchiha Kokuya could leave at any time. This special immortality was still somewhat useful; it could bring some unexpected trouble to opponents during combat.
"I narrowly escaped death, but Lord Setsuna died. He must have been very unwilling when he died. He always used to say that he would lead the Uchiha clan to revival," Uchiha Kokuya said.
In Uchiha Kokuya's memory, he was revived by Zetsu using special powers from other countries, and thus gained special abilities. In his self-perception, he was still Uchiha Kokuya, and therefore, his thoughts and actions were in line with Uchiha Kokuya's way of thinking.
"My master, as far as I know, Uchiha Setsuna's rebellion has been exposed. You cannot return to Konohagakure, not only because this matter is already common knowledge, but also because Uchiha Kagami is still alive," Zetsu said.
Zetsu was indifferent to Uchiha Kagami's death; he was only surprised when he learned that Uchiha Kagami had survived. But for Uchiha Kokuya, this was unacceptable news. He turned his head sharply, his eyes glinting with a chilling crimson light, and said coldly, "What did you say!"
Zetsu calmly repeated himself, and Uchiha Kokuya's face immediately contorted. He said hatefully, "That bastard really has nine lives, but Lord Setsuna's life was—"
"My master, what should we do next?" Zetsu asked. "You can't go back to Konohagakure."
"Since that's the case, there's nothing I can do. I'm alone and powerless; I can't peacefully change the clan from within like Lord Setsuna did," Uchiha Kokuya said expressionlessly. "Konohagakure forced my hand. I can only seek power from outside."
"What do you plan to do?" Zetsu asked.
"Use the power of others to destroy Konohagakure, and then see if there's an opportunity," Uchiha Kokuya's expression held a hint of madness. "If there's no opportunity, then I'll destroy the entire Konohagakure, including that misguided Uchiha clan. Whether it's Fumori masaki or Uchiha Kagami, I'll make them taste what despair is."
"Are you disregarding even the lives of your clan members?" Zetsu asked again.
"Misguided Uchihas are not true Uchihas. It's better for such guys to just die," Uchiha Kokuya snorted. "As long as I'm alive, I can recreate a true Uchiha clan. The name of the Uchiha clan will be revived by my hands."
—Ah, so that's how it is.
Because Zetsu's body was completely black, and his single yellow eye appeared lifeless to outsiders, even a Sharingan couldn't discern his true thoughts. To Zetsu, it was natural for Uchiha Kokuya to think this way; this was the obsession of Indra's descendants.
Indra, who lost his position as the successor to Ninshū, passed on his strong power, obsession with power, and distorted love, along with his kekkei genkai, to his descendants. Indra's Sharingan and the Sharingan of the later Uchiha clan were somewhat different in a certain sense. It was Indra's personal influence on the kekkei genkai that led to the formation of the current Uchiha clan.
However, such an Uchiha clan was exactly what Zetsu could exploit. But he had low expectations for Uchiha Kokuya's strength and said, "My master, where do you plan to start?"
"The main thing now is to improve my own strength, because the gift you brought from the Land of Demons not only gave me immortality but also another ability," Uchiha Kokuya said with a smile on his lips.
"What?" Zetsu was slightly startled.
"I can absorb people's negative emotions to amplify my chakra," Uchiha Kokuya said, clenching his fist excitedly. "Now is wartime, so I can absorb as much as I want. It will definitely allow my chakra quality to grow rapidly, and perhaps even elevate my Sharingan to the legendary Mangekyo Sharingan."
Zetsu, who knew the method of Sharingan evolution, did not dampen Kokuya's confidence. Whether Uchiha Kokuya could awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan was irrelevant; his bloodline was too far removed from Indra's reincarnates. Even if he transplanted a Mangekyo Sharingan, it might not necessarily promote the evolution of his Sharingan.
"And after you've increased your own strength, my master?" Zetsu asked. "Aside from the God of Shinobi and Madara, I doubt anyone has the confidence to challenge an entire ninja village."
"Anyone who is an enemy of Konohagakure can be contacted, but they must be pawns I can control," Uchiha Kokuya said. He clearly wouldn't give control to others. "My current idea is to contact the Fire Daimyo and try to get him to work for me. That way, I can control Konohagakure from within the country and take advantage of the chaos."
Zetsu thought about it and felt that Uchiha Kokuya's idea was very good. While contacting a Daimyo in other countries was possible, the distance would make it difficult to affect Konohagakure, and they would inevitably come into conflict with the local ninja villages. Choosing the Fire Daimyo was a better option.
Zetsu knew that Konohagakure's growing power over the years had given the Fire Daimyo a strong sense of crisis. If someone could offer him advice, the Fire Daimyo might not refuse. And within the Land of Fire, Zetsu could also find ways to further the growth of Indra's reincarnates.
"Truly wise, my master," Zetsu praised without hesitation. "Please tell me if there's anything you need. I will certainly do my utmost for you. However, please also understand a certain plan that Uchiha Setsuna considered during his lifetime…"
Then, Zetsu spoke of Uchiha Ken and how Uchiha Setsuna had always protected him. Uchiha Kokuya immediately became interested. According to Zetsu, as a reincarnate, Uchiha Ken possessed potential close to Uchiha Madara, and he might already have the Mangekyo Sharingan.
Seeing Uchiha Kokuya's curious gaze, Zetsu replied that, based on Uchiha Setsuna's research, the awakening of the Mangekyo Sharingan might require the loss of a deeply loved one.
Uchiha Kokuya immediately understood why Uchiha Ken possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan. When he sensed the man's emotions, he felt that he was someone who could be won over, someone who could be a true Uchiha. If he himself couldn't advance to the Mangekyo Sharingan—which, according to this condition, might be troublesome—then this reincarnate, capable of inheriting Lord Madara's power, would be a powerful weapon, and he would have to take good care of him.
"It seems I'll have to lie low for a long time," Uchiha Kokuya pondered. "I also need to find a way to make Lord Madara's reincarnate grow quickly. Even with the Mangekyo Sharingan, it still can't compare to Lord Madara's level back then. Rumor has it that after Lord Madara transplanted Lord Izuna's eyes, he gained even greater power."
"Yes, therefore, my master, we must also find a way for someone to awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan, so that Madara's power can reappear in the world," Zetsu said seriously.
"Hmm, you're right. You should have some candidates after all these years," Uchiha Kokuya asked.
"I have some, but how to guide them will depend on your instructions," Zetsu replied.
"Good, let's leave here for now. Find some medicine to apply and also some food." Although Uchiha Kokuya wouldn't die from his injuries due to his immortality, the wounds would still hurt, and without nutritional intake, he would still waste away and die.
"Understood, my master. I have already found a safe path to leave. Please follow me," Zetsu said respectfully.
Uchiha Kokuya found Zetsu more and more pleasing to the eye. Not only was he loyal, but he was also good at gathering intelligence, making him the best subordinate one could ask for.
"Hmm." Uchiha Kokuya nodded slightly and followed Zetsu out of the valley.