The Resolve to Be Killed

"Old Man, how could this be..."

"How am I supposed to choose...?"

Watching the one human and one fox clutch their heads in existential doubt, Menma chuckled to himself.

Then he shifted his gaze to Little Naruto.

The logic of Asura Chakra had already fallen into chaos. Now, Naruto needed to break free from Asura's influence and make the choice buried deep within his own heart.

Naruto, what would you choose?

After pondering for a moment, Menma finally said, "Naruto, it seems you've walked into a dead end."

"...Menma-nii."

Little Naruto's expression was still somewhat twisted, but his eyes had cleared.

He murmured blankly, "What am I supposed to do? I can't make a choice, but I don't want to run away either."

His long period of study had taught him that if he chose to run away now—

Then one day in the future, the person tied to the "tracks" might become Menma-nii or the big fox, someone he cared about.

How would he make a choice then?

Looking at Naruto's bewildered expression, Menma understood what he was thinking.

Feeling somewhat gratified, he reached out and rubbed his head, saying solemnly, "In this world, shinobi are merely killing tools that follow the rules set by those above. That is why the education and culture you receive drive you to passively accept everything."

"Yet you have never considered whether any of it is right, much less tried to change what has already been set in place."

Menma picked up the sheet of paper with the drawing on it and said, "Step outside the logical trap of the question. Step outside the restrictions imposed by its rules. Look down upon the established rules, and break them."

Rrip! Rrip!

Amid the crisp tearing sounds, Naruto stared in stunned silence as Menma tore the drawing into pieces.

"There are three best ways to solve a problem. The first is to eliminate the source that created the problem..."

Suddenly, a flash of realization passed through Naruto's eyes, and the Chakra fluctuations around him weakened considerably.

Menma's eyes immediately lit up at the sight.

"Sure enough, although Asura Chakra is bound to Naruto, it isn't completely impossible for him to absorb it."

In his perception, Asura's Chakra had actually begun merging with the Chakra inside Naruto's body.

His vitality and Chakra reserves were increasing enormously at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Although he had not gained a Sage Body like Hashirama's, the signs were already beginning to show.

As long as they found the right method, Naruto could merge with Asura Chakra and obtain a complete Sage Body.

"Menma-nii! I think I know the correct answer to this question!"

Naruto suddenly interrupted Menma's thoughts.

His fighting spirit and energy had returned as he said excitedly, "Only with enough strength can I save everyone at the same time when I face that kind of choice!"

"To protect everything I want to protect, I have to become even stronger!!"

Menma's expression stiffened, and he could not help grumbling inwardly:

No, you don't understand.

It seemed that no matter what, Naruto's perspective was still too narrow. He could not see the essence of the problem at all.

The best way to solve a problem was to prevent it from appearing in the first place, not to patch things up after it had already happened.

"The Shinobi World needs a new order. Violence is only a means of maintaining order; it can never become order itself."

When an avalanche came crashing down, not a single snowflake was innocent.

Whether they acted of their own accord or were swept along by the tide, everyone in war was a tragedy—and at the same time, they created tragedies for others.

The existence of shinobi in this era was a desecration of life and the sorrow of this world.

As his thoughts turned, Menma merely sighed to himself.

There was still a long road ahead...

Naruto had realized the importance of strength, but his thinking was still far too naive and immature.

It seemed that later on, he would have to let him witness the cruelty of the Shinobi World with his own eyes.

After all, a child raised in an ivory tower needed to undergo trials of blood before becoming a true warrior.

While making his plans, Menma lowered his head to look at Naruto and said, "Since you've realized how important strength is, don't slack off on your homework from now on."

The homework he meant was naturally those "physical training" assignments.

Naruto had always done as little as he could. Compared with training, he preferred reading books and watching anime.

Naruto's little face reddened at that, and he scratched his head with a sheepish grin. "I won't, I won't. I'll finish my homework properly."

