Chapitre 201: Chapter 201 Don't Go Alone
After temporarily setting aside the issue of Koyuki, Naruto started thinking about the mysterious murals and strange statues in the Land of Whirlpools. Suddenly, he remembered that there seemed to be a shrine dedicated to the Uzumaki Clan outside the village.
After recalling carefully, he remembered there were about twenty-seven statues in the ruins.
"Hey, Kurama."
Naruto turned on the sofa to look at Kurama, "You've seen the Sage of Six Paths, right?"
"I have." Kurama paused his drinking and looked up at Naruto, "Why?"
"Was the Sage of Six Paths a god?" Naruto suddenly asked.
"Not sure, probably." Kurama paused for a moment and then changed his words, "… No, he wasn't."
"What exactly is a Sage?" Naruto sat up from the sofa and looked at Kurama with complicated eyes. "A Sage who can age, get sick, and die doesn't seem like a god at all."
"That question... I'm not entirely sure either." Kurama pondered for a moment before saying, "I haven't seen the Sage of Six Paths many times, but whenever he appeared, I could feel his presence."
"And now?"
"Now?" Kurama's tone rose, questioning back, "What do you think?"
"So the Sage of Six Paths has disappeared…" Naruto got up and paced in the living room, "But I often hear people talking about Jashin Festival outside?"
"In the Land of Rivers, some villages also worship the Shinigami, and the Death Demon Consuming Seal and Impure World Reincarnation do exist."
"I don't know." Hearing the name of Shinigami being mentioned, Kurama's head drooped immediately, and he mumbled, "Why are you asking about these things?"
"Nothing, just asking." Naruto replied casually.
'If the Sage of Six Paths truly existed, then what about those who came before him? If those gods also existed, could their powers have been siphoned off and turned into Ninjutsu?'
'In a sense, both Death Demon Consuming Seal and Impure World Reincarnation are Sealing Techniques. But at the end of all these truths lies destruction, the vanished Land of Whirlpools.
Naruto began to feel excited, 'This was much more interesting than Ninjutsu.'
Since the Cursed Warrior of the Land of Bird, Naruto has developed an interest in the option of seizing power over a country. Simple illusions could even create faith and control the populace of an entire nation.
But what if it were a real god? If the Uzumaki Clan could carve out the power of the Shinigami, could he attempt it too?
He didn't necessarily want to be Hokage, but the idea of becoming a figure of worship… now that was thrilling. After all, he couldn't stay in Konoha forever, and there would always be a day he would need to leave.
The missions in the Land of Rivers, the Land of Birds, the Land of Snow… the system kept nudging him toward seizing control of small countries. Naruto wasn't naïve, and he knew mundane authority wasn't all that useful.
If he truly had to manage and diligently run a small nation, he'd be at a loss. Moreover, he is still a Genin of Konoha, and it would be meaningless to seize power too early.
Toki from the Land of Birds, Kazahana Koyuki from the Land of Snow, and the untriggered mission involving the Queen of Roran… The bloodline of the royal power is continued through the princess. If this is the case, then the role of a church would come into play.
The current issue was understanding the connection between the Uzumaki Clan and those strange powers. Although the Uzumaki Clan had declined, the bloodline persisted, and Naruto is sure he could find something special.
With this in mind, Naruto felt it was necessary to visit the Uzumaki Clan's shrine. It was located in the Konoha Forest, quite a distance away from the village.
"I'm heading out for a bit." Naruto threw on his clothes, bent down to change his shoes at the entrance, and said, "You stay here and guard the house."
"Heh." Kurama curled up on the sofa and mumbled, as memories of the fear of being dominated returned.
It was the same during the Death Demon Consuming Seal, and again when Naruto ordered him to devour the Root's Shinobi. The towering soul made him shiver uncontrollably.
Kurama had no doubt that, given a white short blade, that guy could become a fanged, blue-faced demon with white hair.
Naruto left home excitedly and walked in the direction outside the village. But he hadn't gone far when he ran into a group approaching, covered in dust, looking like they had traveled overnight.
"Asuma-sensei, hello." Naruto said, offering an awkward smile as he bumped into Team 10.
"Oh, it's Naruto."
"Naruto!"
"You're back?"
Asuma, who had just returned from a mission, watched as his three students and Naruto greeted each other enthusiastically. He didn't rush them, but lit a cigarette and watched their interaction with a smile.
