Chapter 309 – Black Zetsu: "Fake! It's All Fake!"
The Sage of Six Paths had finally snapped.
He had never—never—felt such overwhelming malice from the entire world.
Did he do all this?
He did not!
At least… he was pretty sure he didn't?
Sure, he had doubted himself sometimes, wondered if perhaps he had been too extreme all those centuries ago.
But after much reflection, he concluded:
No.
This must be a misunderstanding.
He was not that kind of monster.
He thought only a few people held such a twisted version of events.
He could ignore that.
But today…
Indra's reincarnation—Madara himself—had gone on a public rant in front of basically the entire shinobi world, loudly declaring Hagoromo a cosmic war criminal.
Anyone would lose it!
"DAMN IT! I'M NOT LIKE THAT! I DIDN'T DO ANY OF THAT!"
Hagoromo screamed, voice cracking.
Hamura's eyelid twitched.
His lips trembled, struggling not to laugh.
Because even he… was starting to doubt his brother.
But—
"A-Alright, big brother… objectively speaking, what they're saying… does kind of make sense…"
Hamura tried to keep a "professional" face, but when Hagoromo's eyes turned glacial, he shut his mouth instantly.
"AHEM—
What I mean is… everything looks… very unreasonable!"
"Yes, yes, of course."
Hamura nodded awkwardly, then looked toward the mortal realm.
"So… what do we do now?"
What indeed?
Hagoromo opened his mouth, mind blank—
But before he could think, a new disturbance erupted below.
"Looks like… all my guesses were correct."
Tobirama's voice cut across the silent battlefield.
Everyone turned to him.
Arms folded, expression calm, he continued:
"Brutal as it sounds, making sacrifices for the survival of the entire world isn't that hard to understand."
Hagoromo inhaled sharply.
Here we go again.
The crowd murmured. Tobirama pressed on:
"As leaders, even we Kage sometimes must make painful choices for our villages."
"Tch. Annoying as you are, you're right."
Second Mizukage snorted, shooting a glance at the Second Tsuchikage.
"Zombie, when we fought, it was to strengthen our villages, wasn't it?"
"Hmph. True."
The Second Tsuchikage crossed his arms.
"A village hits its limits. It must break them. Expand. Take resources.
War becomes inevitable—even if people die."
"And even a small chance at success is enough reason to spill blood."
Hanzo stepped forward.
Then he glanced at Nagato.
"And sometimes, sacrifices are necessary so a village can prosper."
Nagato's fists shook.
He knew exactly what Hanzo was implying—
and it hurt.
Obito was no better.
His entire worldview was collapsing.
Everything he suffered…
everything he blamed on the world…
Was all part of the Sage's "grand plan"?
"And I suspect even the Pure Land was created by the Sage."
Another bomb dropped.
"Maybe out of guilt for causing a thousand years of war.
A place where souls can rest after suffering…
Or maybe for another purpose."
Hagoromo: "…"
Kitagawa Gen: "…"
"Fight even after death?"
Madara finally understood what Tobirama was hinting at.
"Indeed. Souls preserved after death—able to rest, yet able to be mobilized as warriors if needed.
Truly worthy of the Sage."
Hagoromo: "…"
How am I responsible for this too?!
Edo Tensei shinobi stared at each other.
And honestly?
It did sound plausible.
"Ahem—
Aren't you all overthinking this?"
Gen finally stepped in.
If this kept up, the Sage was going to be renamed:
"Six-Pots Sage"—
the man who cooked every soul in the world.
Even "Almighty Pull" wouldn't save him from this PR disaster.
"Maybe the truth isn't that complicated—"
"No."
Madara interrupted, eyes sharp.
"It only seems complicated because you are human—
with human emotions and limitations."
"But the Sage is a god."
Madara gestured at the battlefield.
"A god's perspective is different.
If destroying millions is necessary to preserve the world,
then any action he takes is justified."
"…"
Hagoromo's soul trembled.
---
Meanwhile, In the Invisible Realm…
Hamura stared silently.
Hagoromo shook, fists clenched, teeth grinding.
He whispered:
"…I swear on everything—I'm innocent…"
But nobody could hear him.
Except Hamura.
Who wisely kept his mouth shut.
Gen fell silent.
Especially when he saw Tobirama nodding seriously beside him—
He nearly lost it.
Divinity vs Humanity?
So now they were just… stripping the Sage of Six Paths of his human side entirely?
If anyone was purely "divine" and lacked human emotion—
Wasn't that Kaguya Ōtsutsuki?
And her grand ambition was to hang everyone's ancestors on a God Tree like Christmas ornaments.
They were slandering him to his face.
But looking around at the shinobi—
They all seemed to have accepted the story completely.
His expression twisted in pain.
