Naruto's expression was resolute.
From the accounts of those who had visited the Pure Land, no one could uncover its true nature.
The entity, or rather the force, that governed the Pure Land also showed no intention of communicating with him.
In that case, he would have to capture it himself.
He prepared in advance.
The "Adamantine Sealing Chains" struck their target precisely, pinning down the invisible force.
Four clusters of souls were suspended in mid-air.
"Come out," Naruto said. "It's not good to keep hiding like this. Let's meet face to face."
But no voice responded.
The invisible force continued to retract underground, pulling against Naruto with immense strength, as if in a tug of war, with neither side giving way.
Naruto continued, "I'm very curious about the Pure Land."
"I mean no harm."
Before he could finish speaking, a sharp sense of danger suddenly surged from beneath him.
A force erupted from the ground.
It was an ordinary-looking small black orb.
It rushed towards the Adamantine Sealing Chains.
Naruto reached out, abandoning his incantation.
"Bakudō #39. Enkōsen (円閘扇, Round Lock Fan)."
An orange chakra shield spun rapidly, protecting the golden chains.
However, the usually reliable Bakudō failed to perform effectively this time.
At the moment of contact with the black orb, the chakra maintaining the spell instantly dissolved, and the now-weak Round Lock Fan was easily shattered. The black orb, unimpeded, continued toward the Adamantine Sealing Chains, which similarly disintegrated and shattered.
The "Pure Land's Guardian" was not targeting Naruto.
After destroying the obstacle that would have brought back the souls, it disappeared.
"What... kind of power is that?" Naruto stared, astonished.
The Nine-Tails leaped onto Naruto's shoulder, its tone heavy: "That is a Truth-Seeking Ball."
Naruto looked at it.
"That is the power of the Sage of Six Paths," the Nine-Tails explained. "A power that surpasses all ninjutsu and Kekkei Genkai."
A power that surpasses all ninjutsu and Kekkei Genkai?
He had never heard of it before.
But it was certainly terrifying.
However, what concerned Naruto more was its effect.
"Chakra" was completely dissolved upon contact with it, but the "soul power" within it remained, resisting the Truth-Seeking Ball. Though it was not much, the resistance was ineffective.
It could "surpass ninjutsu."
But could it only surpass chakra?
"It seems the master of the Pure Land is indeed the Sage of Six Paths." With this suspicion buried in his heart, Naruto spoke, lowering his head.
Around the shrine, a circle of Konoha ninja had already gathered.
The Fifth Hokage, Hatake Kakashi, was also present.
They were cautious but did not dare to approach.
Just the momentary clash between Naruto and "that invisible enemy" had unleashed a shockwave of power that even the ordinary Jōnin found hard to withstand.
"Naruto," Kakashi greeted warmly. "You've returned to Konoha again?"
"What kind of enemy were you just fighting?"
"Do you need our assistance?"
Naruto shook his head. "No, just a small matter."
He instantly moved to Karin's side.
"I have other matters to attend to, so I'll leave now." With a flash of golden and red light, he disappeared before the eyes of the gathered ninja.
All that was left behind was a corpse.
Kakashi felt a pang of regret; he hadn't even had time to say a second greeting.
An Anbu member went over to check and quickly returned to report.
"Hokage-sama, it's a rogue ninja from Waterfall Village, already deceased," he said. "But there are no signs of a struggle."
"It seems..."
"It seems to be the same cause of death as the Third Hokage."
Kakashi frowned.
So, this rogue ninja died due to the "Reaper Death Seal" technique?
The one Naruto trapped with the barrier and fought against—was it that Shinigami?
For him, this was still relatively good news.
The village hadn't been infiltrated by an enemy.
And matters concerning the "Shinigami" were too distant for the average ninja.
But...
He looked up at the sky.
Has his teacher's child already reached such heights?
Naruto, with Karin, left Konoha and headed to the mountains near where the Second Hokage had mentioned.
He wasn't in a hurry to find the lab storing Uchiha Madara's body.
He had Karin stay on guard.
He himself sat cross-legged and entered his inner world.
Two foxes, identical in appearance and size, sat side by side, yet they were easily distinguishable.
The Yin Nine-Tails had a more chilling aura.
The Yang Nine-Tails had a somewhat gentler aura.
"The other me has already told me everything," the Yin Nine-Tails said, scrutinizing Naruto. "Minato really did have a good son."
"But the things you mentioned about the Soul Society..."
"They truly baffle me."
Naruto observed them and said, "I thought that after getting the half from my dad, you two would immediately merge back together."
