"The great nations still bully the small ones. Wars still break out!"
"Yahiko took action. He united comrades and helped the weak. And what was the result? He died in the vilest conspiracy!"
Nagato's voice carried a bleakness born of seeing through the world.
"You speak of a chain of hatred? Then look at this world! When has that chain ever truly stopped? Wasn't Yahiko's death the result of a previous cycle of hatred? And isn't my 'pain' simply a stronger chain—meant to forcibly crush all the smaller ones?"
He looked at Naruto as though gazing at a child not yet worn down by reality.
"Your 'mutual understanding,' your 'communication'… before overwhelming power disparities, before conflicts of interest, before the selfishness rooted in human nature—they are pale and powerless."
"Yahiko believed in it. He died. Jiraiya-sensei believed in it. He… died as well. Reality has already given us the cruelest answer."
"So, Naruto," Nagato concluded, his tone resolute, "your path does not work."
"My path may be cruel. It may be cursed by future generations. But at least—it is effective."
"To deter war through absolute pain. To forcibly create a 'peace' where no one dares to fight. Even if that peace is built on fear—even if it is false—it is better than an endless cycle of hatred and war."
"No."
Faced with the seemingly unassailable wall of logic Nagato had built from blood-soaked reality, Naruto's reply was simple. Clear. Unshakable.
He did not argue history. He did not attempt philosophical rebuttals.
He merely shook his head.
His blue eyes were like a clear sky after rain—without the slightest trace of doubt. He met Nagato's Rinnegan and spoke, each word firm as iron:
"This path can be walked. I believe it."
No grand rhetoric. No intricate reasoning.
Only pure conviction, born from the depths of his heart.
Nagato froze.
He stared at the battered boy before him—eyes burning brighter than ever, more radiant than flame.
For a fleeting moment, it overlapped with Yahiko's sunlit smile… with the light in Jiraiya's eyes when he spoke of his ideals.
In the Shadows
But hidden observers saw something different.
Karin nearly jumped from excitement. She clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from making a sound, yet her body trembled.
She sensed a subtle change within Naruto—something most people could never perceive.
"I feel it! I feel it!" she whispered urgently to Kabuto Yakushi. "That 'thing' inside Naruto—it's shining! It's influencing him!"
"I can see it. That warm light is seeping out from deep within him—wrapping around his will, strengthening his conviction!"
"This is the first time I've seen it respond so clearly on its own!"
She glanced at Sasuke in comparison.
"That cold presence inside Sasuke hasn't reacted at all. Like a stone. So boring."
Kabuto's golden, snake-like pupils narrowed sharply.
"Interesting…"
After piecing together the conversation they had just heard, he voiced his deduction.
"Hearing Nagato's tragic past and extreme reasoning—Naruto should feel shaken. Angry. Doubtful."
"And yet, the extraordinary firmness he's showing now… this refusal to hate… may not stem entirely from his own will."
His tone carried the thrill of discovery.
"It's that 'sun-warm' power within him."
"It's guiding him toward compassion. Preventing him from being consumed by hatred. Reinforcing his belief in ending hatred without hatred."
Karin blinked, then her expression twisted into undisguised disgust.
"Guiding him toward compassion? Preventing hatred?"
She clicked her tongue.
"Then is Naruto even himself? How much of his thoughts—his choices—are truly his, and how much are imposed by that… thing?"
"Isn't that basically being a puppet?"
"That kind of ability… is disgusting. What's the point if it isn't even your own will?"
Kabuto nodded slowly.
"If even something as fundamental as choosing to hate or not can be influenced by an external force… then the authenticity of one's 'beliefs' and 'ninja way' becomes questionable."
Konohagakure — Ninja Academy
Young Sasuke's expression turned even colder after hearing Karin and Kabuto's speculation through the mysterious projection.
He abruptly turned to the Naruto sitting beside him—who had been visibly moved by the older Naruto's conviction.
"Hey, dead last."
Sasuke's voice was sharp.
"You heard what that crazy woman and that creep said."
He locked eyes with Naruto and demanded,
"You're not actually going to forgive the man who destroyed Konoha—who killed Hinata, Kakashi, and so many others—just because of some 'thing' inside you… are you?"
The question hit like ice water.
Naruto's expression stiffened. The color drained from his face.
"I… I don't know…"
His voice was dry. Conflicted.
"No—don't!"
The other children erupted in alarm.
They couldn't accept it—the Naruto who fought in fury to protect the village, who grieved for fallen comrades—forgiving the culprit.
"Naruto! You can't forgive him!"
"He killed Hinata!"
"We all died!"
Elsewhere
Watching the scene, Orochimaru stroked his chin thoughtfully, a strange look crossing his face.
"The projection hinted before that the power inside Naruto subtly influences him—nudging him toward 'love' and 'understanding.'"
"But if Konoha is destroyed to that extent… if his closest companions die… and he can still so easily 'forgive' the perpetrator…"
He narrowed his eyes.
"That would indeed be… excessive."
Even Orochimaru found it difficult to rationalize.
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