At Konoha Hospital, everyone else thought Naruto had simply fainted. They had no idea that a tremendous change was taking place in the soul within his mindscape.
In the mindscape, two cocoons of light, one sky blue and the other blood red, slowly merged, gradually forming a purple cocoon.
After a long while, the cocoon shattered, revealing Naruto. His eyes were clouded with confusion as he murmured, "I... am Uzumaki Naruto?" As his gaze grew more resolute, he became increasingly clearheaded.
Many memories also appeared in his mind. The soul that had fused with his was called Demon Owl, and he came from a place called Blue Star—a modern world of cultivation. Demon Owl had been the leader of a demonic sect. After plundering too many sects, the others had joined forces to attack him, leaving him no choice but to self-destruct. The blast had created a rift in space, and a wisp of his soul had been sucked into it, bringing him to the Naruto world. By chance, he had fallen into Naruto's mindscape.
Demon Owl had plundered so many sects that he had studied most of their cultivation techniques and martial skills. As a result, after their souls fused, all those techniques were imprinted in Naruto's mind.
Naruto had also gained some memories of the Shinobi World, including why he had been abused, his true identity, and the major events that would take place over the next few decades.
"Phew. So I'm the Fourth Hokage's son? And these people abused me like this because of some rumors? Heh. Hehehe."
"Third Hokage? Heh. Hiruzen Sarutobi. Shimura Danzō."
Their souls had fused—or, more accurately, Naruto had devoured that wisp of a soul. He could no longer be as naïve as before. As he thought about the life he had endured, his gaze grew increasingly savage.
After a long while, he suppressed his anger and began reviewing the cultivation techniques in his mind. Comparing them, he realized that training in chakra actually drew upon one's potential and life force. That was why, with a few exceptions, most ninja didn't live very long. Cultivation techniques, on the other hand, absorbed spiritual energy (Natural Energy) to strengthen the cells and meridians. Once a cultivator reached a certain level, a core could form within the body, allowing them to cultivate both their body and their life force.
After reviewing all the memories, he understood why Demon Owl had plundered those sects. He had wanted to create the strongest cultivation technique, and raiding the sects had been a way to acquire more techniques to study.
Before he had been besieged, he had already succeeded in creating the technique. Unfortunately, he had only finished cultivating its first half. Otherwise, he wouldn't have had to self-destruct.
The technique he had created was called the Supreme Demon Sutra. It was a technique that cultivated both the spirit and the body, divided into two parts: Worldly Sorrows and Paradise. Worldly Sorrows had five levels. Each level not only increased one's cultivation but also allowed one to summon a demon idol. Worldly Sorrows was divided into four levels; once Paradise was mastered, one could cultivate a technique called Despair Judgment. In addition, there was a halberd technique designed to complement the Supreme Demon Sutra.
For some reason, although the characters were completely different from those used in the Shinobi World, Naruto knew how to read them and understood their meaning.
After reading through everything, Naruto didn't rush to cultivate. Although he was in his mindscape, he could clearly sense that many people were nearby. This wasn't the time to train.
When he opened his eyes, he saw the Third Hokage standing beside a large group of people, including Anbu and hospital doctors and nurses.
"Naruto, you're awake. How are you feeling?" The Third Hokage came over and patted Naruto's head.
"Grandpa Third, I'm fine. My head's just still a little dizzy."
Though he had seen those memories and knew the Third Hokage had a lot to do with what had happened to him, Naruto wanted nothing more than to give the old man's head a close encounter with his fist. But since he had no strength to back it up, he could only answer obediently.
When he had touched Naruto's head just now, the Third Hokage had examined the seal inside him. Seeing that it was fine, he finally relaxed. (If a Jinchūriki's life is threatened or they're provoked, they may unconsciously use the Tailed Beast's power.)
"Then rest up at the hospital. Grandpa has things to do, so I have to get going."
"Grandpa Third, I'm fine now. I don't need to stay in the hospital. I want to go home."
"All right, but make sure you get plenty of rest when you do. Oh, Naruto, the Ninja Academy starts in a few days. Do you want to go to school?"
"Huh? I'm allowed to?"
"Of course. If you want to go, I'll have someone pick you up in a few days."
"Mm-hmm! Okay, thank you, Grandpa Third."
Seeing Naruto agree, the Third Hokage turned and left with the Anbu. Naruto also got ready to go home.
"Ugh, why hasn't that damn fox demon died yet?"
"Yeah. I don't know why Lord Hokage is keeping him around. Someone like that should've died a long time ago."
Naruto heard the nurses' vicious remarks as he reached the door. He paid them no mind, though his gaze grew more and more savage.
Back home, Naruto lay on his bed and began his first cultivation session. Since he was absorbing Natural Energy, he didn't bother hiding it. In the Shinobi World, aside from the Three Great Sage Lands, the Nine Tailed Beasts, and Jiraiya, no one else could sense Natural Energy. Following the instructions in the technique, he drew spiritual energy into his body and circulated it through his eight extraordinary meridians, leaving some behind to temper his body from the inside out.
Naruto gradually sank into his cultivation. He didn't notice the gray substance seeping from his skin, growing steadily until a layer of dark crust covered his body.
At midnight, Naruto ended his cultivation—not because he had reached his limit, but because he had sensed an energy hidden in his mindscape while training. He opened his eyes and saw the dark crust covering his body, but paid it no mind.
He tried to draw the energy out. The Supreme Demon Sutra circulated, and before long, the energy had been drawn into his hand.
"Heh. This must be the chakra that Asura has carried through his successive reincarnations."
As he spoke, Naruto tried to devour the chakra. To his surprise, it went incredibly smoothly. Before long, he had devoured it completely, and it transformed into nourishment that strengthened his body.
As Asura's chakra was devoured, Naruto's body grew stronger and stronger. After fusing with the wisp of the other soul, his range of perception had also gradually expanded: one li, two li... It kept growing until it reached thirty li, then stopped. Finally, sixteen purple chains extended from Naruto's back.
"Is this the Sage Body? God Moon Mind's Eye? Adamantine Sealing Chains? Have they all awakened?"
Naruto quickly understood what had changed. Absorbing Asura's chakra had awakened the bloodline of the Uzumaki Clan within him.
"So this so-called Sage Body is actually a spiritual body. That'll make cultivation even faster from now on."
After that, Naruto didn't continue cultivating. He went to take a bath instead. Although the Sage Body's awakening had already shaken the dark crust off him, he still felt strange without washing up.
After his bath, Naruto lay on the bed and clenched his fist, feeling the change in his strength as he activated the God Moon Mind's Eye.
"The two outside are Anbu ninja sent by Hiruzen Sarutobi to keep an eye on me, right?" When his God Moon Mind's Eye had awakened, Naruto had sensed the two Anbu ninja. He ignored them, though. They couldn't sense spiritual energy, and they had only seen the Adamantine Sealing Chains. It didn't matter if the Third Hokage found out that he had awakened them.
With no cultivation to do, Naruto looked through the martial skills and techniques. He quickly chose a set of kicking techniques and a technique called Soul Control.
After reading through Soul Control, a plan began to take shape in Naruto's mind...
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