NARUTO: The Saga of Crimson Monarch

Ares sat quietly by the fire, the flames dancing in the dark as though they carried the weight of his thoughts. His body bore the scars of countless battles, but it was his mind that held the heaviest burden—the knowledge of what lay ahead. Monsters. Not creatures born of flesh, but beings of destruction, the kind that could rip apart entire worlds. Some he knew would rise from timelines yet to come, even from Boruto's era.

And in the silence of the night, a line surfaced in his memory, one that had stayed with him since he was a boy, watching the stories of heroes unfold on a flickering screen. "How can you destroy a monster without becoming one? - Ken Kaneki"

He looked down at his open palm, where power gathered like a quiet storm. It was a question that demanded an answer.

He thought of Hans then—Hans, the man who had been more than a father, more than a mentor. Ares could still see him, standing tall, arms crossed, the hint of a knowing smile on his face.

"If you want to be strong, Ares, you need to understand that it takes time. Learn everything I teach you. Don't be afraid of failure—embrace it. Train like a madman, and don't shy away from being alone. Because strength isn't built in a day. It's built step by step. One mistake, one victory at a time."

Ares looked up at the sky, stars glimmering like shards of forgotten hope. He could still hear Hans' voice, clear as day. "Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is a warrior."

He had taken those words to heart, and they had carried him through hell and back. Every jutsu he created, every forbidden jutsu he honed, all of it was born from that foundation. Ares had not sought power for himself, but for what the future demanded of him. For the world that needed someone strong enough to stand when all else crumbled.

Ely, sitting a short distance away, watched him quietly. Her emerald eyes reflected the firelight, soft yet filled with understanding. "You carry so much," she said gently. "But you're not alone, My Liege."

Ares looked at her, a flicker of warmth breaking through his hardened expression. "I know," he said softly. "But I can't stop. I can't let myself fall behind. If I do, who will face what's coming?"

Ely smiled faintly, though there was a sadness to it. "Strength isn't just about power. It's about knowing why you fight."

Fenrir, lying in the shadows with her massive form stretched across the ground, opened one golden eye, her gaze settling on Ares.

Ares rose to his feet, the fire casting his silhouette in stark relief against the night. He stood tall, resolute, his hands clenched at his sides. "No matter what comes, no matter how monstrous the enemies are, I will rise. I will stand."

For the first time in a long while, Ares felt a quiet peace settle over him. Not because the battle was over, but because he was no longer afraid of what lay ahead.

The fire crackled softly as the three of them—warrior, guardian, and companion—stood together, bound by purpose, ready for the trials to come.