Chapter 53

The battlefield lay in eerie silence, save for the ragged breathing of Centurion, barely clinging to consciousness. His once-proud form was now broken, his body shattered under the immense force that had struck him at speeds beyond comprehension. Blood dripped from his lips as he struggled to raise his head, his mind reeling from the sheer absurdity of the situation.

It had been less than a second.

One moment, he had been moving carefully through the shadows, and the next—darkness. A powerful hand had gripped his skull, and before he could even react, he had been slammed into the reinforced ground with such force that the shockwave alone could have flattened a small city. Yet, the land beneath them remained intact. The impact should have reduced the surrounding area to rubble, yet it hadn't.

That meant one thing.

Naruto had enhanced the very ground on a microscopic level.

Centurion coughed violently as his blurry vision slowly adjusted. His gaze finally landed on the figure before him. A towering presence, draped in an armored cloak of swirling golden energy, stood with a quiet, terrifying confidence. Even as he remained still, the power radiating from him was suffocating, pressing down like the weight of an entire world.

Naruto gazed down at him, his usual carefree expression absent, replaced by something unreadable. A hint of satisfaction flickered in his cerulean eyes, as if he were testing his newfound power, and Centurion had been an unwitting test subject.

"You know," Naruto began, his voice calm but carrying the weight of an unstoppable force, "I used to think power came from mastering the biggest things—the largest explosions, the strongest attacks, the most overwhelming techniques. But I was wrong."

He lifted his hand, and Centurion flinched, instinctively expecting another devastating blow. Instead, Naruto simply spread his fingers, allowing his energy to swirl around them in a mesmerizing dance of microscopic precision.

"The answer wasn't in going bigger," Naruto continued, "It was in going smaller. Breaking myself down to my very core, to my cells, my molecules, my atoms. And when I did, I realized something incredible."

Centurion tried to move, but his limbs refused to respond. The pain in his bones told him that they were still shattered. He was completely at Naruto's mercy.

"I rebuilt body enhancement from the ground up," Naruto explained, his voice almost casual, as though he were discussing an interesting discovery rather than a revolutionary transformation. "Before, I was just using chakra to enhance my body at the surface level. But I was blind. I never asked myself—why stop there? Why not go deeper?"

Naruto clenched his fist, and for the first time, Centurion felt the air itself tremble. Not from sheer force, but from the sheer precision of Naruto's control over his own body.

"Right now, I'm only using the cellular stage—fortifying and enhancing my body at a cellular level. It's increased my power by orders of magnitude. My old self wouldn't even be a warm-up anymore. If I optimize this further, I'll hit star-level destruction with just my base form. And when I master the molecular stage…"

Naruto's smirk deepened.

"I might just be able to slap Madara around like a toddler."

Centurion's eyes widened. That was insane. A shinobi—no, a man—talking about star-level power as if it were merely a stepping stone.

The implications sent a shiver down his spine.

Even more terrifying was the realization that Naruto wasn't finished.

"There are still more levels to this," Naruto mused, his voice carrying a hint of excitement. "After molecules, there are atoms. After atoms, there are electrons, protons, and neutrons. And then…"

Naruto's eyes gleamed.

"Quarks. Preons. The fundamental building blocks of existence itself."

Centurion's breath hitched. If Naruto succeeded—if he truly reached that level—he wouldn't just be a powerhouse. He would be a immortal.

Naruto suddenly tightened his grip on Centurion's head, bringing his terrified face closer.

"But you're not here to listen to my discoveries," he said, voice dropping into a dangerous whisper. "You're here because you tried to run."

Centurion whimpered as his battered body was lifted like a ragdoll. He had always been powerful in his own right—feared, respected, a force to be reckoned with. But now? Now, he was nothing.

Naruto had moved faster than light and overwhelmed him before he even had the chance to register his presence. He hadn't just beaten Centurion. He had annihilated him.

With a flick of his wrist, Naruto tossed Centurion's broken form onto the ground.

"It's over," Naruto stated simply. "You don't get to walk away from this."

As Centurion struggled to keep his consciousness, he saw Naruto lift a single hand, fingers glowing with chakra-enhanced precision.

He didn't even need to use a Rasengan.

Just his fist was enough to bring an end to this.

And then—

A single, powerful strike landed, and Centurion's world faded into blackness.

Standing over the unconscious Centurion, Naruto took a deep breath, letting his energy settle. His power had skyrocketed beyond anything he had ever dreamed of, yet it wasn't enough. Not yet.

He had to master the cellular stage before advancing to the next step. And when he did…

He clenched his fist again.

The world had no idea what was coming.

Naruto stood tall, his white and gold armor shining as he loomed over his fallen foe. A smirk graced his lips, his demeanor completely relaxed, yet the sheer force of his presence was suffocating. His opponent, Valkus, lay on the cold ground, struggling to comprehend the sheer gap in power between them.

