CHAPTER 674: NARUTO-KUN LOCKED IN A DARK ROOM

"Of course you’d refuse, huh?"

"Not going to reconsider? These conditions are tempting enough."

Naruto’s refusal was already within Lux’s expectations.

This world’s number-one mouth jutsu master, who could even sway the resolute Obito with his words, wouldn’t be Uzumaki Naruto if he could easily change his convictions. And he’d never have become the Child of Prophecy in Shippuden.

"I know!"

"But even if I agreed, the other villages would never consent. Unifying the entire world would definitely spark a war."

"Once war breaks out, there’ll be countless deaths."

"Sorry, I can’t do it!"

"I can’t actively attack other villages—they’re innocent..."

This was the logic of Naruto’s character. Unless they were enemies, he’d never harm others, especially not friends. No matter how tempting the conditions, he wouldn’t do it!

"Reality isn’t as beautiful as dreams. You don’t want to hurt others, but others might not hesitate to hurt you."

"Or do you think other villages and nations can withstand Jigen and the Kara organization’s attacks?"

"Or do you want to regret it after Jigen kills Sasuke, Boruto, and the others?"

Lux continued to provoke Naruto, preparing to ignite his spirit one last time.

"No! I’ll never let that happen!"

"Oh? Never? Like the grand promise you made to Nagato? Did you keep it? With you trapped here now, what can you do?"

Those words struck Naruto’s heart like a sledgehammer. As an adult, he’d long understood that the world wasn’t as beautiful as he’d hoped. Often, he was powerless...

"..."

"Then let’s change the question. Between your family and friends or foreign villages and nations, which would you choose?"

Lux delivered his final, lethal blow. This was the purpose of letting Nagato negotiate with Naruto earlier—to make Naruto realize the gap between reality and dreams, forcing him to choose between two extreme options.

Choose to unify the world and protect Konoha, or give up everything and sit idly as Jigen destroys it all.

Hearing this, Naruto’s brows furrowed deeply, his heart involuntarily surging with turmoil. Even Kurama inside him urged him to agree. Kurama didn’t care much for humans, nations, or villages—he only wanted Naruto to live in peace.

But after careful consideration, Naruto ultimately refused:

"Lord, I still can’t agree!"

"If my happiness and Konoha’s safety must be built on my friends’ suffering, I’ll never agree!"

"A Naruto like that isn’t worthy of being a ninja and is no different from Jigen and the others!"

In Naruto’s heart, his family and village were far more important. But to protect his own village by attacking others, betraying Gaara, Kurotsuchi, and the comrades who fought together in the Fourth Great Ninja War—this was something Naruto absolutely couldn’t do!

"Uzumaki Naruto, you’re still the same as ever."

"Sigh... If that’s the case, I won’t force you." Lux sighed, truly giving up on using mouth jutsu on Naruto.

Though he knew the chances were slim, Naruto was still Naruto! His stubborn, unwavering convictions were nearly impossible to change with external matters or incentives.

Sometimes, Lux genuinely wondered if Naruto had long been under a permanent Kotoamatsukami genjutsu. Otherwise, how could he be so good and stubborn?

This trait had its pros and cons. Naruto’s firm convictions shielded him from external malice, earning him the village’s recognition and the Hokage title. But it also made him reject changes that could benefit the village, keeping the world in an abnormal balance-of-power pattern among great nations.

Of course, if one day he truly saw Konoha destroyed or his family killed, Naruto might change, like his rage during Pain’s invasion. But Lux didn’t have the time or energy to alter Naruto’s will or act as a villain behind the scenes, orchestrating a disaster to destroy Konoha.

Even if Naruto changed, losing a major power like Konoha would only complicate world unification afterward.

Wouldn’t that just create more problems?

So, forget it. If Naruto wasn’t suitable, he’d switch to another agent. Lux had never insisted on choosing Naruto.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

"Lord, I’ve disappointed you."

Naruto felt a bit ashamed. After all, he couldn’t agree to Lux’s request, making him feel like he’d received something for free. But there were certain lines he’d never cross.

"It’s fine."

"If you were so easily persuaded, you probably wouldn’t be Uzumaki Naruto."

Naruto scratched his head awkwardly, chuckling:

"Hehe, I can’t help it. I couldn’t convince myself!"

