Black Zetsu's gaze shifted to Madara Uchiha beside him, and from the depths of Madara's eyes, he caught a glint of coldness.
For him, that was anything but good news.
"Madara! He's our enemy! Do you seriously believe what he's saying?"
"I've always acted according to your will!"
Your will…
Was it truly his will?
"Tch. Press your lips together and you can spout anything, huh?"
"Oh—wait. You don't even have lips. Even White Zetsu has a mouth, yet you, this pitch-black thing, don't even have that."
Kazuyama Gekkō didn't forget to mock Black Zetsu—even now. After all, this pitch-black creature was the root cause of everything. Kazuyama had no affection for him whatsoever. Killing him was the only proper ending.
"Crystal Release: Ten Directions Seal—Ground Seal!"
Before either Black Zetsu or Madara could say another word, Kazuyama moved first.
A magatama was casually flicked into the earth. As a Yin–Yang Release creation, the magatama carried both Transparent Escape Technique and Crystal Release properties.
In an instant, the ground beneath them transformed into solid crystal.
With the terrain sealed, Black Zetsu had no hope of slipping away using his special abilities.
Realizing what Kazuyama had done, Black Zetsu's expression twisted. Combined with Madara's scrutinizing stare, he understood the situation was rapidly turning against him.
"Zetsu… were you truly created by me?"
That single sentence from Madara crushed the last of Black Zetsu's hopes.
The Uchiha were proud, but also keenly perceptive. And Madara—Indra's reincarnation—was proud and cautious. If he had spoken these words…
It meant he no longer believed.
"Damn it! Why?!"
"Kazuyama Gekkō, how do you know so much?!"
"If not for you, everything would've gone smoothly! Damn you!"
Black Zetsu, panicked and furious, finally snapped. The trees nearby stirred wildly at his command, hurling frenzied attacks at Kazuyama.
It was all pointless.
"Hehehe…"
"So it's true then?"
"You actually dared use me, Uchiha Madara, as a pawn? How bold of you."
"Die!"
The Rinnegan's Shadow Prison erupted once again—but this time its target wasn't Kazuyama Gekkō.
It was Black Zetsu.
Still mid-rant, Black Zetsu was instantly dragged into the Rinnegan's shadow realm.
He was no Kazuyama. Though he possessed Wood Release and even the Wood Release: Floating Technique, which specialized in escape…
The Rinnegan's Limbo world was not something Wood Release could counter. It was the strongest ocular jutsu beneath the realm of the Six Paths.
"Madara! It's not like that!"
"I never treated you as a pawn!"
"We're friends! Truly—friends!"
Black Zetsu nearly burst into tears. What else could he say?
Though he was a child of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, he inherited only her will and a faint trace of Yin–Yang Release. In terms of combat strength, not even a hundred Black Zetsu could defeat Madara.
And Kazuyama Gekkō was still lurking nearby.
One misstep leads to another.
He should have killed Kazuyama the moment he discovered him.
"Hmph. Your voice already tells me everything."
"Zetsu… to think you hid yourself this deeply."
Madara now fully understood the situation—and was even curious about the Kaguya Ōtsutsuki Kazuyama had mentioned.
And to think he had been reduced to a pawn in someone else's resurrection plan—laughable.
"Tsk tsk. Uchiha Madara, will you be killing Black Zetsu, or should I?"
"Think of it as doing you a favor. I can't let you go meet Hashirama with unresolved baggage, can I?"
"This way, I can send you down properly."
Kazuyama recalled all his magatama, his presence turning even more enigmatic. If not for the wicked grin on his face, he might have resembled a true Sage.
But that grin ruined everything.
"Hmph!"
"Limbo: Border Jail!"
"Black Zetsu—die!"
The shadows moved once more. Four shadows struck simultaneously, and with Black Zetsu still trapped in the Shadow Prison, he had no room to escape.
In the limbo world, he was impaled cleanly by the shadow clones.
Four shadows.
Four attacks.
Four arms tearing four gaping holes through his body.
"Damn it!"
"Madara, you actually attacked me!"
"You bastard! It hurts!"
Even Black Zetsu, for all his composition, could feel pain—and this level of injury bordered on lethal.
"Hmph! From the moment you treated me as a pawn, you should've known this would be your fate."
"No… if not for this wretched brat here, I might truly have fallen into your trap."
"Black Zetsu, my fate is mine alone. Don't you dare try to turn me into your pawn!"
Madara's eyes flashed coldly. The power of the Rinnegan surged, and Limbo continued its assault, making Black Zetsu suffer every ounce of his fury.
"Tsk tsk. I'll admit—your Rinnegan abilities are quite impressive."
"Black Zetsu, safe journey."
"Oh, and it's not that I don't trust you, Madara—but this thing is Kaguya's creation. You can heavily injure him, but killing him? You're not quite there."
"Crystal Release: Yang—Triangular Kill!"
Already gravely wounded, Black Zetsu could only watch helplessly as three crystal mirrors manifested around him, sealing him inside.
"Damn it! What are you doing?! You bastard!"
The moment he sensed danger, a blinding beam of light erupted, engulfing him entirely. His shrill scream echoed instantly:
"Aaaaah!"
Simultaneously, Madara's shadow realm collapsed, all four shadows evaporating instantly.
The light was so bright that Madara had to raise a hand to shield his eyes.
"You are Black Zetsu. Ending you with light is the most fitting method."
"With light inside you… you can never be black again."
"Farewell, child of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki."
Kazuyama Gekkō's voice, dripping with disdain, rang out once more. This time, there would never again be a Black Zetsu to answer.
The Yang Release–forged light was a true Six Paths–level attack.
A mere Black Zetsu could never withstand it.
Under the radiance, he was vaporized entirely. Ended in such fashion, Kazuyama found the result deeply satisfying.
Crack!
As the light dissipated, the three mirrors surrounding Black Zetsu shattered—first into fragments, then into dust.