The corners of Menma's mouth curled up as he smiled. "In that case, your homework will be doubled from now on."

"Huh!? Nooo! I'm going to break, Menma-nii..."

Meanwhile, the Nine-Tails watched the two of them laughing and fooling around, its gaze becoming complicated.

"Old Man, what exactly are you doing?"

He had left behind Asura's Chakra so that it would constantly seek reincarnations, then used Asura's lingering obsession to subtly influence every generation of reincarnates.

And judging by the situation, this brainwashing effect was far stronger than any Will of Fire.

If Naruto had not gone through Menma's systematic education, and if Menma had not posed a question with no correct answer, Naruto would probably have already been molded into Asura's shape.

"Naruto, go back first. I'll keep an eye on you and make sure you finish your homework."

"Okaaay~"

Watching Naruto's dejected retreating figure, Menma wore a smile as his eyes narrowed slightly.

Asura's reincarnated Chakra...

Sage of Six Paths, Hagoromo Otsutsuki...

Perhaps you had already arranged everything for Naruto. He only needed to walk the path you laid out for him, and he could become the savior of the Shinobi World.

But I'm sorry. Naruto deserved a far broader future.

And there was only one reason for your failure—one very simple answer.

That was because you encountered me.

"Menma."

The Nine-Tails' huge head passed through the cage and leaned close to Menma's ear. "Since Asura is still reincarnating, then Indra..."

Menma came back to his senses, glanced at it, and said, "Indra is reincarnating as well. However, what the two of them reincarnate is Chakra. Their souls remain independent from those of each successive reincarnate."

"Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha were the previous generation's reincarnates of Asura and Indra. Only after the two of them died did Asura and Indra's Chakra begin reincarnating again."

The Nine-Tails frowned at that and said in surprise, "So Madara Uchiha died only shortly before Naruto was born?"

Seeing Menma nod, the Nine-Tails sat upright and rubbed its chin with a claw. "Madara Uchiha was not the sort to cling to life in disgrace. He must have had some goal he failed to achieve!"

What could that goal have been?

Menma did not care about the foolish fox's wild speculation and turned toward his room.

"Menma..."

The Nine-Tails' hesitant voice came from behind him, and Menma stopped.

"What is your choice?"

As if afraid Menma would misunderstand, the Nine-Tails hurriedly added, "I'm just curious. I don't have any other intentions!"

Choice...

"I have no choice."

"Hm?"

"Rules cannot restrain me. I will become the one who makes the rules."

Menma said solemnly, "Whether it is destruction or salvation, whether I become a tyrant or a wise ruler, no matter how the world sees me, I have long been prepared to be killed and to bear everything."

Let me recommend a friend's book. Take a look if you're interested~

As a veteran gamer, Qin Luo traveled back to one hundred thousand years before the game's launch.

He obtained a system that protected him. After death, he would randomly reincarnate as a descendant of his family. As long as his bloodline continued, he would be immortal and indestructible.

By triggering achievements, Qin Luo could receive corresponding rewards from the system.

Seeking immortality and the Dao: Rewarded the player with a Wood Spiritual Root, while increasing the chance of descendants possessing Spiritual Roots.

Gathering spiritual herbs: Rewarded one Heart-Saving Pill, a top-grade Yellow-tier medicinal pill.

Accepting an orphaned child: Rewarded a nation with a hundred years of fortune.

Indulging among flowers: Rewarded a certain part of you with an indestructible body!

Charging into battle for love: Rewarded you with the strength to instantly fight one against five.

As time passed and the world changed.

The family inherited in his first life flourished and spread across the Nine Provinces;

The nation supported in his second life dominated one region and intimidated all others;

The pet raised in his third life rampaged through foreign lands, making all demons bow their heads.

And I, Qin Luo, had lived through a hundred lives and witnessed seas turn into mulberry fields, all for the sake of successfully ascending in the end!