Chapter 189 – Black Zetsu's Despair
"Lower lifeforms?
Kaguya's chakra?"
The two phrases hung in the air. Orochimaru's expression immediately twisted with confusion.
He understood the first, but the second? He had no idea what it meant.
Uchiha Obito, however, grew tense, his face solemn. He didn't know exactly what the masked figure meant—but he didn't have the luxury to wonder.
All he knew was that trouble had found them again.
But Black Zetsu was different. His face changed drastically.
His body trembled uncontrollably, his eyes widening in horror.
"It's over…"
That thought surged into his mind.
He had avoided meeting this "Ōtsutsuki Genshiki" at all costs—because deep down, he feared exactly this.
He had worried Genshiki would see through him.
And now, against all his plans, they had met. Worse still—at first glance, Genshiki had recognized him.
"Damn it… damn it! I'm finished… this bastard has ruined everything!"
For once, Black Zetsu's thoughts spun into chaos, his usual cold composure utterly gone.
All he wanted now—was to escape. If he didn't, he knew he was dead.
"Interesting," Genshiki's voice carried a strange amusement.
"I only came here after sensing some unusual chakra fluctuations. Never thought I'd stumble upon this…"
Genshiki himself hadn't expected it. He had only intended to "reclaim the tailed beasts' chakra." Yet here he was, colliding with the Akatsuki again.
And this time… he laid eyes on Black Zetsu for the very first time.
He had sensed its presence before, but had never seen it directly. Now, he wasn't about to let the opportunity slip.
And then a thought struck him.
If Black Zetsu truly carries Kaguya's chakra… wouldn't that be useful to me?
And what if… I implanted a Kāma on him as well?
His gaze shifted, sharp and predatory.
That single look made Black Zetsu's body tremble even more violently.
"Not bad," Genshiki continued with a faint smile.
"Besides reclaiming what I came for, it seems I've stumbled onto something far more… interesting."
"You creatures never fail to surprise me—Rinnegan, the husk of the Ten-Tails… and now…"
The earth itself shook as Genshiki's chakra roared out, vast and suffocating.
Dark clouds gathered, and only the pale moonlight illuminated his lone figure.
"—What?!"
In that instant, Black Zetsu felt an overwhelming pull—an inescapable force tearing at his body.
"You—!"
Before he could react, his body lifted off the ground. His face twisted in panic.
"Kamui!"
Obito didn't know what was happening, but the moment he saw Genshiki targeting Black Zetsu, he activated Kamui in desperation, trying to drag Zetsu into his dimension.
The two forces clashed—Genshiki's pull against Kamui's warp—stretching Black Zetsu to his limit.
"It hurts… so much…"
Even White Zetsu whimpered faintly, but Black Zetsu himself could barely form words.
"Oh? Still struggling?" Genshiki chuckled softly.
"Unexpected… but that's fine. It makes things more entertaining."
"Watch out!!" Obito shouted, every hair on his body standing on end.
A heartbeat later—
A crushing torrent of chakra exploded downward, reducing everything around them to ash.
Boom!
"What's going on?!"
"Did Konoha attack?!"
Outside the ruins of Kumogakure, in the forests where the survivors had pitched countless tents, the blast of chakra rippled outward.
The Cloud shinobi raised their heads, numb, their eyes carrying a strange sense of release.
Their spirits had already been broken by Gen's earlier devastation.
"C, what's happening out there?"
Inside one tent, Darui turned toward the healer, glancing at the unconscious Killer Bee and Yugito.
"How are they holding up?"
"Not good," C sighed.
"Their condition is bad… very bad. They'll live—but only because their tailed beasts keep them tethered. Still, the chakra of both the Two-Tails and the Eight-Tails has nearly been shattered. It's barely a fraction of what it was."
Darui's face darkened.
"And outside?"
"I sense… a battle. A chakra I can hardly believe exists…"
C extended his perception—and his face went pale.
"This can't be real…"
"What? Is it Konoha?" Darui pressed.
But C stumbled outside, raising his gaze to the night sky.
There, beneath the moonlight, a lone figure floated—wreathed in a chakra so vast it defied description.
"What… is that?"
The words barely left his lips before another shockwave slammed into the camp, scattering everything in chaos.
And amidst it, C felt—someone was approaching them.
"That… that's the legendary Ōtsutsuki Genshiki?"
Orochimaru's face had drained of color.
He had heard Obito and Black Zetsu mention the one who stopped them, but he never imagined that person could exist.
Now, seeing him in the flesh, he understood.
