Chapter 317: The Hidden King — Black Zetsu's True Power
For the first time in countless years, the entire shinobi world trembled in uncertainty.
If what Uchiha Yuta said was true—if Black Zetsu was really the son of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the younger brother of Hagoromo and Hamura—then his strength, once revealed, might shake the heavens themselves.
Defeating the Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Yuta, might not be a dream after all.
For a moment, Ōnoki, the Fourth Raikage A, and even the Edo Tensei-revived Kage—the First and Second Tsuchikage, the Second and Third Raikage—exchanged glances filled with renewed color and hope.
There was no denying it now:
Black Zetsu had become the last pillar—the hidden trump card—of the Ninja Alliance.
After all, anyone who had endured through millennia since the dawn of chakra… couldn't possibly be weak.
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"Wait, wait, wait… what the hell is going on?!"
"In addition to Uchiha Madara and the Great Toad Sage, now Black Zetsu is secretly a final boss too?!"
"Endured for thousands of years? What is he, a Ninja Turtle?!"
"They said he's the brother of Hagoromo and Hamura! That means even Madara might just be his pawn!"
"So that's why the Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Yuta, called him out! He knew Black Zetsu was the real threat all along!"
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The entire battlefield and the countless viewers watching through the live broadcast were stunned into disbelief.
Even the reanimated Hokage—Senju Hashirama, Senju Tobirama, Namikaze Minato, along with Hatake Sakumo, and the revived Kage of every village—stood speechless.
None of them had expected such a shocking twist just as the war seemed decided.
The Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Yuta, had exposed Black Zetsu's true identity in front of the entire world.
Clearly, he hadn't done it casually—he must have had his reasons.
That could only mean one thing—
Even Yuta himself was being cautious of Black Zetsu.
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"This Black Zetsu…" muttered the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, rubbing his temples. "He's been with Madara this whole time? Could it be… he's been waiting for this exact moment to appear?"
He glanced at Black Zetsu's shadowy, fluid form, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Unbelievable… such a creature hides his true power for centuries… and he looks so calm now, like none of this even matters."
Indeed, Black Zetsu's expression didn't change. His eyes were cold, hollow—unreadable.
A master of disguise.
Even with the world watching, his face betrayed nothing.
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"No way…"
Nagato, reanimated and standing silently, clenched his fists.
Could it be true? That the ever-present Black Zetsu, who had followed Madara and whispered guidance into Obito's ear, was actually the one pulling all the strings?
If that was the case, then what was the Akatsuki to him?
Just a tool?
His voice was quiet, almost trembling.
"Doesn't that mean… people like Uchiha Obito… Madara… even me… were just pawns?"
The realization hit like lightning.
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"Looks like the Akatsuki was even more chaotic than we thought," said Uchiha Itachi calmly, his Mangekyō eyes narrowing in quiet thought.
"If I'm not mistaken, Black Zetsu has been manipulating the ninja world from the shadows for centuries. Madara, Obito… even Pain—we were all just pieces on his board."
Nagato nodded grimly.
"Yes. And to think… if the Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Yuta, hadn't killed us, we might still be dancing in his palm—fighting for someone else's plan."
A bitter smile tugged at his lips.
"Maybe death wasn't such a bad ending after all."
---
The one most shaken, however, was Uchiha Obito.
He stood frozen, his masked face twitching slightly.
Black Zetsu… the son of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki? The younger brother of the Sage of Six Paths?
That made no sense!
If he was that powerful, why had he hidden for so long?
Why pretend to be some eerie shadow crawling beside Madara?
Why follow him—a man who was himself a pawn?
He gritted his teeth in frustration.
"I don't get it… I just don't get it…"
But after a long pause, he sighed.
"Well… at least I'm not the biggest fool here," he muttered bitterly.
"Madara definitely got played worse than I did."
With that, Obito slumped back, deciding to simply watch how things unfolded.
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Meanwhile, the entire shinobi world was erupting in chaos.
At first, everyone thought it was over—that the Ninja Alliance had been utterly defeated by Uchiha Yuta's overwhelming power.
But suddenly, a new player appeared—one who might even surpass the Sage of Six Paths himself.
The mysterious shadow who had whispered in Madara's ear… was now revealed as the true heir of Kaguya's bloodline.
Black Zetsu — the Third Son of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
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"Could it be… the real battle is just beginning?"
"Black Zetsu is terrifying. If the Fifth Hokage hadn't exposed him, who knows how long he would've stayed hidden!"
"Now let's see how Madara reacts… imagine finding out your own subordinate is stronger than you!"
"Hahaha, serves him right!"
The shinobi world was in an uproar.
Every village, every spectator, every ninja watched the giant screen suspended in the sky with breathless anticipation.
What would happen next?
Would Black Zetsu finally reveal his full power?
Would Madara fight him—or serve him?
And how would Uchiha Yuta respond to this long-hidden god of the shadows?
After being humiliated by Yuta's overwhelming presence…
and discovering that his "servant" was secretly a higher being…
Even someone as proud as Uchiha Madara might just want to cry.
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