Naruto: Fire-Release system

Chapter 180: For the Peace of the Ninja World, I Hope You Understand!

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"Have the Akatsuki members found their way to Mount Myōboku?"

Kushina's heart raced with fear. Naruto was her only hope, her sole light in a darkened world. If something happened to him, she wouldn't forgive herself—or anyone else.

Determined, Kushina dashed madly toward the last place she sensed Naruto's chakra.

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It didn't take her long to reach the grand hall of the Great Toad Sage, her speed fueled by desperation.

There, sitting silently in the center, was Naruto. His life force was intact, yet the chakra emanating from him was unrecognizable.

"What's going on here?"

Kushina's sharp gaze locked onto the massive figure of the Great Toad Sage, her voice trembling with both fear and anger.

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"Kushina, please calm yourself," the Great Toad Sage, Gamamaru, said, his deep voice steady. "This is not something to fear. In fact, it is a blessing."

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"A blessing?"

Her confusion deepened.

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"Listen carefully, and I will explain," Gamamaru began.

"Long ago, the Sage of Six Paths—Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo—laid the foundation for this ninja world. His two sons, Indra and Asura, inherited his powers and ideals. To maintain peace, they reincarnated repeatedly over the centuries.

"Indra's previous incarnation was Uchiha Madara, while Asura's was Senju Hashirama."

Gamamaru paused briefly, allowing the weight of his words to sink in.

"This time, Asura's reincarnation is Naruto."

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Kushina's eyes widened, her breath catching. The implications of these words were immense, but they did nothing to calm the storm of worry brewing in her heart.

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"What's happening to Naruto now?" she pressed, her voice thick with unease.

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"Naruto is awakening Asura's chakra," Gamamaru explained. "Once complete, he will possess tremendous power."

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"Is that really true?"

Though Kushina understood the explanation, her instincts told her something was wrong. She turned her gaze back to Naruto, keeping an eye on him as if guarding against a new threat.

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Time dragged on as Naruto sat silently in the center of the room. The chakra radiating from him grew stronger and denser, its sheer volume far surpassing even the fully powered Nine-Tails.

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Kushina's heart wavered. "How is it possible for a human body to hold so much chakra?" she wondered.

Part of her wanted to feel relieved—if Naruto could master such power, she and Minato would no longer have to worry about his safety.

But her hope shattered as Naruto finally opened his eyes.

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His gaze scanned the room briefly before settling on Kushina.

Yet, his eyes were no longer filled with Naruto's usual warmth and naïve determination. Instead, they held an unfamiliar, distant, and detached light.

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"Naruto… is that you?"

Kushina's voice trembled. She desperately hoped her instincts were wrong.

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A long silence followed.

Finally, Naruto—or rather, the being now inhabiting his body—spoke.

"I… am not Naruto," he said softly. "I am Asura, the son of Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo."

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The words hit Kushina like a hammer. Her heart shattered as she struggled to comprehend the truth.

"What… What do you mean?" she stammered. "Then… where is my Naruto?"

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Asura sighed, guilt flashing across his borrowed features.

"Naruto and I have merged into one being," he admitted. "I'm deeply sorry."

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He hesitated before continuing.

"The ninja world is on the brink of destruction. If I don't awaken and act, everything will be lost."

"For the sake of peace… I hope you can understand."

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Kushina's entire world crumbled.

"No… this can't be…"

Her voice broke, her anguish spilling over.

"Why would you do this? Why would you take my son away?"

"What does the ninja world's destruction have to do with him?"

"Give him back to me! You liars! You…!"

Her grief erupted into a storm of rage. Tears streamed down her face as her crimson hair rose wildly, her body surrounded by golden chains glowing with fury.

The infamous "Red-Hot Habanero" was back.

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Asura sighed again, a deep sorrow settling into his expression.

"I'm truly sorry."

His voice carried genuine regret, but his resolve remained unshaken.

"For the peace of the ninja world… I ask you to rest."

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Before Kushina could lash out, Asura appeared behind her in a flash, delivering a precise hand chop to her neck.

Kushina collapsed into unconsciousness, her chains retreating into her body.

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Asura knelt beside her prone form, his guilt evident.

"Take care of her," he said to the Great Toad Sage. "Do not harm her."

With that, he vanished from Mount Myōboku, his new purpose guiding him.

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Asura was no longer the mere shadow of himself that had existed in Naruto's body. After millennia of reincarnation, he had gathered enough chakra and wisdom to fully manifest.

Unlike the Naruto of the original timeline, who only borrowed fragments of Asura's power, this complete awakening brought a being far beyond human comprehension into existence.

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However, Asura's awakening was not without complications.

While he was capable of immense feats, his presence in the ninja world was a double-edged sword. His decisions and actions were no longer tied to Naruto's ideals, but to the ancient duty he believed he owed to the ninja world.

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Far away, Kushina's unconscious form lay in the Great Toad Sage's care.

She stirred slightly, her face contorted with pain even in sleep.

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"You've made your choice, Asura," Gamamaru muttered to himself, gazing at the empty space where the boy once stood.

"Now let us see if it will save the ninja world—or destroy it."

End of Chapter 180.

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