N-A-A Chapter 160 A Choice That Remains Unchanged
Chapter 160 A Choice That Remains Unchanged
Chapter 160 A Consistent Choice
"Give them a new life, give them bones and flesh, and let them struggle, suffer, and make choices within your script"—
They were shaped by you, and they also have their own lives.
"And now, this independent existence is their way of giving back to you the truth."
At this point, a meaningful smile appeared on Yuan Tuoye's lips, and his eyes, gleaming with an unusual light, were fixed on Yuan Tuoye's true form.
"So," he said, his voice carrying a hint of amusement, yet also like a heavy blow.
"What do you plan to do? Are you going to follow in the footsteps of Naruto Uzumaki, the prophetic child, and stage a heart-wrenching reconciliation? To embrace these beings you 'created' and then abandoned with love and understanding?"
Yuan Tuoye abruptly turned his head, his sharp gaze piercing the self that had asked the question like an ice pick, and then let out a short, mocking laugh.
"Since you understand me, don't you know perfectly well what my choices and my path are?"
His voice was cold and hard, without a trace of hesitation.
As he finished speaking, his gaze returned to the few people struggling in the mist, gradually solidifying.
These are the "works" whose tragic lives he personally determined and shaped.
In the depths of Yuan Tuoye's eyes lay a frozen ice field, devoid of any emotional ripples or the shadow of guilt.
Yes. Their birth stemmed from his will, and their suffering was forged by his own hand.
However, for the ultimate path he had chosen, which was beyond question, he had long since crushed the emotion called guilt.
At this moment, what blocks his path, whether it is the phantom of the past or another "self," is nothing more than thorns that need to be cut down.
His gaze was resolute, unwavering.
The icy waterfall roared like the drums of a silent standoff.
Above the deep pool, the water ripples like a mirror.
When Yuan Tuoye's cold question fell, the projection opposite him, which looked exactly like him, fell into a brief silence.
Then, that familiar face curled into a self-deprecating smile, and he silently shook his head.
Yuan Tuoye's emotions remained completely unmoved.
Yuan Tuoye knew exactly what the other party was thinking.
Reconciliation? Letting go? That's the path for people like Naruto Uzumaki, not for someone like Takuya Minamoto.
He knew all too well the inadequacy of words. To try and reason with a projection that had grown from the depths of his own soul and carried all the darkness and resentment was simply wishful thinking!
Moreover, he knows himself better than anyone else.
That deep-seated suspicion and vigilance will never be relaxed just because the other party is a part of oneself.
Even if a superficial reconciliation is eventually reached, Gen Takuno will never believe in its sincerity.
How could he be sure that the other party wasn't lying in wait, or waiting for the perfect opportunity for revenge?
To absolutely trust one's own dark side? That's the kind of naivety only Naruto possesses.
Yuan Tuoye's principle is: never give absolute trust to anyone, not even another "self"!
Therefore, the answer has long been obvious, consistent throughout, and has never changed: complete erasure!
Simply sealing memories? That's not safe enough; hidden dangers remain.
Erasing this memory directly? That's not the best approach either.
Memory is like words etched on the surface of water. Even if the words are erased, the ripples and traces of their existence remain and will eventually reappear at some point.
Only by thoroughly eradicating all traces—the imprints of existence, the remnants of emotions, the imprints of the subconscious—and then finally forgetting them, can one truly achieve a perfect solution.
Now is the time to use the miraculous power of this real waterfall to penetrate and manifest the soul, and to achieve this ultimate reckoning!
Yuan Tuoye's will is like an invisible flame, aiming to burn the very foundations of these projections, along with the soil from which they grow, into nothingness!
The water churned violently, and the figures, filled with the pain and distortion of Yuan Tuoye's life, finally solidified completely.
"It was Uchiha Obito who spoke first," his last remaining three-tomoe Sharingan fixed on Minamoto no Takuya, his malevolence almost overflowing.
"So it's you—the one who controls our puppet-like, hopeless lives?"
Yuan Tuoye's eyes were devoid of any warmth as he swept over these enemies, born from his own darkness, his voice as cold as a blade slicing through ice.
"Enough with the nonsense. One at a time, or—all at once?"
Since there's no intention to reconcile, there's absolutely no need to talk to the other party; it's just a waste of time.
