Zetsu

**White Zetsu** (白ゼツ, *Shiro Zetsu*) was half of the Akatsuki member **Zetsu** (ゼツ, *Zetsu*), the other being Black Zetsu. He was one of the first victims of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's Infinite Tsukuyomi, and was eventually pulled from the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path by Black Zetsu, and infused with the DNA of Hashirama Senju by Madara Uchiha.

## Zetsu

### Aliases

白ゼツ Shiro ZetsuChatterbox (饒舌, Jōzetsu, English TV: Wagging Tongue)[3] (White Zetsu)黒ゼツ Kuro Zetsu

Wicked Tongue (毒舌, Dokuzetsu)[3](Black Zetsu)

## Appearances

### Portrayed by

Nobuo Tobita Kengo Kawanishi (Child)Travis WillinghamTodd Haberkorn (Child)

## Background

White Zetsu was originally one of the victims of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's Infinite Tsukuyomi, who was transformed after being tethered to the God Tree over the course of years and ultimately stored within the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path. After Madara Uchiha summoned the statue and cultivated Hashirama Senju's DNA into a large flowering tree, Black Zetsu removed White Zetsu and the other victims from inside the husk, leading Madara to believe they were artificial humans created by the statue's chakra and Hashirama's DNA. White Zetsu and other mutated humans were then tasked with intelligence gathering before he and a spiral-patterned Zetsu were entrusted with looking after the rehabilitating Obito Uchiha. Over time, the duo became friends with the young Uchiha.

When Obito's rehabilitation was near completion, White Zetsu returned to the base and informed Obito that Kakashi Hatake and Rin Nohara were being attacked by Kirigakure shinobi. When the spiral-patterned Zetsu offered to help Obito by encasing himself around the young Uchiha in order to enable him to leave the cave, White Zetsu served to guide Obito telepathically with the information he received from other Zetsu stationed outside. When they returned to Madara, White Zetsu assured him that no one had seen them and relayed information on what had happened after the arrival of Konoha reinforcements, noting that Obito didn't kill Kakashi.

When Madara was on the verge of death, he imbued Black Zetsu into White Zetsu's right half, believing the former was a manifestation of his will. Zetsu later accompanied Obito to Amegakure to locate Nagato, who had unknowingly been given Madara's Rinnegan as a child, and watched as Obito introduced himself using Madara's identity.

## Personality

Unlike Black Zetsu, White Zetsu, nicknamed "Chatterbox" (饒舌, *Jōzetsu*), was carefree and playful with a habit of teasing others, traits shared by his clone siblings. In the Japanese version of the manga, White Zetsu used kanji and kana regularly. This was often conveyed in the anime through a higher-pitched voice. While he and Black Zetsu sometimes had differing opinions, the two halves were still able to function as a single entity.

White Zetsu appeared to be extremely trustworthy, obedient and loyal, being entrusted with Akatsuki's secrets and knowledge of Madara's Eye of the Moon Plan, which he believed to be beneficial to mankind. Because of his ties to Madara, White Zetsu worked with Obito for a long time, originally helping him find and convince Nagato to join them. He was shown to be quite friendly to most Akatsuki members, indicated by how he was saddened that so many had died in a conversation about them with Tobi; in the anime, one of his clones freed a captured Deidara, saying he was a fun guy to be around in Akatsuki. Though he annoyed Obito at first, White Zetsu eventually won the boy's friendship. Like Tobi, White Zetsu believed Madara was a good man at heart and saw no harm in helping Obito without Madara's permission.

Zetsu's main role within Akatsuki was to function as a spy, with other duties that were similar to those of a hunter-nin. He was able to control his body and take part in the tailed beast sealing ritual simultaneously, which, in addition to being unique to him, allowed him to act as a lookout while the sealing took place. When an agent of Akatsuki, or possibly even a member, died, Zetsu was sent to devour their bodies so as to not have their secrets revealed, further adding to his nature as a half-plant creature. Zetsu was also the one sent to retrieve the rings of dead Akatsuki members. Due to the role he played, Zetsu was the only member of Akatsuki to act without a partner on a regular basis. He operated on his own, often moving between the different locations where the other Akatsuki members were located. This resulted in other members reporting directly to him, rather than the figurehead leader, Pain. Zetsu would in turn report directly to Pain as well as Obito, the organisation's benefactor and eventual leader.

## Abilities

White Zetsu was described by Obito as not being a "front line fighter" and thus never directly participated in battles. However, by using several supporting abilities, he proved to be of great use for his allies and master.

### Ninjutsu

In addition to functioning as a single entity with Black Zetsu by communicating through thoughts, White Zetsu was able to split his body in two, allowing them to act independently. While separated, the two halves could extend roots underground to communicate with each other over long distances.

