Chapter 33: Ashura Chakra
Inside the seal space.
Bright sunlight shone down, the boundless sea surface misty and vast, gentle ripples spreading across it.
Waves lapped against the shore, the sound echoing in the ears like soft whispers.
In such an environment, one's mind opens towards infinite horizons.
"Naruto."
A refreshing sea breeze gently lifted Menma's hair and robes, his voice as gentle as the breeze itself: "You actually understand the meaning of that sentence, don't you?"
Little Naruto first nodded, then hesitated for a moment before shaking his head, his expression deeply conflicted and struggling.
Menma smiled and patted Naruto's head: "You understand it. You're just troubled by whether that sentence is right or wrong."
Kill one person to save the world is not to kill one person to benefit the world; kill oneself to save the world is to kill oneself to benefit the world.
This sentence is taken from Mozi: Daqu.
Its meaning is: If sacrificing one person allows the world to reach our ideal state, it does not mean sacrificing them is the correct action.
Only when we ourselves need to be sacrificed to perfect the world is there justification for encouraging self-sacrifice.
Sacrifice oneself for righteousness – the sacrifice is of oneself, not others.
In other words...
"Even if killing a certain innocent person could save the world, we do not have the right to decide that innocent person's life or death."
However, innocent...
In this world, where are the truly innocent?
Aside from civilians, which ninja's hands aren't stained with blood?
The boundary between justice and evil, judged by human moral standards, is simply too blurry.
But this line of reasoning clearly couldn't convince the still somewhat naive little Naruto.
"Menma-nii, I don't understand..."
Seeing Naruto's stubborn little expression, Menma sighed inwardly, saying helplessly: "Since you're so curious, Naruto, then let me pose the trolley problem to you."
"Trolley? Is that the transportation tool mentioned in the books, like a horse carriage but only runs on fixed tracks?"
Menma nodded perfunctorily, took out a pen, leaned over, and began scribbling on a blank piece of paper.
Five minutes later, Menma put down the pen and handed the drawing to little Naruto.
"Suppose 5 people are tied to a trolley track. On another, alternate track, 1 person is tied. At the same time, an out-of-control trolley is speeding towards them."
"And right beside you is a lever. You can push the lever to make the trolley switch to the alternate track, killing that 1 person but saving the 5."
"Alternatively, you can do nothing, letting the trolley run over the 5 people, saving the 1 person on the other track."
Hearing this, little Naruto's brow gradually furrowed, his expression twisting further. The faint chakra fluctuations around him also seemed to become more pronounced.
Even the Nine-Tails nearby shifted its gaze over, its fox-like vertical pupils filled with confusion and gravity.
"What is that chakra? Why does it feel so awkward/unnatural?"
As a Tailed Beast capable of sensing good and evil, it had long grown accustomed to human viciousness and evil.
It also deeply detested human malevolence and greed.
But this chakra fluctuation of 'extreme good' made it feel a sense of hypocrisy and loathing from the bottom of its heart.
However, Menma beside them seemed completely oblivious.
"So..."
He stared fixedly into little Naruto's pair of azure eyes and asked: "What is your choice?"
"I... I don't know."
Little Naruto's expression was twisted to the extreme, his aura incredibly fractured.
Like dazzling, warm sunlight; like rational, somber judgment leading to death.
"I should... push the lever..."
Naruto's rationality told him to create the greatest benefit: pull the lever, sacrifice one, save five.
But as soon as the words left his mouth, the chakra fluctuations around him intensified again, becoming visible to the naked eye.
His emotional side then told him, once he pushed the lever, he would have killed an innocent person who otherwise wouldn't have died.
Little Naruto's jaw tightened, but his expression gradually became serene: "No, I can't do that! I have no right to decide his life or death!"
The Nine-Tails nearby had already straightened up, its vertical pupils fixed intently on Naruto, yet it seemed to be seeing another person through Naruto's body.
"Menma! Naruto brat..."
"Shh."
Menma smiled, raising his index finger to his lips.
Although a smile played on his lips, it was filled with chilling coldness.
He said coldly: "So you choose inaction? To stand by and watch them die? To watch those five people die?"
Stand by and watch...
Naruto's eased expression instantly became suppressed again, the chakra fluctuations around him turning chaotic.
This clearly clashed with his 'emotional' side again.
"I... I don't know!!"
It was as if multiple, completely different lines of thought were battling inside Naruto's head, making him unable to settle on a choice.
But Menma just stood nearby, coldly watching his pained struggle.
Ashura chakra... can your love and bonds solve this problem?
Undoubtedly, the root of Naruto's current struggle was the influence of Ashura's chakra.
As the 'pure good' aspect, being in this situation demanded he must take action.
But it was just a mass of chakra without sentience, only remaining as an incredibly strong obsession, unable to find a perfect answer between these two choices.
Whichever choice was made, it was a betrayal of his so-called 'love and bonds'.
Without the interference of Ashura's chakra, Menma believed Naruto could easily find the correct answer, instead of falling into this obsessive state of being fixated on appearances.
"Menma, what on earth is wrong with the brat's chakra?"
The Nine-Tails' large head moved closer, brow furrowed, looking at little Naruto with bewilderment.
But deep within its eyes, there was also a hint of heartache.
After all, this was the brat it had watched grow up. Although it didn't say it, deep down, it still cared a lot about Naruto.
"Do you know Ashura?"
Menma didn't turn his head, saying calmly: "That is Ashura's chakra. And Naruto is Ashura's reincarnation body."
"That guy Ashura's chakra? Naruto is his reincarnation? How is that possible?"
The Nine-Tails' fox eyes widened, its face filled with human-like disbelief.
Clearly, it was not entirely unfamiliar with Ashura.
Ashura. That was the second son of the Old Man of Six Paths, the second leader of Ninshū.
As a child, Ashura's talent was very low; he couldn't do anything well on his own, clumsy.
But his personality was very friendly, and everyone in Ninshū held him in high regard.
And back when the Sage of Six Paths extracted the Tailed Beasts and was in a near-death state, before dying, he chose Ashura to inherit the leadership of Ninshū.
The nine Tailed Beasts, including the Nine-Tails, also had a very good relationship with Ashura.
Later, the eldest son Indra turned against Ashura, wanting to reclaim his position.
In their battle back then, Ashura borrowed a lot of Tailed Beast chakra from it, the Nine-Tails, and used a three-headed, six-armed fox form similar to a complete Tailed Beast transformation.
But, it had personally witnessed Ashura's death...
The Nine-Tails said gravely: "I've never heard of any reincarnation. When humans die, they die. The soul completely vanishes, and the chakra also dissipates. Otherwise, how could the Old Man of Six Paths..."
The Nine-Tails seemed to think of something, its words abruptly stopping, its already narrow vertical pupils instantly contracting.
"Kurama."
Menma's eyes were profound as he said meaningfully: "The sky itself is colorless. It hasn't deceived you; it's your own eyes that have deceived you."
(End of Chapter)
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