Inside the Land of Demons.
Naruto slipped past all lines of sight and arrived in Shion's chambers.
It was late at night. Shion, dressed in a light tank top, was lying on her bed. Upon seeing Naruto appear, a blush crept onto her face. The quilt wrapped around her fell away, generously revealing her ample assets.
"Naruto-kun, what brings you here so suddenly? Could it be… you want to help me give birth to the next little priestess?" Shion's face was crimson as she bit her lip, speaking shyly.
Despite her shyness, she boldly sat up, placing her small hands on Naruto's shoulders and batting her large eyes. To arrive in her room at such an intoxicating hour, with the guards outside completely unaware of what was happening within… this kind of secret rendezvous was almost too thrilling. Shion's breathing grew rapid, and her whole body tingled with excitement.
"I need to enter the Pure Land," Naruto said, his voice calm and detached.
His placid tone instantly extinguished all of Shion's passion. A bitter taste filled her mouth.
"I understand." She drew her Zanpakuto.
"Night Parade, Hyakki."
With her Shikai released, the gate to the Pure Land opened. She called out to Naruto, who was about to step through impatiently. "Naruto-kun, there is already an Adjuchas in the Pure Land."
Naruto paused for a moment, then nodded. The transformation of the Pure Land was part of his plan, but the speed at which an Adjuchas had been born was beyond his expectations.
He stepped into the Pure Land. The familiar rush of Reishi washed over him, and the comfortable environment made him feel as if he had returned to his mother's embrace. He contentedly opened his arms, greedily absorbing the spiritual particles. The Kyoka Suigetsu at his waist pulsed with a faint light.
Day after day, he absorbed Reishi, and the Reiatsu within his body continued to rise. The sand and dust of the Pure Land swirled around him but always avoided him. All the Hollows and orbs of light kept their distance. A large circle, at least twenty meters in diameter with Naruto at its center, remained completely empty, devoid of even a single grain of sand.
Naruto, at the epicenter, was like a vortex, madly drawing in the surging Reishi, and the oppressive aura he exuded grew stronger and stronger.
Far in the distance, the Adjuchas walking through the desert looked up, its gaze fixed on Naruto's direction. Its soul trembled with fear. Its legs went weak, and it fell to its knees in the sand, its eyes filled with terror. An instinctual sense of submission screamed at it that the being over there was inviolable.
After continuously absorbing Reishi and strengthening himself, Naruto's Reiatsu reached a critical point. His consciousness became empty, all distracting thoughts were cast aside, and he entered a profound state. He could sense the every move of the Hollows in the Pure Land, and could even perceive the flow of Reishi within the orbs of light. Even his own body became visible to his mind's eye, allowing him to clearly see his meridians and the chakra and Reiatsu flowing within.
Naruto felt as if his connection to the Pure Land had grown stronger, to the point where it seemed his very thoughts could control the surrounding sand and wind.
Buzz.
A massive amount of Reishi entered his body once more. Naruto felt as if a lock had been opened. His consciousness suddenly blurred.
When it returned, he had arrived in the palace of his inner world. The surroundings were dotted with stars, and an aurora danced across the sky. There, in the center of the palace, the familiar shadow stood waiting by the throne. And on the other side of the shadow, representing his Hollow powers, stood Hollow White, its expression also filled with reverence.
Buzz.
The Kyoka Suigetsu at his waist suddenly erupted in a blinding light. Naruto thoughtfully walked forward. With each step he took, Kyoka Suigetsu shone brighter, its ethereal light swirling. When he reached the throne, Kyoka Suigetsu vanished from his waist, shattering into fragments that merged with his body.
"Welcome back, my king," the shadow said, bowing its head respectfully.
This time, Naruto saw the shadow's face clearly. Brilliant blond hair and azure blue eyes. The shadow had the exact same face as him.
"Just as I thought. Rather than being my servant, you are a part of my own power. Kyoka Suigetsu was not the whole story," Naruto chuckled, walking towards the throne. This time, he felt no resistance. The translucent throne radiated a noble aura, drawing him closer.
As he approached, the silent throne suddenly burst into brilliant color, as if welcoming his arrival.
