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JST Chapter 345: Thanks for the Betrayal, Kaguya
🕑 Added 2025-06-16 16:36:40 +0000 UTCAt such close proximity, Kaguya could feel Kazuki’s chakra—its icy chill seeped through her entire body. Within his chakra, she sensed an au
At such close proximity, Kaguya could feel Kazuki’s chakra—its icy chill seeped through her entire body.
Within his chakra, she sensed an aura similar to Isshiki’s, Urashiki’s, and Momoshiki’s…
But not quite the same.
That’s right!
Kazuki’s dōjutsu—when someone feels a strong emotion toward him, he can replicate their techniques or even their bloodline abilities.
Kaguya recalled the moment he used Isshiki’s Sukunahikona, and when he absorbed the combined technique of Urashiki and Momoshiki.
Looking back now, it had likely happened without a sound or ripple—
Kazuki had locked onto Isshiki and the others long before she ever noticed.
And that terrified her.
Kaguya had always been something of an outlier among the Ōtsutsuki.
By nature, she wasn’t as aggressive or obsessed with becoming the strongest.
But the rest of her clan wasn’t like that.
The Ōtsutsuki bloodline naturally drove its bearers to pursue power, often at the cost of everything else—including emotional insight.
Isshiki was a textbook example.
The only thing that man ever thought about was planting God Trees across the cosmos, devouring world after world, evolving himself to ascend toward godhood.
Momoshiki and Urashiki weren’t as unshakable in their convictions as Isshiki, but at their core, they were the same.
You could say… that every Ōtsutsuki was born with this exact kind of mindset.
And now, Kazuki—who had inherited multiple Ōtsutsuki bloodlines—was, in Kaguya’s eyes, beginning to transform into a newborn Ōtsutsuki.
The emotions of his former human self were already starting to erode.
He had begun to think like a cold, unfeeling machine, focused solely on the pursuit of power.
Yes… that’s exactly what’s happening!
The Kazuki I once knew would never have taken such an extreme stance—he would never have spoken so bluntly about destroying the shinobi world.
Back when he patiently taught me, someone completely ignorant of combat, he would have done everything he could to help other ninja grow stronger…
He never would have dismissed the shinobi world as a burden.
Kaguya murmured to herself within the depths of her mind: 'Kazuki is becoming a new Ōtsutsuki…!'
The realization made it hard for her to breathe.
So many times before, she had thought—if only Kazuki wasn’t so softhearted.
Sure, that gentleness made him trustworthy,
but hadn’t it also held him back?
He could have had a much brighter future… if he’d only learned to let go of the burdens he carried.
But Kaguya had never imagined that his heart would shift so far—that he would become as extreme as a traditional Ōtsutsuki.
And with his personality…
His battle instincts…
And the cunning he’d sharpened through years of experience in the shinobi world…
If Kazuki truly began to pursue the same path as Isshiki…
Then the consequences would be terrifying.
At the very least—
For someone like her, who had betrayed Kazuki…
There would be absolutely no chance of survival.
Along with the entire shinobi world—everything would be completely destroyed.
In Kaguya’s eyes, Kazuki was still in a transitional phase, only beginning to shift toward becoming a true Ōtsutsuki.
That was likely the only reason he had left the people of this world with one final escape: the option to retreat into a separate dimension and live out their days in peace.
But give it more time—
Once the many layers of Ōtsutsuki blood within Kazuki began to fully awaken…
It would all be over.
The shinobi world, all its inhabitants, even Kaguya herself—residing within Kazuki—would become nothing more than stepping stones in his ascent to godhood.
'Isshiki, Urashiki, Momoshiki, Kinshiki… and me.'
'If Kazuki has obtained all five bloodlines through his dōjutsu, I can’t even begin to imagine how terrifying the purity of his lineage would be—or how extreme his thinking might become.'
As if responding to her very thoughts, Kazuki’s fingers—still gripping Kaguya’s chin—slid down to press against her throat.
His touch was like a blade.
And it carried with it an immense suction force, drawing out her chakra and lifeforce with such speed and intensity that she began to feel suffocated.
“…Why aren’t you speaking?”
Kazuki stared coldly at her struggling face.
“Talk. Tell me—did you lie to me?”
But inside, Kazuki silently shook his head.
Heh. Gotta admit… this woman’s got more backbone than I thought.
Even with him fully leaning into this ‘domineering tyrant’ act, it still hadn’t broken her down completely.
She refused to give in, even now.
Not bad. She really is an Ōtsutsuki.
Even a naive, sweet-looking one like Kaguya still has some serious resistance in her blood…
Kazuki suddenly withdrew his hand.
“Kaguya… you betrayed me. And the Sage of Six Paths betrayed you. So tell me—do you think there are truly two people in this world who could go their entire lives without ever betraying each other?”
He returned the chakra and lifeforce he’d taken, and for the first time, there was a trace of genuine confusion in his voice.
“I’m starting to think… that maybe the way I’ve lived my life, the way I’ve thought about everything—it’s all been wrong.”
“This world is steeped in betrayal. Everyone only lives for themselves. Even the lives we create will eventually turn on us. So maybe… the only way forward is to keep growing stronger—strong enough that you no longer need anyone, and no one can stand against you.”
Kaguya listened in silence.
His fingers were no longer at her throat.
