To children, the world was nothing but black and white.
To adults, it was mostly gray.
Morality? Nothing more than rules meant to bind the common folk.
Look at the pampered nobles, drunk on excess and drowning in decadence—how many saw ordinary people as equals? Even among the great shinobi villages, even in Konoha, where the "Will of Fire" was preached endlessly, how many truly held onto ideals during their climb to power?
The very question would only draw laughter.
If given the choice, Yui Xuanyue would prefer a world where morality reigned supreme and everyone lived as saints. But reality's foundation was far darker. The only choice left was to drift along with the current.
What, rise in rebellion? Launch a revolution? Too exhausting. Too pointless.
He had no interest.
Better than being bound by rules was to hold the pen that wrote them.
That was human nature.
And Xuanyue admitted openly: he was no exception. Just another part of the vulgar, selfish masses.
Naruto, however, clenched his fists. He could hear every word clearly—the shamelessness in Xuanyue's voice, the self-awareness without the slightest intent to change. It lit a fire in him, and his only answer was the one thing he was best at:
"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
A flood of clones erupted around him, filling the battlefield.
"Damn it, this kid again!"
Jiraiya, seeing Naruto charge recklessly, could no longer hold back. His long white hair whipped around as he leapt forward.
"Ninja Art: Needle Jizō!"
Countless strands of hardened hair shot like steel needles toward Xuanyue.
But Xuanyue didn't even flinch. A faint mist rolled from his lips—Boil Release, corrosive vapor—hissing through the air, dissolving every needle before they could touch him.
Naruto's clone army didn't falter. Like fearless shock troops, they dove straight into the boiling mist.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
One after another, clones burst into smoke.
Xuanyue's lip twitched. "Seriously? You realize the pain of every dispelled clone comes back to you, right? Getting melted by Boil Release isn't exactly pleasant."
But Naruto only charged harder, unfazed. Another idiot blessed with cheat-like endurance, just like Senju Hashirama.
Still, Xuanyue's mist wasn't limitless. The sheer tide of clones forced his jutsu into overuse; he could no longer replenish it fast enough.
"Tch. If only I were at full strength…"
Before he could adjust, white smoke filled his vision. A single clone broke through, latching onto his leg like a monkey.
"Got you!"
The other clones roared in triumph and piled on, swarming Xuanyue like wild apes.
He sighed. "Does this really matter?"
But one of the Naruto clones clinging to his shoulders only grinned.
"Of course it does!"
At that instant, the white smoke before Xuanyue began to twist and churn, spinning like a vortex.
"Hm?" His eyes narrowed.
From a clearer angle, Jiraiya's face shifted. "That technique…!"
Shizune gasped in delight. "It's the one from that night!"
And then—
"Rasengan!"
The smoke was torn apart as Naruto burst forward, a sphere of swirling blue chakra glowing in his palm.
Jiraiya whispered, awestruck, "He's really done it… the Fourth's jutsu…"
Xuanyue chuckled, bracing himself. "Not quite. Still rough around the edges."
BOOM!
The impact rocked the arena, dust exploding outward.
Shizune's heart leapt with hope—only for Jiraiya's eyes to darken. He knew the Rasengan too well. If Xuanyue hadn't been blown back immediately… then—
Sure enough, as the dust fell, Naruto stood with his hand buried in the ground, a spiraling crater etched around him. Xuanyue looked down at him, unharmed, amusement dancing on his lips.
"Using an unfinished technique in battle… you're the boldest fool I've seen."
The Rasengan was infamous for a reason. Stable only when complete, it was dangerously volatile otherwise. Naruto looked convincing, but Xuanyue had seen through it in an instant. A simple disruption—and it collapsed, slamming harmlessly into the dirt.
Naruto's shoulders sagged. "So it's still no good…"
Xuanyue raised his hand. "Watch carefully."
In one smooth motion, a perfect Rasengan bloomed in his palm, humming with restrained power.
"Rasengan," he said softly.
Naruto froze, wide-eyed. How? Jiraiya had said the technique belonged to the Fourth alone. Yet here it was, flawless, in the hand of his enemy.
"Lesson begins now," Xuanyue said with a smirk. "This time, free of charge."
The blue glow filled Naruto's vision as the swirling sphere rushed straight toward his chest—
End of Chapter.