NOVEL NEXT Chapter 187: Fused as One
Until that day.
The day an Uchiha who called himself Konohamaru shattered his happy life.
Though Naruto easily defeated him with the power of the Nine-Tails, the Third Hokage was overcome with sorrow—and soon passed away.
Despite everything, Naruto's kindness and growing strength earned him more attention than ever before, even more than when the Third Hokage was alive.
And yet, that experience left behind a deep, inexplicable aversion to anything resembling the same kind of loss.
Now, Nagato was becoming just like that!
Whether it was the approval of others, the Truth-Seeking Orbs, or his former identity as the Hokage's grandson… even his current title as the Child of Prophecy—it was all the same!
He, Naruto, would become the Child of Prophecy!
Only then could he protect his comrades… and all that he held dear!
But now, a twisted sense of justice—driven by obsession and selfishness—was beginning to take root in Naruto's heart.
...
As Naruto recovered from his injuries, a golden chakra surged from his body, rapidly expanding into a towering, hundred-meter-tall golden Nine-Tailed Fox.
At the same time, the surrounding natural energy began to gather at breakneck speed.
"Kurama!"
With a cough, Naruto called out.
The massive Nine-Tails rose into the air, smashing a fist down toward Nagato.
In an instant, it followed up with a claw swipe, and its nine tails launched a flurry of coordinated strikes.
The sequence of attacks flowed like water—nearly impossible for ordinary people to dodge.
And yet, despite its enormous size, the Nine-Tails moved with incredible speed and precision—an extraordinary feat in itself.
After all, as the Sage of Six Paths' most beloved younger son, Naruto hadn't spent his dream-time training in just the Truth-Seeking Orbs...
...
But Nagato danced through the air with uncanny agility, evading every blow with ease.
Finding an opening, he struck with another palm.
But this wasn't just a simple attack.
With Nagato's motion, a giant handprint—composed entirely of golden faith energy—rapidly expanded until it matched the size of the Nine-Tails itself.
BOOM!
The palm slammed down.
The Nine-Tails' chakra scattered instantly, and Naruto was sent flying, crashing hard into the ground.
This technique... was called Compassion.
It was a manifestation of the countless people who had placed their hopes in Nagato—a beautiful wish to end the chaos of the shinobi world and usher in a peaceful era.
Though Naruto winced in pain, he wasn't severely injured.
Instead, countless beautiful thoughts suddenly filled his mind.
These thoughts… came from ordinary civilians, their voices pleading with Naruto to give up.
For a moment, this guy—who was always the loudest about his ideals—was completely choked up.Speechless.
Because standing before him was an undeniable truth.
Stronger than any words of gold and jade—irrefutable reality.
"But... I can't abandon my comrades! I am the Child of Prophecy!"
With a roar, Naruto forced himself out of the collective consciousness of the masses.
Then, he gritted his teeth and glared at Nagato—the man trying to brainwash him.
If he allowed himself to be manipulated like that... could he still call himself the Child of Prophecy?
Truth-Seeking Rasengan!
Nine Truth-Seeking Orbs behind Naruto spun rapidly, intertwining and merging into one.
Then they shot toward Nagato in the sky.
Even Nagato had to go all in when facing a technique formed from all nine Truth-Seeking Orbs.
Salvation!
At that moment, Nagato's nine Truth-Seeking Orbs and his golden halo of faith fused into his body. A glowing golden 〝卍〞 symbol emerged on his palm.
He struck.
The Truth-Seeking Rasengan shattered instantly on impact.
No matter how powerful the jutsu, selfish desire could never overpower the will of the people!
The golden 〝卍〞 stamp slammed down, carving a bottomless crater into the earth.
Under the crushing force of the people's collective will, Naruto was completely defeated.
Though his body remained intact… his conviction had utterly crumbled.
Countless girls in the flower of youth across Konoha wept for Naruto's actions.
But none of that changed anything.
History moves like a mighty river—those who go with it prosper, those who resist it perish.
Even the child of a god is not exempt.
This... is the will of the suffering masses.
...
Pure Land.
Naruto's soul drifted aimlessly within, faithless and broken.
He no longer believed he was some Child of Destiny.
Before irrefutable truth, even he had to admit—Nagato was the real one.
The one everyone had been waiting for.
If that's the case… then accept this power.
The Sage of Six Paths sat quietly in the Pure Land, nodding gently.
Though things hadn't gone perfectly, the result was still acceptable.
The fruit of a thousand years of cultivation… had finally reached its most critical stage.
Imperfect as it was, it was still enough to allow the chosen one to take that vital first step—
To become the key to entering the realm of legend.
The Sage opened his palm, and a stream of violet energy surged into Naruto's body.
That power brought Naruto's soul back into his body in the living world.
"Go back, child. Your journey isn't over yet..."
The Sage's kind voice stirred Naruto back to life within the crater, his body broken but breathing.
...
But after all he'd been through...
Half of Naruto's face still radiated his usual sunny warmth, as if it carried all the beauty of the world.
The other half... twisted into a dark, terrifying grin, as if it embodied every filth and ugliness in existence.
It sent a chill straight to the bone.
And yet, somehow... such contradictory expressions existed on one face—at the same time.
Extreme Yin and extreme Yang... in perfect harmony.
Simultaneously, Naruto's normal skin began to peel away, revealing a pale, newly-formed layer underneath.
The previously scattered Nine-Tails chakra reformed quickly, and threads of violet energy gathered from the void, entwining with the chakra.
Together… they formed a towering, thousand-meter-tall humanoid fox-headed Susanoo.
At that moment, the power of Indra and Asura manifested within Naruto!
Die!
A hundred-meter-long blade—formed entirely from a Truth-Seeking Orb—was drawn and swung at Nagato.
BOOM!
Nagato was blasted far into the distance.
Empowered by both Indra and Asura, Naruto seized the momentum.
His massive Susanoo gripped the blade with both hands.
A twin-spiraling weapon, endlessly extending toward Nagato, surged forward—
Spear!
A weapon whose power and size were shaped by the user's will alone, infinitely extending and utterly unavoidable.
By all logic, with the combined strength of the Sage's two sons and a millennium of soul energy—Naruto should have easily overwhelmed Nagato.
Yet... Nagato merely raised a hand, glowing with golden faith, and shattered the Spear—along with its thousand-year-old will—bit by bit!
"Naruto... repent!"
"No matter how powerful a gift may be, it isn't yours. No matter how clearly a path is laid out for you, it will never lead you to the true other shore. Stop obsessing over winning or losing..."
"Join me. I'll guide you to a new world—One where your true self finally finds peace."
"I believe in you. Your dream was never to stand above others… right?"
...
Damn it!
Each word that fell from Nagato's lips—bathed in the light of faith—weighed heavier than a mountain.
Even with the combined power of Indra and Asura, even with all that ancient energy—Naruto was utterly suppressed by the force of the shinobi world's most humble, most overlooked, most desperate masses.
"I'll destroy them all, then!"
"If your strength comes from those cowards who don't even measure up to Genin…"
"Then I'll wipe them out!"
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