Sensation and Awakening from Another World

Distant yet near, illusory yet real. Everything around him was hazy, and his mind drifted in and out of consciousness. Zhong Hao floated above a street. The buildings before his eyes swayed and distorted constantly, all obscured by mist, impossible to see clearly.

"Hao, Hao, where are you... sob..."

"Huh? Why can I hear Sister Hong's voice? Where is this?" He barely managed to open his eyes and looked around, but he could not see anything clearly. His eyelids were heavy, and after searching fruitlessly, he closed them again.

"Hao... sob... The Nine-Tails came out for some reason. Father went to stop it... He sacrificed himself, sob..."

"It really is Sister Hong. Uncle Shinku sacrificed himself? What the hell is this place? Open up. Eyes, open the hell up!" It seemed as though both heaven and earth were spinning. Dizzy and muddled, he wanted to find Hong, yet no matter what, he could not open his eyes.

"Hao, Ji Mei... Ji Mei was nailed to a tree by them and bled to death bit by bit. They kicked Da Ye's head around like a ball. Tang Ze lost both his arms and legs. They were miserable... Hao, why didn't you come back..."

"Ji Mei, Da Ye, Tang Ze... Sister Hong." Zhong Hao finally opened his eyes. On the mist-shrouded street before him, a tree suddenly appeared. Ji Mei was nailed to its trunk, her once lively, clear eyes now dry and cracked like land ravaged by drought.

"Rumble, rumble." A head rolled to his feet. Looking down, he saw that it was Da Ye. His eyes were wide open, staring fixedly at Zhong Hao.

A wail suddenly rang out beside him. Tang Ze's limbless body, like a fleshy worm, rolled about on the ground as he howled.

At the sight before him, Zhong Hao felt as if his heart had been struck hard. His pupils shrank to pinpoints, and his entire body began trembling. He felt something surging within his chest, ready to burst forth at any moment.

In the outside world, Garp and Bogart stared at each other, looking at Zhong Hao, who was leaning against a tree and trembling all over.

Tilting his head, Garp asked in confusion, "Is this brat having a nightmare?"

Before Bogart could answer, the sleeping Zhong Hao suddenly opened his eyes. In an instant, the sun lost its color and the earth fell silent. The surrounding branches and leaves shook violently as if a gale had swept through, and a murderous chill filled heaven and earth.

Garp and Bogart gaped. Just as they were about to speak, Zhong Hao closed his eyes again.

"It can't be that, can it? This brat is still so young, and he's so weak," Garp smacked his lips. Though he knew it was true, he still could not believe it.

"I thought I'd already thought highly enough of him, but I still underestimated him. What an extraordinary young man. In the future..." Bogart glanced at the animals lying unconscious all around and suppressed his astonishment.

Zhong Hao had no time to care about what was happening outside. The moment he closed his eyes, he roared inwardly, "You little brat, what's going on? I haven't had a single dream all these years, so why did I dream of something like this the first time I did?"

"Those kids probably ran into some danger. Do you feel like you've lost something, or perhaps feel heartache?" Even Zhong Yunxi did not dare to mock him at a time like this.

"Not really, but this should be some kind of connection. Uncle Shinku might only face danger during the Nine-Tails incident, but something definitely happened to Ji Mei and the others," Zhong Hao said.

"People with powerful souls usually have some sort of similar perception, but it can only extend within a single world. Only you can sense what is happening in another world across endless time and space. Since you don't feel heartache, then nothing irreversible has happened. At most, they suffered a little. You have to trust the arrangements you made before leaving. Relax."

"When can I return to Naruto? Don't tell me I'll have to wait another few decades for it to open again?" Zhong Hao felt somewhat relieved after hearing her words, but he was still anxious.

"Not that long. Every plane you've visited leaves behind a back door, like digging a hole in the corner of a wall for you to pass through. You don't need to wait for it to open, nor do you need to blast through the entire plane's crystal wall to force it open. But it will still take time—about another two years."

