Uzumaki Menma stood on high ground, expressionless as he looked down at Uchiha Kō, his eyes cold and sharp.
Although he was puzzled as to why Heavenly Dao had instructed him to eliminate this anomaly, he did not dwell on the reasons behind it.
In their recent exchange, Uzumaki Menma had to admit that Uchiha Kō was indeed a worthy opponent. His strength was not to be underestimated, especially his Super Shinra Tensei, which had actually managed to block his attack—something unprecedented.
Recalling the battles in the Limited Tsukuyomi World, Uzumaki Menma had always been invincible, except for one time when he was defeated by Naruto, who was possessed by the will of Heavenly Dao.
But at that time, Naruto only defeated him by relying entirely on the power of the Heavenly Dao. If we only consider individual strength and combat skills, ten Naruto combined probably wouldn't be a match for him.
He had asked the Heavenly Dao more than once why it had to make him lose, but the Heavenly Dao remained silent, as if it were all a predetermined fate.
Finally, under the persistent questioning of the Uzumaki Menma, the Heavenly Dao slowly opened its mouth and said in a cold yet undeniable tone, "This is all the will of Heaven. Do you still have any questions?"
These words exploded in Uzumaki Menma's ears like a thunderclap. His eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief. He couldn't understand why, despite his hard work, he still couldn't escape his fate of failure.
Just as the anger in Uzumaki Menma's heart was rising and he was preparing to fight back, Heavenly Dao suddenly made its move without warning.
In an instant, a terrifying pressure swept over like a tidal wave. This power was completely different from any other power in the Ninja World. It came from a higher dimension, as if it came from the dark abyss deep in the universe.
Faced with this irresistible force, Uzumaki Menma and his Nine Masked Beasts were instantly forced to their knees, their bodies trembling involuntarily.
However, Uzumaki Menma's heart was still filled with resentment and anger. He gritted his teeth and squeezed out a sentence: "I will never admit defeat!"
Before he finished speaking, he suddenly threw out a huge Spiraling Ring, his last trump card and his last hope.
However, to his astonishment, Heavenly Dao caught the Spiraling Ring with its bare hands so easily.
Even more shockingly, a wisp of black smoke suddenly emerged from the Heavenly Dao's palm. The black smoke seemed to have a life of its own and quickly wrapped around the Spiraling Ring.
In the blink of an eye, the originally powerful Spiraling Ring vanished without a trace as it was swallowed by the black smoke, as if it had never existed at all.
This scene completely stunned Uzumaki Menma. His eyes widened as he watched his ultimate move being so easily neutralized by the Heavenly Dao. Despair surged into his heart like a tidal wave.
At this moment, even the Nine-Tails within him was quite frightened by this scene. The Black Nine-Tails' voice echoed in his mind, "Menma, this power is too terrifying. We are no match for it at all. We should submit and preserve our lives for now, and then make further plans later."
Uzumaki Menma remained silent, his heart filled with resentment and humiliation. It was the first time in his life that he had yielded, and that shameful scene was still vivid in his mind, deeply imprinted in his memory.
However, the Heavenly Dao seemed unconcerned about these matters. On the contrary, the Heavenly Dao greatly appreciated the performance of the Uzumaki Menma, and even bestowed upon him an important position—one of the Four Guardians of the Heavenly Dao.
This is undoubtedly an acknowledgment of Uzumaki Menma's strength and ability, but it also means that he will bear more responsibility and pressure.
Even more surprisingly, the Heavenly Dao did not place its own Cursed Seal on Uzumaki Menma as it had done with the other guardians.
This means that Uzumaki Menma has greater freedom when performing tasks and is not bound by the Heavenly Dao Cursed Seal.
This is why Uzumaki Menma remained free during this operation. He could respond flexibly according to the actual situation, without having to completely obey the commands of Heavenly Dao.
However, none of this escaped Uchiha Kō's eyes.
The instant Uchiha Kō released the Super Shinra Tensei, his gaze, sharp as a hawk's, fell directly on Uzumaki Menma.
A slight, mocking smile played on his lips as he spoke without any attempt to hide his feelings, "You're not happy about it, are you?"
Uzumaki Menma was taken aback. He looked at Uchiha Kō, "I don't understand. What are you talking about? But I'm not resentful that you neutralized that attack. On the contrary, I feel very gratified."
These were Uzumaki Menma's true thoughts. The only person who could withstand his Great Spiraling Ring head-on was Heavenly Dao, and that was Uchiha Kō!
Uchiha Kō shook his head. "That's not what I meant. What I meant was that in your world, you were unhappy to lose to a fool who was inferior to you but possessed the will of Heavenly Dao!"
Uzumaki Menma gritted his teeth, recalling how in his own world, he had schemed and plotted so much, relentlessly pursuing power, only to be defeated by a guy with no ambition, who only knew how to enjoy his parents' affection while muttering about bonds and friends!
A sense of humiliation began to well up within him. He looked at Uchiha Kō and nodded slightly. "What can you do if you're unwilling? Heavenly Dao has ordained your fate, controlling your life and death. Besides, the outcome of a battle is even less important to you."