But now, the suffocation she felt was even worse.
What she was hearing… was pure, unfiltered Ōtsutsuki thinking.
The kind that had been etched into their very blood.
She broke into a cold sweat.
This—this was the effect of her betrayal.
Because of it, Kazuki had begun to loosen the inner resolve he once clung to.
And now, the Ōtsutsuki bloodline was slowly spreading its influence within him.
If this continued…
It wouldn’t be long before Kazuki fully became a newborn Ōtsutsuki.
And now, Ōtsutsuki Kazuki—
He was no longer the Uchiha Kazuki that Kaguya once knew.
The warmth in his smile that had once comforted her… was gone for good.
“No, Kazuki! This world isn’t filled with only betrayal!”
Kaguya mustered all her courage and cried out, “There are bonds—strong, unbreakable bonds—that live in the hearts of people!”
“If you’re willing to forgive me… I swear, I will never betray you again!”
But Kazuki shook his head.
“You’ve only ever experienced betrayal,” he replied coldly.
“And yet here you are, making grand declarations…”
“You can’t even give me a single real example to prove it.”
And in that moment—
Kaguya felt as if lightning had shot through her mind.
There was someone.
Someone who could prove that unshakable loyalty did exist.
Black Zetsu.
Her third child—who had toiled for a thousand years, never asking for anything in return.
Utterly devoted to her.
When Kaguya first laid eyes on Uchiha Obito, she’d instantly realized it was Black Zetsu’s doing.
Even Obito’s absorption of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path had been orchestrated by Black Zetsu… a testament to its unwavering loyalty.
“Kazuki, I can prove it!”
She clung to this thought like a drowning woman grasping at a straw.
“Zetsu—he’s loyal to me! A loyalty that’s withstood the test of a thousand years!”
Kazuki’s brows furrowed slightly.
“Zetsu? Who’s that?”
But deep down—
This was exactly the answer Kazuki had been waiting for.
At that very moment…
Far away, hidden in the shadows as he eavesdropped on the ongoing debate between Senju Tobirama, the Sage of Six Paths, and the others—
Black Zetsu suddenly heard the voice he feared most echo within his mind: “My foolish little brother…”
Black Zetsu’s entire body trembled. Inside the spiritual realm, he stared, trembling all over, at Kazuki—who had somehow appeared out of nowhere—and screamed in hysteria, “Y-You—how are you even here?!”
“Stop calling me your foolish little brother! Tell me—what did you do to Obito? What about Kaguya?!”
Now that everything was already decided and there was no turning back, Black Zetsu still feared Kazuki—but unlike when there was still a chance of flipping the situation…
At this point, Black Zetsu had a kind of 'might as well crash and burn' attitude. He no longer bothered to conceal his emotions.
He had lost. He realized he truly couldn’t outplay Kazuki.
“How did I appear here?”
Kazuki repeated the question mockingly and shook his head with a smile. “You really are a foolish little brother… Have you already forgotten? If I hadn’t stepped in and frozen Isshiki, and poured my ocular power and chakra into Uchiha Obito…”
“You and he would’ve already been devoured by Isshiki.”
“And this is how you speak to your savior?” Kazuki added, regretfully. “When a child goes astray, it’s the parent’s fault. Since you don’t have one, I’ll put the blame on Kaguya.”
Black Zetsu’s breath caught.
Just as he’d feared… every time Kazuki appeared before him, the outcome had already been sealed.
Kaguya, as always, was utterly useless—clearly crushed by Kazuki. There was no hope in counting on her.
Black Zetsu thought back to the battlefield. At one point, he’d even mistaken it for a victory for Kaguya—and now, he could only sweat in shame at his own stupidity.
In that instant, something seemed to click in Black Zetsu’s mind—
“You… you didn’t seize control of your body in the midst of Kaguya’s fight against the other two Ōtsutsuki! You had already taken her power beforehand, hadn’t you?!”
Clutching his head, he stared dead at Kazuki, whose face still wore a gentle smile. “You pretended to have been possessed by Kaguya just to manipulate the emotions of all the strong players on the field. Your damned dōjutsu had already locked onto them, hadn’t it?!”
“Yes… that’s right. If you had come out and immediately killed the two Ōtsutsuki, the shock would’ve been too bland. But instead, Kaguya—inside your body—was beaten down by Momoshiki and Urashiki. And then you used her power to defeat them easily. That created a perfect contrast…”
As he spoke, Black Zetsu’s expression continued to unravel, growing more and more distorted. “What exactly are you trying to do?! Has your dōjutsu not yet sucked dry every last bit of mental power from the shinobi world?! How long do you plan to torment everyone—and Kaguya too?!”
"You’re already strong enough! There’s no one left in this world who can be your enemy—Uchiha Kazuki!!"
Black Zetsu roared with fury. After unloading his emotions, he gasped heavily, as if every bit of strength had been drained from his body.
It had been a long time since he expressed himself like this...
Or rather, ever since the moment Kaguya created him, Black Zetsu had spent a thousand years in the shinobi world living behind a mask—diligently playing the role of a backstage manipulator without a self.
Until he encountered Uchiha Obito and Kazuki.
Only then did Black Zetsu begin to grasp complex emotions—Obito brought him the positive ones, and Kazuki… brought the negative.
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Zero Speed
The grand game enters the final stretch