"Toward the Cloud village—move!" Obito barked, scrambling to his feet.
He yelled at Black Zetsu and Orochimaru, desperation in his voice.
He didn't know why this man fixated on Zetsu—or what "Kaguya's chakra" meant.
But this wasn't the time to wonder. They needed to escape. Now.
"Go!"
Black Zetsu didn't hesitate. He wanted nothing more than to flee.
But he knew better than to scatter—against an Ōtsutsuki's spatial powers, that was suicide. Staying near Obito was his only chance.
Orochimaru, too, made his decision quickly. Let Obito take the heat—he would slip away if the chance came.
"Why are you running?"
Genshiki's calm voice cut through the chaos, followed by another tidal wave of chakra.
"Running only makes sense if the opponent is within your reach—if there's still a chance of resistance. But between us…"
A cold hum filled the valley. Energy tore through stone and earth, collapsing everything in its wake.
"…there is no such gap. Escape has no meaning."
The valley crumbled, reduced to rubble under the crushing force.
"What kind of monster is this…?" Orochimaru muttered, his face ashen.
But when he glanced at Obito—his eyes widened.
Because the masked figure—Ōtsutsuki Genshiki—was suddenly standing right at Obito's side.
"Not good!"
Obito's heart clenched.
He poured everything into Kamui—desperation in his every breath.
Fortunately for him, transferring Black Zetsu was slow—but shifting himself into Kamui's dimension was no problem at all.
Buzz—
As the Totsuka Blade came crashing down, accompanied by a surge of violent chakra, Obito vanished into the warped space of Kamui.
"Such a rare ability… as expected of a power born from the God Tree's fruit."
Kitagawa Gen wasn't surprised. He simply sighed and shook his head.
"A pity, really. In the hands of a lowly creature like you, it's no different from a rat scurrying through the sewers."
"Bastard…" Obito growled under his breath, rage flickering in his eyes. Yet there was nothing he could do. What stung him more was that this Ōtsutsuki hadn't even spared him a glance.
In the blink of an eye, Kitagawa vanished from where he stood—reappearing right beside Orochimaru.
"Damn it!" Orochimaru's face twisted in shock as the enemy's blade came slashing down. His hands slapped the ground at lightning speed.
"Summoning Technique: Triple Rashōmon!"
Boom—
Boom—
Boom—
Three colossal gates of Rashōmon materialized in an instant, stacking before him like a fortress wall.
Yet in the very next breath, they were shattered to pieces, and Orochimaru was blown back violently with the debris.
"Damn…" He forced himself to his feet, only to realize that the enemy hadn't even bothered to pursue him. Kitagawa had disappeared again—gone without even acknowledging his existence.
A bitter taste filled Orochimaru's mouth. For a moment, relief washed over him, but it was swiftly replaced by burning humiliation.
This… this was utter contempt.
A cold indifference so sharp it cut deeper than any blade.
He couldn't even recall the last time someone had dismissed him so completely.
Buzz—
Before he could dwell on it further, another violent tremor erupted. From the smoke and rubble, Obito tumbled out, rolling across the ground before barely managing to regain his footing.
Half of his mask was shattered, his eyes burning with fury—and something else: desperation.
"Hurry and think of something! That bastard's locked onto Zetsu!" he shouted at Orochimaru, his voice raw with urgency.
Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. "Do you have a way to get us out of here?"
"I can. But we'll need to stall him—just for a moment!" Obito snapped, clenching his fists. "If we buy even a little time, I can pull us all away!"
Orochimaru didn't answer right away. His golden eyes gleamed, weighing options.
He wanted to escape. But the resources Black Zetsu had given him were not something he was willing to throw away so easily.
And that look—that chilling, detached gaze—it gnawed at him.
No. He had to see it for himself.
Just how powerful was this so-called Ōtsutsuki Genshiki?
"There's no need to run," Kitagawa's voice drifted from the ruins, calm yet suffocating. From above, he gazed down upon them, his eyes piercing as though they could strip away all concealment.
"You can't hide. I see you. And your chakra… yes, it remind me of hers. After a thousand years, even a fragment of chakra carries the memory of Kaguya's awakening gaze. But…"
As his words faded, Kitagawa extended his hand ever so slightly. A crushing force surged forth, dragging Black Zetsu out from his hiding place.
At the same time, a strange power spread across Zetsu's body like creeping vines.
Wide-eyed, trembling in disbelief, Black Zetsu heard the words that sealed his despair:
"She stole what was ours… and chose to hide away. Tell me, Black Zetsu—was that really the right choice?"