Power and Wealth - Chapter 3

What if something made Naruto the dead-last that everyone perceives him to be? What if he really wasn't as weak as he appeared? The true Naruto, unleashed upon the shinobi world! AU story starts at the Konoha Invasion arc and continues from there..

His mother kidnapped by the Ice God Pagoda at a young age, Nian Bing grew up travelling with his father, avoiding pursuit. One fateful day, he was forever separated from both his parents and inherited two immortal treasures from them, the Ice and Snow Goddess’ Stone and the Flame God’s stone, allowing him to use ice and fire magic in harmony, a feat unheard of. Taken in by a former chef of legends, once known as the Demon Chef, he creates legendary cuisine while walking the path of vengeance!

- Description from Novelupdates

Aric Valerian was born a curse.The fourth prince of the Valerian Empire. A bastard. A cripple. A forgotten shadow in the court, mocked as a stain on royal blood.But when the gods reached down, healing his body and allowing strength into his veins, Aric tasted hope for the first time. He fought for honor, clawed for recognition—only to be betrayed by the brother he trusted most. Cast into a slaughter pit, abandoned to die.And in the moment when despair and death should have claimed him, the world offered something else.[Would you like to change your fate?]From that line, Aric Valerian was reborn—sent back to the past not as the forgotten prince, but as a weapon. A sovereign forged in agony, guided by a system of relentless ascension:[Ki Circulation Mastered: Strength +10][System Upgrade: Tactical Genius Acquired][Hidden Fortress Constructed: Security +15%]Every scar became a push. Every betrayal, a reason. With blood-soaked hands, Aric began carving a path through enemies, kin, and gods alike. The empire that spat on his name would kneel or burn. The brother who betrayed him would drown in his own crown.Yet with every victory came sacrifice. Every step forward dragged him closer to the abyss, until vengeance and damnation became one.But Aric does not care.Because the cursed prince has only one destiny left:To rise as the sovereign who will shatter gods, break empires, and tear fate itself apart.Or die trying—and take the world with him.