At dawn, Naruto and Hinata wrapped up their "second half."
During the "injury time," Naruto smiled, "Hinata, tomorrow night, let's go adventuring in our dreams."
"In our dreams… an adventure?" Hinata blinked, puzzled.
Resting his head on Hinata's lap, Naruto gazed up at drifting clouds and began to explain, unhurried, about the Realm of Reincarnation.
The Realm of Reincarnation—the domain where the Animal Path's summoning beasts reside.
It couldn't be entered at will; only a Rinnegan wielder had a chance to access it in their sleep. In other words, it all depended on luck.
Naruto had been back in the ninja world for over a year. Since that one time he'd forced his way in using massive numbers of shadow clones, he'd never naturally triggered the Realm of Reincarnation again. That showed just how slim the odds were!
So, this time, brute force was still the only way.
He couldn't help but recall that night with Konan.
To enter the Realm of Reincarnation, he'd used thousands of shadow clones in the rain-soaked clearing. Worried he'd catch cold, Konan had even used her Paper Clones to hold umbrellas for all his clones. Afterward, Konan caught a fever, and Naruto had rushed to Konoha overnight to fetch Shizune for treatment.
A surge of gratitude welled up in Naruto's heart: Back then, when I was all alone, it was Konan-nee who gave me shelter and cared for me in every detail. Now, with a big family and a thriving life, so much no longer needs my own hands—and so much of that is thanks to her…
Hinata asked softly, "Can I go into the Realm of Reincarnation too?"
Naruto replied, "Konan-nee has a way for us to enter together, but it's late—she's probably asleep now. Let's wait till tomorrow night…"
Clang!
As if on cue, a loud thump came from next door—something heavy hitting the floor.
Naruto and Hinata exchanged glances.
"Looks like she's still awake…"
"I'll go get Konan-nee."
"Alright, go ahead."
"Naruto-kun… put your clothes on first…"
Ten minutes later—
Hinata led in Konan.
"So, you want to enter the Realm of Reincarnation again?" Konan confirmed.
Naruto hopped out the window and soon returned. Outside, thousands of shadow clones were already sitting in the open, each with a wooden umbrella propped up beside them.
Konan stood at the window, a little wistful. "I guess you really don't need me to hold umbrellas anymore…"
Naruto peeled off his damp shirt and sat on the bed.
Whether it was his main body or any shadow clone that triggered entry, all clones would dispel at the same time, and the experience would feed back to his true self. That way, Naruto's main body never had to be outside—a lesson learned from last time.
Konan closed the window and walked to the bedside. "Let's begin."
Naruto closed his eyes, using a meditation technique much like entering Sage Mode, clearing his mind of all distractions.
"Z~z~Z~z~Z~" Soon, Naruto was fast asleep, a bubble rising and falling at his nose.
Konan couldn't help but ask, "Does Naruto always sleep like this?"
Hinata smiled, "Mm, except when he's really exhausted—sometimes he snores, or talks in his sleep…"
Konan sighed, "Is that so…"
Poof, poof, poof, poof, poof…!
At that moment, all the shadow clones outside dispelled at once!
Konan nodded, "Looks like he's already triggered the Realm of Reincarnation. Much smoother than last time."
"Konan-nee, come up here," Hinata invited. "Standing must be tiring."
Konan hesitated. "But this is your wedding bed—wouldn't it be improper?"
"It's fine, Konan-nee isn't an outsider." Ever since sharing a hot spring, Hinata and Konan had grown much closer.
"Well, standing really isn't convenient for this jutsu…"
After a brief pause, Konan slipped off her shoes and socks, climbed onto the bed, and sat beside Hinata, both facing Naruto.
She produced a special talisman and pressed it to Naruto's forehead.
"Put your hand on my shoulder."
"Okay." Hinata obeyed.
"This jutsu works by channeling our chakra into the talisman, connecting us to Naruto's dream. So don't resist."
"I understand, Konan-nee."
Konan formed a seal with two fingers.
—Paper Curse Technique: Transition!
"Close your eyes…"
Konan slowly shut her eyes, and Hinata did the same.
Their chakra poured into the talisman. As the "Seal" character at its center broke, their spirits were drawn together—straight into the Realm of Reincarnation!
…
Within the Realm of Reincarnation, beside Naruto, the figures of Hinata and Konan shimmered into being.
It was Hinata's first time here, and she looked around curiously, activating her Byakugan. "So this is the Realm of Reincarnation? Why is it so empty? I can't sense any chakra at all…"
Konan teased, "That's because last time, a certain restless little guy cleaned the place out—inside and out. Didn't leave a scrap for anyone else."
Naruto blushed. "It was my first time, okay? I had no experience… just kept thinking about taking advantage."
Konan shot Hinata a look. "Was he really inexperienced?"
Hinata's cheeks turned crimson. "N-no… Naruto-kun was very skilled. And… yasashii—very gentle…"
Naruto looked bewildered. "I feel like we're not talking about the same thing…"
Konan brought things back on track. "Anyway, if we want results, we'll have to go to the forbidden zone. Are you ready? Last time, we barely made it out."
Naruto's eyes sparkled with anticipation. "Exactly! That big guy who gave us so much trouble last time—no way I'm letting it off easy!"
Truthfully, Naruto could really hold a grudge.
The three of them headed deeper into the Realm of Reincarnation.
Half an hour later, they halted before a familiar, dense mist.
That mist marked the entrance to the forbidden zone!
Naruto said, voice low, "This is it. I can already feel that restless chakra…"
Hinata focused her Byakugan on the fog. "So powerful… Even my Byakugan can't see through it…"
But what the Byakugan couldn't pierce, the Tenseigan just might.
Sizzle!
The veins at her temples faded, and golden light radiated from Hinata's eyes.
—Tenseigan: Insight Mode!
Whoosh!
The thick fog grew transparent, her vision extending inward—until, suddenly, it was blocked by something massive!
"That… that's…"
Hinata peered closer.
Judging by its shape—it was a gigantic toad!
The colossal creature sensed her gaze!
Sizzle! Golden, horizontal pupils snapped open!
In an instant, a terrifying killing intent crashed into Hinata's mind!
Crack!
Her whole body trembled, and as if by instinct, Tenseigan Chakra Mode flared to life!
Konan's tone was cool. "Looks like we're not exactly welcome…"
Naruto's lips curled into a confident grin. "The Golden-Eyed Toad—Mount Myōboku's infamous demon frog. They say even the most venomous sage serpent in Ryūchi Cave can't match half its poison. Does it really think that'll scare me, Uzumaki Naruto?"
Poof! Poof! Poof!
Naruto pulled three gas masks from his scroll.
"This…" Hinata and Konan were momentarily speechless.
After strapping his on tight, Naruto said mysteriously, "Hinata, Konan-nee, what are you waiting for? Put them on, or we really might not make it out alive…"
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
The story isn't over...
🤔 Want to know what happens next to the characters?
🤫 Eager to explore the untold secrets of this world?
✍️ Ready to read more of my wildest stories?
✨patreon.com/DarkGolds