For centuries, Valkus had been a conqueror, a man feared and revered in equal measure. He had trampled over his enemies, leaving devastation in his wake, convinced that he was meant for greatness. He had slain kings, betrayed comrades, and built an empire on the corpses of his rivals. And yet, here he was—reduced to nothing before the might of the blonde Emperor.

Feeling a twisted sense of satisfaction, Naruto decided to probe deeper into Valkus' mind. His eyes glowed red for a moment, the technique he had learned from Kushina's memories surfacing. It was a refined form of the Yamanaka Clan's mind-reading ability, but with Naruto's unique touch.

Valkus barely had the energy to resist. His mental defenses, once impenetrable, had been cracked open by Naruto's earlier onslaught. The Emperor peered into his past, unraveling the very essence of the so-called warlord.

Valkus had once been a Roman general, a Centurion with dreams of absolute dominion. His ambitions stretched far beyond the battlefield—he sought to rule the world itself. But history had been unkind to him. Every time he reached for power, there was always a force greater than him standing in his way. Time and time again, he was cast down, only to rise once more. He was persistent, if nothing else. But as Naruto delved deeper, he saw the truth.

Valkus was not a true conqueror—he was a coward. He was a man terrified of insignificance, clinging desperately to power because the thought of being forgotten filled him with unimaginable dread. His arrogance was a façade, a hollow shield to protect his fragile ego.

Naruto scoffed as he stepped back from Valkus' mind, the revelations making his next words carry even more weight.

"Valkus, how does it feel?" Naruto's voice was calm, almost gentle, but it sent chills down the warlord's spine. "This is how your victims felt."

Valkus' breath hitched as he found himself staring into Naruto's piercing blue eyes. For the first time in his long existence, he felt small—insignificant, even. He had always believed himself to be a titan among men, but in this moment, he realized he was nothing more than an insect beneath Naruto's boot.

Panic flared in his heart, but his pride refused to yield. He clenched his fists and forced himself to glare back. "I am not weak," Valkus snarled. "I could have won if I had just thirty more minutes."

Naruto tilted his head, a chuckle escaping his lips. "Oh? You really think you could win? Valkus, do you truly believe that you are superior to the combined will of humanity?"

Before the warlord could respond, his body suddenly collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut. Naruto let him fall to the ground, watching in amusement as he gasped for breath, struggling to regain his footing.

With a slow, deliberate movement, Naruto stepped onto Valkus' back, pressing him against the cold, unforgiving earth.

"I will let you struggle." His voice carried an eerie finality. "Show me your futile efforts, Valkus."

Valkus felt a sudden surge of energy coursing through his veins. His wounds closed instantly, his fatigue vanished, and his power returned in full force. Naruto had restored him, just to see him fight—and fail—again.

Rage ignited within Valkus. He had been humiliated far too many times. He refused to bow.

"I will crush you like a bug for this assistance!" Valkus roared, rising to his feet with newfound vigor. His golden armor gleamed under the dim light as he gathered his energy, forcing himself to believe that he could turn the tide.

Naruto smirked, waving his hand dismissively. "Go along and play before I drag you down to hell."

With a mere flick of his fingers, Valkus was sent flying like a ragdoll, smashing through the ruins of a nearby structure. Dust and debris rained down as the warlord skidded across the battlefield, barely stopping himself before he was thrown off the edge of the cursed island.

Escape was an option. He had lost count of how many times he had fled before. But not this time. Not again.

Steeling himself, Valkus absorbed the surrounding spirits, merging them into ten powerful super spirits. He fed three of them to his most loyal allies—Kayako, Zatara, and Abin Sur—granting them a fraction of their former might. The rest he fused into himself, allowing his body to evolve into a new form.

The power was intoxicating. He felt invincible.

"Now, you will kneel before me, Paragon!" Valkus declared, summoning a shimmering ethereal blade. He strode forward confidently, arrogance once again oozing from his every step. "Can't you see the difference in our power? Your arrogance blinds you!"

Naruto yawned, stretching lazily. "You talk too much, Valkus. You should've pursued a career in theater instead."

Before Valkus could react, Naruto casually raised his hand and caught the ethereal blade. A sickening crunch echoed through the battlefield as he crushed it like glass, the fragments dissolving into the air.

Valkus barely had time to register his horror before he felt something pierce through him.

Rasenshuriken.

An explosion of microscopic wind blades tore through his body, attacking him on a cellular level. Pain like he had never known flooded his senses, but he did not die. No, Naruto wouldn't allow that. He healed him just enough to keep him conscious, forcing him to endure the agony for an entire minute.

