50 50
The next month went by too quickly. The genin that were going to participate in the final exams were training their asses off, trying to develop as much as they could.
The ninja that came from outside Konoha were provided with a private training ground for each team, in respect of their privacy and village secrets.
On the surface, the village was bustling with activity. People of different countries mingled together. The businessmen took the golden opportunity to advertise their products in front of an international audience, as well as sell a lot of them in stores and stalls.
However, under the chaotic but peaceful surface, the hidden forces of multiple villages were unsettled.
Kohona had given out a secret order for all the major and minor clans of the village to take up arms and get ready for any situation.
A majority of ninjas outside on missions were called back secretly, so as to not arise any suspicion.
After the whole debacle of ROOT being pulled out of Konoha, and all their members weeded out, Konoha had fewer loose ends that might act as spies for Orochimaru, as the leader of the organization had previously dealt with the main offender in the coming war.
While the civilians were carefree and happy, most of Konoha's ninjas were vary and alert under a carefree exterior.
Seeing as he had a lot of free time now that he was focused on training, Naruto sent a shadow clone to Hiruzen and Tsunade to deal with Karin Uzumaki's change of residency.
After hearing the circumstances surrounding the girl, Hiruzen and Tsunade were livid. Hiruzen clearly remembered the order he had passed to each of the major villages that if any survivors of Uzushiogakure were found and needed a place to stay, they would be given it for a while before being transferred to Konoha or the Land of Fire.
If anyone was found to keep Uzumakis in their village, moreover, being used like cattle, the offending village would have to pay for their crimes.
Hiruzen quickly contacted the representative of the Village Hidden in the Grass and demanded an explanation.
Seeing the angry Hokage and Hokage in training, the mere jonin representative sent as a gesture of goodwill between the villages nearly shat himself in fear.
Quickly relaying the matter to his superiors in Grass, using a special communication device for emergencies, the Grass Representative signed a huge bunch of documents, which basically served as proof of Karin being transferred to Konoha as well as an IOU of a few million ryo for the distress caused to the child, followed by the fines for keeping and using an Uzumaki as a slave.
Hiruzen was not called the Professor for no reason. His tenacity and power from his youth had once again revealed themselves after the years of spiritual possession had cleared from his system.
His aggressiveness had shaken the leader of the Grass, which made the process of transferring Karin to Konoha much easier.
Karin for the time being spent the days and nights with Naruto in his house. Since he lived alone in a house meant for a mid-size family, Naruto thought it would be for the best.
Add on to the fact that he saw her as a sister reunited, and the prospect of having a physical family, naruto invited her.
At first, she was rejecting the offer, but after a bit of persuasion, and also the prospect of living with Naruto, the knight in shining armor that saved her, won her over, and she agreed.
Just a week before the month was over, Sasuke approached Naruto.
"Hey, Naruto. Indra wanted to meet with you." Sasuke said as he sat down on a sofa, and relaxed while eating a tomato salad made by Naruto himself.
"Really. Did he finally recover everything?" Naruto asked curiously, as he brought his fist out for a fist bump.
"Reflecting his actions, Sasuke bumped his fist, before Naruto closed his eyes.
"Yo, Indra!! How are you? Heard you wanted to talk with me?" Naruto entered a small apartment complex-style house inside Sasuke's mindscape and came face to face with the two quarter-aliens.
"Naruto. Nice to meet you once more. I am fine. I wanted to meet with you to thank you." Politely speaking at first, Indra suddenly bowed at his waist, stunning Naruto.
"Oh, get up. Get up. There's no need for this." Naruto, in embarrassment, helped the man stand up straight, but was surprised by how strong he was.
"Let him do it Naruto. He needs this." Ashura added for the side, causing Naruto to stand in front of the bowing man awkwardly.
"Thank you, Naruto, for being there for Sasuke. For being his friend and stopping him from following the path that many before him have taken. Even if the methods may be drastic, I will not comment on them. I believe sometimes, to go against fate, you need to use equally strong forces. Thank you, very much." Indra spoke completely from the bottom of his heart, causing Naruto to chuckle awkwardly.
"So, you knew about that, huh? Sorry about that. But that was the only way I could think of then." Naruto explained but stopped after seeing Indra didn't blame him.
"We have a favor to ask, Naruto. Would you continue being Sasuke's brother for as long as you are alive? We would like the final reincarnations of us brothers to finally have a life that is not filled with hate towards each other." Indra and Ashura bowed together this time, asking the blond sincerely.
