"Xuan, did you just say... a new power?"
Naruto climbed off the ground and dusted the dirt off himself, looking in confusion at Shengu Xuan, who had suddenly stopped in his tracks with a strange smile on his lips. Sasuke's earlier irritability had upset him, but he was carefree by nature, and Shengu Xuan's odd behavior soon caught his attention instead.
Shengu Xuan put away his smile and returned to his usual nonchalant manner. Turning to Naruto, he brushed him off casually. "Nothing. I just suddenly felt that the air in this forest had gotten a little fresher. Anyway, Sasuke's as weak as a sick chicken right now. You watch him. I'm going to rest in that big tree over there for a while. Don't bother me without my permission."
With that, Shengu Xuan ignored Naruto's protesting look and pushed lightly off the ground with both feet, floating up into a towering tree dozens of meters tall like a weightless feather.
He found a comfortable position on a thick branch and lay down, resting his hands behind his head as he slowly closed his eyes.
Below the tree, Naruto grumbled unhappily, "What the heck! He's always acting so high and mighty. We're all genin, so why does he get to rest while I have to look after that stuck-up Sasuke?!"
Despite his complaints, Naruto obediently walked over to Sasuke and kept a wary eye on their surroundings. Sasuke leaned against a tree trunk with his eyes closed, resting as he tried to settle the chakra agitated by the Cursed Seal inside him.
Meanwhile, up in the canopy, Shengu Xuan's consciousness had sunk completely into the depths of his mind.
In that vast, boundless starry expanse of consciousness, an enormous circular stone disk floated silently. The Twelve Zodiac Animals were carved into its surface, and five of the images-Pig (Laser Eyes), Dragon (Explosive Magic Fire), Rat (Turning Stillness into Motion), Horse (Healing), and Dog (Immortality)-shone with brilliant light.
And now, the image representing the Sheep had finally shed its dull seal and lit up with a soft, mysterious blue glow!
The Sheep Talisman, Soul Projection!
This was an extremely rare and uncanny ability. It allowed its holder's soul to escape the restraints of the flesh and exist in the world as a pure spiritual body. In this state, the soul could ignore any physical barrier, pass through walls and into the earth, and roam the void. It was also immune to all physical attacks, and could even enter other people's dreams or probe them on a spiritual level!
This is good stuff.
Shengu Xuan was secretly delighted. In the world of Naruto, full of scheming bastards and intelligence warfare, the Sheep Talisman was undoubtedly a god-tier reconnaissance skill. The Byakugan and Sharingan were nothing compared to Soul Projection!
Let's give this new ability a try.
With a thought, Shengu Xuan activated the Sheep Talisman's power.
Buzzz-
An indescribably wondrous sensation instantly enveloped Shengu Xuan's entire body. He felt himself become incredibly light, as though freed from gravity. All weight, fatigue, and even his perception of the surrounding temperature vanished without a trace.
The next second, Shengu Xuan "opened" his eyes.
To his surprise, he was floating in midair! On the branch beneath him lay a familiar figure-his own physical body!
So this is what Soul Projection feels like? How incredible.
Shengu Xuan raised his hands and found that his body had turned a translucent blue, giving off a faint glow. He tried clenching his fists. There was no resistance from contracting muscles, only the flow of pure spiritual power.
He looked down beneath the tree. Through his soul's vision, the entire world had changed. It was no longer merely colors and shapes, but was filled with the flow of an energy called "chakra."
He saw the red chakra inside Naruto, as immense as a vast ocean. It was the Nine-Tails' chakra, held firmly in check by the Eight Trigrams Sealing Style.
He then looked at Sasuke. Sasuke's chakra was a cold blue, while an extremely dense mass of evil black energy lurked at his neck like a festering sore clinging to the bone. It was Orochimaru's Cursed Seal of Heaven.
The insight this soul vision gives me is even more penetrating than the Byakugan.
Shengu Xuan nodded in satisfaction. With a thought, his soul body plunged downward, hurtling straight into the thick tree trunk!
There was no crash, nor the slightest resistance. Shengu Xuan's soul passed through the trunk unhindered, as though through a ripple of water, and arrived directly in front of Naruto.
Naruto was idly kicking pebbles at his feet, completely unaware that Shengu Xuan's soul stood less than half a meter in front of him.
A mischievous urge came over Shengu Xuan, and he reached out a translucent finger to poke Naruto lightly on the nose.
"Achoo!"
Naruto sneezed violently, rubbed his nose, and looked around in confusion. "Weird. Why did it suddenly feel like a cold draft blew past? Is this forest haunted?"
