Chapter 37: Chapter 37(Bonus Chapter)

As soon as Hashirama passed away, the other nations were ready to strike, and war resumed. The only difference from the Warring States Period was that the multi-party melee had evolved into the current Five Great Nations chaos.

If Hashirama had heeded Madara's warnings and unified the ninja world with absolute strength, perhaps the current state of affairs in the ninja world would have been different.

***

Kaito frowned deeply. With Asura's Chakra affecting him, he couldn't resolve this internal conflict within Naruto. Sighing in frustration, he turned to the system for assistance.

"System, is there a way to isolate Asura's influence on Naruto?"

[Scanning Naruto's body attributes...]

Name: Naruto

Bloodline: Advanced Immortal Human Body (Evolvable)

Ninjutsu: Three Body Jutsu (basic);...

Chakra: Early stage of Genin (quality), early stage of Jonin (quantity)

Combat Strength Assessment: Genin

Special Items: Asura Chakra Group (requires the power of the Six Paths of Yang to activate, granting initial strength of the Six Paths); Nine Tails (Incomplete) (requires Nine Tails' approval, granting mid-tier Kage strength)

[Located the Asura Chakra group. Extract?]

"This simple?" Kaito raised his eyebrows. "Extract!"

[Starting extraction...]

The white areas of the spiritual space were soon covered with a faint golden layer. On closer inspection, Kaito saw they were very thin gold threads, which quickly spread toward them. In moments, a fist-sized golden light chakra formed in front of Kaito.

[Extraction complete!]

"Impressive!" Kaito smirked.

Naruto, watching in amazement, couldn't help but ask, "What is this?!"

"This," Kaito explained, "is a special energy within you. If you absorb it, you can instantly surpass the strength of a Kage!"

"Really?!" Naruto's eyes lit up. "If I absorb this, will I be able to become Hokage and make everyone in the village recognize me?!"

Kaito smiled and shook his head. "We'll talk about that later. First, I want to ask you again: do you hate the villagers who despised and bullied you since childhood?"

Naruto was puzzled, thinking he had already answered this. As he prepared to repeat his answer, a new thought emerged. His expression became a mix of sunny and dark, showing his internal conflict.

"It's strange, I didn't hate them before, but now I really want to teach them a lesson! I even want to...kill them !"

Kaito smiled. "Don't be surprised; this is your true feeling."

"True feeling?" Naruto frowned, confused.

Kaito nodded. "This golden light chakra improves your talent and potential but also alters your will. The harsh treatment you endured should have turned you dark, yet you remained kind. That's because this chakra influenced you, erasing your true emotions and replacing them with its thoughts."

Naruto was speechless, the concept too complex for him.

"You are still young," Kaito said. "You don't need to ponder such deep questions. Just know that from now on, you are the real Naruto! Your thoughts are your own."

Naruto was still confused. "If I am me now, who was I before?"

"A puppet being manipulated," Kaito replied.

Seeing Naruto wanted to ask more, Kaito changed the subject. "Do you want to know your background?"

"Background?" Naruto shook his head, frustrated. "The Third Hokage never told me, and others called me a demon fox or wild child..."

"Then I'll tell you your background now," Kaito smiled.

"Really?!" Naruto's eyes suddenly lit up. "Then who are my parents?"

Kaito thought for a moment and then said, "It's simple—they were famous, but also stupid people!"

"Huh?" Naruto's mouth twitched. "What kind of answer is that?"

Kaito looked at him meaningfully and said, "It's better if you see for yourself."

Then, Kaito's eyes turned into a Sharingun, pulling Naruto into a world of illusion.

In the illusion, Kaito perfectly presented the original Nine-Tails Rebellion in front of Naruto, based on his past life's memory and his experiences in this life.

While Naruto watched, Kaito began studying the Asura Chakra group in front of him.

Looking at the chakra group in front of him, Kaito activated the system again.

"System, can you separate Asura's consciousness from his chakra?"

The system didn't answer, but the golden light group in front of Kaito began to change. Transparent threads started to draw out from the light group, reassembling into a transparent light group next to the golden one.

"Beautiful!" Kaito exclaimed. 

When he first got the system, Uchiha was on the verge of extermination, and Kaito had no time to explore the system's capabilities. But now he could see: it was efficient focused solely on fulfilling his commands, without forcing any tasks. 

"This is the perfect Goldfinger for someone as perfect as me!" Kaito thought smugly.

At that moment, the system sent a notification.

[Remind the host that the creator who maintains the reincarnation of this chakra light group can still observe the movements in the ninja world at this time. Please handle it properly.]

[If this chakra group disappears completely, the creator will notice due to changes in Naruto's body.]

A gleam of light flashed in Kaito's eyes. "So, Otsutsuki Hagoromo has his secrets!"

He asked the system, "If I take and absorb some of Asura's chakra, will the Sage of Six Paths notice the system and me?"

[It does not affect anything. No one can detect the existence of this system, and no one can detect the host's information.]

Satisfied with the answer, Kaito divided Asura's chakra group into two parts, one large and one small. 

