"This is great, Naruto—we finally have hope!"
Shisui couldn't help exclaiming excitedly.
Even with the warning sent by Future Sasuke, the Ninja World's rapid development over the past few years still couldn't bridge the enormous gap between them and the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
Even if Naruto was a peerless genius—perhaps the greatest genius across past, present, and future—it would still be extremely difficult for him to reach a level capable of protecting the Ninja World within just two years.
Yes, Shisui's original hope had only been that Naruto could somehow protect the Ninja World from destruction.
After all, Shisui had personally seen the images transmitted by Future Sasuke. The enemy they would face in the future—Ōtsutsuki Shiki—possessed terrifying strength.
Naruto could barely hold his ground against him, while Ōtsutsuki Shiki appeared calm and effortless.
The only reason Naruto managed to endure was because of his near-immortal body. In the end, the enemy had been sealed by a powerful expert from the Shinigami Clan who specialized in sealing techniques.
But now… with ten extra years of time, everything might change.
Naruto might truly be able to elevate his strength to that level and successfully protect the Ninja World—this pure land.
Naruto looked at Shisui, then glanced around at the others. Their faces were also filled with excitement.
Ten years was enough for the Ninja World to undergo another dramatic transformation.
More importantly, it would give Sasuke enough time to grow, and Naruto himself could make tremendous progress as well.
Naruto smiled knowingly, the pressure in his heart easing slightly. But soon, a trace of confusion surfaced.
Why would the Shinigami Clan help them this much?
This was no longer a simple alliance.
Were they truly optimistic about the future of the Ninja World and willing to invest in it?
Or was there some hidden scheme behind all this?
Naruto shook his head.
Forget it. If I can't figure it out, there's no point thinking about it now.
As long as I become strong enough, any conspiracy or scheme will vanish like smoke.
At Naruto's current level, he already had a faint intuition that this matter was not harmful to him.
With that thought, Naruto calmed his mind and began examining the item in his hand.
"So this is the Time Treasure Pearl?"
When Naruto infused it with his spiritual perception, a surprised expression immediately appeared on his face.
The pearl's functions were revealed to him almost instantly.
The Time Treasure Pearl—just as its name implied—was related to the power of time.
Inside it existed a small independent world. It wasn't particularly large, but it wasn't small either. The flow of time within it was ten times faster than the outside world, and the environment contained extremely abundant energy, making it perfectly suited for cultivation.
Even within the Shinigami Clan, such a treasure must be considered extremely valuable.
However, what delighted Naruto the most was something else.
The Time Treasure Pearl contained the power of time, which could assist him in comprehending the Law of Time.
Previously, Naruto had only grasped a superficial understanding of the Law of Time.
Even that shallow comprehension had already allowed Naruto to reach an astonishing level of speed.
After all—
Speed is insignificant before time itself.
Naruto's personal time flow could become different from the surrounding world's time. As a result, he appeared to move at an unbelievable speed.
"Shisui," Naruto said with emotion, "this is the most important treasure. The Shinigami Clan has truly given us an incredible gift."
"What do you mean?"
"You'll understand once you take a look."
Naruto casually tossed the Time Treasure Pearl toward him.
Shisui hurriedly caught it.
Looking at the crystal-clear pearl in his palm, he felt puzzled. Could such a small object really be that extraordinary?
Following the method Naruto explained, he used his perception to examine the pearl.
The moment he understood its abilities, his eyes widened.
"This…!"
It was far more powerful than even the legendary treasures left behind by the Sage of Six Paths.
In truth, the Time Treasure Pearl had many other uses besides time acceleration and cultivation.
But in Naruto's eyes, its greatest value lay in helping him cultivate.
The other functions were insignificant to him.
However, to everyone else, those abilities were already incredibly powerful.
"This is amazing!" Shisui burst out laughing. "Now we truly have hope!"
Ten years of time—combined with the Time Treasure Pearl's tenfold acceleration—
That meant a full hundred years of cultivation time.
A century of growth would undoubtedly allow them to become strong enough.