He was able to create and remotely communicate with near-identical clones of himself, which could absorb a person's chakra. With his Spore Technique, White Zetsu was able to plant these clones on the bodies of others in the form of spores, which were undetectable even to sensor type and Kage-level shinobi. Once activated, these spores would grow into a white mass which surrounded the individuals they formed on and absorb their chakra while restricting their movements. The clones could also use this stolen chakra to replenish an ally's chakra supply by attaching themselves to him or her. Obito had White Zetsu attach several of these spores to Sasuke Uchiha in order to monitor and even assist him when necessary.

#### Substitute Technique

White Zetsu claimed to have the best transformation technique and was able to freely alter his form and chakra signature. Doing so allowed him to become or create a completely indistinguishable substitute of another individual, even becoming suited with their tools. By manipulating the nature of his chakra, he was also able to emulate techniques of which is known to him. Because White Zetsu was typically weaker than the one he was imitating, he mainly used this technique through his clones to serve as decoys or for infiltration and assassination. Even after suffering tremendous damage, or even death, the technique would not cancel until he chose to release it.

Despite not being suited for prolonged battle, White Zetsu showed considerable skill in emulating the personalities and battle tactics of his target. It was because of this characteristic that the entire Allied Shinobi Forces was forced to be in constant paranoia and sometimes turned on one another. Though with keen analysis, one could exploit his lack of knowledge on certain subjects. Those who could sense negative emotions could also take advantage of his true intentions.

#### Nature Transformation

White Zetsu was capable of utilising all five basic nature transformations along with Yin and Yang Release. Because he was tethered to the flowering tree grown from Hashirama Senju's DNA, White Zetsu's genetic material and chakra was identical to that of the latter's. Like Hashirama, he was able to use Wood Release, albeit on a much weaker scale.

Zetsu's signature technique was Mayfly, which allowed him to merge with the ground to quickly travel to a new location, though not as quickly as Obito's space–time travelling. This technique was ideal for Zetsu's function as a spy, as it erased his presence and prevented him from being sensed.

### Other Skills

Being a mutated human, White Zetsu was able to survive without food or water and did not need to carry out normal human bodily functions. He could, however, quickly devour another individual completely, as he was normally tasked to dispose of dead Akatsuki members or allies that way. Doing so also serves to supplement its own chakra reserves. Befitting his role as a spy, White Zetsu was able to put up a warning system, allowing him to monitor a vast area.

Being almost entirely composed with the cells of Hashirama Senju, White Zetsu had the capacity to heal nearly any wound, even without the use of hand seals. It's because of this that White Zetsu was able to aid his companions by grafting his body parts onto them, should they lose any major portion of their anatomy. Those aided in this way are also gifted White Zetsu's healing capabilities.

## Black Zetsu

**Black Zetsu** (黒ゼツ, *Kuro Zetsu*) is the physical manifestation of Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's will. Having been created to secure its creator's revival, it secretly instigated many events that shaped the shinobi world, during which it posed as Madara Uchiha's manifested will, leading to it being partnered with White Zetsu to become half of the Akatsuki member known simply as **Zetsu** (ゼツ, *Zetsu*).

## Background

Black Zetsu was created by Kaguya shortly before she was sealed as the Ten-Tails by her twin sons, Hagoromo and Hamura. In the anime, Black Zetsu would approach Indra alone periodically, goading him with praises and curiosity towards Indra's true potential, even going so far as to say he could rival if not surpass the Sage of Six Paths himself. When Hagoromo later named his younger son, Asura, as the new leader of Ninshū, Black Zetsu tempted Hagoromo's elder son, Indra, to go in war with his younger brother. It decided that Indra's descendants, the Uchiha, would be the main cast of the shinobi history it was creating and also modified Hagoromo's tablet to claim that among other things; the Infinite Tsukuyomi would be the Uchiha's salvation. Over the centuries, it manipulated the two brothers' reincarnations in an attempt to get one to awaken the Rinnegan, and also recorded many events for Kaguya, including Madara and Hashirama Senju's last fight at the Valley of the End. Sometime between Madara's death in his battle with Hashirama and the time delayed Izanagi Madara used to resurrect himself, Black Zetsu found out where Madara's body was hidden and hid itself inside Madara's body.

When Madara had seemingly created White Zetsu and its clone siblings, it was actually Black Zetsu pulling the transformed humans from Kaguya's Infinite Tsukuyomi out of the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, merging them with the essence of the Hashirama plant clone Madara created to give them a diluted Wood Release. When Madara was on the verge of death, he believed he had created Black Zetsu by imbuing his will into half of White Zetsu, and that the complete Zetsu was partially his clone. In reality, it was Black Zetsu coming out of Madara's body after hiding inside of his body during his death. Zetsu later accompanied Obito Uchiha to Amegakure to locate Nagato, who had unknowingly been given Madara's Rinnegan as a child, and watched as Obito introduced himself as Madara Uchiha.

