Chapter 339: Black Zetsu's Hidden Move
Naruto's finger was broken. It hurt, sure, but his recovery speed was astonishing.
After rolling around on the ground for a while, and with the Nine-Tails reminding him, Naruto snapped his finger back into place. Before long, it had completely healed.
In the events of 'Boruto', Naruto was once run through by Uchiha Shin using Sasuke's Kusanagi sword, yet he pulled it out like it was nothing and recovered almost instantly.
His current healing ability might not be quite at that level yet, but it wasn't far off, especially for something as minor as a broken finger.
Once he had recovered, Naruto sat on the ground and suddenly thought of something.
Why?
Why would a perfectly normal person not have a butt?
The question didn't trouble him for long, he quickly arrived at an answer.
Earlier, Shiromo had explained that Sasori was Granny Chiyo's grandson.
Kakashi-sensei's father, Konoha's White Fang, had once used the Thousand Years of Death to brutally kill Chiyo's son and daughter-in-law, Sasori's parents.
After learning how his parents died, Sasori, in order to take revenge and counter the White Fang's Thousand Years of Death, had…
Gotten rid of his butt.
Without one, naturally, there was nothing to fear from that technique.
"I'm sorry!!!"
Thinking this, Naruto felt a sudden wave of empathy. He stood up and shouted toward Sasori, who had already walked some distance away.
"Hm?"
Sasori turned his head slightly at the sound.
Sorry? For what?
For tricking him with that fake surrender just now?
How strange.
Not bothering to dwell on it, Sasori turned back and continued walking.
Naruto quickly felt around in his back pocket, then hurried after him.
"I… I can understand your pain, but I still hope the chain of hatred can come to an end."
Naruto ran ahead of Sasori and spoke with a serious expression.
What is this guy talking about?
Sasori tilted his head, completely confused.
"I won't try to bring Kakashi-sensei back anymore. The fact that you didn't kill him already shows a huge concession on your part."
"Even if you made the whole village line up to 'experience' Kakashi-sensei, it still wouldn't be too much. And yet, you even chose to go the proper route and marry him."
This speech wasn't entirely Naruto's own wording. He had told his thoughts to the Nine-Tails, who then organized them into proper phrasing before having Naruto repeat them.
With Naruto's level of education, there was no way he could have said something like this on his own.
"Oh."
Sasori finally understood a little of what Naruto meant.
But only a little.
He still cared about his parents, but as for their deaths and any hatred tied to them, he had long since let go.
At the very least, his parents had died as heroes of the Sunagakure Village.
As for the White Fang?
He had broken Konoha's rules and ultimately died like a coward by taking his own life.
Even if Sasori hadn't turned himself into a human puppet and still retained all his emotions, he would have felt that this outcome was already satisfying enough.
"Um… wait. Could you give this to Kakashi-sensei for me?"
Naruto pulled out several torn pieces of paper from his back pocket, pieced together into something resembling a whole.
"Sure."
Sasori took it without even looking, stuffed it away, confirmed that Naruto was fine, and continued on his way.
What Naruto had handed over was a torn "photograph" he had accidentally found outside the village.
It depicted Utatane Koharu bathing.
Naruto didn't know where it came from, but he recognized the person—she had appeared during Tsunade's inauguration ceremony as Hokage.
Naruto wanted Sasori to deliver it to Kakashi so that he would understand: it wasn't just the Sunagakure Village that had "refined older beauties", Konoha had them too, and they were no less impressive than Granny Chiyo.
Naruto believed that with Kakashi-sensei's strength, if he truly wanted to leave, he could do so on his own. There was no need for a rescue.
In the distance, Shiromo watched the interaction between Naruto and Sasori.
At some point, Black Zetsu emerged silently from the ground nearby, observing as well.
"Why not train them into an army? Relying on just them, can they really stand against the Ōtsutsuki clan?"
Black Zetsu felt that things were still far too casual.
"An army follows orders efficiently, but it also stifles creativity. It's useful for mid- and low-level fighters, but unnecessary for top-tier combatants. Besides, the Ōtsutsuki clan doesn't operate as an army either, they're individuals."
"…With your power, you could become a new god, a second Rabbit Goddess. Why do you choose to interact with them like this?"
"They're weak and foolish. Don't you ever feel anger or frustration?"
Black Zetsu asked another question.
"If you were a god, you wouldn't think that way. At the beginning, your mother Kaguya likely felt joy from the admiration and cheers of her people."
"That's normal. Because she understood that it's only natural for people of the ninja world to be inferior to her."
"It's like children compared to adults. As long as children aren't constantly unruly and refuse to learn, adults will have great patience and tolerance in guiding them."
"Speaking of power, the Ōtsutsuki clan's strength is rooted in destruction. The fruit born from combining it with natural energy brings life and longevity."
"To me, destructive power is easy to understand and obtain. What's truly mysterious and difficult to grasp is creation and life, that is the real 'power of a god.'"
"…"
"By the way, are you really not in a hurry?"
Shiromo suddenly changed the topic.
This question could be directed at either Black Zetsu or Kaguya.
Originally, after the Infinite Tsukuyomi ended and the tailed beasts' power was gathered, Kaguya's revival should have begun.
But Shiromo's plan had delayed it.
Logically, there should have been at least some complaints.
"I'm not in a hurry. Your plan is perfect, and…"
Black Zetsu shook its head. During this time, she hadn't simply been waiting idly for revival.
She had been sealed for too long, she needed to understand the current state of the ninja world.
Starting from Shiromo at the center, then expanding outward to the Akatsuki, the Amegakure Village, the Five Great Nations, and finally the entire world, as well as its history,
There was far too much to learn.
Normally, her pride would have prevented her from actively seeking out such knowledge. But Shiromo's existence had changed that.
At the same time, she had realized that whenever Shiromo came into contact with the Ōtsutsuki's power, he seemed to gain a new kind of strength.
Almost like a natural counter to the Ōtsutsuki, a kind of inverted, human form of an Ōtsutsuki god.
"And what?"
"And I trust you. I've also decided to help you a little."
Black Zetsu extended a hand toward Shiromo.
Was it asking for a handshake?
Shiromo was curious about what Kaguya intended to do.
If she had regained some ability and wanted to absorb chakra, that wouldn't work, Shiromo didn't have chakra for her to take.
Without hesitation, Shiromo reached out and clasped her hand.
"By the way, have you been fading lately? At this rate, in a few days we might have to start calling you 'Gray Zetsu.'"
Shiromo joked, noticing Black Zetsu's color gradually lightening.
"…"
Black Zetsu didn't respond.
The hand she was holding suddenly turned from black to white, as if bleached, pale and lifeless, even showing feminine fingernails.
The whiteness slowly spread, reaching the wrist before abruptly stopping.
Then, Black Zetsu's body collapsed, as if struck by the All-Killing Ash Bones, turning into ash and scattering in the wind.
All that remained was a single pale hand in Shiromo's grasp.
"?"
"I'm not into hands, you know."
(End of this chapter)