"I heard you had an accident at sea." Shikamaru said, patting Naruto on his arms and legs. "It's a miracle you're unscathed."
"What could possibly happen to me? It's just a shipwreck." Naruto couldn't help but boasted upon seeing his friends, "If the ship hadn't sunk in the deep sea, I would have been back ages ago."
"You're something else, huh? And you even brought back the mission's target." Shikamaru said, giving Naruto a light shove on the shoulder.
"Of course! Haven't you heard of my 100% mission completion rate? I'm practically—ah!! Ino! I'm still a patient!"
Ino had pinched Naruto hard and said angrily, "Don't get so full of yourself! You almost lost your life, and you're still showing off! You hardly seem like a patient!"
"Alright, alright, Ino." Choji interjected, trying to calm things down, "It's already a miracle that Naruto made it back. He might really be injured, you know."
"Choji, don't be fooled by this guy. If he was really hurt, he wouldn't have been discharged from the hospital." Shikamaru added.
"Oh, well, that's good then." Choji took a step back in relieve.
Ino grabbed Naruto firmly, her brows furrowing as she eyed him closely.
"Where are you planning to go?"
"I…" Naruto hesitated. He couldn't exactly say he was going to visit the Uzumaki Clan's ancestral shrine.
That sort of thing was considered unlucky, especially for people who frequently went on missions. Most would avoid it. But Naruto, having no superstitions, didn't care. He'd even dance on a grave before a mission if it came down to it.
Even though there was an accident during the last mission at sea, he'd still go next time without hesitation.
Just as Naruto was drafting a lie in his mind, Asuma suddenly exhaled a puff of smoke and spoke up, "Team 10, dismissed for now. I have some things to take care of. Shikamaru, report to the Hokage's Office later with the mission report."
Ino was stunned, then turned around to look at Asuma, who had a knowing smile in his eyes.
"Yes." Ino-Shika-Cho responded in unison.
After Asuma left, Shikamaru's shoulders immediately slumped as he complained tiredly, "Why is it always me doing the mission reports?"
Choji looked away and said sheepishly, "Shikamaru, I'd help if I could, but you know Tsunade-sama always sends back the reports I write."
Ino, who was still holding onto Naruto, glanced over at Shikamaru. Just as she was about to speak, Shikamaru cut her off.
"Forget it, I'll do it. Ino, we'll go first."
After saying that, Shikamaru pulled Choji along, leaving the scene.
Suddenly, Ino and Naruto were the only ones left on the road. Ino released her grip on Naruto and asked again, "Where are you going?"
"I'm going to check out a shrine."
"A shrine?" Ino's brows knitted as she looked around. "Which shrine? What are you doing in a place like that?"
"Uh… just to take a look." Naruto replied, "I found something while I was out, so I thought I'd check it out."
"Wait for me."
"Huh?" Naruto was taken aback.
"Huh, what? I said wait for me, I'm going with you." Ino said.
Naruto's house was nearby, so Ino decided to freshen up there. After traveling overnight, she looked exhausted but didn't seem to mind.
She soaked in the bathtub and almost fell asleep.
Knock, knock, knock…
Three gentle taps rang on the bathroom door.
"What is it?" Ino asked unhappily.
"Nothing, you just seemed really tired. Why don't you rest here? I..." Naruto suggested as he stood outside the bathroom.
"No way!" Ino refused. "If you try to sneak off by yourself, I'll throw away the key and never look after you again."
"Uh…" Naruto was at a loss for words, "I meant, it's getting late, so why not go tomorrow?"
…
The next morning.
Uzumaki Clan's shrine.
The torii gate, painted in a fading crimson, stood tall, engraved with the Uzumaki Clan's symbol.
Naruto and Ino stood in the courtyard, looking up at the dilapidated eaves, then casting their gaze to the half-broken door of the shrine. The place was even more desolate than Naruto had expected.
In the yard, there was an abandoned well, with a shaft of white sunlight shining directly down, its surface covered with floating green algae. Weeds grew rampant in front of the shrine, and fragments of tiles littered the ground.
It was early spring, and fresh green plants clung to the crumbling walls, looking almost like they had just been pulled from the water. Perhaps due to the frequent rains in the forest, the ground was covered with moss.
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