Chapter 428: Asura Prevails

“Could it be… that what Black Zetsu said… was actually true?!”

Indra stood in the middle of the noisy plaza, yet seemed completely isolated from it. His expression was grim, while doubt, disappointment, and a gradually rising, icy fury churned in his eyes.

Behind him stood the disciples of the Ninshū, whispering among themselves in confusion.

Before him was the now-empty platform from which the Sage of Six Paths had departed.

The images upon the Heavenly Curtain shifted rapidly. Time seemed to compress like a spring before suddenly leaping forward half a year.

Over those six months, the Sage of Six Paths appeared utterly indifferent to the undercurrents, suspicions, and discussions within the Ninshū caused by the unresolved question of his successor.

To him, deciding who would inherit leadership of the Ninshū was certainly important, but it was far less urgent than the fundamental objective of his eternal plan: expanding the number of living beings capable of possessing Chakra.

Half a year passed in the blink of an eye amid anticipation and speculation.

At last, the appointed day arrived.

By this point, the Ninshū had grown far beyond what it had been half a year earlier.

Under the Sage of Six Paths’ vigorous policy of expansion, countless newcomers—drawn by the promise of Chakra or guided there by disciples he had sent out—had joined the ever-growing organization.

The plaza was packed with people. Their eyes shone like a gathering sea of stars as everyone held their breath and gazed toward the platform that would determine the future direction of the Ninshū.

Indra and Asura stood side by side at the front of the platform, under the watchful eyes of the crowd.

Asura still wore his characteristic honest and gentle smile. His gaze was clear, and he seemed to feel little anxiety about the coming decision. Instead, he appeared calmly prepared to accept whatever his father decided.

Indra, standing beside him, was as calm as still water, his expression even colder than usual.

Only his Rinnegan, fixed intently on his father as complex emotions churned deep within them, betrayed the turmoil in his heart.

Half a year of agonizing anticipation. The repeated torment of Black Zetsu’s words. His suspicions that his father favored Asura. His absolute confidence in his own strength and accomplishments…

All these emotions had intertwined, until the worry, unease, and suppressed anger in his heart had become as dark and dense as ink that could never be diluted.

He waited—anticipating the verdict that should, by all rights, belong to him, while fearing the answer that might confirm his worst suspicions.

Then, the Sage of Six Paths appeared at the center of the platform.

There was no unnecessary preamble. His calm gaze swept across the vast crowd below, then across his two sons. When he spoke, his voice was steady and powerful, reaching every corner of the plaza with perfect clarity.

“After one year of trials assisting the two villages, followed by another half-year of on-site verification, the assessment has concluded.”

“Now, I announce…”

He paused slightly.

The plaza became so silent that a pin could have been heard dropping. Countless hearts seemed to stop beating at that very moment.

“The next successor of the Ninshū…”

The Sage of Six Paths’ gaze seemed to linger, intentionally or otherwise, for a brief moment on Indra’s suddenly tense figure.

Then it shifted to Asura beside him, whose eyes widened slightly as he, too, appeared nervous.

Then, word by word, the Sage of Six Paths made his announcement with absolute clarity.

“Asura shall inherit it.”

BOOM—!!!

It was not thunder, yet it struck the hearts of everyone present with even greater force.

The entire Ninshū plaza fell into absolute silence, as though even time itself had frozen!

Everyone stared with wide eyes and open mouths, their faces filled with utter shock and disbelief.

Although there had been all kinds of speculation beforehand, hearing the Sage of Six Paths personally announce the decision in such an unequivocal manner was still utterly devastating!

Even Asura himself was completely stunned!

The simple, honest smile on his face froze instantly, replaced by pure bewilderment and confusion. He seemed never to have expected that his father would truly entrust such a tremendous responsibility to him. He instinctively opened his mouth as though to say something, only to find that he had no idea where to begin.

Indra’s followers, meanwhile, looked as though they had been struck by an invisible sledgehammer. Every trace of color drained from their faces, leaving behind nothing but blank shock and disbelief.

They whispered to one another, their voices trembling.

“How could it be… How could Lord Asura be chosen?!”

“Lord Indra clearly did better! And he did it faster!”

“What could the Sage of Six Paths possibly be thinking?!”

The silence lasted only a brief moment.

Then the plaza erupted like a powder keg!

Cheers, applause, and heated discussion exploded all at once!

At first, the cheering still carried traces of lingering shock, but it quickly swelled into a genuine tidal wave of celebration.

Compared to the exceptionally gifted yet aloof and unapproachable Indra, Asura was gentle, approachable, and personally practiced the ideals of mutual assistance. Within the Ninshū—especially among the newly joined disciples, who made up the majority—he had long enjoyed broader and more heartfelt affection.

In their eyes, Asura’s way of doing things was far more in line with the ideals proclaimed when the Ninshū was founded: using Chakra to connect people’s hearts and helping others.

The cheers swept across the entire plaza like a tsunami, drowning out Asura’s stunned figure.

Yet amid that roaring celebration, a cold, suppressed voice—one that seemed capable of freezing the very soul—suddenly rang out like a blade, forcibly tearing through the waves of cheering and reaching every ear with crystal clarity.

“Why?!”

Indra abruptly raised his head and stared directly at his father on the platform!

For the first time in his life, in such a significant public setting, he was questioning his father—the Sage of Six Paths—with such directness, such doubt, and such anger!

The noise in the plaza seemed to be seized by an invisible hand, abruptly falling into an eerie silence once more.

Filled with alarm, curiosity, and tension, every gaze turned toward the father and son.

The Sage of Six Paths showed no anger in response to his eldest son’s unprecedented public challenge. He merely shook his head gently, as though disappointed—and yet also as though he had expected this all along.

Rather than answering directly, he asked in a deep voice. Though it was not loud, his words struck Indra’s heart like a heavy hammer.

“Indra…”

“Do you know that after you wiped out the bandits and dug deep wells for those villagers, solving all their external difficulties…”

He paused, his gaze seeming to pierce through time and settle upon that long-forgotten village.

“What did those villagers… ultimately become?”

“What do you mean?!” Indra retorted almost instinctively, his voice carrying the urgency of someone who felt personally affronted.

The unease in his heart instantly intensified, but he still believed firmly in his own logic.

He had removed every obstacle and given them the means to survive. Naturally, their lives should have improved.

He had never considered what happened afterward.

Nor had he ever cared to.

The Sage of Six Paths slowly let out a long, deep sigh.

Within that sigh seemed to lie an understanding of some fundamental aspect of human nature, as well as complicated emotions toward his eldest son’s innocence—or perhaps his indifference