## Personality

Compared to White Zetsu, Black Zetsu, nicknamed "Wicked Tongue" (毒舌, *Dokuzetsu*), is more serious and knowledgeable. In the Japanese version of the manga, Black Zetsu only uses katakana for okurigana and furigana. This is often conveyed in the anime through a deeper voice. After being reunited with Kaguya, it spoke with a softer, more human voice. While it and White Zetsu sometimes had differing opinions, the two halves were still able to function as a single entity.

Black Zetsu had the skill of appearing extremely trustworthy, obedient and loyal, being entrusted with Akatsuki's secrets and knowledge of Madara's Eye of the Moon Plan. In actuality, however, its true loyalties were kept secret from nearly everyone, including Madara himself. Unlike White Zetsu, who was kind to his allies, Black Zetsu expresses a belief that anyone beneath Madara is useless. When Obito lost the tailed beasts, Black Zetsu commented on how it was a more effective servant to Madara. It also had no qualms about using Obito's dying body as a host when it fought Kakashi Hatake and Minato Namikaze, showing how little it cared about the Uchiha's welfare, while deriding Obito for being useless for his treason. However, Black Zetsu's loyalties do not truly extend to Madara either, having feigned being created by the man in order to manipulate him discreetly which occurred for many years, and then harshly betrayed him and expressed to him how he was really no different from Obito. Black Zetsu even refers to Hagoromo's ideals of ninshū as absurd and his original text on the stone tablet as garbage.

Zetsu's main role within Akatsuki was to function as a spy, with other duties that were similar to those of a hunter-nin. It was able to control its body and take part in the tailed beast sealing ritual simultaneously, which, in addition to being unique to it, allowed it to act as a lookout while the sealing took place. When an agent of Akatsuki, or possibly even a member, died, Zetsu was sent to devour their bodies so as to not have their secrets revealed, further adding to its nature as a half-plant creature. Zetsu was also the one sent to retrieve the rings of dead Akatsuki members. Due to the role it played, Zetsu was the only member of Akatsuki to act without a partner on a regular basis. It operated on its own, often moving between the different locations where the other Akatsuki members were located. This resulted in other members reporting directly to it, rather than the figurehead leader, Pain. Zetsu would in turn report directly to Pain as well as Obito, the organisation's benefactor and eventual leader.

Black Zetsu is generally harsh and critical of nearly everyone it comes across, with the exception of its creator, Kaguya. Referring to itself as her son, it shows a deep reverence and devotion to her and is willing to go to any lengths to please her. It even goes as far as to encourage others to sympathise with her predicament following her sealing. Black Zetsu's determination to aid the one it calls mother runs so deep that it spent countless years influencing the shinobi world in order to facilitate her revival, even claiming that the history of shinobi exists only to bring her back. Believing itself to be the progenitor of the shinobi history, Black Zetsu thinks very highly of itself, and grew angry at Naruto for even daring to touch it, believing him to be unworthy to do so. Interestingly, when it first referred to itself as Kaguya's child, Black Zetsu's tone and demeanour was noted by Sasuke Uchiha to have changed. It appears in the end, Black Zetsu's true loyalties reach only to Kaguya, a person it claims to be the will of, and whom it affectionately refers to as "mother" (母さん, *kaa-san*); Naruto even goes so far as to call Black Zetsu desperate to be at Kaguya's side, likening it to a snot-nosed brat who never wanted to leave its mother's side, and thus unable to realise that while it may have influenced shinobi history, said history was in fact built upon by the lives and deaths of many ninja.

## Abilities

Fitting its parasitic nature, Black Zetsu has shown many abilities that ultimately aided it in deceiving and manipulating others for centuries, all while remaining hidden and anonymous. With the powers at its disposal and tactical capabilities in combination with Kaguya's, the two were able to easily fend off both Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke for a time, despite the two being aided by their respective enhancements and help from their allies. It could also use all five basic nature transformations and Yin and Yang Release.

### Unique Body

Unlike a normal body, it could survive being bisected, and not age for over a thousand years. Fitting its malleable physiology, Black Zetsu has shown the ability to alter its form and shape, being able to form itself into a humanoid shape or stretch to great lengths. Being a product of Kaguya's will, Black Zetsu itself is also able to manifest its will to gain influence over others. By attaching itself to others, he can either subtly manipulate their consciousness or, if weakened enough, forcefully manipulate their bodies to use their abilities, as its own.. Black Zetsu, over time, has used this ability to stay hidden while manipulating many of Asura and Indra's reincarnations, including Indra himself. Black Zetsu melding with someone also has the effect of sustaining their life, allowing them to temporarily survive such things as using a sacrificial technique or having a tailed beast extracted from them. However, should the target regain control of their body, they can prevent Black Zetsu from detaching itself, thus using this trait against it. Throughout the centuries, Black Zetsu recorded the events it observed, and would show these "recordings" to others by merging with them.