The Yin Nine-Tails bared its teeth, "Minato didn't just split our chakra; he also divided our consciousness."
"I was wondering if it would be awkward when we met again, given how long we've been separated," it said, turning to look at its other half. "But Naruto, you did an even better job than Minato."
"If only Kushina could have been more like you back then."
Naruto scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly. "Moms aren't supposed to be like their kids."
"Is there no way for you to become one again?" he asked.
The Yang Nine-Tails shook its head. "Of course not."
"It's just a bit troublesome."
Naruto leaned forward, scrutinizing them.
"You know, Naruto, our existence as tailed beasts is purely chakra," the Yin Nine-Tails explained as it lay down. "Even if we lose some of it, it will gradually replenish over time."
"Just like back in the day... When the Cloud Village was first established, they sent the descendants of the Sage of Six Paths, known as the Gold and Silver Brothers, to capture me."
"They ended up inside my belly but survived by devouring my chakra."
"The chakra they took from me fully regenerated in less than a month."
The Yang Nine-Tails continued, "Losing half of our chakra was a severe blow to us. But a tailed beast can revive within a few years."
"Our separation for over a decade allowed us to recover the chakra we had lost."
"Now, we are two independent entities with the same origin."
The Yin Nine-Tails glanced sideways. "How do you even know it only takes a few years for a tailed beast to revive?"
"I don't remember us dying before."
The Yang Nine-Tails replied, "When we went to Mist Village with Naruto and met Isobu, I asked."
"So, you're not planning to merge?" Naruto asked, nodding.
He didn't mind; this arrangement seemed fine too.
But...
The Yang Nine-Tails had its own sword. Wouldn't the Yin Nine-Tails also have one?
Then he would have three swords. Maybe he should consider Kenpachi's idea and find a way to get six swords.
The Yang and Yin Nine-Tails spoke in unison, "Of course not. Having two bodies would be too strange."
"Will your power double if you merge?" Naruto asked thoughtfully, staring at the two identical bodies.
The Yang Nine-Tails shook its head. "I'm afraid not."
"But it would restore the power we've lost."
"Restore?" Naruto was taken aback.
"The chakra of a tailed beast is determined from the moment we are born," the Yin Nine-Tails explained. "Even if we become whole again, it won't increase our chakra."
"However..."
"The fusion of Yin and Yang will restore our true power."
"When you were with the other me, you must have felt that strong life force it had."
Naruto nodded.
"That is the Yang force," the Yin Nine-Tails grinned. "In your ninja terms, it's Yang Release."
"And I am the Yin force."
"Or, as you would call it, Yin Release."
The Yang Nine-Tails patted its tail towards its other half. "That's also the tricky part about merging into one."
"The fusion of Yin and Yang."
"That takes time."
"But time is the easiest hurdle for us to overcome."
Naruto smiled. "That's great! The other Nine-Tails can come out and play too. Being sealed away, especially inside that demon's belly, must have been incredibly boring."
The Yin Nine-Tails shook its head. "Minato was an interesting person. He told me a lot of fascinating things, so it wasn't too dull."
It paused and looked at its other self. "There's something you've been quite curious about."
"And that's the name."
Naruto's expression grew serious. He had always wanted to know the Nine-Tails' 'true name.'
The Yin Nine-Tails continued, "Though I've learned a lot about you from the other me, it's just stories."
"I'm not ready to tell you my name yet. Deciding that now would be too hasty."
"Let's wait until we're merged and I've fully integrated our memories; then the complete me will decide."
"However..."
It dragged out the words. "The other me is quite willing to tell you its name."
"It's just that you haven't asked him recently."
"And he thinks it's quite embarrassing to tell you outright."
The Yang Nine-Tails' ears stiffened, and it looked incredulous. "What are you saying!"
"You are me!"
"Aren't you embarrassed to say something like that?"
What was this?
Did I just get backstabbed by myself?
The Yin Nine-Tails retorted, "We're two separate entities now, so only you're embarrassed!"
"We're both the Nine-Tails!" the Yang Nine-Tails grumbled, raising its claws. "If you embarrass me, you're embarrassing yourself too."
The Yin Nine-Tails shot back without hesitation, "No way! Only you're embarrassed."
The two tailed beasts started brawling in their inner world, attacking each other fiercely.
Naruto watched with a smile, not intervening.
He noticed that as they exchanged blows, their consciousness and chakra were beginning to blend.
This was also a way for them to start merging.
~~~
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