"Damn it! Do you even know how to dig? You shattered the good coal into pieces. Do you realize how much that reduces its value?" the supervisor shouted, raising his whip and striking Black Zetsu hard across the back.
"Th—!" Black Zetsu grimaced, his body twitching from the pain that seared across his spine.
But he didn't stop working.
Forcing a smile, he continued digging and replied, "Sir, I understand. It was my mistake. I'll be more careful next time."
He could clearly tell that the supervisor was deliberately making things difficult for him.
If he stopped mining now, that whip would come down even harder. So no matter how much it hurt, he couldn't afford to stop. If he just kept working, maybe the supervisor wouldn't have a reason to hit him again.
Tch, I guess this way he won't find an excuse to mess with me, right?
Black Zetsu's lips curled slightly. He couldn't help but admire his own cunning.
Having lived for thousands of years, Black Zetsu had long learned to see through people. He could tell this man was picking on him intentionally. But as long as he didn't slip up, there'd be no way for the guy to touch him.
Heh, as long as I don't give him a reason, what can he do?
The supervisor narrowed his eyes, surprised by Black Zetsu's calm reaction. He looked at the man's hunched back and gritted his teeth.
So this guy realizes I'm targeting him?
But do you think just keeping your head down will stop me?
He sneered.
"You know," the supervisor said coldly, "didn't your mother ever teach you to talk to people face-to-face? You're being really rude."
Black Zetsu froze.
Damn, you're even using that as an excuse to scold me? I'm impressed.
The worst part? His mother never did teach him anything like that.
Crack!
The whip landed again, tearing through his shirt and leaving a red welt across his back. The pain was sharp enough to bring tears to his eyes.
Who would have thought that Black Zetsu—the biological son of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, brother to the Sage of Six Paths, the one who once manipulated Uchiha Madara into oblivion—would one day be reduced to this…
Tears welled in his eyes as he gritted his teeth in humiliation.
He wiped them away quickly, turned to the supervisor with a flattering smile, and said, "Hehe, thank you for the lesson, sir! I'll be more mindful next time!"
Then he spun back around and resumed mining without another word.
The supervisor raised an eyebrow, surprised at how obedient he was. "Glad you know your place. But the damage to the coal mine today—that's on you. The loss will be deducted from your salary."
Black Zetsu: "…"
This is deducted from his salary, that is deducted from his salary.
At this rate, he was pretty sure even if he worked nonstop for a month, he wouldn't earn enough to cover his meals...
"Work hard. I'm leaving now," the supervisor said emotionlessly. "Don't even think about slacking off. If I catch you, the consequences will be severe."
He walked away, but not before throwing a meaningful glance at Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu's ears twitched. Something about that look felt off.
He kept digging, resisting the urge to look back, waiting until the sound of footsteps disappeared completely.
Only then did he breathe a sigh of relief, toss the shovel aside, and mutter, "Damn bastard. He's clearly just trying to pick on me!"
The other miners nearby watched him in silence. When they saw him stop working, they all shook their heads and sighed, looking at him with pity.
The new guy's too naive. Did he really think the supervisor left?
That guy is probably hiding around the corner, waiting to catch someone slacking.
Black Zetsu noticed their strange expressions and frowned.
Why are they looking at me like that?
Just then, a familiar voice echoed from the shadows: "Hehehe… got you slacking, didn't I?"
Black Zetsu stiffened.
Now he understood those looks.
But it was already too late.
The supervisor emerged from the darkness, whip in hand, striding toward Black Zetsu.
"I told you not to let me catch you being lazy," he said coldly. "Now I have to teach you a proper lesson. Maybe then you'll remember."
Crack!
The whip split the air with a sharp sound.
In that moment, Black Zetsu could only think one thing:
Mother!
The whip struck him hard.
He let out a scream as pain exploded across his body. His limbs trembled, and his back burned with every lash.
But the supervisor didn't stop. Again and again, the whip came down.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
"I told you not to slack off! You want to be lazy again? Huh?!"
"Ahhhh! Please, sir! I was wrong! I won't be lazy again!" Black Zetsu cried, curling up on the ground, begging for mercy.
But the supervisor showed no mercy.
Time passed. No one knew how long the beating went on. Eventually, Black Zetsu's cries faded to weak whimpers—and then silence.
The supervisor looked at the unconscious Black Zetsu and sneered.
"Useless."
He tossed the whip aside and turned to the nearby miners, still swinging their shovels under flickering sparks.
"When he wakes up, make sure he gets back to work. If I catch him slacking off again, you'll be the ones I whip."
The miners' hands trembled as they nodded quickly.
"Yes, sir! Don't worry! We'll make sure he works hard!"
Satisfied, the supervisor turned and finally left the mine.
The moment he was out of sight, the miners relaxed. Their pace slowed, and they glanced curiously at Black Zetsu, still lying motionless on the ground.
"Do you think he pissed off someone powerful?"
"Isn't it obvious? We only work twelve hours and still get paid decently. But he has to work eighteen?"
"He must've made a huge mistake. We should stay away from him. Don't want to get caught up in his mess."
"Yeah, that guy looks shady. Just one look, and you know he's trouble."
Poor Black Zetsu.
On his first day at work, not only was he ruthlessly targeted by his supervisor, but now even his fellow workers were avoiding him.
Lying unconscious, he fell into a deep dream—a dream where he had finally rescued his mother, and they were together again, living in peace.
"Mother... they all bullied me... I missed you so much…" he murmured softly in his sleep, a single crystal tear sliding down the corner of his eye.
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