### Ninjutsu

Being a sensor, it could sense individuals, many kilometres away, and distinguish between distinct chakra signatures, being able to locate Asura and Indra's reincarnations. After Kaguya's arm was severed, Black Zetsu retained her ability to produce the All-Killing Ash Bones, as well as open portals to fire them through. In its original form, it has shown the ability to phase and travel through its surroundings. Black Zetsu is also able to absorb and distribute chakra through physical contact. In the anime, Black Zetsu could conceal itself by blending in with the environment. It was also able to manipulate a giant boar through unknown means and seemingly strengthen it, as noticed by Asura when the boar was not acting normal.

#### Wood Release

While possessing White Zetsu's body mass, Black Zetsu had access to Hashirama's cellular material, allowing it to utilise Hashirama's Wood Release, albeit on a much weaker scale. Black Zetsu accomplished this by transforming its white body mass and plant-like extensions into roots during battle. It has been seen to have a high amount of proficiency with Wood Release, holding its own against Mei Terumī, a clone of Naruto, Chōjūrō, and the rest of the Daimyō Protection Squad with it.

While Black Zetsu was attached to White Zetsu, their signature technique was Mayfly, which allowed them to merge with the ground to quickly travel to a new location, though not as quickly as Obito's space–time travelling. This technique was ideal for Zetsu's function as a spy, as it erased their presence and prevented them from being sensed. In addition to functioning as a single entity by communicating through their thoughts, Zetsu's two halves were able to split apart, allowing them to act independently. While separated, the two halves could extend roots underground to communicate with each other over long distances.

### Dōjutsu

#### Rinnegan

In an attempt to ensure Madara's revival via the Outer Path — Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique, Black Zetsu took possession of Obito, forcing him to use the technique specifically for the purpose. In a later attempt to aid Madara in retrieving his left eye from Obito, Black Zetsu was able to steal possession of the latter's Rinnegan while almost completely removing itself from Obito's body.

#### Sharingan

When Black Zetsu was finally able to return the Rinnegan back to Madara, he received Obito's original left eye in exchange. Wielding both of Obito's Mangekyō Sharingan, Black Zetsu was able to utilise the left eye's Kamui to travel to and from an alternate dimension while bringing another person with it. Upon detaching itself from Obito, Black Zetsu no longer has access to the former's Mangekyō Sharingan.

### Intelligence

Influencing and manipulating many prominent and deceptive individuals throughout history including Indra, Madara, Obito, Nagato, Kabuto Yakushi, and a countless amount of others, Black Zetsu proved itself to be a highly deceptive and cunning individual. In order to further its plan to revive its creator, Kaguya, Black Zetsu has influenced many events to secretly manipulate those most useful to it. With the goal of manifesting a Rinnegan in one of its pawns, Black Zetsu even orchestrated the Uchiha and Senju clan's extensive rivalry. In order to set the Eye of the Moon Plan in motion, Black Zetsu rewrote Hagoromo's Stone tablet so that Madara would find it and become an unknowing pawn. To further gain Madara's trust, Black Zetsu also tricked him into thinking that it was an extension of the former's will, feigning undying loyalty towards Madara himself. Additionally, orchestrating Akatsuki's goal to capture the tailed beasts and Kabuto's alliance with Obito, Black Zetsu claimed that the entire Fourth Shinobi World War went all according to its design. In fact, it believes that because it had such a substantial influence over the events that have taken place throughout the history of shinobi, all of it is essentially his tale of reviving Kaguya. Having lived for centuries due to the fact that it was created at the beginning of shinobi time, Black Zetsu has amassed more information about the shinobi world than almost any other individual.

In battle and alongside its creator, Kaguya, Black Zetsu has shown to be an adept tactician who can analyse its opponents and suggest appropriate countermeasures to their tactics, which Kaguya complies with and carries out. While attached to her severed arm, Black Zetsu was able to inventively use her All-Killing Ash Bones and its ability to create rifts in space, in unison, in an attempt to intercept Naruto and Sasuke's attempt to seal the former.

### Other Skills

Despite having neither the Rinnegan nor the Sharingan, at the time, Black Zetsu was able to read and rewrite the text on the stone tablet. He was able to render Madara, as the Ten-Tails' jinchūriki, completely powerless to resist his influence by impaling him through the chest with Obito's left hand, despite his durability and considerable regenerative powers.. Should the need arise, Black Zetsu is capable of telepathically communicating with other individuals. Through unknown means, Black Zetsu was able to manipulate the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path and release the White Zetsu trapped within it.