The killing intent, began to waver.
Killing Fox, would indeed preserve secrecy to the greatest extent, but then what?
How to deal with Grey Wolf and Night Owl? Kill them all? What difference would that make from a cold-blooded butcher?
Sora sought power to survive, to control his own destiny, not to become a monster dominated by power and fear.
Leaving them be? They were severely injured in this desert, their outcome would most likely be death too.
Saving them? But Fox had already seen everything, this was a huge risk.
'Take a gamble? Gamble on Fox's character? Gamble that his disappointment with Konoha outweighs his loyalty? Gamble on that bit of 'feeling' he has for me?'
Sora's brain was operating at high speed, weighing the pros and cons.
Fox was a former subordinate of Hatake Sakumo, clearly harboring resentment towards Konoha's higher-ups. His words just now also revealed a clear awareness of Konoha's dark side.
Moreover, if he were truly unwaveringly loyal, his first thought should have been how to relay the intelligence back to the village, not to beg me to spare his teammates.
'More importantly...'
Sora looked at Fox's pale yet calm face, 'I... seem to be having trouble doing it.'
This was not womanly compassion, but an emotional connection born from nearly three years of interaction, a connection that could not be completely erased by cold logic, and trust in Fox's character.
Being decisive in killing was important, but to completely lose one's humanity, to become a machine that only calculates and kills, what would be the point of living then? What difference would it make from a tool?
Just as Sora's inner struggle raged, the cold and savage beast instinct brought by the full Zoan transformation seemed to sense the host's hesitation, surging up fiercely once again, trying to forcibly dominate his will!
That instinct roared and urged madly, to completely eliminate all potential threats before his eyes! Destroy! Leave not a single one!
Sora's massive dragon head suddenly reared up, an intense blue-gold light erupting uncontrollably from deep within his throat!
The terrifying dragon breath aimed at Fox below, on the verge of erupting!
Fox also seemed to sense the lethal energy fluctuation, but he still kept his eyes closed, his brows slightly furrowed, as if merely waiting for the final outcome. Only his tightly clenched right fist revealed a trace of the turmoil within his heart.
'No! It can't be like this!'
Sora's human consciousness screamed wildly, clashing fiercely against that beast instinct!
At the last critical moment, relying on his powerful willpower, Sora forcibly twisted the direction of his dragon head!
Boom!!!
The scorching dragon breath beam almost grazed Fox's body, blasting fiercely onto a spot dozens of meters away, where the Suna-nin youth who had been knocked unconscious by Sora earlier lay motionless in the sand!
At the instant the dragon breath was about to hit the ground, that supposedly unconscious Suna-nin youth suddenly opened his eyes, letting out a furious, despairing, and hateful curse filled with resentment:
"Bastard! Your mother's..."
Boom!!!
His curse was cut short.
Along with the patch of sand where he lay, everything instantly vaporized and vanished under the extreme heat of the dragon breath, leaving nothing behind.
After unleashing this breath, Sora felt much of that savage destructive desire in his heart also vented. The blood-red color in his cold, vertical pupils gradually faded, and reason regained the upper hand.
He glanced coldly at the spot where the Suna-nin youth disappeared, feeling no ripple in his heart.
Such a self-righteous guy, dead is dead, nothing regrettable. Just as well, his death also quenched the killing intent in my heart.
In the air, the light around the Azure Dragon began to slowly withdraw inward, its massive form gradually becoming blurred and transparent.
Sora deactivated the full Zoan transformation.
The blue-gold light dispersed, he returned to human form, landing bare-chested on the sand (don't ask about the pants~), his face appearing somewhat pale.
Sora casually swallowed a handful of soldier pills, then felt the immense, though heavily depleted, power still surging within his body. He recalled the invincible stance from moments ago, after the full Zoan transformation, crushing Toroi and withstanding the Sand Iron World Method.
A thought gradually became clear.
'I seem... to have been overly cautious?'
The reason he had to hide the Azure Dragon Fruit ability like a thief before was because he was weak!
Just like a child holding a gold brick in a bustling market, terrified of being discovered by anyone, because he had no ability to protect himself. Once exposed, it would be a disaster of annihilation.
Back then, even a tiny secret could attract a fatal disaster.
But now?
Sora clenched his fist, feeling the terrifying power contained beneath his muscles.
Although unclear exactly what level he belonged to among the Kage-level, he was confident. If he played all his cards, even if he couldn't defeat someone at the peak level like Sarutobi Hiruzen or the Sannin, dealing with that old schemer Danzo shouldn't be a big problem!
Even if he couldn't win, relying on the Azure Dragon's flight ability and endurance, if he wanted to leave, probably not many could stop him!
Now, he was no longer that weakling who needed to tread carefully, as if on thin ice.
He already possessed the initial power to control his own destiny!
'Moreover...'
Sora's gaze turned towards the direction of Konoha.
He had lived in Konoha for over five years, from the orphanage to the Anbu. On the surface, he was a Konoha ninja of impeccable background. Although originally an outsider orphan, after so many years, Sarutobi Hiruzen's attitude towards him was more about observation, cultivation, and utilization, not necessarily one of forced control or dissection for study.
Although in Sora's eyes Sarutobi Hiruzen was a complex person, having his dark and compromising side, he also had his side of protecting the village and cherishing talent.
The greater the value he displayed, the safer he might actually be.
As long as he didn't openly rebel, staying under the big tree of Konoha could also avoid harassment from other villages.
High risk might also come with high reward.
Most importantly was.
Sora once again turned his gaze towards Fox, who was still waiting for death with closed eyes, and the unconscious Grey Wolf and Night Owl in the distance.
His original intention from the start was simply to survive, to not become an anonymous cannon fodder among the countless ones in the Third Shinobi World War.
What he yearned for was truly controlling his own destiny.
What was truly controlling destiny?
It was absolutely not merely possessing power to crush all beings. It was, when standing at the crossroads of fate, being able to clearly hear the voice within one's own heart, and having the ability, the courage, to follow its choice!
If, in pursuit of that seemingly "absolutely safe" path, he unhesitatingly killed the captain who had shown him kindness and consideration, killed the teammates who trusted him...
What difference would there be between him and those walking corpses consumed by power, dominated by fear?
What difference from those "tools" under Danzo who only knew how to execute orders, devoid of self and emotion?
Even if, relying on such coldness, he reached the pinnacle of the shinobi world in the future, what would remain of such a strongest, aside from the cold and loneliness brought by boundless power?
That was not strength, that was the tragedy of being enslaved by power!
That was absolutely not the outcome he desired.
Power should be a tool to protect one's true heart, to realize one's will, not shackles that in turn dominate the mind.
The path he wanted to walk was one where he could possess power while also guarding his true heart!
A path... belonging only to him, Sora!
Its name was. Where the heart leads, the body follows! Thoughts unimpeded, nothing obstructing!
This is called, following one's heart's desires!
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