"That's good. If so, then I should still make it in time." Zhong Hao let out a breath.

"By the way, it seems you awakened Conqueror's Haki."

"Is awakening Conqueror's Haki really that unusual? I won't claim much about soul power, but when it comes to the toughness of my soul, I can look down on every living thing in both worlds. As for vision and breadth of mind, I've already broken free of the shackles of the world and entered endless time and space. In what way am I inferior to natives still stuck on a single planet?"

Conqueror's Haki was fundamentally a form of intimidating aura. As ordinary powerhouses grew stronger, their souls gradually strengthened as well, and each developed their own aura—killing intent, for instance—which could inflict spiritual pressure upon the weak.

Conqueror's Haki was formed by fusing overwhelming spirit into one's original aura. Some people were born with great ambition and the aptitude for Conqueror's Haki, such as Garp, the Third Hokage, Ace, and others. Others cultivated such spirit later in life.

How was such spirit cultivated? It was simple: supreme freedom of the spirit. No one could command them.

For example, peerless powerhouses who stood on the side of kings, or unmatched emperors whose leadership surpassed all others. One's position nurtured one's bearing, and one's bearing shaped the person. That was what it meant.

In short, there could be no one above one's head.

Did Zhong Hao have anyone above him? Absolutely not. Countless people across countless worlds were stronger than him, as vast as the sea, yet he remained the most unique one. No one could truly suppress him. His spirit had already risen above worlds, and his soul had been tempered to unbreakable strength in endless time and space. The potential of his Conqueror's Haki was unparalleled.

"Yes, yes, yes! You're the greatest. But why won't you enter your sea of consciousness? Don't you want to see me? I miss you so much!" Zhong Yunxi's voice suddenly became a little more seductive.

"Get lost!!! I'm not going in until I'm taller than you."

"Little brother is being tsundere. Oh-ho-ho-ho—" The last thing left in his mind was a standard three-part queenly laugh.

Zhong Hao's perception had not been wrong. In the distant world of Naruto, Ji Mei and the other two had indeed been attacked.

During the time after Zhong Hao left, they never left the orphanage. It was as if they had become different people. They no longer paid attention to the mockery of the other orphans and trained hard every day without slacking off.

However, after waiting for several months, Uchiha Jie watched his younger brother remain vacant and lifeless, like a walking corpse, day after day. At last, rage burned away his reason. Ignoring his father's explicit orders, he led subordinates from his clan into the orphanage and launched an attack on the training Ji Mei and the others, severely injuring all three.

Had Yakushi Nonō not fought desperately to hold them back, and had Might Guy not arrived in time with Might Duy to beat them down after opening the Six Gates, Ji Mei and the others might have died. The scene Zhong Hao saw in his dream would have come to pass, because that was the torture Uchiha Jie had originally intended to inflict upon them.

After receiving the news, the heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho clans went to the Hokage Building and questioned the Uchiha clan head in front of the Third Hokage. Knowing himself to be in the wrong, the Uchiha clan head paid a heavy price to preserve the lives of Uchiha Jie and the others.

In the end, the main culprit, Uchiha Jie, was sentenced to five years of confinement, while the accomplices had their meridians completely crippled and could no longer become ninja.

That battle made Might Duy famous, and he was swiftly promoted to jonin.

The moment Zhong Hao opened his eyes, he saw a huge face in front of him. On reflex, he threw a punch.

"Ow! You little brat, you attacked me again! I'll let you have a taste of my Love Fist!" Garp jumped about while covering his eye.

Zhong Hao spread his hands innocently. "You can't blame me, Teacher. You were standing too close. Anyone would react the same way in that situation, right?"

"Is that so?" A blank, adorable expression appeared on Garp's face.

Zhong Hao nodded firmly. "So, forget about the Love Fist and all that."

