Zero

Zero (零, Rei) was an organisation led by Merz in Naruto x Boruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm Connections.

History[]

Before the Fourth Shinobi World War, Merz was an Amegakure shinobi, who was a devoted follower of the village head and Akatsuki leader Pain, and fought alongside him during Amegakure's civil war, also losing family in wars between the great nations. After Pain's reformation by Naruto Uzumaki and death, Merz was discarded and devoted himself into following Pain's original beliefs for peace, but with a more twisted mindset. Although the Five Great Shinobi Countries made peace after the Fourth Shinobi World War, Merz believed it had only created a rift of non-conflict, rooted in the idea of memories and bonds. He formed Zero, recruiting several members who felt they were similarly discarded, others who also lost everything and due to the peaceful era were left with no recourse for retribution. Zero is so named for their goal of reducing the world to nothing. He believed that by eliminating conflict, peace and order render shinobi obsolete. Zero had members in several places, some of them embedded as spies even in high spaces, allowing them to bug places such as the Hokage's office, as well as financiers. Zero was able to become more active following Teguse's desertion of Konoha, who took with him highly advanced scientific ninja tools, and a copy of "History on Warring States Seals" (戦国封印史, Sengoku Fūinshi), unsealing Nanashi Uchiha and using her powers in combination with Teguse's technical expertise to create Ninja Heroes, a game they used in a plot to erase the bonds and memories of the world to bring about a Fifth Shinobi World War. They operated from a hideout at Mount Higakure (日隠山, Higakurezan), northwest to Konoha. During the conflict, the hideout was destroyed, and Nanashi died after being forced to fight and sharing her chakra with Boruto. After their defeat, Boruto was able to go back in time with the assistance of Toneri Ōtsutsuki and change Nanashi's fate, causing her to never be sealed, and in turn prevent Zero's plans from ever materialising. In the new timeline, they were easily discovered and dismantled, Sasuke leading the effort.