"Guys. Really, this isn't necessary. You don't have to ask me to do this, I already had that plan. Sasuke is my brother and nothing will change that. To be honest, it's kind of insulting that you asked it as a favor. Do you think so lowly of me?" Naruto glared harmlessly at the two before the three burst out laughing.
"You really are still the same Naruto that I remember seeing growing up. Thank you, Naruto. Never change, ok." Ashura ruffled the boy's hair before he felt a wave of energy wash over him.
"Let me give you something in return for helping me." Indra placed his hand on the boy's head and a similar wave of energy washed over him.
After feeling it, Naruto distinctively recalled the familiar feeling.
"Is this.."
"Yeah, it is our chakra, a higher concentration than what you got when you took Sasuke's blood inside your body. This will help you achieve your goals much quicker." Indra smiled before he said something that made Naruto nervous.
"Now, is it possible for me to meet with the man who has helped all of us change our fates?"
"What?? Ashura. You told him?" Naruto looked at Ashura in surprise. He didn't think he would reveal Hiroki's existence without his permission.
"It's alright, Naruto. I gave him my permission." Suddenly, the three members inside Sasuke's mindscape were shifted into Naruto and Hiroki's shared mindscape where they saw Hiroki standing up from his couch to greet the newcomers.
"Welcome, Indra. I believe this is your first time meeting me. My name is Hiroki. Nice to meet you." Hiroki walked towards the raven-haired quarter alien but was suddenly stunned when the man kneeled on the ground.
"Thank you. Hiroki-san. For allowing my final descendant to have a chance to change his fate. Thank you for saving him from having to go down the dark path. Thank you. For everything." The man expressed his sincerest gratitude, which caused Hiroki to take a step back from the awkward situation.
The situation was made more awkward when his friend of a long time too kneeled on the ground and followed his brother's actions.
DINGGGGGGGG
DINGGGGGGGG
"Thank you. Hiroki-san. Please accept my bow as that is the only thing, we can think of to convey our feelings." The pair of brothers chorused together, while Hiroki's mind was reeling from the sonorous chiming ringing inside the mindscape.
"Get up guys. I don't deserve this. Get up before I get angry. Up, up you come." Hiroki walked up to the brothers before pulling them into a small side hug to show that their feelings have been conveyed.
"Ashura. If you want, you can come back to stay in this mindscape, but if you want to spend some time with your brother, it is fine as well." After a lot of expression of manly emotions, Hiroki, Indra, and Ashura sat on the sofa, discussing future plans.
"I think I should come back to Naruto's body. Having to live inside Sasuke's body was honestly draining my soul. Having it in two bodies at once is exhausting." Ashura chuckled as he absorbed the shade he had left inside Naruto's mindscape, becoming 'whole' once more.
Soon, Indra went on his way back to Sasuke's mind, while Ashura went back to his corner in Naruto's mindscape, sitting down to play with the familiar games that he missed in his long absence.
"Now, let's see what happened?" Hiroki muttered as he walked into his library but was stunned to see two glowing objects floating in the middle of the air, radiating the holiest light that Hiroki had seen in his life.
Approaching the two objects, Hiroki reached out, as they came flying toward him.
GASP
"No way. Two Golden Pages of the Library of Heaven's Path!!!" Hiroki screamed like a teenage girl at a Justin Bieber concert, as he held the two pages.
"Make me a body!!!!!"
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Finally made it to 50 chapters. Yahoo!!!!
This is a significant milestone for this book. And shows that I have persisted and stayed true to this book for 50 chapters.
Also, for those that don't know what the Golden Pages of the Library of Heaven's Path are, then here is your explanation.
The Golden page can only be achieved when the host of the Library earns gratitude from the bottom of their hearts from people whose lives he has changed.
The purposes of the Pages are to:
Increase Soul Depth by 5 (A concept from the Cultivation Novel)
Be used to assimilate all the knowledge and content of the books scanned previously into his head instantaneously.
Be used as a bludgeoning device that can Insta-Kill those two full cultivation levels higher than the host. (A concept from the Cultivation Novel)
Be used to purify the bloodline of anyone that the host wants to.
Be used as a prison/seal for objects or seals.
These are the abilities explored in the original. However, these are all one-time use situations. The host can only use a single page to achieve a single outcome mentioned above.
However, I plan to add a few abilities that I think may be of use and can be used in this fic.
To find out more, stay tuned for the next chapter.
Until then. By-Bye.
And Enjoy!!