"By the way, when are we leaving this place, Lord?"

Jigen’s threat still loomed, Sasuke was gravely injured, and the village was at its weakest and most dangerous moment. Naturally, Naruto was anxious to leave and return to Konoha.

Facing Naruto’s question, Lux only gave a faint smile.

"Leaving soon."

"But you’ll have to stay here for a while."

"What?!!!"

ミﾟДﾟ彡

Naruto was stunned again.

What did that mean? Lux wasn’t taking him out?

"I’ll leave you some food and visit you again later." Lux waved his hand, leaving Naruto a stack of instant ramen cups and fresh water, enough to sustain him for a while.

Then, Lux activated teleportation, vanishing from the spot.

"Lord, wait!"

"We can talk more!"

Naruto slapped his thigh. If he’d known refusing Lux meant staying trapped, he’d have considered it more. He thought that even if he refused, Lux would take him back to Konoha, where he could discuss with Sasuke and the others or find a way to face Jigen together.

Unfortunately, he had no chance to regret it now. He could only stare blankly at the pile of instant ramen on the ground.

But soon, Naruto regained his spirit. He hurriedly gathered the food and water, then prepared to try breaking the sealing jar holding him. Even if he failed, he had to stay alive, wait for rescue, or for Lux’s next visit, or gather strength to face Jigen’s next attack!

In short, for the village, he couldn’t stay down!

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

*WHOOSH!*

Lux appeared outside the sealing jar, which returned to its normal size.

No choice—Naruto refused to unify the world, so the best approach now was to keep him in the sealing jar. Otherwise, if Lux saved him, whether he later supported Konoha or another force, Naruto would be a major obstacle.

Lux’s original intent wasn’t to kill Naruto, so keeping him calm in the sealing jar was best. He’d already freed him from his restraints and left food.

Naruto wouldn’t starve anytime soon, so there was basically no need to worry. When Lux chose a force to align with, completed Parallel World 7’s unification, or had other needs, it wouldn’t be too late to save Naruto.

Just then, a fierce questioning voice rang out:

"Who are you?!!!"

At that moment, beside the shrunken sealing jar, Boro, a Kara member ordered by Jigen to stand guard, sensed Lux’s sudden presence.

He didn’t know Lux and couldn’t sense any chakra aura from him. But this person appeared out of nowhere and was floating in the air, making Boro inexplicably uneasy, far from the arrogance he showed when fighting Boruto and the others.

"Did Jigen send you to guard this place?" Lux glanced at Boro, completely uninterested in him.

"Who are you really? How did you get in here?"

"I’m taking this sealing jar—"

Before Lux finished, the sealing jar beside Boro vanished, taken into Lux’s Dimensional Cloth Bag.

If he left the sealing jar there, Team Boruto might actually rescue Naruto. If things followed the original plot, it wouldn’t benefit his world unification, and Kurama inside Naruto might not survive either...

"Bastard! Where did you take the sealing jar? Give it back!"

Seeing the sealing jar he was guarding disappear, Boro panicked, leaping high to attack Lux.

Lux didn’t even bother looking at him.

With a slight thought, a giant palm made of pure chakra appeared out of thin air, then slammed down.

The massive chakra palm, hundreds of meters wide, fell like a meteor, compressing layers of air with such speed that Boro had no time to react or escape.

*BOOM!!!*

The giant palm struck Boro hard into the ground, causing a deafening roar and shocking tremors. The hard gray rocky terrain sank deeply, even forming a giant handprint!

Soon after.

The chakra palm vanished, revealing a pile of mangled flesh in the center of the handprint crater. With one slap, Boro was killed instantly, his body reduced to mush, his regeneration core shattered!

What use was a regeneration core or scientific ninja tools? Against pure Six Paths-level violence, they meant nothing.

If Naruto and Sasuke had come, dealing with Boro would’ve been a matter of one Susano’o strike or a swipe of Kurama’s tail. Let alone Lux, whose power surpassed even Kaguya in her prime.

After dealing with Boro, Lux took out another empty sealing jar, tossing it in place, pretending Naruto had been rescued. After all, it was also a sealing jar from another dimension—male or female, Jigen wouldn’t know the difference. He’d only assume Konoha had saved Naruto.

After that, Lux left this alternate dimension, preparing to find the next suitable target to support.