"To the Heavenly Dao, this is nothing more than a game, a way for the protagonist to plunder the fortune of the supporting characters! The supporting characters either submit or die!"
Is this kind of worldview really acceptable? Why should we be defined by the will of Heavenly Dao? Why is our fate predetermined from birth?"Uchiha Kō began to share his thoughts with Uzumaki Menma.
Uzumaki Menma clenched tightly. No wonder, no wonder in my own world, after I lost, I always felt like something was leaving me! It was luck!
Good, very good indeed! Heavenly Dao is ruthless, treating all things like Uzumaki Menma dogs! Now, one can more or less understand how important fortune is.
If what Uchiha Kō said is true, then he should have unified the Ninja World, obtained unparalleled fortune, and his cultivation level would have skyrocketed. He would either have stopped at the level of Kage or never been able to advance any further!
"Phew! You really are surprising. An ordinary human, yet you know so much." The intense hostility in Uzumaki Menma's eyes had disappeared.
"It's not that I know so much, but that I am now in the same position as the Heavenly Dao!" As soon as Uchiha Kō finished speaking, a rich aura of fortune and power erupted!
The sky and earth changed color, and at the same time, it seemed as if a giant eye appeared in the Uchiha Kō!
Feeling this supreme fortune and the gaze of Heavenly Dao, Uzumaki Menma's eyes widened. "Holy crap!"
Black Nine-Tails looked at Uchiha Kō, recalling what he had just said. He couldn't help but think of something, and then gave Uchiha Kō a deep look.
Thunder rumbled in the sky, as if something terrifying was brewing!
Uchiha Kō raised the Chixiao Sword and sneered, "What? You're not happy because your brother said a few words to you?" Immediately, the power of humanity and fortune were poured into the Chixiao Sword, emitting a dazzling golden light of humanity!
Uchiha Kō gently swung his sword towards the sky, and a sword aura carrying a large amount of luck and human power rushed towards the giant eye of the Heavenly Dao in the sky!
At the same time, a thunderbolt struck, resisting the power of humanity. However, this was not the true body, but only a clone of the will. In just two seconds, the thunderbolt was shattered by the sword energy of humanity, and its eyes were severed.
After doing all this, Uchiha Kō sheathed his sword, the dark clouds disappeared, and light slanted down from the sky, falling directly on Uchiha Kō.
At this moment, Uchiha Kō was bathed in sunlight, chatting and laughing. A gentle breeze ruffled his hair, giving him an air of otherworldly elegance.
He looked at the Uzumaki Menma, extended his right hand, and said, "Comrade, would you like to join us in overthrowing this hypocritical Heavenly Dao and restoring true destiny to humanity?"
Upon hearing this, Uzumaki Menma was suddenly moved, and he looked at Uchiha Kō with a strange sense of admiration.
A comrade is more important than anything else.
Uzumaki Menma originally wanted to join without hesitation, but he suddenly remembered his parents in his own world, which made him hesitate.
Uchiha Kō seemed to see through his thoughts and smiled, "It's alright. If you still have worries, then go back!"
After all, not everyone is like Uchiha Kō, daring to defy fate.
Uzumaki Menma was pale. He nodded, then tore through space and left the Shikkotsu Forest.
Uchiha Kō stared blankly in the direction he had left. In fact, according to his calculations, Uzumaki Menma also possessed great fortune; otherwise, the Heavenly Dao would not have intervened to help its chosen one Naruto, plunder Menma's fortune.
When the Heavenly Dao intervenes, it sows the seeds of karma, which must be repaid. Others may not see it, but Uchiha Kō and the Heavenly Dao know it perfectly well.
The Heavenly Dao dispatched Uzumaki Menma for two purposes: first, to use Menma to destroy Shikkotsu Forest, reclaim the Heavenly Dao's authority over Shikkotsu Forest, and strengthen itself!
On the other hand, there are many ways to repay karmic debts, one of which is that if the creditor dies, the karmic debt does not need to be repaid!
Although Menma was very strong, the Heavenly Dao knew that Menma was no match for Uchiha Kō, and that Owl would be a mere sword strike away from him. So, let Uchiha Kō take action for him and settle this matter of cause and effect!
Uchiha Kō wouldn't let him have his way. He would not only release Menma, but also put Menma on the opposite side of the Heavenly Dao Path, making it difficult for the Heavenly Dao to deal with Menma.
Killing one's creditor with one's own hands is a heinous crime. It might even awaken the hidden Dao, bringing severe punishment upon the Heavenly Dao.
The Great Way is impartial, while the other three paths each have their own agendas. The Way of Humanity is about being a virtuous person who strives for self-improvement; the Way of Heavenly Dao is about governing; and the Way of Earthly Dao is about forbearance.
The three paths each perform their respective duties. Now, humanity is reviving and human self-awareness is rising. This is what Uchiha Kō wants to see, but it is not what the Heavenly Dao wants to see.
This is why the Heavenly Dao hated Uchiha Kō to the core!
If humanity relies on itself for everything, what is the point of the Heavenly Dao's existence? Is the Heavenly Dao destined to fade into obscurity? This is unacceptable to it!