Natsu: Why Does My Growth Trajectory Feel So Familiar?!

Natsu pushed open the hatch, stepping barefoot onto the cold floor. Several monitoring cables were still attached to her body, and her wet black hair clung to her forehead. Yet, a long-lost smile appeared on her lips, a smile that Uchiha Setsuna's blood pressure soaring.

"Hehehehe-- Imu? That's really terrifying. I almost died if it weren't for the Ōkuninushi." He laughed lightly, as if he had only experienced a slightly over-excited training session.

Uchiha Setsuna's old face, which had been tense for two days and three nights, finally broke down. He raised his hand and wiped his eyes hard with his sleeve, muttering something under his breath, but his voice was terribly hoarse.

Feihong and Feiyan were still in the hand gestures of the Mystical Palm Technique, the green Chakra at their fingertips had not yet dissipated. The two stared blankly at the lively Natsu, then looked down at the unused bandage in their hands, not knowing what to say for a moment.

Only Quan rushed over from the corner, crashing into Natsu's arms, burying his face in his chest, his shoulders trembling silently.

Natsu looked down at the girl in her arms who was crying her eyes out, gently patted her back, and said in a rare soft tone, "Don't cry, I'm fine."

Only after most of the people in the room had left did Natsu's nonchalant smile gradually fade away.

He leaned against the edge of the Nutrient Pod, his fingers unconsciously touching the wound on his abdomen that had healed into pale pink new flesh; his fingertips were still slightly numb to the touch.

To be honest, he's still a little scared.

That old bastard Imu is a real monster.

In that final clash, he staked everything he could – Senjutsu Chakra, Complete Susanoo, and the full power of the Armored Senju Great Buddha – all at once.

The giant fist at the center of the Wood Golem pierced through Imu's chest; he saw it clearly, and it definitely landed squarely.

But at that very instant, Imu's Heavenly Punishment Blade, enveloped in that dark red Demonic Energy, pierced through his abdomen.

He didn't feel any pain at the time, only a cold sensation in his stomach, and then he felt as if all his strength had been drained away.

Immediately afterwards, the Demonic Energy began to spread within the wound, not simply eroding it, but inhibiting it—it prevented the wound from healing.

His Yang Release Chakra was completely suppressed, even slowing down the unreasonable regenerative abilities of Ōkuninushi.

Imu probably anticipated this as well.

At the last moment, the old monster realized that he couldn't kill Natsu on the spot. If he dragged it out any longer, he would be killed by Natsu's reinforcements.

So he withdrew.

Taking advantage of that brief moment, Natsu used his last bit of Chakra to activate the Flying Thunder God Technique, throwing himself back to Origin Island.

He was almost unconscious the moment he landed; it was purely his body's instinct—or rather, the passive action of the Ōkuninushi —that sustained him to his last breath.

The Yin Release Chakra continuously draws upon the Yang Release to build a defensive line at the edge of the wound, maintaining the most basic life force.

But frankly, the efficiency of that passive operation would take at least three to five years to truly wear down that Demonic Energy.

Thankfully, bringing Vallen back wasn't a waste of his time.

Natsu truly hadn't expected that Susanoo would be stimulated by the blood of the Uchiha clan to awaken on its own.

After he mastered Kunwu's Sage Mode, Susanoo did indeed possess a very vague sense of self-awareness, but that was theoretical; he had never verified it in actual combat.

This time, by sheer luck, a large amount of the blood of his own kind mixed with the nutrient solution was poured in, and the dark golden Guardian Spirit immediately went berserk. Its Yin Release surged instantly, forcibly pulling his consciousness out of his coma.

Once they regained consciousness, things became much easier. The Ōkuninushi activated its powers, unleashing a full-scale counterattack with Yin-Yang Release. No matter how stubborn the Demonic Energy was, it couldn't withstand the crushing force of fighting on home turf.

I survived.

But Natsu sat beside the Nutrient Pod, the more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt.

He recounted his experiences from the beginning, starting on Origin Island, until now.

When I first arrived at Origin Island, I wasn't strong enough, and I almost lost to Kizaru.

Then he went to Sabaody, killed Celestial Dragons, and encountered Kizaru, with whom he fought a fierce and evenly matched battle.

He returned to train in Sage Mode, which boosted his strength considerably. He then fought four opponents single-handedly Summit War, only to suffer another severe beating.

At the height of the battle, the Mangekyo Sharingan activated, instantly killing two Admiral-Emperor Level, further boosting his strength.

Then what?

Then he got beaten up again.

Narona Saint Imu, an ancient monster who has lived for eight hundred years, personally stepped in to teach him a lesson.

He remained silent for a long while, then his lips twitched.

"Why does this script look so familiar?"

Awaken your Sharingan, show off, and get beaten up.

Increase your strength, show off, and get beaten up.

Turn on the Mangekyo Sharingan, show off, get beaten up.

Isn't this exactly Sasuke's life trajectory?

Leveling up, showing off, getting beaten up, then leveling up again, showing off again, getting beaten up again, all the way from Genin to the Six-Tomoe Rinnegan, from Konoha to the Valley of the End.

Natsu rubbed her face, looked up at the Chakra Cold Light Lamp on the lab ceiling, and after a long pause, finally managed to stammer, "How the hell did I end up on Uchiha Sasuke's path?"

The sea breeze from Origin Island flowed into the alleyway from the direction of the Training Ground, carrying the unique coolness of the evening.

Natsu pushed open the laboratory door, stood on the stone steps, and took a deep breath of the sea-scented air.

He had been soaking in the nutrient solution for two whole days and two nights, and there was still a faint smell of medicine on his body. His clothes were a clean robe that Quan had temporarily found at home, with the sleeves a little short, revealing half of his wrists.

He unconsciously twisted his neck, making a slight cracking sound, then put his hands in his sleeves and walked towards the Naka Shrine.

After walking a few steps, he stopped again, turned his head to look at Uchiha Setsuna who was following behind him. "Elder Setsuna, send someone to guard the port."

After Fugaku returned, he instructed him to temporarily settle the Whitebeard Pirates on Hillguard Island.

The forbidden areas on Origin Island —the laboratory, the Treasure Vault, the Ninjutsu Scroll Library, and the Hashirama Cell Cultivation Area —are off-limits to outsiders, not even Whitebeard's Division Commander.

If they want to visit Origin Island, they can. The Training Ground, the area surrounding the Clan Academy, and the general residential area will be open to them. Send someone to accompany them.

Setsuna a flash, but didn't stop walking, continuing to follow behind him.

Natsu was too lazy to chase him away. The old man's eyes had been red since earlier, probably because he was afraid he would fall down again while walking.

Fine, let him come along.

I wrote another 16,000 words today, I'm really amazing!