"Kid, can you lower the price of these tomatoes? 100 ryō per catty is too expensive."
Nagato looked at the customer trying to haggle and replied helplessly, "Uncle, my father set the price. I'm just helping manage the stall."
"Where is your father? Why isn't he here?"
"He went to restock supplies," Nagato answered honestly, though he wasn't sure why the customer was asking about his father.
He wasn't concerned about safety—his family had been running their stall in this market for years, and his parents had good relationships with the other vendors.
Hearing Nagato's response, the customer sighed in disappointment. He had hoped to negotiate with the father directly, thinking he might be able to lower the price.
"Alright, give me a pound of tomatoes," he finally said.
Nagato smiled slightly and skillfully weighed the tomatoes, placing them in a bag.
"It's a little over a pound, but I'll count it as one pound for you," he said politely.
Hidden in the shadows, Black Zetsu observed Nagato closely.
He was waiting for the right opportunity—when Nagato would be alone and away from the crowd.
The task he had to carry out required absolute secrecy. If anyone discovered what he was about to do, he would have no choice but to eliminate them. However, any unexplained deaths would draw attention in Amegakure, making it too risky.
So, he continued to wait.
Finally, the perfect chance arrived.
As noon approached, a woman with the same red hair as Nagato approached the stall.
"Mom, you're here," Nagato said happily.
"Yes, Nagato," his mother replied with a warm smile. "Lunch is ready. You can go home and eat now."
"Okay," Nagato nodded but then hesitated. "Mom, when will Dad be back? I haven't seen him in almost ten days."
Nagato's mother paused for a moment before answering gently, "Do you miss your father?"
"Yeah," Nagato said, nodding eagerly.
His mother knelt and stroked his hair. "He'll be back soon. When he does, we can all go out and have fun together."
"Really?"
"Yes. But for now, go home and eat. I made your favorite—tempura."
"Tempura? That's great! I'll go now!" Nagato cheered, his excitement clear.
"Be careful. Don't run too fast," his mother reminded him as he rushed off.
From the shadows, Black Zetsu smirked. Now's the time.
Using his Mayfly Technique, he stealthily followed Nagato.
The moment Nagato entered his home, Black Zetsu appeared behind him.
With a swift chop to the back of the boy's neck, Nagato collapsed. Before his body could hit the ground, a pale hand caught him.
"That was easier than I expected," White Zetsu chuckled in a hushed voice. "I thought we'd have to wait longer for a chance like this."
"Indeed," Black Zetsu agreed. His original plan had been to wait until nightfall when everyone was asleep. That way, he could complete the task without any risk of exposure.
"Let's get started," he ordered.
With that, they began their work—the secret transplantation of the Rinnegan.
Nagato's eyes fluttered open.
"Huh? Why am I lying on the ground?" he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck.
He vaguely remembered being hit from behind before losing consciousness.
But now, he felt perfectly fine.
"Did I imagine it?" he wondered. "My neck doesn't even hurt, so why did I pass out?"
Feeling uneasy, he walked around the house, checking the doors and windows.
Everything was locked.
His confusion deepened. If no one broke in, then what happened to me?
His stomach growled, pulling him from his thoughts.
"Whatever. I'll eat first," he decided, dismissing his concerns.
Unbeknownst to him, a pair of watchful eyes monitored his every move from the rooftop.
"Black Zetsu, the kid doesn't seem to notice anything. Does that mean we succeeded?" White Zetsu whispered.
"There's no rush," Black Zetsu replied. "The Rinnegan is still dormant. Even though we treated him with medical ninjutsu, we need to observe him for a few days."
"Got it," White Zetsu sighed, reluctantly accepting the delay.
For the next several days, Black Zetsu kept a close eye on Nagato.
Once he confirmed that Nagato's body had successfully adapted to the Rinnegan, he quietly returned to the underground lair where Uchiha Madara was waiting.
"Is the mission complete?" Madara asked as soon as he saw Black Zetsu.
"Yes, Lord Madara," Black Zetsu confirmed. "The child from the Uzumaki clan is an excellent host. The Rinnegan is safely implanted and stable within him."
Madara nodded in satisfaction.
After a moment, he seemed to recall something.
"By the way, didn't you say that Tobi was investigating how Uzumaki Mito survived the extraction of the Nine-Tails?" he asked. "Did he find anything?"
Black Zetsu thought for a moment. That's right, Tobi reported back weeks ago… but I forgot to mention it to Madara.
"There is an answer," he said finally. "According to Tobi's investigation, the method was proposed by a member of your own clan—Uchiha Chiba."
"Uchiha Chiba?" Madara narrowed his eyes.
"Yes," Black Zetsu continued. "He claimed the technique was recorded in an ancient Uchiha text he had read."
"But personally, I think that was just an excuse."
Madara's frown deepened.
An ancient Uchiha text?
He had never heard of such a thing.
While he himself had little interest in reading, his younger brother, Izuna, had studied nearly every book in the clan's archives before his death. If such a text existed, Izuna would have known about it—and would have told him.
Which means… Uchiha Chiba is lying.
A technique that allowed a Jinchūriki to survive the extraction of a Tailed Beast?
Where had a mere junior of his clan learned something like that?
Something was definitely off about him.