Although the pearl's internal world had limited capacity, it was still possible to rotate people in and out for cultivation.
"What are you talking about?"
Tsunade's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly as she looked at Shisui with suspicion.
"This matter must not be made public."
Shisui shook his head at her.
Everyone present was a core member of the Uzumaki Empire, but he still chose caution. Using telepathy, he silently transmitted the information to everyone. As the details reached their minds, many of them showed curious expressions.
"Let's go back, Shisui," Naruto said, taking the Time Treasure Pearl that Shisui handed over. "Gather everyone who has reached Kage-level and above. We'll begin training."
As for those below Kage-level, Naruto had already considered it carefully.
The energy inside the pearl's inner world was too violent. For shinobi whose strength had not reached a sufficient level, cultivating there would actually be dangerous.
They could easily be overwhelmed by the surging power and have their chakra completely assimilated by the natural energy, effectively returning to nature.
A year passed in the blink of an eye.
During that time, no one in the outside world realized that the Ninja World was quietly undergoing enormous changes.
It was worth mentioning that the dramatic transformation of the Ninja World's environment had attracted the attention of certain cosmic merchant groups. The world's unique environment made it resemble a natural treasure trove.
However, the Ninja World had already established an impressive reputation after defeating members of the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
Because of this record, although the Ninja World looked like an enormous prize, no one dared to covet it recklessly.
The Space Merchant Alliance had even considered inviting the Ninja World to join their organization.
But in the end, the idea was abandoned.
The pressure from the Ōtsutsuki Clan was simply too great.
In the past ten thousand years, no race had ever provoked such a serious reaction from the Ōtsutsuki Clan.
One year had passed in the Ninja World.
But inside the Time Treasure Pearl, ten years had gone by.
Within those ten years, a large number of Kage-level shinobi successfully advanced to Super Kage-level combat strength. However, only a small number managed to reach the Six Paths level.
After all, stepping into the Six Paths realm required exceptional talent.
Only a handful of rare geniuses could accomplish it.
For example, Boruto successfully broke through to the Six Paths level during those ten years.
At the same time, he further developed the abilities of his Jōgan (Pure Eye). With its power fully unleashed, Boruto's combat strength was far from weak even among Six Paths-level fighters.
Meanwhile, Naruto sat alone in a corner of the Time Treasure Pearl's inner world.
Around him was a powerful barrier that concealed his presence.
Inside the barrier, Naruto's golden hair shone brilliantly, and his azure blue eyes revealed a trace of surprise.
A faint notification echoed within his consciousness.
[Time Law Comprehension +20… Time Law — Minor Accomplishment…]
With the help of the Time Treasure Pearl's time power, Naruto had finally elevated his understanding of the Law of Time to the stage of Minor Accomplishment.
At this level, he had gained a deeper grasp of time itself.
However, something had deeply surprised him.
The difficulty of cultivating the Law of Time far exceeded his expectations.
Naruto had no bottlenecks when comprehending the Law of Time. As long as he continued to understand it, he could keep advancing.
Even so, before obtaining the Time Treasure Pearl, his progress had been incredibly slow.
Naruto estimated that even if he spent a thousand years, he might not have reached the stage of Minor Accomplishment.
But the moment he achieved it, Naruto sensed something unusual.
The temporal laws of this world felt somewhat chaotic.
Because of that instability, comprehending the Law of Time became extremely difficult.
Naruto suddenly understood.
"So that's how it is…"
"The most important feature of the Time Treasure Pearl isn't its time acceleration for cultivation."
"It's the Path of Time contained within it."
Naruto's eyes lit up with realization.
The creator of the Time Treasure Pearl had already reached Minor Accomplishment in the Law of Time.
The pearl didn't just accelerate time.
It also contained fragments of that person's Time Path, guiding future cultivators and clearing the way for them.
In other words—
The senior who refined this treasure had intentionally left behind a path for later generations to follow.
Naruto couldn't help but wonder.
Was that senior… still alive?
(End of Chapter)
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