"She Never Stopped Moving Forward"
The Five Daimyō Summit had set the foundation for the future of the shinobi world. But the will of five rulers could never truly represent the hearts of the countless ordinary people.
Naruto once promised Ashura: he wouldn't dictate, only guide.
To honor Naruto's resolve, Ashura took action. He led a group of Amegakure shinobi on a journey across the land—a mission both daunting and vital. Their goal: to spread awareness of the Ōtsutsuki threat, to help the world understand the looming disaster, and to inspire everyone to do what they could, however small, to face the coming storm.
As the saying goes: only by helping others and oneself can you save the world.
Starting from the Land of Rain, Ashura and his team set out north, determined to walk the entire shinobi world on foot, stopping in every village and town to share their message.
But ideals are beautiful—reality, cruel.
The very first stop doused them in cold water.
"Ōtsutsuki? What kind of tree is that? Can you chop it down? Burn it for firewood?"
"I've got big wooden buckets—three hundred ryō each, bulk discount. You buying or not? If not, beat it!"
"End of the world? What's that got to do with me? If there's a real savior, make my kid actually be mine again!"
"Fighting and killing—that's ninja business, isn't it?"
"This world's just one wall after another. Might as well let it burn."
"Oh, it's you again. Scram."
No matter how hard Ashura and his companions tried, no one gave them a straight answer.
That night, they camped outside the village. The younger shinobi in the group was already losing heart. "Forget it. I don't get why we're wasting our breath. We won't need these people on the battlefield. As long as they don't get in our way, why bother with their opinions?"
Ashura shook his head. "It's not about how useful they are. They're part of this world. When disaster strikes, nobody gets to stand aside. We have to help them understand…"
The young ninja protested, "But you saw how they treated us."
Ashura smiled. "That just means our work matters. If everyone understood already, we wouldn't need to guide them."
So, the next morning, Ashura went back to his mission.
As expected, he hit more walls.
But he refused to give up—patiently, tirelessly, he tried again and again, speaking from the heart.
People began to get used to his presence.
On the seventh night, the team finally hit a breaking point.
"I'm done. Tomorrow I'm heading back. I can't waste my youth arguing with people who don't care."
Ashura pleaded, "Just hold on a little longer. We'll make it through."
"Easy for you to say. Even if we succeed, how many people are there in this one village? How many in the whole world? The time cost is insane. Finishing this in two years? That's a fairy tale."
Ashura answered, "If we can't do it in two years, then three, five, ten. If that's not enough, then twenty."
"You really have time to burn. We're not like you—endless energy. I'd rather use that time to train and die on the battlefield."
"Sorry, you're on your own. We're heading back tomorrow. Whatever punishment comes, we'll take it."
Most of the group left, leaving only the original young ninja.
Ashura said quietly, "You can go too, if you want."
The young ninja grinned, chewing on a grass stalk. "Nah, I'll stick around. You'd look pretty pathetic all alone."
Ashura smiled. "I'm used to it. And honestly, they're not wrong—everyone's time is precious. No point wasting it on things you're not good at. This kind of people work… I'll handle it. Go home."
But the young ninja shook his head. "I'm not talented. Been a ninja for years, still a genin. But the girl I like? She's already a top-tier kunoichi. Watching her pull farther and farther ahead… I really want to change. I want to do something that matters."
"I thought about it—no matter how much I train, my ninjutsu only goes so far. But if I stick with this mission, maybe she'll see me differently…"
He glanced at Ashura. "Hey, you don't think I'm just chasing clout, do you?"
Ashura laughed. "Not at all. I think you're pretty grounded. What's your name, anyway?"
The ninja straightened up. "Name's Tōru."
Ashura nodded. "Tōru, huh? All right—when we get back, I'll teach you some real ninjutsu."
"Seriously?" Tōru perked up. "I want to learn that technique Naruto-sama uses—make even rocks talk!"
Ashura grinned. "That one's out of my league. But there's something I've always wanted to tell him: ninjutsu can be down-to-earth, but it shouldn't be down in the underworld. By the way, what's the name of the girl you like?"
Tōru blushed. "I like… the Angel. Konan-sama. I want to be a man worthy of her. If I could… I'd want her to have my kids!"
Ashura chuckled. "Get some sleep. Tomorrow's probably another day of hitting walls."
So, the two of them pressed on with their almost Sisyphean persistence, repeating their seemingly pointless persuasion.
That night, as they prepared to camp, something changed. The villagers gathered around Ashura.
One asked, "Why go this far? What do you get out of it?"
Ashura answered, "We're not looking for rewards—just to help you understand what's coming."
"That's all? You'd work this hard for that?"
"Are there really fools like you in this world?"
"Even if the disaster's real, it feels so far away. We don't feel a thing."
Ashura looked at them gently. "In the end, it's because the distance between people—the distance between hearts—has grown so wide. That's why it feels like someone else's problem. But the truth is… every person is a node, connecting to this world. All those nodes together form the world we all breathe in."
The villagers exchanged uncertain glances.
Ashura held out his hands. "Here—give me your hands. I'll let you feel what it's like when hearts connect."
Skeptical, but curious, they did as he asked.
Hand in hand, they sat in a circle on the ground.
Whoosh!
Chakra flowed from Ashura, weaving through the circle, binding everyone together.
In an instant, every person was swept into a new state of mind—a feeling they'd never known.
"This… this feeling…"
"Shiawase! So happy!"
Ashura smiled. "That's chakra—the power that connects people's hearts. Through it, we can find happiness."
"This is… chakra?"
Ashura nodded. "Everyone has chakra inside them, but most never awaken it. Ninshū is the key."
When the meditation ended, the villagers felt a peace and serenity they hadn't known in years—a feeling no amount of ninjutsu training could grant.
"Asura-sama, forgive our disrespect!"
"Please, take me as your student!"
"Me too!"
"My life was meaningless until now—meeting you feels like being reborn!"
Ashura laughed. "Get up, there's no need for formalities. From now on, we'll train together and spread the love of Ninshū across the world!"
At that, Tōru whispered, "Hey… our mission is to warn people about the Ōtsutsuki threat. Don't slip in your own agenda!"
Just like that, their team grew stronger again.
Ashura continued his monk-like journey, unwavering.
And Tōru thought, Maybe finishing this in two years… isn't just a dream after all.
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