Who’s Devouring Who (Part 1)

Fuma remained silent, contemplating the words from Satori. There was simply too much to unpack, so much so that he didn't know how to respond.

This creature appeared to have a high level of intelligence. Its logic and language were sharp, and its expressions were unusually animated.

Its large face changed through seven or eight mocking expressions within seconds, as if it had mastered the art of face-changing.

"What's wrong, Indra? Did I strike a nerve with my words?"

"You don't look anything like you did hundreds of years ago. If it weren't for your chakra still being as cold and sharp as ever, I wouldn't have recognized you."

"But your chakra... how is there so little left? That's truly pitiful. If you had chosen to fight against Asura alongside me back then, perhaps we would've ruled the world by now!"

"Did you stop practicing your ocular powers after being abandoned by the Sage of Six Paths? Look at your body now, so burly and masculine—more so than Asura! Puhahaha!"

Satori cackled, baring its large white teeth in a sinister grin, continuing to prattle on in its shrill voice.

Fuma's expression grew peculiar. In the world of shinobi, trash talk—whether from the villains or the heroes—was always incredibly weak, with no real sting.

Still, even though Satori's words were harsh, full of mockery and disdain, the insults were directed at Indra, not Fuma himself.

The most important part was the sheer amount of information contained within those words.

"He's mistaken me for Indra and mentioned fighting against Asura together…"

"So this creature once possessed power rivaling Asura's? Hard to tell now."

Fuma's eyes flickered as he mulled over the truth of Satori's words, recalling the information stored in his mind.

With his sharp insight, Fuma could see that Satori's current strength was nowhere near as mighty as it boasted. At best, it could be compared to an ordinary tailed beast, far from world-ending power.

A good reference for understanding Satori's strength came from Gamabunta and the Eight-Tails.

Gamabunta, when facing Shukaku, showed no fear and was willing to fight head-on. But with Satori, he was much more cautious, opting to retreat while fighting.

Even when the Eight-Tails assisted Naruto, Satori's sensory abilities limited its usefulness, though it could still hold its own in direct confrontation.

As Fuma looked at the tormented souls within the Box of Ultimate Bliss, he thought to himself:

"Satori's true characteristic might be its ability to grow almost without limit, constantly absorbing chakra and negative emotions from living beings to become stronger and stronger…"

"This thing has a protagonist's growth template, almost like a slime-type creature. Unfortunately, this shinobi world has two beings with greater backing, and so it failed."

"Perhaps, centuries ago, after the Sage of Six Paths passed into the Pure Land, the Box of Ultimate Bliss, left unchecked, absorbed the negative emotions of the entire shinobi world. That's how it could face off against Asura."

"If that weren't the case, this relic would be too powerful. The Sage wouldn't have needed children; he could've just spent his time tinkering with the box. Whenever the Ōtsutsuki clan showed up, he'd just throw eighteen boxes at them!"

Satori, after absorbing some of the Nine-Tails' chakra during its battle with Naruto, was only as powerful as Shukaku, a far cry from its previous glory.

What's more intriguing is that, according to the timeline, the Asura who fought against Satori was not the original but one of his reincarnations.

"Based on Satori's words, the first reincarnations of Indra and Asura must have been strongly influenced by their chakra, to the point where their personalities were almost entirely replaced."

"But with each subsequent generation, the chakra likely weakened, which is why today's reincarnations can no longer awaken their true selves. Their power has also greatly diminished."

"Even now, for someone like Madara Uchiha to awaken the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, such complex methods are required. And apart from Hashirama, who reverted to his ancestral strength, there are only a few in the Senju clan who can awaken the Wood Release."

Fuma pondered this, sensing something oddly familiar.

"So chakra reincarnation… it seems quite similar to the method of the Ōtsutsuki clan's Karma. Both involve using chakra to influence a host, gradually recreating their original form."

Indra and Asura, the direct descendants of the Sage of Six Paths, still retained a pure and undiluted Ōtsutsuki bloodline, without signs of degeneration.

However, it's unclear what kind of woman the Sage of Six Paths chose to bear his children, that these two would still wield such power.

Although the Sage is known for having saved the shinobi world from Kaguya's grasp, his view of the living world seems to have been more detached, less of a savior and more of a gardener changing ownership of the field.

