Chapter 320 – The Truth Behind the Black Shadow
The atmosphere across the entire Ninja World was suffocating.
Countless eyes — from every nation, every battlefield, and even those brought back through Reanimation (Edo Tensei) — were fixed on the massive screen floating in the sky.
Moments ago, the Fifth Hokage, Uchiha Yuta, had effortlessly suppressed Madara's power and revealed a secret so deep that it shook even the ancient legends — the true identity of Black Zetsu.
And now… everyone was waiting for that black shadow's answer.
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Inside the Chaos
Far away, deep beneath the surface, Ōtsutsuki Kaguya's will quivered.
Her pale eyes flickered with anxiety. Though sealed for ages, her spirit could still perceive what was happening outside.
> "He actually exposed it… that child… that Hokage knows everything…"
A trace of fear rippled through her ancient, divine presence.
The truth was brutal — Kaguya's power had not yet fully recovered.
If her two sons, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo and Ōtsutsuki Hamura, were to strike together, she might be sealed away once again before she could even resist.
That thought alone sent a chill through her heart.
Almost instantly, Kaguya restrained every trace of her chakra, forcing it deep into silence — and then, her presence merged into that of Black Zetsu, the creation she had shaped from her own will.
To the outside world, it looked as though Black Zetsu was simply standing there, calm and motionless — but within him burned the consciousness of a panicked goddess.
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Black Zetsu's Desperation
> "Mother, what should I do now?"
His voice trembled within his own mind. "That damn Fifth Hokage— he's roasting me alive in front of everyone…"
Kaguya's voice was cold and restrained.
> "My aura is your aura. Do not reveal anything unnecessary. I will lend you strength… Show it well."
Before he could respond, a violent surge of energy rose within him — ancient, heavy, and divine.
It was the power of the Six Paths, condensed from Kaguya's essence.
Though her strength was not yet whole, what she passed to him was enough to make Black Zetsu radiate the aura of a true Six Paths-level being.
For the first time in his long existence, Black Zetsu truly felt power.
And it terrified him.
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Madara's Interrogation
Uchiha Madara, still wrapped in dark chakra, stared at him coldly.
> "Black Zetsu… I'll ask you again. What is it that you truly seek?"
For a heartbeat, the air froze.
Then —
Black Zetsu suddenly laughed. A low, eerie, echoing sound that rolled like thunder through the field.
> "Hahaha… Madara, you should already know."
"The Eye of the Moon Plan — that is my purpose as well. In the end, you and I are the same."
Madara's eyes narrowed sharply.
> "The same…?"
Black Zetsu's grin widened.
> "Yes. For countless years, I've guided this world toward the same dream — to end all conflict beneath the Infinite Tsukuyomi. I have merely walked in shadow where you walked in light."
Madara's heart trembled.
For the first time, he believed that perhaps this being truly shared his dream.
> "So," he murmured, almost smiling, "you have endured all this… for the Eye of the Moon Plan."
"Good. Very good."
He looked almost… proud.
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Yuta's Quiet Smile
From the sidelines, Uchiha Yuta stood with his arms crossed, an amused look flickering in his scarlet eyes.
> "Oh? Is that what you truly believe, Madara?"
His tone was calm, but his words carried weight.
Madara turned sharply — but Yuta simply raised his hand toward the floating screen above.
> "Then let's take a look at what your 'ally' has really been doing."
The world fell silent.
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The Screen of Truth
With a resonant buzz, the giant image shifted once more.
The first scene showed Black Zetsu whispering to Uchiha Madara, encouraging him to fight Senju Hashirama at the Valley of the End — planting the seeds of hatred that would last generations.
Next, Black Zetsu guided Madara to implant Hashirama's cells, awakening the Rinnegan.
Then, he tampered with the message of Sage of Six Paths Hagoromo at Naka Shrine — twisting "the way to save the Uchiha clan" into "the way to cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi."
Scene after scene revealed his manipulation — merging with White Zetsu, controlling Uchiha Obito, manipulating Nagato, and orchestrating the entire Fourth Great Ninja War.
And finally — the most shocking image of all.
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The Betrayal
On the screen, after Madara achieved his ultimate form as the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki,
Black Zetsu crept behind him, his body merging with the earth, his expression unreadable.
Then —
shhhk!
His blackened arm pierced through Madara's chest.
The Ten-Tails' chakra erupted uncontrollably as Black Zetsu's voice echoed through the battlefield:
> "You're nothing but my mother's pawn!"
Madara's face twisted in disbelief as his body began to swell, the divine energy of the Ten-Tails being hijacked — transforming his form into that of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, the Rabbit Goddess herself.
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Silence Across the World
The image froze.
No one spoke.
Not a single breath could be heard.
Every shinobi — from the Five Great Nations to the reanimated Hokage — stood frozen in disbelief.
> "He… betrayed Madara?"
"All of this… was planned by him?"
"No… by her?"
Even the most stoic faces — Nagato, Uchiha Itachi, Minato, Onoki, Ay — were pale.
It was too much to take in.
The grand plan that had consumed centuries of bloodshed…
was nothing more than a prelude to the resurrection of Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
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Madara's Horror
Madara himself trembled.
Watching the scene of his own downfall, his pupils contracted.
> "Impossible… This can't be…"
The great Uchiha, the one who had sought to control destiny itself, realized he had been nothing more than a puppet — a tool forged for the will of a forgotten goddess.
All his ambitions, his dreams of peace… had been nothing but a lie.
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Yuta's Voice
As the silence deepened, Uchiha Yuta finally spoke.
His words were soft, almost pitying.
> "That's the difference between your illusion and reality, Madara."
"You were never the god of this world. You were just a stepping stone for another's return."
He turned his gaze upward, toward the vast heavens.
His crimson eyes glowed faintly.
> "And now that truth is known to all — both the living and the dead."
The screen faded into darkness, leaving the world in stunned quiet.
Even Ōtsutsuki Kaguya, hidden within the depths of Black Zetsu's mind, could not help but tr
emble.
For the first time in millennia, she felt fear.
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To be continued…
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