Chapter 448: I'm No Coward! Then Are You Saying We Are Cowards?!
Naruto's voice was resolute. "The sweat I've shed, the wounds I've suffered, the nights I've stayed up, the pressure I've borne, the detours I've taken, the price I've paid... can you even compare?"
"It's not that I look down on you, but you're just a blind man with a weak Physical Body trying to rely on external power to bridge the gap between us. All you do is shout about 'mission,' 'responsibility,' and 'for so-and-so,' and then howl a few times when you're backed into a corner."
"Do you think that will let you gain power beyond your limits out of thin air? That it can erase the gap between us, built up with countless blood, sweat, and time?"
"There's no such thing as a free lunch!"
Naruto growled, his words carrying an unquestionable authority, like a declaration of Law.
"This world still follows some logic. Effort won't be in vain, and sweat doesn't lie!"
"I should get as much as I put in! I should be as strong as the burden I bear!"
"I felt every bit of my progress, my loneliness never received an answer, and I had to endure every pain in silence!"
He stared at Toneri's Soul. "Did you think you could beat me just by having a sudden burst of power?"
"I learned the strongest Taijutsu in the Ninja World, figured out the strongest Ninjutsu, explored Kekkei Genkais on my own, learned Sealing Jutsu, and even took the Rinnegan and Sharingan from others. You think you're worthy of fighting me just by relying on an external Tenseigan!"
"What makes you think that screaming a bit and having a slightly firmer will would allow you to catch up to me?"
"What makes you think that carrying some bullshit 'greater good' allows you to ignore the chasm of strength and effort between us?"
"Why is it that every time, I'm the one made to look like the bully, like I'm the one obstructing your 'righteous' cause?!"
"Today I'm telling you, there is no such logic! Unification is the true trend of the era!"
"I don't care if you're Hamura's descendant or Hamura himself, or the Six Paths Sage, or an Otsutsuki from beyond the heavens! When the wheels of history move forward, you're all just mantises trying to stop a carriage, because the one driving that carriage is me, Uzumaki Naruto!"
"My loneliness, my effort, my anger, my sadness, my pain, and my will are all superior to yours!"
Cyan Chakra erupted from Toneri's Soul in Naruto's hand.
Toneri's memories appeared before Naruto's eyes.
Naruto didn't want Toneri's Soul; he wanted to forcibly read all the knowledge of the techniques, secret history, and power-usage skills of the Otsutsuki Hagoromo and Hamura lineages... every piece of valuable information.
Toneri's Soul let out a shrill wail that only Naruto could perceive; he was utterly powerless against the strength of the Rinnegan.
That long-buried ancient wisdom of the Moon's Otsutsuki Clan began to open up to Naruto like an unlocked treasury.
While Naruto coldly executed the 'harvest,' the long-accumulated anger in his heart subsided slightly with this vent.
Naruto worked hard, harder than almost anyone else.
His strength was exchanged for countless amounts of sweat, pain, loneliness, and perseverance.
What kept Naruto going was only the progress during Taijutsu tests and the refinement when developing Ninjutsu.
He had been lost, he had been melancholy, and he had been in despair.
He started learning to refine Chakra at six, and at thirteen, he had to face Otsutsuki Urashiki.
In seven years, Naruto had to become a powerhouse at the pinnacle of the Ninja World, and then in about eleven years, be able to face Six Paths Madara and Ōtsutsuki Kaguya.
But Naruto never regretted it.
He knew very well that his progress was like crossing a river by feeling the stones; there was no ready-made broad road ahead, and every choice could affect the future.
Therefore, it was meaningless to criticize or pressure the self at a previous choice point.
All he could do was make the most advantageous choice based on the information and judgment he held at the moment, then walk forward firmly and bear all the consequences.
He was never stingy about helping others, but he would never allow his efforts and strength to be trivialized or challenged by others using things like 'power bursts' or 'conviction.'
Naruto let go of his hand.
Toneri's Soul lost all its spirituality, turning into specks of light that completely dissipated in the cold air of the moon.
And that battered Physical Body finally returned to total silence.
Naruto had actually been a bit intimidated when he saw the Truth-Seeking Ball earlier. Fortunately, he seized the opportunity to use Flying Thunder God followed by a Konoha Strong Whirlwind to deal a second heavy blow to that glass-cannon.
Naruto used a sealing scroll to Seal Toneri's corpse, planning to hand it over to Orochimaru for research later.
The moon should be temporarily safe now. He could bring Hinata and Hanabi over first before figuring out the next step.
Eight-Armed Ashura consumed too much Chakra; he needed to rest for a while.
The next step was to find out where Kaguya was, or see where Hamura's corpse was to talk to the brother of the Six Paths Sage.
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At this time in the Ninja World, the battle against the last great nation had already begun.
"If any brothers survive, tell my mom I'm no coward!"
A young Ninja with face paint and a Hidden Mist forehead protector shouted, his roar almost drowning out the clashing of blades and the explosions of Ninjutsu.
He had a deep wound on his chest that showed the bone, blood gushing out and staining half his body, but he still gripped his Kunai tightly, staring with bloodshot eyes at the equally scarred Konoha Ninja in front of him.
Those words seemed to light a fuse.
The Hidden Leaf Village Chunin opposite him, whose left arm was unnaturally twisted but who still gritted his teeth and persevered, felt an even greater surge of ferocity on his already blood-crazed face. He roared back: "Ha! Then are you saying we Konoha Ninjas are cowards?!"
"Bastard!"
The Hidden Mist Ninja said no more and pounced like a wounded beast.
"Bring it on!"
The Konoha Ninja refused to be outdone and met the charge.
Kakashi was complaining inwardly. Originally, Naruto had appointed Shikamaru as the commander-in-chief and Sasuke as the main damage dealer.
But Sasuke's whereabouts were still unknown.
Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba, Neji, Tenten, and Lee had all reached the front lines to join the battle.
A large number of Konoha Ninjas were seeing red because their fathers and brothers had participated in the eastern theater of the Third Great Ninja War.
And the opponent in the eastern theater was naturally the Hidden Mist Village.
Even a member of the Hyuga Clan's main house had been killed by the Hidden Mist Village and had their Byakugan stolen, showing how intense the fighting had been back then.
As the most experienced and highest-ranking commander on the scene, Kakashi had to deal with the fierce counterattacks of the Hidden Mist Ninjas while directing the troops to break through. He was truly exhausted and overwhelmed.
And at this time, Sasuke was still missing.
"That guy Sasuke, where did he go at such a critical moment?"
Shikamaru looked toward the direction of the Hidden Mist Village.
'Shino, Sasuke is easily emotional. I hope you can help him!'
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