Still, in a world dominated by extraordinary power, there isn't much room for humanitarian concern. The underlying logic of this land is starkly different from Fuma's past world.

Here, only strength matters. Fairness and justice are mere luxuries of the powerful, not obligations.

In this superhuman world, there are countless tyrants across dimensions, and those without strength can only be trampled by the strong, their cries unheard.

"Hah… what a fascinating world."

Fuma's thoughts stopped drifting as an uncontrollable desire, almost a greedy hunger, erupted from within his flesh, influencing his mind.

The scent wafting off Satori made Fuma's bones tremble with excitement. It was a visceral urge, so powerful that even Fuma, with his mastery of self-control, struggled to suppress it. The desire to consume burned stronger and stronger within him.

"I think you've mistaken me for someone else."

Fuma licked his lips, his gaze fixed on Satori's massive black wings, eyes gleaming with a terrifying bloodlust.

"If I can break through the limits of my flesh and freely reshape my body, then the void within me can finally be filled."

The [Earthly Furnace] pulsed hungrily, the words twisting and contorting as they danced in joy.

At this moment, Satori, in Fuma's eyes, resembled a slab of fat, juicy pork, exuding an irresistible aroma.

Satori, too, grinned wide, drooling excessively. Though it had no eyes, it could sense the emotions and desires of all living beings.

Fuma's greed for its body was heard loud and clear, and Satori found it amusing.

"A mere human dares to think of devouring me? The stupidity of mankind truly knows no bounds!"

"Kehehehehehe!"

"Such overwhelming greed… Have you lost faith in your own power, Indra?"

"Now that you've fallen so low, give me your strength. I'll conquer this world in your stead!"

With a mighty screech, Satori's powerful wings rose high, sending a flurry of black feathers raining down on Fuma.

*Swish swish swish swish swish!*

*Ding ding ding ding ding ding ding!*

The steel-like feathers clashed against Fuma's flesh with a crisp sound before tumbling weakly to the ground.

Satori looked utterly confused, as if a massive question mark had appeared above its head.

"Has Indra gone insane? How did he turn into such a poor fighter after all these centuries? He's nothing like Asura!"

Fuma felt the impact of the black feathers and couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"This attack doesn't even compare to Minato's Rasengan. It wouldn't even make for a good back scratch. A child's ninjutsu would be stronger!"

Far off in Kirigakure, Minato, who was carefully watching Orochimaru dissect a member of the Hōzuki clan, suddenly sneezed.

Shaking his blonde hair, Minato muttered to himself, "I bet Fuma's thinking about me again… Heh heh."

While the black feathers weren't particularly weak, compared to Fuma, who had just withstood a Chibaku Tensei and a Shinra Tensei, they felt like child's play.

"Is this supposed to tickle?"

Fuma grinned viciously as his muscles twisted and his body began to change once again.

"The Box of Ultimate Bliss may be clouding my judgment, but this power… feels amazing!"

With a ferocious roar, Fuma finally unleashed himself, no longer strictly controlling the transformation of his flesh, allowing his body to revel in the freedom of change.

Within the Box, the air was thick with negative energy. Rather than absorbing it cautiously, Fuma decided to indulge, swallowing it whole.

His flesh, previously black-gold due to the high compression of his muscles, now darkened to a blood-red hue as the negative energy merged with his blood.

His body no longer resembled that of a human. A thick tail sprouted from his tailbone, and his hands began to harden, transforming into sharp claws.

Satori laughed wildly, already tasting its impending victory.

"Even Indra can't resist the Box of Ultimate Bliss! Once trapped in this state, you'll eventually become my nourishment!"

For centuries, the souls devoured by the Box of Ultimate Bliss had all been assimilated, reduced to mere puppets. But Satori misunderstood the situation. This wasn't a matter of assimilation—it was a contest between two predators.

In the confined battlefield of the Box, only one being would leave with its consciousness intact.

Fuma's entire being seemed to have embraced the power of the Box, but deep down, he still retained his sense of reason.

His instincts were honed not for surrender but for survival.

"You want me to submit? Fool. If anything, I'll be the one doing the devouring!"

Satori's mind finally began to grasp the true horror standing before it.

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