"Chakra is a form of energy produced by the perfect fusion of the various energies controlled by the human body."
"This energy can not only be extracted cell by cell from the human body's 130 trillion cells. It can also be used through Hand Seals after extracting the spiritual energy developed through extensive training and accumulated experience."
It was the final two classes of the afternoon. Since they would be taking an exam shortly, Iruka had specifically set aside one class to review the basics with the students.
Naruto rested his chin on his hand, ignoring his homeroom teacher's passionate lecture from the podium. His senses were locked onto Shisui Uchiha in the Hokage's Office.
Another half month had passed.
Over the past half month, Shisui Uchiha had been making frequent visits to the Third Hokage, almost once every day. Occasionally, he would meet Itachi Uchiha several times late at night on the cliffs by the Naka River.
Because of that, Naruto had specifically kept watch beneath those cliffs several times, but every trip had been in vain.
Still, he estimated that the day Shisui Uchiha committed suicide was not far off. After all, he and Itachi Uchiha had surveyed the cliffs by the Naka River so many times.
"Father, do you think Iruka's explanation of Chakra is reasonable?"
"Do you think there is something wrong with what he said, Naruto?"
Naruto's consciousness sank directly into the Sealed Space. Since he was bored, he decided to discuss Chakra with Minato Namikaze.
"There's something I'm curious about. Say a ninja successfully extracts Chakra from his own body. If he dies and becomes a corpse, or only part of his body remains, would his Chakra still remain in the world?"
"Naruto, why would you suddenly ask that?"
Minato Namikaze's expression turned solemn. He had once been Hokage.
Naruto's question immediately reminded him of certain classified documents he had read in Konoha during his lifetime. Those documents were all research materials on the First's body cells.
Moreover, Kurama had previously told him in the Sealed Space that, under the Third Hokage's call, surviving members of the Senju Clan had voluntarily undergone experiments to transplant the First's cells in hopes of awakening Wood Release.
"Don't be so serious. I was just suddenly curious." After saying that, Naruto turned his gaze toward Kurama, who was lying nearby. "Actually, this has something to do with Kurama."
Kurama slightly opened his crimson vertical pupils, his tone somewhat displeased. "What does it have to do with me?"
"My homeroom teacher said Chakra is an energy created through the control of physical and spiritual energy, but that makes your situation a little unreasonable, Kurama."
"You once told me that you Tailed Beasts are aggregates of Chakra, but you are also living beings. Yet you Tailed Beasts are immortal. Even if you are killed, you will be reborn in the Shinobi World after some time."
"Furthermore, after you are reborn, all your memories remain. In a sense, you are eternal beings."
"This makes me feel like the entire world is protecting you. No, that's not right! You Tailed Beasts are part of this world, and a part that exists within its rules."
"Why is no one in the Shinobi World curious about this?"
"What kind of power could establish such rules? Your existence seems to be guarding something."
"Naruto, don't say any more!" Kurama's pupils contracted. He curled his tails beneath himself and sat up directly. "Although I'm happy that you were able to realize this, I still cannot answer your questions!"
"Others in the Shinobi World have not failed to wonder about this, but they would rather believe another truth concerning the Tailed Beasts' existence. Am I right, Fourth Hokage?"
Faced with Kurama's question, Minato Namikaze nodded with an ugly expression.
"Since Kurama cannot conveniently reveal anything more for now, Father, let's return to the original question. If a person dies, can the Chakra in his body remain behind and endure in this world for a long time?"
Naruto looked directly at Minato Namikaze, waiting for his answer.
"It can!" Minato Namikaze said gravely. "My situation is an exception, but through Kurama, you also know that although the First died long ago, his body cells retained Chakra with unimaginable vitality. The village once wanted to regain Wood Release through human experiments, but not only did those experiments never succeed, they were also extremely bloody and cruel."
"Also, during the Third Shinobi World War, we discovered from intelligence gathered from Sunagakure that someone in their village could create human Puppets. They turned corpses into Puppets, preserving the deceased's Chakra and thereby using the ninja techniques they had used in life."
"These Puppets were made from living humans. As long as they were successfully created while still retaining the person's Chakra from before death, they could completely preserve all of that person's ninja techniques, including Bloodline Limits."
Naruto's eyes flickered. He had not expected his father to know about Sunagakure's ability to create human Puppets.
"Father, you explained it in great detail, but your information about Konoha is already outdated. Someone in the village has once again mastered Wood Release."
"What do you mean?"
Minato Namikaze was startled. Had someone in the village truly succeeded in the Wood Release experiments? But the Senju Clan members had clearly all...
"Father, I can tell you clearly that someone succeeded, and there is more than one. But that is not what you should be concerned with. Let's continue discussing Chakra."
Minato Namikaze's expression changed. He immediately wanted to ask who had mastered Wood Release now, but Naruto shook his head and stopped him.