Before the last syllable had faded, Gaara's figure had already transformed into a furious crimson shadow, rushing towards Minamoto Takuno with an unprecedented sense of power!
This overwhelming power, far surpassing what he possessed in life, drove him to the brink of madness. With it, he was certain that he could, and had to, kill the source of everything that was controlling him!
Yuan Tuoye didn't even lift his eyelids, as if he had already expected it.
Faced with the violent impact carrying the force of wind and sand, he simply twisted his waist and turned his hips, and unleashed a simple yet powerful punch that gathered all his strength!
"Bang! Boom!!!"
The moment their fists collided, the explosion was deafening!
The mirror-like pool of water beneath their feet shattered as if a massive bomb had been dropped into it!
Towering waves surged skyward, transforming into a torrential downpour.
The violent force rebounded, and both Minamoto no Takuya and Gaara were forced back several steps, leaving deep ravines in the water beneath their feet.
Yuan Tuoye shook his slightly numb wrist, his eyes sharp.
As expected, under the rules of mind-body projection, the opponent was indistinguishable from his original self in terms of pure physical strength, achieving a perfect replication.
However, equal strength does not necessarily mean equal odds of winning!
The foundation of Gen Takuno's absolute confidence in being able to fight against many was incredibly clear:
Since they exist independently, it proves that the seal on their memories has not failed. His current memories only show that he used their experiences to activate his Sharingan, but he does not know their specific experiences.
Their composition must be based solely on those sealed memories, so although their appearance is similar to his, they retain more of the appearances they had in the illusion.
Moreover, if Gaara had mastered all of his power, the punch he used to kill him would inevitably contain superhuman strength!
Therefore, in this situation...
The ninjutsu that these projections can perform is limited to the information used to construct the illusion.
That is, techniques that Gen Takuno himself truly possesses or that exist in his understanding.
Among them are real ninjutsu that he actually mastered, as well as illusions that he knew the concepts of but did not learn, or even completely fabricated.
There is absolutely no way they could learn techniques that don't even exist in Gen Takuno's memory bank out of thin air in the illusion!
Even if it appears to be displayed, it is nothing more than a false illusion created by delusion, all show and no substance, and easily defeated.
Just as Gaara clashed with Minamoto no Takuya, the others also stopped hesitating.
Although they weren't overwhelmed by madness like Gaara, their hatred for the "real person" who controlled their lives and brought them endless despair and pain was just as deep-seated.
Sasuke Uchiha and Obito Uchiha almost instinctively wanted to use their ocular techniques, which they were so proud of in their previous lives.
Amaterasu"! Divine power"!
However, the moment they activated their chakra, a cold, stagnant sensation suddenly gripped their eyes!
The expected power did not emerge; the Sharingan remained at the three-tomoe state, without even the slightest sign of advancement!
If Yuan Tuoye could see the turmoil in their hearts, he would probably only respond with a cold laugh.
He himself hasn't even awakened the Mangekyou Sharingan yet, so how could these copies, which originated from his mental projection, possibly possess power that even he, the original source, couldn't touch? Wouldn't that be a fundamental denial of his existence?
The initial shock was like being doused with ice water, but what followed was a deeper sense of resolve and madness.
Sasuke Uchiha and Obito Uchiha instantly realized the huge deficiency in their own abilities.
Unable to use the Mangekyou Sharingan—this means that even if they join forces, they probably won't be able to shake Minamoto Takuno in the slightest.
But so what?
The only outcome is death!
Their lives, manipulated by invisible threads, beyond their control, and ultimately leading to tragedy, have long been described in the phrase "..."
In the script of the "past," did you die once?
This time, it's just dragging the source down with us, so we can die again!
With the resolve to die, the two figures shot off like arrows, joining the battle and attacking the solitary figure standing proudly on the water.
On the other side of the battlefield, just as the memory experience entity appearing in the form of "Kakashi Hatake" and another memory entity that also did not belong to the Naruto world were about to rush to the battlefield to support their comrades, a figure carrying a chilling killing intent suddenly blocked their path.
"Your opponent is me." A deep and oppressive voice rang out, and a reflection of Gen Takuya, a replica of a real waterfall, stood proudly, carrying all of Gen Takuya's memories.
