Within Sasuke's consciousness space.
This was a deep, oppressive purple void, yet an undying flame seemed to burn faintly within it.
Purple chakra flowed like mist, occasionally condensing into the shape of lightning with soft crackles.
At the center of the space, a black-haired man floated silently, dressed in a white robe with his long hair gathered behind his back. His cold eyes held arrogance and obsession.
He was Indra, the eldest son of the Sage of Six Paths.
Sasuke's consciousness stood in this unfamiliar space, studying the visibly powerful man before him with wariness and curiosity.
"So you're saying..."
Sasuke digested what Indra had revealed earlier, his brow tightly furrowed.
"Naruto... suddenly became that powerful, and could even use Wood Release on that scale, because your younger brother Asura awakened inside him?"
"That's right."
Indra's voice carried a detached indifference.
"This is your consciousness space.
However, to keep Asura from noticing my presence, I set up a special barrier to isolate and disguise it."
He gestured at the flowing purple chakra and faint lightning around them, clearly manifestations of his handiwork.
His gaze seemed to pierce the boundaries of the space, turning toward the earth-shattering destruction and creation that had just taken place in the "outside world."
"That black sphere that annihilated the old Konoha in an instant certainly wasn't Asura's work.
But that later technique, the one that created an entire village out of thin air..."
Indra's tone held a barely perceptible familiarity with ancient arts, along with a faint sneer.
"It used a certain... special method of applying chakra from our era."
He looked at Sasuke as though imparting a lesson. "In the era when our father first spread chakra, it wasn't merely a tool for battle.
It was used more for connection, communication, and creation.
Asura,