Chapter 544 - 543: From Now On, This Son Shall Recognize You as His Godfather

Beneath the moon’s rocky layers and ancient ruins lay hidden the final place where ōtsutsuki Kaguya was sealed.

Here, time seemed to stand still, and space was frozen. Only the massive white figure in the center, firmly imprisoned by the power of Yin-Yang Release, bore witness to the sorrow and loneliness of the former "Progenitor of Chakra".

A black vortex opened, revealing a figure.

It was none other than Uzumaki Naruto’s Wood Clone.

The Wood Clone looked around warily. After confirming that he hadn’t triggered any alarms or caused any abnormal reactions in the Seal, his gaze fell upon the giant woman inside the Seal, ōtsutsuki Kaguya.

Seeing Naruto again, Kaguya showed no reaction.

Because she knew that both of her children were paying attention to this place.

The Wood Clone wasted no time, quickly retrieving Black Zetsu from the sealing scroll.

A viscous, pitch-black, asphalt-like substance slowly flowed out of the mouth of the jar, squirming a few times on the ground before gradually condensing into a creature with two tiny bead-like eyes and a look of shock and uncertainty.

It was indeed Black Zetsu, who had been sealed under layers of Kikaichu by Shino Aburame and had fallen into a deep sleep for a long time.

As Black Zetsu was released, a swarm of tiny Kikaichu flew out from the surface of Black Zetsu’s body, burrowing into the Wood Clone’s sleeve like returning to their nest.

This was a backup plan left by Shino; if Black Zetsu tried to escape, the Kikaichu would rush out again to capture him.

Without the continuous suppression of the Kikaichu, Black Zetsu’s consciousness quickly awakened.

Those bead-like eyes blinked, first in confusion, then focusing on the Wood Clone in front of him.

"You... you are the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki, Uzumaki Naruto?"

Black Zetsu’s voice was shrill and distorted, filled with astonishment.

It recognized Naruto’s appearance, but then,

its bead-like eyes suddenly widened, because in this place, it felt a familiar yet terrifying aura that made its Soul tremble!

"Wait, this feeling... is the power of Hagoromo and Hamura? No! Impossible! They are already dead..."

Black Zetsu’s voice carried an undeniable trace of fear.

It had survived for over a thousand years and was all too familiar with the aura of the Six Paths Sage brothers’ power.

Ordinary Ninjas, even Kage-level experts, had no good way to deal with a Yin-Yang Release creation like him, which had no fixed form and possessed a unique consciousness.

But Hagoromo and Hamura were different!

They were direct descendants of Kaguya’s Bloodline, the ones who had sealed Kaguya. Their power, especially that involving Yin-Yang Release and Sealing Jutsu, was naturally a powerful counter to Black Zetsu!

If Naruto had truly mastered power of that level, or had brought him to the place where his two brothers had left their backup plans, then he, Black Zetsu, would probably be completely finished today!

Just as Black Zetsu was in a state of utter panic, thinking about how to escape or beg for mercy, an ethereal voice echoed softly, directly resounding within this Sealing Space:

"You have come again...

And you brought Black Zetsu?"

It was Kaguya.

Kaguya, who was sealed, had actually taken the initiative to speak again.

Her voice remained calm and waveless, betraying no emotion, but the slight emotional fluctuation contained within showed that she was not entirely indifferent.

"Mo... Mother?! Is that you? Mother!"

Black Zetsu’s body shook violently, like a slime jumping up and landing.

Those bead-like eyes instantly abandoned Naruto’s Wood Clone and stared intently toward Kaguya in the center of the Seal. His voice trembled violently due to extreme excitement and disbelief, even carrying a hint of sobbing.

A thousand years of waiting, a thousand years of planning, a thousand years of loneliness... Finally, he heard his mother’s voice once more!

Although she was sealed, his mother indeed still "existed"!

He had always thought his mother’s physical form had dissipated, leaving only himself.

When Kaguya was to be "resurrected", Black Zetsu, formed by Kaguya’s will and a small portion of her flesh imbued with Yin-Yang Release, would serve as the anchor for her resurrection.

Black Zetsu had not expected that his mother was not dead!

"Alright, cut the chatter."

Naruto’s Wood Clone interrupted this touching scene of "mother-son reunion." He patted Black Zetsu’s viscous body, making a soft "splat" sound.

"I went to great lengths this time to barely mask my own aura and temporarily fool Hagoromo’s perception of this place. Time is limited, so keep it short."

The Wood Clone’s tone was serious and direct.

At this moment, he was indeed not on the moon but in the Kamui Dimension, merely using special means to briefly mask the risk of the Wood Clone’s contact with Kaguya being sensed by the Six Paths Sage.

But this obviously could not be maintained for long.

Therefore, after warning Black Zetsu, the Wood Clone returned to the Kamui Dimension.

He looked at Black Zetsu, who was highly emotional and almost throwing himself at Kaguya’s Seal, and asked the most crucial question:

"Black Zetsu, do you have a way to break this Seal for Kaguya... for your mother?"

Naruto’s gaze locked tightly onto Black Zetsu, not missing a single trace of its reaction.

He needed to confirm whether Black Zetsu, this creation of Kaguya’s will, truly possessed a backup plan or method to undo the Seal that even the Six Paths Sage did not know about.

Hearing this question, Black Zetsu’s bead-like eyes snapped toward Naruto, filled with extreme shock, wild joy, and wariness.

It sized Naruto up, seemingly trying to judge the truthfulness and intent behind his words.

After a few seconds of silence, perhaps because his mother’s nearby voice gave him courage, or perhaps because his thousand-year obsession overrode everything, Black Zetsu’s voice became exceptionally excited and urgent, even carrying a strange, oath-like tone:

"You... you really want to help me release Mother?

Is that true?

If you are truly willing, then you are my, Black Zetsu’s, benefactor—my godfather!

From now on, this son shall follow his godfather, going through fire and water, never hesitating!"

To rescue his mother, Black Zetsu instantly threw away all his integrity, recognizing a father without the slightest hesitation. The sincerity of his tone and the determination of his attitude were truly breathtaking.

Wood Clone: "..."

Who would dare to have an adopted son like Black Zetsu?

In the original work, when he talked about ’baring his heart’ to Uchiha Madara, he literally ripped the man’s heart out.

Even with Naruto’s vast experience, he was choked up by Black Zetsu’s bottomless, instant father-recognizing move.

However, he had no time to complain about Black Zetsu’s ’filial piety’ and ’loyalty’ right now; he was more concerned with the actual possibilities.

When it came to Kaguya, Black Zetsu was such a filial son that he could turn the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars into twenty-five.

In other matters, Black Zetsu was like a Lü Bu with not much martial strength; anyone who became his godfather wouldn’t even know how they died.

"Cut the crap, get to the point."

The Wood Clone’s tone remained unchanged. "Do you have a way or not? How exactly do we do it? What are the requirements?"

Within the Sealing Space, Kaguya still floated quietly, her long white hair drifting without any wind, and there was also expectation in her eyes.

Black Zetsu was so excited that his entire "body" was trembling. His bead-like eyes stared fixedly at Naruto as he began to rapidly explain his crazy and complex plan, one that had been plotted for a thousand years and was perhaps the only way to rescue Kaguya...

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