Chapter 433: Strength Is Everything

This question was like a massive boulder crashing into the still waters of Indra's heart!

Upon hearing it, Indra immediately fell silent.

Countless images flashed through his mind.

The disciples of the Ninshū openly and secretly competing for greater power and higher status;

The longing for strength—and the reverence, even envy, directed toward the Ninshū's disciples in the eyes of the villagers they had supposedly come to help;

The expressions of the disciples beneath the platform as his father preached—some bewildered, some fervent, others harboring thoughts of their own;

And the fragility that Asura's philosophy of "meeting sincerity with sincerity" might reveal when faced with a wider world and more complicated conflicts of interest...

A profound sense of agreement flickered in Indra's eyes. There was even... a trace of clarity that had existed within him all along, suppressed only by his father's authority and the prevailing beliefs of the Ninshū.

After a moment, he slowly shook his head.

The movement was slow, yet incomparably resolute.

The confusion and struggle in his voice were gone, replaced by an almost cold-blooded certainty born from seeing the world for what it truly was.

"That's absolutely impossible."

Indra spoke clearly, as though stating an undeniable truth.

"Even the disciples of the Ninshū cannot truly understand Father's 'way.'"

"They respect him and fear him, but more than anything, they want to become a 'strong person' like him and possess the same 'power' he does. They don't truly understand him."

"This so-called 'mutual understanding' becomes pale and laughable when they are fighting over resources and competing against one another."

"And those powerless villagers understand even less about the strength and 'devotion' of the Ninshū's disciples."

"Beneath their gratitude lies fear... and longing."

"They would give anything for their children to become disciples of the Ninshū and escape the helpless fate of being at the mercy of others."

Indra's gaze sharpened like a blade, his Sharingan glowing with a terrifying crimson light.

"This world... has always been an arena where the strong prey upon the weak!"

"Strength is the only truth! It is the foundation upon which rules are made and hierarchies are established!"

"I am strong. My talent is exceptional, and my power surpasses all others. Therefore, I should... hold authority over everything and lead humanity toward a more 'efficient' and more 'powerful' future!"

At last, Indra passed his final judgment on his father's ideals—a judgment deeply colored by his own beliefs.

"This so-called 'peace,' this so-called 'mutual understanding'..."

"They are nothing more than... self-deceiving fantasies of the weak, beautiful lies woven by the strong to maintain superficial order and make others easier to govern!"

The image on the Heavenly Curtain finally froze on a close-up of Indra standing amid the darkness, his scarlet Sharingan blazing as his face displayed absolute conviction in his own philosophy—and even a trace of cold indifference toward all living things.

At that moment, he completely broke away from the path of "understanding and peace" his father had preached.

He had established his own philosophy: the rule of the strong.

The resentment and unwillingness born from his defeat had, at this moment, found their firmest—and most dangerous—theoretical foundation and outlet.

Black Zetsu's guidance, his father's "unfairness," his own pride, and his "insight" into the nature of the world... all these factors converged.

And at last, on the level of ideology, this genius had achieved complete "independence" and "awakening."

"Exactly!"

Black Zetsu's venomous, chilling voice rose slightly with excitement. It nodded emphatically, its tone filled with unprecedented certainty and... satisfaction, as though Indra had finally spoken the "truth" it had been waiting to hear.

"Indra, you're absolutely right! Such a world simply... cannot exist!"

It repeated and reinforced Indra's conclusion before turning its attention even further, directly toward the Sage of Six Paths himself and the true nature of his actions.

"This so-called 'mutual understanding' between people, all those pleasant-sounding words..."

"Only exist because your father possesses absolute power—power great enough to suppress every dissenting voice and stand above everyone else!"

"That is why everyone is forced to gather beneath him and listen to his 'teachings'!"

Its voice carried the sharpness of someone exposing hypocrisy.

"He speaks grandly of 'understanding,' 'peace,' and 'guidance'..."

"But isn't his use of the Ninshū to lead and influence the entire world fundamentally no different from those 'dictators' who establish order through overwhelming power?!"

It raised a question that struck directly at the heart, guiding Indra to examine the essence hidden beneath that halo of sanctity.

"A vast network of influence built through the spread of Chakra, and absolute authority maintained through unrivaled personal strength..."

"At its core, isn't he still... using the suppression of power to impose his own will and ideals upon the world?"

These words were like the sharpest scalpel, stripping away layer after layer of the sacred image of the Sage of Six Paths as a "savior" and "guide."

Revealing beneath it a cold core that, perhaps, was no different from the rule of strength.

Indra was stunned upon hearing this!

His first instinct was to refute Black Zetsu and defend his father—his father was different. His intentions were good. His power existed to protect and create...

Yet when he lowered his head and carefully considered everything his father had done over the years—

He had founded the Ninshū and promoted its ideals through unquestionable authority.

He had used the Ninshū as its core to gradually expand his influence across the world.

He even possessed the final and unquestionable authority over the dispute concerning his successor...

At which step had he not relied upon the support of strength?

If his father had merely been an ordinary man with ideals but no power, would anyone still have followed him?

Would the Ninshū still exist?

And without the support of his father's reputation and the Ninshū's resources, how far could Asura's philosophy of personally helping others have truly gone?

The more Indra thought about it, the more the resistance in his heart—born from filial affection and years of reverence—faded away, while the "logic" in Black Zetsu's words became increasingly clear.

The confusion in his eyes gradually dispersed like morning mist beneath the blazing sun.

Finally, he nodded heavily.

His voice was somewhat hoarse, yet it carried the coldness of someone who had finally recognized "reality."

"That's right..."

"If Father... did not possess such overwhelming strength, enough to crush all opposition..."

"Would those disciples still willingly gather around him as they do now, listening to his teachings about 'mutual understanding'?"

"Would those followers still believe in his ideals with such fervor?"

Indra raised his head. The last trace of the idealistic image through which he had viewed his father shattered completely.

All that remained was the clarity of someone who believed he had seen the "truth"... and a trace of sorrowful self-mockery.

"When all is said and done... people are only willing to listen to the words of the strong. And sometimes, they simply... have no choice but to listen."

Indra had accepted Black Zetsu's central argument.

Strength was the true language—and the true law—by which this world operated.