Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Two Voices
Inside the Hokage Building.
"You shouldn't indulge the Jinchūriki so much." Homura Mitokado began, looking at the falling rain outside the window, "Now is not the time for him to leave."
"The village needs strength right now."
Nara Shikaku shook his head. "I know that, but there's nothing we can do."
"And at that time…"
"If I hadn't spoken up, a fight would have broken out."
Naruto could clearly sense the targeted chakra, as could he.
Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane, the two senior advisors of Konoha, did not blame Nara Shikaku. Their eyes were fixed on Jiraiya.
If anyone could have stopped it at that time, it was undoubtedly the Toad Sage who had the most capability.
"He can fly," Jiraiya said concisely.
"Flying" was a power beyond the scope of a ninja, a convenient and effective excuse.
Homura Mitokado shook his head. "I don't believe you couldn't handle it."
Jiraiya said nothing.
An Anbu member suddenly appeared.
"Two unidentified ninjas have been found pinned to the village gate by kunai." He reported tensely, "Suspected to be the work of the Jinchūriki Uzumaki Naruto."
After the "Konoha Crush" incident, now this...
"Dispose of the bodies properly," Koharu Utatane said after a brief silence, waving her hand.
The Anbu was momentarily stunned, then quickly lowered his head and responded with a "Yes" before retreating.
"Be grateful, the Fourth Hokage saved the village once again," Jiraiya said expressionlessly. "Also be thankful that he had the sense not to send people wearing the Konoha forehead protectors."
"Naruto choosing to leave the village might actually be a wise decision."
Koharu Utatane spoke up, "Let's set this matter aside for now. We will issue him a warning."
"Let's discuss something more important."
"We need a trustworthy and powerful leader."
"We need the Fifth Hokage."
"Jiraiya…"
The man whose name was called immediately raised his hand, interrupting her. "Sorry, but allow me to decline."
Homura Mitokado frowned. "This is the time when the village needs you."
"I am not suitable for this position," Jiraiya shook his head, firm and decisive. "Traveling the world and gathering intelligence suits me better."
"Besides, you wouldn't feel comfortable with Naruto being out there alone, right?"
"I will also keep an eye on him."
"Maybe there's still a chance to bring him back."
Naruto's words had pierced his heart.
"Too late."
Those words were heavy.
Indeed, if he hadn't let go, if he hadn't left the village, would things have turned out differently?
Minato and Kushina wouldn't have had to sacrifice themselves.
Naruto could have been properly taken care of.
But now, thinking about these things is too late.
The harsh reality taught him a painful lesson.
It also made him resolute: he let go once, but he won't let go again.
He is also very worried about Naruto.
That phrase... "I'm going to find Mom and Dad," what does it mean?
They're clearly already dead.
Where could he possibly go to find them?
The two advisors were silent.
The jinchūriki...
What a troublesome issue.
Within the borders of the Land of Fire, in a small town.
Not far from Konoha, it was a place where some ninjas could be seen.
The economy was fairly prosperous, and the inns were comfortable.
"Where are we going next?" Karin sat beside Naruto, following his gaze to the sword on his lap.
Not the dark red one.
The one he almost never used.
"The Land of Whirlpools," Naruto said softly. "I want to see the ruins of Uzushio Village."
"Okay." Karin nodded, not speaking further, not wanting to disturb Naruto.
Though she didn't know what had happened, she knew this was a crucial moment for him.
Naruto stared at "Asauchi."
This is his second Zanpakuto, but he has not yet heard its name and has been unable to release it.
Just a moment ago, after facing his inner self and expressing his desire to leave Konoha, a powerful call emanated from within the sword. It wanted to reveal its name to him.
However...
The call from within the sword was a mixture of two chaotic voices. One was strong yet gentle, and the other, although weaker, felt more familiar to Naruto. These two voices intertwined, with the former overshadowing the latter, while the latter interfered with the former, weaving together as if one, yet distinctly independent.
Why was this happening?
Naruto was puzzled. He had never heard of such a thing before. Could there be a special reason preventing it from revealing its true name to him? Were both swords like this? He entered a "Blade Zen" state to communicate with the sword, but the only response was those two chaotic voices. The strong one was gentle, the weaker one was urgent.
Naruto opened his eyes to see the naturally stern face of Shiba Kaien. He relaxed, realizing he was back in the Soul Society.
"Naruto, you really are diligent," Shiba Kaien grinned, but it didn't soften his expression. "The Shin'ō Academy has sent you an invitation to speak at this year's opening ceremony."
Naruto was taken aback, "Me?"
"Isn't this usually an invitation for the Vice-captains?"
Shiba Kaien reached out and ruffled Naruto's hair, "You little kid, what's the difference between you and a Vice-captain?"
"Just thinking about you being in the Third Seat gives me a lot of pressure."
"And this year, the Shin'ō Academy has another child prodigy. Not as good as you, but they have a spiritual pressure rank six upon enrollment."
"Dean Hakou hopes you'll be a role model to encourage them."
Naruto nodded with a smile and agreed, "I understand. I'll go."
As he spoke, he stood up, "When is it?"
Shiba Kaien replied, "In a week."
Naruto nodded and headed out, "Thank you, Kaien. I'm going to the Technological Development Bureau now to see Captain Urahara."
"Go ahead," Shiba Kaien waved.
At the Technological Development Bureau.
In the underground captain's office, Urahara Kisuke's eyes shone brightly as he stared at the extensive knowledge of "sealing techniques" that Naruto had transcribed. His lazy demeanor vanished, "This is remarkable."
"So that's how it is..."
"My previous research direction was wrong; it should be based on the body."
"Naruto, how did you obtain this knowledge?"
Naruto looked up, gave him a big grin, and replied openly, "That's a secret, Captain Urahara."
"Oh, really," Urahara Kisuke scratched his head, "Well, never mind. Regardless of where you got it, this information is very useful. I already have many ideas on how to revise the previous techniques."
"Your sword is really interesting."
He wasn't very patient waiting for Naruto to finish writing. As the last stroke fell, he eagerly grabbed the paper, pushing Naruto aside to dive into his research.
"Before delving into this, Captain Urahara, please come with me to 4th Division," Naruto took the paper from his hand and placed it on the desk, "My sword seems to have an issue."
Urahara Kisuke instinctively looked at "Nine-Tails," but quickly realized the problem likely referred to another sword. His expression turned serious.
At the 4th Division.
After hearing Naruto's description, both Urahara and Unohana Retsu frowned.
"Two voices coming from one sword?" Unohana Retsu wondered, "That sounds like a dual-wielding situation, but you've already released one sword."
"Could it be three swords?" Urahara Kisuke scratched his head, "If that's the case, although unprecedented, it might be quite impressive?"
Naruto shook his head and clarified, "Although there are two voices, they seem to be one entity."
"It's not clearly divided."
"It just prevents me from discerning which one is its true self."
Urahara Kisuke noted the primary aspect of Naruto's description. It wasn't about the "name," but "it."
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