Naruto hunched his neck and unconsciously edged closer to Sasuke.
Shengu Xuan laughed heartily in midair. Though he made no sound, he thought this ability was far too much fun.
All right, time to get down to business.
Shengu Xuan stopped playing pranks. His soul body shot upward, instantly breaking through the dense canopy and rising above the Forest of Death.
He gazed down over the vast forest, his immense spiritual power spreading in every direction like radar waves. He intended to use Soul Projection's mobility to scout the surrounding area and see if there was any interesting prey along the way.
Flight in soul form was extremely fast. He could reach almost anywhere in an instant with a thought.
Shengu Xuan flitted through the woods, ignoring all the poison miasma, traps, and ferocious beasts. He saw Konoha genin locked in a bitter struggle with several giant centipedes; Shino Aburame's team using insects to conceal themselves; and Gaara of Sunagakure slaughtering wildly, reeking of blood.
Hmm? That's...
Suddenly, a clearing about three kilometers from their position caught Shengu Xuan's attention.
Through his soul's vision, he saw three figures there with unusually active chakra fluctuations. Dressed in Otogakure attire, they sat in a circle, seemingly plotting something.
Shengu Xuan's soul floated silently over, passed through an enormous rock, and arrived directly above the three.
It was the trio of Sound Ninja Orochimaru had sent to test Sasuke's Cursed Seal: Dosu, Zaku, and Kin!
"Dosu, did Lord Orochimaru really order us to kill that brat called Sasuke Uchiha?" Zaku fiddled with the air holes in his arms, a hint of disdain in his voice. "I could blast that pampered Konoha boy to bits all by myself!"
Dosu's face, with only one eye exposed, showed no expression. "Don't get careless, Zaku. Lord Orochimaru's orders must never be disobeyed. Our mission is to push Sasuke to his limits and see whether he's worthy of that 'Cursed Seal.'"
"Tch, what a pain." The female ninja Kin snorted. "Still, I heard there's a guy named Shengu Xuan on their team too. Apparently, he was pretty arrogant during the first exam."
"Shengu Xuan?" A trace of chill crept into Dosu's voice. "Never heard of him. Probably some useless filler. If he dares get in our way, we'll kill him while we're at it!"
"Hahaha! Exactly! I'll use my Air Cutter to blast his bones apart, inch by inch!" Zaku laughed arrogantly.
Floating above their heads, Shengu Xuan heard their conversation, and the corners of his soul form's mouth slowly curled into an exceedingly cruel smile.
Kill me while you're at it? Blast my bones apart? A cold glint of killing intent flashed through Shengu Xuan's eyes. Very good, you Sound Ninja scum. You've succeeded in getting my attention.
Shengu Xuan memorized their location but did not strike immediately. Though he could launch spiritual attacks in soul form, he preferred the tangible sensation of smashing those arrogant faces with his fists.
With his scouting complete, Shengu Xuan's soul became a streak of light and instantly returned to his body.
Whoosh!
Shengu Xuan's eyes snapped open. The instant his soul returned, the weight of his body and the tangible sensations of his surroundings came back. He leaped from the branch and landed steadily in front of Naruto and Sasuke.
"You finally decided to come down!" Naruto complained irritably. "What do we do now? Sasuke still needs rest, but we have to hurry to the tower in the center!"
Shengu Xuan ignored Naruto's complaints. Stretching, he said mildly, "Before we head to the tower, there's something else we need to do."
"What?" Naruto froze.
Shengu Xuan pointed at Naruto's pocket. "Where are those precious scrolls of yours? Take them out and let me see."
At that, Naruto immediately patted his pocket proudly. "Don't worry! I've kept them right on me. There's no way I'd lose them!"
As he spoke, Naruto reached into his pocket.
But the next second...
Naruto's face instantly turned deathly pale. Trembling, he pulled a handful of black... ashes from his pocket!
"W-what is this?!" Naruto stared wide-eyed at the ashes in his hand in disbelief, letting out a squeal like a pig being slaughtered. "Where are my Heaven Scroll and Earth Scroll?! How did they turn to ash?!"
Sasuke's eyes snapped open, and his face darkened at the sight. "Idiot! Orochimaru's Fire Release and Shengu Xuan's explosion were so powerful earlier, and you didn't protect the scrolls with chakra?!"
Naruto wanted to cry, but no tears came. "I... I was knocked unconscious! How was I supposed to worry about the scrolls?!"
Watching Naruto fall apart, Shengu Xuan shook his head helplessly, though a teasing glint flashed in his eyes.
"Since the scrolls are gone, let's have my servants bring some back."
Before you continue