By the end of it, Valkus could do nothing but tremble. His once-proud figure was now a broken wreck, his confidence shattered beyond repair.

Naruto sat upon a throne of stone, his gaze cold and unyielding. "Now, do you understand?" he asked, his voice carrying the weight of finality. "There was never a competition. You are just a bug, Valkus. A bug that I can crush whenever I please."

Valkus was chained to a pillar, his strength completely drained. He did not fight back. He did not speak. He simply stared in silent terror.

For centuries, he had been haunted by the nightmares of his past—of the tyrants who had broken him. But nothing compared to the fear he felt now.

Naruto was no mere emperor.

He was the Emperor.

And Valkus had never stood a chance.

The air crackled with energy as Paragon stood atop the ruined street, his pristine white and golden nano-armor gleaming under the sun. His red visor pulsed as he analyzed the man before him—Centurion, a warrior once filled with pride and conviction. But now, the battle had drained him of his will to resist.

With his senses, mind-reading abilities, and armor's analysis, Naruto could see it clearly—Centurion was broken. His spirit, once unyielding, had now submitted to the inevitable.

Naruto did not gloat. He did not take pleasure in another's defeat.

From the moment he had started his journey, his path had always been that of a leader. Becoming Hokage had once been his dream, but now, as he stood among immortals and monsters, he understood that his destiny had expanded far beyond a single village.

He had observed humanity, studied its flaws, and learned the methods of guiding people without breaking them. He saw the chaos of the world, the division, the endless cycle of war and corruption. And through it all, he had reached a single conclusion:

If true peace was to exist, he would have to become the one and only ruler of Earth.

He had yet to announce it. Not out of fear, but because the time was not yet right. If he acted too soon, everything he had built would collapse into rebellion and anarchy. He wanted the moment to be perfect—the moment when he could fix everything.

With a wave of his hand, Naruto activated the teleportation sequence embedded in his armor.

Centurion vanished.

He had been sent to the prison planet, a desolate yet advanced world Naruto had created to hold the most dangerous criminals.

The Prison Planet orbited a dying star, its skies darkened by the swirling remnants of supernova dust. Giant metallic spires pierced the surface like iron fangs, stretching toward the heavens. It was a fortress of reform, where criminals from across the universe were kept in an environment built for rehabilitation rather than eternal punishment.

Naruto had clones stationed throughout the planet, walking among the inmates, learning about their struggles, helping them overcome their hatred and despair.

Even now, a clone was seated across from Black Manta, who had undergone a remarkable transformation. After years of bitterness and revenge against Aquaman, he had finally let go of his hatred and reunited with Aqualad.

Naruto did not believe in blind punishment. He knew that even the most terrible criminals could change—if given the right chance.

Kurama's voice echoed in his mind, filled with excitement and satisfaction. The great fox had witnessed the entire battle from within Naruto's soul, watching as they faced an opponent who could stand against Superman himself. The realization hit him hard—when they first arrived in this world, they were barely strong enough to scratch the Man of Steel. Now? They had pushed a warrior of that level into a desperate fight, and this wasn't even their full power.

Kurama let out a deep, rumbling chuckle, his tails swaying in excitement within Naruto's soul. "Hah! Did you see that, Naruto? We fought someone who could go toe-to-toe with Superman, and we made him run with his tail between his legs! If we had gone all out, we could have crushed him!"

Naruto smirked as he walked through the city, the adrenaline of the battle still coursing through his veins. "Yeah, we've come a long way, haven't we?" He could feel the eagerness in Kurama's voice—the great fox was itching for more.

"Damn right, we have!" Kurama growled, his excitement barely contained. "Think about it—this isn't even our peak! There are still more enemies out there, stronger opponents waiting for us! If we keep pushing ourselves, we'll surpass everything in this world!"

Naruto's expression turned serious for a moment. "We're getting stronger, but we have to be careful. Power isn't everything. If we lose ourselves to it, we'll be no different from the monsters we fight."

Kurama scoffed but understood Naruto's point. "Tch, I get it, kid. But you can't tell me you're not excited too. Don't lie—I felt your blood pumping during that fight. You enjoyed it, just like I did."

Naruto exhaled through his nose, a small grin tugging at his lips. "Maybe a little." He wouldn't deny it—there was something exhilarating about testing his limits against a foe that strong. But there was more to power than just fighting. He had a world to protect.

Kurama, however, was already looking ahead. "We need stronger enemies. More challenges. That's the only way we'll keep growing." His red eyes gleamed in anticipation. "And the next time we meet someone at that level... we'll crush them completely."

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't get too carried away, partner."

As he walked, Naruto could feel Kurama's anticipation, his hunger for battle burning like a raging fire. The fight with Centurion had proven one thing—there were no limits for them. And Kurama couldn't wait to see just how far they could go.