Naruto took a deep breath and sat upon the throne.
In the next moment, the entire palace erupted with vibrant life. Massive, ancient trees burst from the ground, and the stars in the sky fell, forming a towering gate.
The instant he sat on the throne, Naruto felt the Reiatsu in his body surge violently. With a deafening roar, his consciousness nearly faded. The Reiatsu flooded every corner of his body, the powerful energy battering him from within, making his jaw tremble. His eyes widened in shock as a piece of information about his Zanpakuto flooded his mind.
In the Land of Sound, Naruto's clone was still chatting with Orochimaru. After the success with Shukaku, they were both in high spirits, a great weight lifted from their minds. At the very least, the experiment had proven that their research was on the right track.
"Lord Naruto, it's time to eat!" Karin poked her head in, calling out cheerfully.
"Coming," Naruto replied to Karin, before extending an invitation to Orochimaru. "I wonder if Orochimaru-san would be interested in joining us for lunch?"
"Very well. It has been some time since I've eaten with others," Orochimaru nodded, a nostalgic look in his eyes. Since defecting from Konoha, he had almost never shared a meal with anyone, his days perpetually consumed by research. He looked at Naruto. The boy was confident, and gave off the feeling that he had grown stronger yet again. He couldn't help but shake his head inwardly. The world belongs to the young now.
Inside the small house, everyone gathered around. The Sound Five, Team Haku—it was a lively, harmonious scene.
"Lord Orochimaru and Lord Naruto are here." They looked at Naruto and Orochimaru with eyes full of respect. They understood clearly that these two men would be the ones to change the future of the Sound Village, and perhaps even the entire ninja world.
"Hm? It seems I won't be able to join today's meal after all." Suddenly, Naruto's expression changed, and he looked at everyone apologetically. "It seems my real body has run into some trouble. I have to go."
With that, he formed a hand seal and vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Someone is giving Naruto trouble?" Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, his crimson tongue flicking out to lick his lips, a look of keen interest on his face.
At the same time, in the Hidden Sand Village, Naruto's clone also disappeared before Shukaku and Gaara's eyes.
"Well, well, so the kid runs into trouble too? Interesting!" Shukaku said nonchalantly, crossing his legs and picking at his foot.
Gaara's expression was very serious. "First, two Kage-level shinobi infiltrate our village, and now Naruto is in trouble. The ninja world has not been peaceful lately. What could that Kage-level organization's objective be?"
"What's there to be afraid of? With the great me here, they can't touch you," Shukaku said, puffing out his chest with pride.
"So that's how it is." Back in the Pure Land, Naruto opened his eyes. A cold light flashed in his azure irises, which now held a look of understanding.
He finally understood a part of his own power.
Before meeting Aizen-sensei, another power had existed within him. This power was extremely mysterious and had constantly influenced his thoughts. After meeting Aizen, his talent for Reiatsu had fully awakened, completely crushing that other power. From then on, he had become his true self.
However… that mysterious power was also a part of his own body. His Zanpakuto's power was currently incomplete, and that mysterious power was a crucial piece of the puzzle. Because his power was incomplete, it was now limited. He had reached a bottleneck that was difficult to break through.
Naruto looked at the shadow and Hollow White. Both wore expressions of reverence. They represented his Hollow and Shinigami powers. As long as he obtained the final piece of the puzzle—his chakra—the limits on his body would be completely shattered, and both his Reiatsu and chakra could rise again.
At that time, he would reach the level beyond Kage.
Understanding all this, Naruto felt a sense of enlightenment. No wonder that as a child, no matter how the villagers treated him, he had always desperately wished for their acknowledgment. But after meeting Aizen-sensei, his mind had suddenly cleared. He had begun to think for himself, and had started to feel resentment towards the villagers.
If it weren't for his Reiatsu, perhaps he would still be that foolish Naruto Uzumaki, hoping to gain the villagers' approval and become Hokage.
"How ironic," he shook his head, his eyes gradually turning cold.
He stood up and slowly walked towards the gate formed by the swirling stars.
"Now, it's time to take back what belongs to me."