Everything in the ninja world…
all the wars…
all the suffering…
Was all his fault?
A thousand years of tragedy…
engineered by him?
And all because he "had no humanity left"?
"THIS IS A SMEAR CAMPAIGN! A COMPLETE FABRICATION!"
…
Hamura stayed silent.
Now was not the time to talk.
He could feel it—
his big brother was three seconds away from going nuclear.
The last time he saw Hagoromo this angry…
was a thousand years ago.
---
"Alright, enough."
Gen rubbed his temples.
If this continued, Hagoromo was going to have an aneurysm.
"Let's look at the rest of what's on the bookmark.
Whether the Sage was good or evil… we aren't qualified to judge."
"Indeed… he was a great man—
but also terribly cold and ruthless."
Hashirama sighed.
Which only proved one thing—
He believed it all completely.
Hagoromo's soul silently screamed.
Madara continued:
"Now for the simpler part."
His gaze fell heavily on the Hyūga clan.
"Hmph. The Hyūga exist for a reason.
The Sage's younger brother didn't want Hagoromo to shoulder everything alone."
"So he made preparations—
which likely includes sending the Hyūga clan down from the moon…
and—"
He paused deliberately.
Every Hyūga member's eyes widened.
They really were from the moon?!
Their ancestor really sent them here?!
They should've felt honored—but instead only felt confused.
"Can we… fight Ōtsutsuki?"
Hiashi muttered bitterly.
They were confident, but not delusional.
Their current abilities…
were nowhere near "fight aliens" level.
Had their ancestors lost something on the way down?
Why didn't they even know they had an ancestral relic?
But Madara wasn't finished.
"And the Sage's brother arranged for someone special to descend as well—
along with a prophecy."
Madara slowly turned toward Gen.
"When natural energy fills the world,
and the white-eyed youth bearing the trait of evolution appears…
the world may yet be saved."
!!!
Instantly, every gaze locked onto Gen.
This wasn't a prophecy.
This was an outright announcement.
Most shinobi weren't surprised—
Gen already looked like a savior, given his absurd strength.
But the Hyūga clan… reacted differently.
"P-Predecessor Gen… he's—!"
Hinata whispered, stunned.
Neji trembled with joy.
"So Senpai shares our lineage?!"
"THE FIFTH HOKAGE?!"
Hyūga clansmen erupted in shock.
Their excitement swelled.
Gen's power and status were well-known—
to have such a man tied to their ancestral prophecy…
It was glorious.
Hiashi murmured:
"So the key bloodline… drifted outside our clan?
Something must have gone horribly wrong in the past…"
He already started planning how to reforge that lost connection.
"Tsk. Jiraiya—that is a real Child of Prophecy."
Tsunade teased.
Jiraiya's face froze.
He stared at Gen, conflicted.
"Could he be… the one I've been searching for all these years…?"
"Yes. Kitagawa Gen—
you inherited the Sage's brother's power.
No wonder Ōtsutsuki Isshiki called you 'the Evolver.'"
Madara flipped the relic again.
"And lastly… the Sage left one final message.
Strangely, it connects to the Uchiha."
Everyone perked up—
especially Obito.
No one noticed Black Zetsu turning purple with rage.
"It's over…
It's all over…"
He trembled.
He had no issue with his "big brother" being slandered—
saving the world required sacrifice.
But what he realized now…
The rewritten records…
the hidden truths…
He suddenly understood:
Everything he had done
for a thousand years
was secretly part of Hagoromo's plan.
He had been so proud—
thinking he fooled everyone…
He thought he was avenging himself,
tormenting Indra and Asura's descendants,
dragging the shinobi world into chaos—
But now?
He was nothing but a clown.
A pathetic pawn dancing for the Sage's amusement.
And Hagoromo—
high above the world—
watched him struggle with cold indifference.
Then Madara read the next line:
"Behind the Eye of the Moon… lies a great secret.
At a moment of crisis,
the Eye of the Moon may be able to save mankind."
Madara frowned.
Obito's eyes lit up.
Everyone else was puzzled.
But Black Zetsu—
completely broke.
"NO!!
IMPOSSIBLE!!"
Everyone turned toward him.
"It's all FALSE!
LIES! ALL OF IT!"
He howled.
"Don't believe a single word!
IT'S ALL FAKE!"
Hagoromo…
you venomous monster!
Even after winning—
you still wanted to erase Mother?!
To make her fuel for Isshiki's ascension?!
---
Meanwhile in the Hidden Realm
"—Oh no."
Hagoromo and Hamura watched in horror.
Hamura swallowed.
"Brother…
d-did you actually…?"
Hagoromo:
"…"
Hamura:
"…Could it be true?"
Hagoromo:
"…Maybe the world really SHOULD be destroyed."