He treated different people differently. Before Ji Mei and the others, he played the role of an elder brother. Before Hong, he naturally took on the role of a younger brother. Before that little brat Zhong Yunxi, she could easily provoke his anger. But before Garp, he preferred to get along with him as a friend.

In Zhong Yunxi's words, he was a lunatic driven mad by darkness and loneliness. Of course, Zhong Hao refused to admit that.

Garp furrowed his brow and looked upward, thinking hard. He felt that something was off, but he simply could not figure out what.

Bogart stood nearby, the corner of his mouth twitching. He had followed Garp for many years, yet he was still not used to Garp's airheaded side. Every time, it ruined his cool expression.

Fortunately, Garp was not someone who liked to obsess over things. He shook off his confusion and said to Zhong Hao, "Brat, Conqueror's Haki... Mm, that thing you used just now. Release it again and let me see."

Zhong Hao nodded and closed his eyes, trying hard to find the feeling from before. But after struggling for half the day, he could not find it at all, as though it had never existed. Helplessly, he shook his head at Garp.

Garp then explained the principles and abilities of Conqueror's Haki to Zhong Hao. It was the same as what Zhong Hao had known in his previous life. Garp stroked his chin beard and pondered for a moment. Then, he crossed his arms over his chest and suddenly widened his eyes. With him at the center, a wild gale howled, and heaven and earth turned solemn.

Pressure. Mountain-like pressure surged toward Zhong Hao's consciousness like an overwhelming tide.

But Zhong Hao had never feared a clash of consciousness. Instinctively, that feeling from before emerged again and burst out. In an instant, the gale reversed, pressing back against Garp.

Caught completely unprepared, Garp was immediately struck. His whole being seemed to fall into a world of darkness. A thousand years? Ten thousand years? Boundless loneliness, endless solitude—this was a silent world capable of driving a person mad.

Crack! Boom!

The large tree and wooden house beside them could not withstand the pressure and collapsed in an instant.

Garp's body jolted violently as he broke free from the darkness. He glanced at Zhong Hao, who understood, and the two withdrew their power at the same time.

Garp scratched the back of his head in confusion. "Hao, your Conqueror's Haki is strange. Why does it come with illusions? Everything was pitch-black. It was suffocating."

After questioning him in detail, Zhong Hao guessed that during the countless years he had drifted through endless time and space, he had unknowingly embedded the shadow of that endless expanse into his consciousness.

But that was also a good thing. This ability was more powerful than ordinary Conqueror's Haki. Even Garp had fallen victim to it when unprepared—though that was also because Garp had harbored no hostility.

When Zhong Hao tried to control it and release it again, however, he could no longer sense the existence of Conqueror's Haki.

"Don't tell me it's like Duan Yu's Six Meridian Divine Sword—working sometimes and failing other times." He cursed inwardly and asked Garp, "Teacher, why can't I release it again?"

Garp burst into laughter. "Don't be so greedy, brat. Once your strength reaches a certain level, you'll naturally be able to use it. Or perhaps once you meet certain conditions, like being pressured by someone's aura just now. You should also be able to use it under extreme emotions."

This move was absolutely a divine technique for wiping out groups and instantly defeating enemies. It was frustrating to possess such a divine technique but be unable to use it, and Zhong Hao curled his lip in displeasure.

Suddenly, Garp's scream rang out through the forest. "Ah—This is bad! Who wrecked Dadan's house? No, I can't take the blame for this! Brat, Bogart, run!"

Zhong Hao had not noticed before, but now that he saw the house reduced to ruins, something occurred to him. With Garp here, no one could have snuck in and destroyed the house without being noticed. This must have been caused by the clash of Conqueror's Haki just now. More precisely, by my Conqueror's Haki...

A figure darted to his side. Before Zhong Hao could react, he felt himself being grabbed by the back of his collar and carried off at a sprint. Fierce wind battered his face, while the scenery on either side shot backward.

This humiliating posture... That little brat is going to laugh at me for who knows how long... That was Zhong Hao's final thought.