Outside, Kaito's body reached out to Naruto, extracting the larger chakra group and holding it in his hand. 

"I'll deal with this later."

Kaito took out a scroll and sealed the chakra group within it.

**

In the spiritual space, Naruto was still immersed in the illusion, and Kaito also started his own arrangements.

First, he placed Asura's will deep within Naruto's spiritual world, securely wrapped by the power of the system. Kaito wasn't worried about any leaks. Then, he used all the sealing techniques he had learned to hide Asura's will, making it nearly impossible for Naruto to find.

With this done, Asura's will would no longer influence Naruto's decisions.

Kaito then looked at the chakra group, now much smaller. He murmured, "You were my childhood idol. If you can be useful to me, I don't mind enhancing your power. But if you oppose me, don't blame me for being ruthless."

"Dad! Mom!" After a long time, Naruto screamed and opened his eyes.

Kaito smiled and asked, "How do you feel after seeing all that?"

Naruto, excitedly, asked, "Really? Is the Fourth Hokage really my father?!"

Kaito nodded. "Yes, you saw it yourself. That was the scene from your birth."

"How could this be? How could this be..." Naruto was dazed. "If my father is the Fourth Hokage, why do the villagers treat me like this?!"

"Because they know nothing! They're just pawns," Kaito sighed and began explaining the events following the Nine-Tails attack.

"When the Nine-Tails attacked Konoha, your parents sealed it in you at the cost of their lives, hoping you'd be a hero loved by the village. But Konoha's top officials didn't want that."

"You were at the perfect age for brainwashing. Competing for control over you, the Third Hokage won and placed you in the Konoha Orphanage. Danzo, who lost, spread rumours that you were the Nine-Tails' incarnation and responsible for your parents' deaths."

"Naturally, the fools in Konoha believed it, leading to your harsh treatment. This suited the Third Hokage's plans perfectly, as making you a pariah would make you his most powerful tool if he showed you any kindness."

Naruto shook his head wildly. "No! It's not true, it's not true!"

He couldn't believe that the Third Hokage, who had shown him kindness, had such intentions.

Seeing this, Kaito spoke firmly, "How long will you deceive yourself? I've removed the influences clouding your judgment. It's time to wake up."

"Hiruzen Sarutobi is the Hokage. If he didn't want your identity known, no one would oppose him. And why hide that you're the Fourth Hokage's son? The power of a Jinchuriki is far more important than a deceased Hokage's child!"

"No! You're lying to me!!" Naruto roared, but deep down, he knew his last belief had crumbled.

At that moment, a violent and dark chakra began to emerge from Naruto's body.

"Kyuubi trying to get out ?" Kaito smirked.

He looked into Naruto's eyes, and his Mangekyou Sharingan activated, bringing them to a place resembling a sewer.

"Tsk tsk tsk! Is this the Nine-Tails?" Kaito looked at the beast behind the bars with arrogance. "Trapped in a cage like rabid animal! How pitiful!"

The Nine-Tails, initially glaring at Kaito, became furious at his words.

"Boy, do you know who you're talking to?!" it roared, sending a massive wave of pressure towards Kaito.

Kaito stretched out his hand and waved dismissively with a look of disgust. "What a big talk!"

"But you are quite strong," he acknowledged, feeling the overwhelming presence emanating from the Nine-Tails.

As the most powerful of the tailed beasts, even half of the Nine-Tails possessed super Kage-level strength. In the original series, this half could still dominate the combined power of the other five tailed beasts.

"Unfortunately for you, today you've met me!" Kaito sneered, his eyes flashing into the Mangekyou Sharingan as he glared directly at the Nine-Tails.

The Nine-Tails recoiled slightly, recognizing the power behind those eyes. "Mangekyou Sharingan? You dare to challenge me with those cursed eyes?"

Kaito smirked, "You're nothing but a caged beast. Let's see how you fare against true power."

With that, he unleashed the full force of his Mangekyou Sharingan, a wave of intense energy crashing towards the Nine-Tails. The beast roared in defiance, but the overwhelming pressure of Kaito's power began to subdue it.

"Submit to me, or face the consequences," Kaito demanded, his voice cold and unwavering.

The Nine-Tails, feeling the weight of Kaito's power, hesitated. For the first time in a long while, the mighty beast felt a pang of fear. It knew it couldn't easily break free from this opponent's control.

After a tense moment, the Nine-Tails lowered its head slightly, a grudging acknowledgement of Kaito's dominance.

"Very well," the Nine-Tails growled. "For now, I will cooperate. But do not think this is a submission. I am merely biding my time."

Kaito smirked, satisfied with the outcome. "That's all I need for now. Remember, your power is mine to command."

With that, he turned his attention back to Naruto, who had been watching the confrontation in awe and confusion.

"Naruto, you now hold the key to immense power. Use it wisely," Kaito said, his tone firm. "And remember, true strength comes not just from power, but from the will to protect those you care about."

Naruto, still processing everything, nodded slowly. "I...I understand."

Kaito smiled slightly. "Good. Now, let's get you back on track to becoming the Hokage you aspire to be."

****