"In my opinion, there is a huge problem with the very nature of Chakra. Humans can use Chakra, but Chakra seems to have parasitized the human body from the moment each person was born."
"It is defined as a person's physical and spiritual energy. As long as one knows the extraction method, Chakra can be extracted. But humans have souls, while Chakra is almost unrelated to the soul. Aside from the First, Chakra dissipates after a person dies. You can prove this through the Reaper Death Seal, when your soul was taken away by the Shinigami. What is speaking with me now is only a portion of the Chakra you left behind."
"This portion of Chakra works similarly to a Shadow Clone. In that sense, Shadow Clones can be said to possess Chakra, spiritual energy, and life to some extent, but no soul. You must know that."
"Naruto, what else did you learn from the Mirrored World? Are you preparing some kind of plan again?"
The more Minato Namikaze listened, the more something felt wrong. He had the feeling Naruto's sudden words today carried some deeper meaning.
"I was drawn in by the subject and came up with a few thoughts. I cannot deny that I know some things, but I am only discussing them with you, Father."
"But I feel that you are very interested in the First's cells."
Seeing the worry in his father's eyes, Naruto smiled faintly and shook his head again.
"I am a little interested, but not in the way you think. I'm wondering how exactly he died. His cells could survive, yet he died for no apparent reason. That is very unreasonable."
"I don't know either. Even now, the First's death remains a mystery within the village."
Naruto nodded and withdrew his consciousness from the Mental World. Iruka had just handed out the exam papers.
Taking the answer sheet Shikamaru passed to him, Naruto picked up his pen and answered the questions while thinking.
When he watched Naruto in his previous life, he had noticed that Hashirama Senju was far too special. Throughout the entire anime, there had only been three depictions of conflicts between Sage's Eyes and Sage's Body.
The first was Indra against Asura.
The second was Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju.
The third was Naruto against Sasuke.
Of the three Indra versus Asura battles, the first and third were similar. Both featured Nine-Tails Mode with Truth-Seeking Orbs against Susanoo, and Wood Release never appeared at all.
Only Hashirama Senju, the reincarnation of Asura's Chakra in the second battle, had summoned Wood Release, making him an exceptionally special existence.
Yet after his mysterious death, the cells he left behind still possessed vitality like a deadly virus. That vitality manifested in only two ways: granting immense Chakra and allowing the use of Wood Release!
This was more like the various traits displayed by the Ten-Tails or the Divine Tree in the manga.
(Sorry, but I think Asura's Wood Release in the anime-original content was a bit far-fetched. I really never saw Asura use Wood Release in the manga.)
Ding, ding, ding—
The exam ended. After handing in his paper, Naruto sensed Shisui Uchiha heading to the Hokage's Office again.
Time silently passed, and soon night fell.
Naruto sat silently in a chair on the second floor, holding a book as his gaze drifted restlessly.
Shisui Uchiha had actually remained in the Hokage's Office from the afternoon until now.
"Huh? Where is he going with that person? Why did the Third Hokage suddenly leave too?"
Just as Naruto felt that he had waited in vain again tonight, Shisui Uchiha suddenly left with someone. Not long after that person left, the Third Hokage departed with a group of people as well.
"Hm? There are so many people there. Not right! That Chakra fluctuation! They're fighting!"
Naruto sensed Shisui Uchiha's Chakra abruptly surge to another level the moment he met with a group of people. He immediately formed a Hand Seal and created a Shadow Clone, then pulled out a scroll and tapped it. He grabbed a mask and an ink-black robe, then vanished in an instant.
Whoosh!
When Naruto reappeared, he was already standing on a reef beneath a waterfall beside one of the cliffs by the Naka River. He formed another Hand Seal and created six Shadow Clones.
Aside from beneath his feet, he had placed sturdy nets beneath every waterfall. Now, he only needed to wait quietly.
About ten minutes later, he sensed Shisui Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha's Chakra on another cliff. Naruto immediately moved beneath the cliff where they were and waited for the signal.
Splash!
A huge spray of water erupted beneath the waterfall.
The signal had come!
Naruto pulled up the net. Once he confirmed that Shisui Uchiha had fallen into it, he sighed in relief. But the next moment, he sensed Itachi Uchiha's Chakra rapidly plummeting toward his location.
His heart tightening, Naruto immediately summoned the other Shadow Clones. They gathered up their respective nets and vanished into the night in an instant.
Whoosh!
When Naruto reappeared, he was already in the Forest of Death.
"Who are you?"
The moment he landed, Shisui Uchiha actually spoke.
"Oh? You're not dead yet?"
"I... urgh!"
Before he could say anything else, Naruto drove a Kunai wrapped in Wind Release Chakra into his heart.
"You'd better die properly."
Before you continue