Chapter 434: Let Me Tell You a Story

Father's "ideals" were nothing more than a beautiful layer of decoration built upon his absolute power.

"Exactly so!"

Seeing that Indra had finally come to understand, Black Zetsu's voice revealed undisguised satisfaction.

The groundwork had been laid. The soil was fertile.

It was time to plant the most crucial—and most deadly—seed.

Black Zetsu abruptly changed the subject. Its voice became low and mysterious, carrying the air of someone unveiling an ancient taboo.

"Since... you've come to understand the nature of power and seen through the 'illusion' behind your father's ideals..."

It paused, making certain it had Indra's complete attention.

"Then now... let me tell you a story."

"Once you've heard this story..."

Black Zetsu's voice seemed to drift from the dark river of history, carrying the echoes of fate.

"You will finally understand... why your father never liked you... from the very beginning."

The moment Indra heard the word "story," his expression became incomparably grave!

His newly awakened Three-Tomoe Sharingan locked firmly onto Black Zetsu. His pupils contracted slightly, and he unconsciously quieted his breathing, afraid of missing even a single word—or syllable—that came next.

He knew that this might be the ultimate answer to the mystery that lay at the root of all his suffering...

The mystery of his father's missing love.

Beyond the Heavenly Curtain, the people of the shinobi world were all profoundly shaken as they listened to this exchange!

Black Zetsu's analysis of the "nature of power" and the "illusion of ideals" was like the coldest hammer of reality, shattering the overly idealized image of the Sage of Six Paths held by many.

"Thinking about it carefully... what Black Zetsu said actually... makes a great deal of sense!"

An elderly shinobi who had lived through war and witnessed the rise and fall of powers muttered to himself.

"Mutual understanding, peaceful coexistence... before an absolute disparity in strength, they're nothing more than the rules of a game established by the strong. The weak either obey or are eliminated."

"Wasn't the Sage of Six Paths able to promote his ideals precisely because he possessed power that no one could rival?"

"If he hadn't possessed that power, who would have listened to him?"

"Besides, just look at the difference between Indra and Asura's approaches..."

Someone beside him continued, their tone complicated.

"Black Zetsu has a point. Asura's approach of personally involving himself and sharing the lives of ordinary people might win the hearts of a single village, but is it really suitable for someone meant to lead the Ninshū—or even influence the entire world?"

Many people could not help but think of reality.

"Forget about leading the Ninshū and influencing the whole world. Even the Kage of a single village or the Daimyō of a nation... would they put aside military and state affairs and the balance of power for half a year to travel to some impoverished village and dig wells and build houses alongside its residents?"

"No! Absolutely not! They would listen to reports, make decisions, and assign suitable shinobi or officials to handle specific matters. At most, they would pay attention at critical moments or conduct an inspection!"

"I'd wager that if Asura tried to govern an entire world this way, the Ninshū would inevitably fracture because of struggles for power and profit."

"That's the normal way a ruler operates!"

"Indra's approach may be cold, but it's efficient and broad in scope. Besides, while he's arrogant and difficult to approach, someone like him wouldn't go around bullying you!"

"Asura's approach is warm, but... it's too 'small.' Too limited. That's simply not how a leader should behave!"

This kind of reasoning, grounded in the logic of practical politics, led more and more people to "understand"—and even sympathize with—Indra's disappointment and Black Zetsu's manipulation.

The Sage of Six Paths' choice of Asura truly seemed to depart from conventional standards for choosing a leader. It appeared more like an idealistic decision based on personal preference.

The room was dimly lit, illuminated only by the sparse starlight filtering through the window and the faint glow of Indra's Sharingan.

The air seemed frozen.

Only Black Zetsu's low, deliberate voice flowed through the silence, like something unearthed from an ancient tomb.

"Once..." Black Zetsu slowly began. Every word seemed to carry the dust of history and the scent of blood. "This world was plunged into chaos beyond imagination."

Its voice was heavy as it painted a vision of the apocalypse.

"People died every day. War spread across the land. Nations fought nations, clans fought clans, and even villages slaughtered and plundered one another without end."

"The land was shattered, the starving lay dead everywhere, and the world was scarred beyond recognition. Countless lives suffered, with not even the faintest glimmer of hope in sight."

Compared to the limited order the Ninshū now struggled to maintain, such a scene was all the more horrifying.

"Until... a goddess descended."

Black Zetsu's tone suddenly changed, filled with an almost fanatical reverence and nostalgia.

"With her own... overwhelming power, enough to suppress the entire world, she used thunderous methods to bring an end to every war and crush every force that dared oppose her!"

"Then, she divided the world into territories and appointed loyal representatives to govern each region. Everyone was brought beneath her... absolute, unified, and unquestionable system of rule."

It described the "order" of that era.

"At that time, there was no arbitrary oppression or exploitation. The goddess's will was the highest law. No one dared defy it—and no one needed to."

"The rules she established were clear and strict, ensuring the most basic degree of fairness and survival."

"War among mankind... disappeared completely!"

"In its place came laughter that could be heard everywhere and scenes of peaceful, prosperous lives."

"People no longer had to worry about whether war would consume them tomorrow. They could raise their children in peace, cultivate their fields to support their families, and protect their own humble yet secure and happy homes."

There was a deceptively beautiful quality to Black Zetsu's voice as it painted a picture of a peaceful golden age utterly unlike the current shinobi world—especially the lands beyond the Ninshū's sphere of influence.

Indra listened silently at Black Zetsu's side, yet without realizing it, a fine layer of cold sweat had formed across his back.

Such a vision of "peace" was simply nowhere to be found in the shinobi world as he knew it!

Within the regions touched by the Ninshū, perhaps the villagers lived somewhat better lives, but it was still far from a world filled with laughter and carefree happiness.

And across the vast lands beyond the Ninshū's influence, poverty remained widespread, conflicts continued without end, and the strong still preyed upon the weak in a world of chaos!

Father's ideals of "mutual understanding" and "building together" had been promoted for so many years.

Yet when it came to results...

They seemed nowhere near as immediate or far-reaching as the iron-fisted order established by that "goddess" through absolute power.

This comparison only deepened Indra's doubts about his father's ideals.