Naruto: Naruto's Uchiha girlfriend is too arrogant

Chapter 644 Mai's Truth

Space was gradually restored to its original state. The gray earth returned to the scorched earth of Konoha ruins, and the huge white planet in the sky slowly faded away, revealing the black night behind it, stained orange-red by the flames of war.

A breeze returned to the air, carrying the acrid smell of burning and the fresh scent of vegetation lingering in the distant forest, a result of Hashirama's Wood Release. The world had returned to its familiar shape.

Mai Uzumaki has deactivated her Ten-Tails Jinchuriki mode. Her long white hair has also returned to its original golden color from the roots.

She transformed back into the ordinary Mai Uzumaki, lying helplessly on the ground, her chest rising and falling slightly, her golden twin tails scattered among the rubble.

Naruto Uzumaki stepped forward.

"Get away from me! Don't touch her!!"

A burst of crimson chakra suddenly exploded violently from Mai's body. The chakra carried an intense hatred and malice that was so strong it was almost tangible, and condensed into a ferocious fox head above Mai's body.

The chakra phantom of the Yin Nine-Tails opened its blood-red maw, and wave after wave of crimson chakra energy rushed towards Naruto, attempting to use its last strength to force back the human who was approaching its host.

"...Stop wasting your time, Nine-Tails."

Mai's voice suddenly rang out, so calm that she was completely different from the one who had just roared "Impossible" in the alternate dimension.

"This time, I have completely lost."

"...Let's get started."

Mai remained lying on the ground, neither getting up nor defending herself, and she had not even mustered any more chakra.

"Let's end this. According to the rules of the world, the loser should suffer the consequences of being a loser."

Naruto was silent for a moment, then squatted down beside her. He looked down at this person who shared the same face as him, yet had taken a completely different path, and at her eyes that showed no fear or pleading, only a calm acceptance of her fate.

"Can you tell me why you're so desperately searching for any power you can obtain?"

Mai's eyes widened slightly for a moment. She clearly hadn't expected this question. She thought he would just take action, give her a quick death, or worse—look at her with that pitying look she hated most, and say something like, "You didn't have to do this."

She remained silent for a long time. Then, a slight smile appeared on her lips, a bitter one.

"...I once lived in another world, as another person."

"No one can understand it. The world I live in is actually a story in a book. Who would believe that? I don't believe it, but reality forces me to."

Her fingers twitched slightly. "But even if I can't believe it, it's no use. I never thought I could come back to this world, back to the world I was supposed to be in."

"So after I confirmed that all of this was real, I did something. I used everything in that world's memories to try out every possible way to gain power. These things are legendary secrets in other people's eyes, answers that others can't find in a lifetime, but I don't need to look for them. I know where they are, I just need to go and get them."

"Children of destiny? Don't be ridiculous. In less than twenty years, destiny will have completely abandoned us."

"In less than twenty years, those beings will descend from the heavens, and when that time comes, what will our world's chosen ones rely on to stop them? The Will of Fire?"

"...Just as I thought. You're afraid of the Otsutsuki."

"fear?"

Mai repeated the word, then laughed self-deprecatingly, "Pretty much. I know very well that if I continue to follow the conventional path, I will be abandoned by fate. So I made a decision."

"I will become a ninja who surpasses the Sage of Six Paths. I will unify the ninja world. Then, using all resources, all power, and all available forces, I will take control of my own life. I cannot entrust my fate to this world; this world has abandoned me. Why should I believe it will automatically lead me to the right future?"

"You possess the power of the Sage of Six Paths."

Naruto slowly began, "But I don't think he'll approve of your behavior. It seems that this is why the Sage of Six Paths hid the other half of the Nine-Tails from the Shinigami."

"That's right." Mai didn't deny it, but her tone was more disdainful and sarcastic. "In my opinion, the strongest people of the previous generation were all incredibly naive and laughable. The Sage of Six Paths hid half of the Nine-Tails simply because he didn't want to start another war, trying to stop me from unifying the ninja world."

"But he doesn't understand that this is the path we must take. I will not repeat the mistakes of the First Hokage. The First Hokage divided the Tailed Beasts to maintain balance, believing that people could understand each other. But what happened? After he died, the Fourth Shinobi World War broke out immediately. Only through unification can we gather the world's strength to fight against those who will eventually descend from space. The First Hokage's method failed, and the Six Paths' method also failed, so I will use my own method."

After listening, Naruto let out a soft sigh.

"...Phew. I see."

He stood up, turned around, and prepared to leave.

"Then good luck. I've already built a pure land in this world, and you're not the kind of person who would kill innocent people indiscriminately. I hope you can stay true to yourself."

Then his footsteps began to fade into the distance.

...What is this guy saying?

Mai Uzumaki lay on the ground, her eyes, which she had closed in anticipation of death, suddenly opened again.

For the first time, a completely incomprehensible expression appeared on her usually cold face. What did "Good luck" mean? What did "Stay true to yourself" mean?