Shinji sat quietly atop the Divine Tree, waiting for the Chakra Fruit to ripen while using his Dojutsu to heal his mental injuries.
The noise in his mind was ceaseless. There wasn't a moment's respite.
In truth, Shinji had many ways to deal with this. He could, for example, take control of his body with genjutsu and retreat deep into his inner world, where he could find some peace and quiet. Or he could use the power of Karma to remove his divided consciousness from his body.
But those approaches would either avoid the problem or cut it away. Neither could fully heal his mental trauma or strengthen his will. So Shinji chose to face the noise in his mind, using his formidable willpower to fuse all the consciousnesses split apart by the Overlord's power back into one.
The process was agonizing!
Even at Shinji's current level, he could only grit his teeth and endure. His coldness just now had been a necessary response to the pressure. He simply didn't have the energy to care about much else, so he could only focus on one or two crucial things.
But if he could just get through this phase, his willpower would improve noticeably. Unlike Chakra, willpower could be strengthened by very few methods!
In the blink of an eye, three days passed.
Perhaps because this alternate space was so desolate, even after receiving their offerings, the two Divine Trees—both saturated with energy—couldn't produce Chakra Fruits that same year. They needed a full three days before the buds atop their branches finally showed signs of blooming.
Shinji slowly rose to his feet and approached the bud.
"It smells wonderful!"
Shinji had smelled it many times before, but the scent of the Chakra Fruit still felt refreshing and invigorating.
Its fragrance even