Chapter 324 — The Entire Shinobi World Protects the Kindest Kaguya
While Ōtsutsuki Genshiki explained the true history of this world to Uchiha Madara, the Sage of Six Paths—though visibly embarrassed—also began clarifying his side of the story.
"So, putting all that in simple, human language…"
Naruto crossed his arms, face scrunched in concentration as he tried to translate Hagoromo's ancient, alien phrasing into something normal people could understand.
"You guys were actually Ōtsutsuki too.
Your mom betrayed the clan, got scared they'd come kill her,
so she tried to turn everyone on the planet into her soldiers."
"And you two stopped her," Sasuke continued, expression weirded out yet curious.
"Then sealed her… to prevent her from destroying the world.
Is that correct?"
"…More or less."
Hagoromo nodded stiffly, his face frozen.
This was not how he'd hoped things would go.
Especially when the entire Allied Shinobi Forces stared at him with fear, awe, and deep suspicion—
as if he really were the mastermind behind all calamities.
His scalp tingled.
This was not the reception he imagined after a thousand years.
"…I sincerely apologize for causing all this trouble."
He sighed, then added quietly:
"But Mother's fears did come true.
The Ōtsutsuki have arrived.
You've all felt it—their presence is catastrophic for this world."
Everyone turned instinctively toward the battlefield.
On one side, Gen fought three Ōtsutsuki reincarnations at once.
On the other—Ōtsutsuki Genshiki toyed with Madara like a cat with a crippled mouse.
The scale of destruction had long surpassed human comprehension.
Even Gamamaru, the Great Toad Sage, could only shake his head.
"So, old man," Naruto asked, "what do you plan to do now?"
He didn't sense any malice from Hagoromo.
In fact, he felt strangely close to him—and Sasuke felt the same.
Even Hashirama watched Hagoromo with a slightly awkward mix of respect and confusion.
"Are you going to fight alongside us?"
Hagoromo choked.
After a long moment, he forced a bitter smile.
"…I'm afraid I cannot."
"WHAT?!"
The entire Allied Forces exploded in shock.
If even the Sage of Six Paths couldn't fight them—
What were they supposed to do?
"So what was the point of you showing up!?"
But Hagoromo continued calmly:
"Do not fear.
I made preparations long ago."
Everyone perked up at once.
But—
"Why not wait until after the battle to talk about it?" Sasuke frowned.
"Yeah! We're running out of time here!" Naruto added.
"I—"
Before Hagoromo could explain, the ground suddenly rippled.
A black figure burst upward.
"Because he wants Mother to be freed!"
Black Zetsu's furious roar cut across the battlefield.
Everyone turned, stunned.
The Sage of Six Paths they all feared—even resented—was right in front of them.
No one dared speak out of line.
But this black creature…
They all knew it.
The Akatsuki members immediately whispered among themselves:
"Isn't that the thing always stuck to Obito?"
"Is he crazy? He's mouthing off to the Six Paths Sage?"
"Is he trying to get us all killed?!"
Black Zetsu ignored them all and glared directly at Hagoromo.
"Hagoromo!
Don't you dare pretend you don't know who I am!
Don't you dare pretend you don't know why I exist!"
Hagoromo winced.
He was terrible at lying.
After a stiff pause… he nodded.
"You… are Mother's will made manifest.
And also… my younger brother."
"YOUNGER—BROTHER?!"
Naruto and Sasuke's eyes bulged.
That creepy mass of tar stuck to Obito was—
the Sage's sibling?!
The Akatsuki members nearly fainted.
Obito's sidekick was the Sage's brother?!
"This world just keeps getting more insane…"
"Wait… he said Mother…"
Suddenly, the Allied Forces realized something horrifying.
If Black Zetsu was Hagoromo's "brother,"
and both were Kaguya's children—
Then the "mother" they spoke of was—
Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
The very villain Hagoromo sealed with his own hands.
Now he was letting her out?!
Everyone instinctively backed away.
"I appreciate your honesty, Hagoromo."
Black Zetsu spoke again, voice cold but steady.
"I admit—we are not on the same side.
And yes, I've done many things over the past thousand years.
For example… Indra and Ashura."
"Indra and Asura?"
Naruto and Sasuke exchanged a look.
Hashirama frowned.
Tobirama narrowed his eyes and instantly cut in:
"What do you mean? What did you do to them?"
"You still don't get it?" Black Zetsu barked.
"I am Mother's will.
My mission is to free her.
To achieve that, I found Indra—whose heart was twisted by the inheritance dispute.
I stoked his hatred for Ashura!"
The Allied Forces froze.
So the ancient feud between Indra and Ashura—
Was not Hagoromo's doing.
It was Black Zetsu.
Black Zetsu continued:
"It was I who ignited their conflict.
I who pursued their reincarnations.
I who ensured their descendants would continue the war.
For a thousand years—
I am the one who prolonged all conflict in this world!"
Total silence.
Everyone—from Kage to ordinary ninja—stood stunned.
This little black creature…
had shaped the entire world for a millennium?
Hashirama swallowed.
"This is… impossible…"
Tobirama, however, focused sharply.
"Reincarnation.
Explain."
Black Zetsu smirked.
"Simple.
Indra and Asura's hatred had reached its peak.
Even after death, their chakras lived on—
carrying their wills into new bodies.