The obsession with power and arrogance in his eyes were exactly the same as the original.
Even if it is just a memory, the pursuit of supreme power rooted deep in the soul is just as fervent.
In his eyes, the two memory entities that were trying to interfere with the battle were nothing more than another stumbling block on his path to becoming stronger.
A sneer curled at the corner of his lips: "Ha, they're nothing more than tools for me to broaden my horizons and gain experience. They dare to dream of possessing independent personalities and daring to stand on the battlefield?"
"Yuan Tuoye's" sarcasm was like a cold, sharp blade: "If it weren't for the power of this real waterfall, would you even be qualified to stand alone before me? Wishful thinking!"
A strong sense of self-confidence surged within him.
Even without the special environment of a real waterfall, given enough time, his powerful will and mental strength would be enough to completely suppress and tame these chaotic memories within him.
To allow these fragments of memory to develop into an independent consciousness or personality? That would undoubtedly be the most complete denial of his very existence!
Now, all he and his "have to do is save time!"
In an instant, the flames of war ignited. A seemingly lopsided duel between two against five erupted!
However, the numerical disadvantage did not translate into a disadvantage in the battle.
The real Takuno Minamoto and his memory image Takuno Minamoto, when they joined forces, unleashed an overwhelming fighting force.
The reason is simple: those memory entities opposite, bearing the faces of "Gaara", "Obito Uchiha", and "Sasuke Uchiha", have the same bodies as them, but they don't know how to truly call upon or control the power hidden within these bodies!
The real Gen Takuno's eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, instantly capturing the crimson three-tomoe Sharingan in Gaara's eyes spinning wildly.
A chill ran through him: "We must finish this quickly!"
The longer time drags on, the more likely these memories are to gradually comprehend and uncover the terror of this body during battle.
If they were to gain complete control—the consequences would be unimaginable!
In the blink of an eye, Yuan Tuoye's body erupted with dazzling blue and white light!
The raging lightning chakra, like a thousand snakes dancing wildly, instantly condensed into a tangible protective lightning armor, which exploded outwards with destructive energy.
The three memory units that were hit first were violently knocked away by the raging lightning and stumbled backward in a sorry state.
Gaara and the other two steadied themselves, their three pairs of crimson Sharingan eyes locking onto Minamoto Takuno.
The iconic tomoe were spinning rapidly as they tried to use the Sharingan's super-strong copying ability to claim this incredibly powerful lightning release technique for themselves!
"Naive!" Yuan Tuoye sneered inwardly.
How could the Sharingan easily replicate the "Lightning Release Chakra Mode," a secret technique passed down in Kumogakure?
It is not only a subtle manipulation of chakra form changes, but also involves a deep integration of the limits of human endurance and chakra nature changes.
Even though this body has adapted to the rage of lightning, without the corresponding fine control, forcibly driving this raging lightning is tantamount to setting oneself on fire!
as predicted!
Gaara and the other two followed suit, and as soon as they drew their Lightning Release chakra to their bodies, the violent power instantly went out of control like a wild horse!
A tingling, numbing sensation swept through their bodies, their muscles instantly tensing and stiffening. The three of them froze in their movements, revealing a fatal weakness.
"So, it's best not to use things that aren't yours." A cold, mocking voice rang out behind Uchiha Obito like a ghost.
Obito Uchiha's pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints! Even the Sharingan's superhuman dynamic vision failed to fully capture the opponent's ghostly figure!
"How is this possible—" The thought of horror had just arisen.
"Wood Release: Wood Splintering Technique!" Genji Takuno's hand had already casually landed on his shoulder.
puff!
Countless sharp, blood-soaked wooden spikes, like the most cruel hell of thorns, erupted instantly from Uchiha Obito's body!
He didn't even have time to scream before his body was completely pierced and torn apart.
Only in his final moments, as consciousness faded, did Obito Uchiha realize with a start, amidst the excruciating pain: "This body—it can actually use Wood Release directly?"
He previously relied on transplanted Hashirama cells to use Wood Release, but here, he can't feel the presence of those cells in his body at all.
Without the assistance of White Zetsu, he never even considered trying to use Wood Release, focusing solely on the Uchiha's signature Fire Release technique.
Unfortunately, this belated realization is already meaningless.