It had worked.
Naruto opened his eyes and checked himself. His chakra and reiatsu were still abundant, but that special, warm sensation had vanished.
Now, he looked like an ordinary, somewhat powerful ninja, rather than a "walking treasure."
"Very good," the Forest Guardian said approvingly. "You have a remarkable gift for understanding. Now, you can leave.
Follow the path I show you, and you can avoid the dangers in the forest and reach the exit directly. But remember, once you leave the forest, you will have to rely on yourself."
The wall of the tree hollow split open, revealing the passage enclosed by roots.
"Thank you, Forest Guardian," Naruto said sincerely. "Without you, I would have died here."
"I only did what I ought to," the Forest Guardian said. "Besides, this is an investment. You carry the Ancient Tree's gift. To some extent, your growth can nourish the Ancient Tree as well.
I hope that in the future, when the Ancient Tree needs help, you will lend a hand."
"I definitely will."
Naruto turned and headed toward the passage. After a few steps, he looked back and asked, "Oh, right. You said earlier that Uchiha Ryūha took an Ōtsutsuki corpse from here thirty years ago.
What happened to that corpse afterward?"
The Forest Guardian fell silent for a moment.
"I don't know. But when His Majesty took it away, he said something. I didn't understand it then, but thinking back now, it might have something to do with your question."
"What did he say?"
"He said, 'At last, I've found the perfect vessel.'"
A vessel.
Naruto remembered the Sage of Six Paths' words: Ōtsutsuki Isshiki would choose a suitable "vessel" and use "karma" to reincarnate.
Had Liuyu taken the Ōtsutsuki corpse to... create a "vessel"?
A chill ran through him.