And the reincarnations this era are…"
His gaze swept to three individuals:
Uzumaki Naruto.
Uchiha Sasuke.
...And Uchiha Madara.
All three felt something stir inside them.
The vague silhouettes that once hovered behind their chakra—
Now became startlingly clear.
Black Zetsu added coldly:
"Not just them.
Madara as well.
Black Zetsu spoke in a low, almost numb voice—then shook his head, pain flickering across his expression.
"And as for why everything went so smoothly…
Ask my dear big brother."
His voice cracked with bitterness.
"I always wondered: Why did every plan succeed?
Why did every scheme unfold perfectly?"
"Now I understand.
Because he allowed it.
Because he supported it.
Everything I achieved—
I only achieved because he permitted it."
"If it weren't for him, how could I have manipulated Indra and Asura?
How could I have shaped a thousand years of history?"
"I wasn't the mastermind."
Black Zetsu let out a hollow laugh.
"I was just his pawn."
For the first time, even he felt an indescribable humiliation.
He—who once treated the entire world as pieces on a board—
Now realized he had been the true pawn all along.
His words ricocheted across the battlefield, shaking the entire Allied Shinobi Forces.
If the Sage of Six Paths had merely failed to act, that would've been terrible enough.
But for him to silently permit someone to fan hatred, manipulate reincarnations, and prolong war—
To use his own brother, his own sons as tools—
To plan reincarnations generation after generation—
This…
This Sage of Six Paths seemed far more terrifying than legend ever described.
"…"
Hagoromo's face darkened.
For a moment, he genuinely wanted to strangle this so-called "brother."
He had other brothers—why couldn't this one have stayed sealed?
"You must not keep spouting—"
Hagoromo finally tried to speak, but Black Zetsu cut him off again:
"The Hyūga clan's 'Relic' already proved everything!
Isn't that your handwriting?!"
"I—"
"And Moon's Eye Plan—
You knew exactly what it meant!
You knew what Infinite Tsukuyomi would do!"
"You—"
"That technique was meant to release Mother!
You let me act freely because it all served your purpose, didn't you?!"
Black Zetsu's voice trembled.
Then, with a desperate shout:
"But she's still our mother, Hagoromo!
How could you do this to her?!"
"…"
"You've already won—
Just let her go!"
"…"
"You forged a thousand years of war.
You tempered Indra and Ashura.
You even created the Pure Land, capable of summoning countless dead warriors!"
"…"
"Is that still not enough?
Must Mother face Genshiki head-on?
Do you not know what that monster would do to her?!"
"…"
"Do you really want Mother to die—
To become just another corpse on his 'Path to Godhood'?!"
"…"
"I admit it—I lost!
Everything I did failed!
Everything I believed in was manipulated by you!
But if punishment must fall—
Let it fall on me!
Please… just spare Mother!"
His cries tore through the battlefield like thunder.
Every ninja who heard him felt their hearts clench.
Their gazes shifted—first toward Black Zetsu, then toward Hagoromo.
This Sage… This so-called god…
Had used his own mother? His own children? His own brother?
Even if it was "for the world,"
Was this not too cruel?
"Is this what gods are like…?" someone whispered.
Hagoromo stood frozen, speechless.
This—
This was madness.
His "mother" was already fine—already reunited with Ōtsutsuki Gen.
They had long since met and even become allies.
How had things spiraled into this absurd misunderstanding?!
"Old man… this doesn't seem right."
Naruto finally spoke, cautious and hesitant.
"And isn't the shinobi world supposed to rely on us, not on this kind of plan…?"
"…He's right."
Sasuke nodded despite his nerves, his gaze cold and wary.
"We're strong enough to fight for our own world now.
We don't need this kind of 'method.'"
"Exactly! We can handle it!"
"Yeah, and we have the Pure Land too.
Worst case, we summon every past warrior to fight!"
"Even if it's reckless… we'd rather rely on ourselves!"
The Allied Shinobi Forces began voicing their thoughts—fearful, yet defiant.
Using the dead endlessly…
Letting one family manipulate the world for millennia…
No one wanted that.
They wanted to protect their own world.
——
Suddenly—
WHOOOOM!
A colossal wave of chakra surged from afar, staining the night sky a blood-red hue.
The full moon twisted—
Morphing into a pair of crimson Rinnegan.
A sinister power erupted across the land.
"Damn it—Infinite Tsukuyomi has begun!"
Black Zetsu screamed.
If nothing stopped it—
Kaguya would be revived.
"Great Sage."
Tobirama took a deep breath, stepped forward, and bowed—
shocking everyone.
Even Hashirama blinked, stunned that his little brother bowed this deeply.
"I admire much of your work.
But Genshiki will only grow stronger.
You said you have other methods—
so please… now is the time."
"..."
Hagoromo stared at him.
This bastard…
This polite little bastard…
Was the very reason he got trapped in this impossible situation!
Before Hagoromo could even answer—
BOOM!
A violent explosion of chakra erupted from another direction.
Three distinct, overwhelming Ōtsutsuki auras burst forth—
The remaining clan members were emerging.
Hagoromo exhaled slowly.
"…I understand."
His expression turned solemn, heavy with exhaustion.
"Then I entrust Mother…
to all of you."
"Protect her."