I will now name the successor to Ninshu.
The one who shall take over Ninshu will be…
Ashura!
L-Lord Hagoromo!
Why?!
I have nowhere near the skills for Ninshu that Elder Brother has!
The difference is immeasurable!
I've made my decision.
Please tell me why you were dissatisfied with me.
I received word that the village I had left you in charge of
is near destruction.
What? How?!
You didn't forcibly use the Divine Tree to…
Do I look like a fool?
Tell me what you did.
I did the same thing Ashura did.
I gave the people the water they desired…
and dealt with the Divine Tree.
The only difference was that…
I did it alone.
And that drastically affected the result.
After you left,
the villagers fought over water rights and ended up destroying themselves.
Happiness obtained with the easy way never lasts long.
But Ashura labored alongside the people to open up a path.
Hard-earned happiness is difficult to destroy.
Indra, you have a wonderful power known as the Sharingan.
Ashura has matured, but still lacks in power.
Lend him your power going forward and support the growth of Ninshu.
Elder Brother…
The Successor
Why?
Why didn't he choose me?
Exactly!
The one with power rules the world! That's just common sense!
Indra has the power to decide everything!
Let's appeal to Lord Hagoromo again.
We'll support you!
Thanks, both of you.
No need for thanks. We just want to support you.
Yes, just tell us anything that you want us to do!
Really?
This is amazing!
I've never seen such a feast!
Today is the auspicious day the successor of Ninshu was chosen!
Everyone, eat and enjoy to your heart's content!
Let's eat, everyone!
I think we came at a bad time.
Don't worry about it.
To be honest, I'm relieved.
That Ashura was chosen to be the successor.
Ashura's big brother is smart and he's a genius with Ninshu,
but there's a coldness to him.
If he was named successor, I think we'd all be scared of him.
I see.
But Ashura understands a person's pain.
He's a bit dense, but this last journey really matured him.
Enough to make you fall in love with him
and follow him all the way here.
W-What're you saying?!
You're blushing.
You idiot!
Ouch!
Really…
Hey, where is Ashura anyway?
Ashura…
You're not satisfied?
Yes.
Indra has changed…
It's because of the Sharingan.
Sharingan?
Everyone who sees Sharingan is overwhelmed by its power.
And that happened way before Indra realized it.
That's how powerful Indra's Sharingan is.
That power stopped Indra from understanding how others feel…
And in the end, it closed his heart.
But you are different.
You understand the human heart.
That is why you enhanced Ninshu with love.
And that nurtured trust among people, created bonds and friendship.
Friendship?
A bond is only created after sharing hardship together.
A bond overflows with love and compassion.
As long as there are bonds, Ninshu will not be used for evil.
However, power without bonds will bring about calamity in the world.
Ashura…
Join forces with your brother and spread the bonds of Ninshu.
Father…
From this moment onward, I entrust my power to you.
Ashura!
Where did he go?
What is that?!
W-What is it?
Kanna! Are you all right?
Yes…
What just happened?
Elder Brother!
Indra…
What is the meaning of this?
Why?
Why didn't you choose me as your successor?
It isn't power that controls Ninshu, but love.
That is what I have decided.
Love? There is no need for love!
During my journey,
like Ashura, I searched for the villagers' pain.
But ultimately, the villagers ended up relying on my power.
The weak revered me as their king and wanted my power.
Ashura was lacking.
That is why he found it necessary to get the cooperation of others.
But I'm different!
I don't need the help of the weak.
I can use my power and I can establish total order!
A world completely devoid of conflict!
That's just like my mother, Kaguya…
Especially those with power, must never forget the human heart.
People cannot progress as swiftly as you can.
Those who cannot walk at the same pace
can only fear power that has no bond.
People will not support governance through fear.
Then I shall force them to obey.
Please stop, Elder Brother!
You would have given your life to protect me.
That's how kind you once were!
Ashura… I am no longer that man.
I cannot return to being him.
Indra…
Your eyes!
We just want to support you.
Yes, just tell us anything that you want us to do!
Really? Thank you, both of you.
Indra… Why?!
Forgive me…
Whenever I lose the ones closest and dear to me…
my Sharingan evolves.
Indra! So you've stooped that low…
Please stop! I don't want to fight you, Elder Brother!
Oh…fight me?
You've become quite brave, Ashura!
You really think you can take me on?
What?!
A-Amazing!
That's the result of his training!
You've become quite brave, Ashura!
But it's not enough to beat me!
Here I come.
This is power!
Ashura?!
Father! Everyone!
Join forces!
You have the audacity to point your blade at me?
The powerless can band together, but it means nothing.
Father, let me perform the last rites for your fragile ideals!
It's over!
Elder Brother!
This is…
The power of the Six Paths!
You inherited it?
Ridiculous!
Everyone, lend Ashura your power!
Father!
Ashura, chakra is a power that can link the hearts of many!
Everyone!
I feel it…I can feel… everyone's…
…power!
What?!
What is this?
Elder Brother!
Ashura!
This is…
…the power of our bond!
Elder Brother!
Stay away!
Ashura…
I will never…
acknowledge Ninshu…or you!
Elder Brother…
Soon after that,
I heard rumors that Indra established a sect of Ninjutsu that idealized power.
I recorded the misfortune that the Sharingan brings about
in the stone tablet.
However, Zetsu took advantage of it
and seems to have been a total waste.
Ashura…
It seems my time in this world is coming to an end.
Father!
- Father! - Grandpa!
I was not able to guide this world well…
That's not true!
We'll pass on your will to many, many people through Ninshu, Father!
But I leave behind some who will not…
Indra came by last night.
Is that you, Indra?
Have you come to kill me?
There's no need for me to do that anymore.
I came here
to end the future of this hell disguised as Ninshu.
You have always feared the power of my grandmother.
And instead of trying to understand this enormous power,
you merely ran from it…
using love and bonds as a shield.
Your selfish misconception will mar the future of Ninshu
with wars and calamities.
Until I destroy Ashura and his brethren,
and wipe out Ninshu from the face of this world,
I have no intention of ever stopping my fight.
Until I accomplish this,
my soul will reincarnate and fight, however long it takes!
Forgive me.
Father, please be at peace.
If Elder Brother's soul will reincarnate over and over again, so shall mine.
Ashura… I entrust the future of this world…
…to you and your descendants…
Father!
Lord Hagoromo!
- Father! - Grandpa!
And as Indra warned,
the battle between them waged on,
never-ending, over and over again.
These battles took the lives of many comrades and kin on both sides.
Hate begat hate, and it reached a point of no return.
The fighting continued even after Ashura and Indra died
to the numerous reincarnates of their souls.
To you, Senju Hashirama, and Madara Uchiha…
and now, to Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha.
Everyone…
You must do everything in your power to save Naruto and Sasuke.
I have implicit faith
that these two will find the true solution
to this fate of the shinobi that has continued for so long.
There's only one S-rank mission that we can do, ya know?
Nothing good happened and we messed up before,
but it's a mission that only we can do!
This is getting interesting…
I'm getting kind of excited for this!
Next time on Naruto Shippuden: "A Special Mission"
All right! Let's begin the mission!
A SPECIAL MISSION
Tune in again!