Naruto: The Otherworldly Cultivator-Chapter 302: Chasing a Spirit

Disclaimer:

Naruto and all of its characters belong to Shueisha and Masashi Kishimoto.

I own nothing but the original characters I create.

"Dialogue"

'Thoughts'

-Author notes-

Chapter 302: Chasing a Spirit

"This is kinda comfortable..."

When Naruto regained consciousness, he found himself lying on a piece of fabric, his head resting on someone's lap.

"What do you mean by 'kinda'...?" Ino looked down at him with a deep frown. "I'll have you know most men in Konoha would kill for the chance to rest on my lap."

Naruto lifted his hand and examined it. His skin was burned, but it didn't seem serious. The pain was mild, though his chakra reserves were extremely low.

"How long was I out?"

"Five very long minutes," Hinata replied.

"Your wounds are healing fast... you're lucky to have those crazy Uzumaki genes," Tsunade added.

"You had third-degree burns over ninety percent of your body," Ino informed him. "Anyone else would've died."

"I think you all know that I am not like..." Naruto looked down at himself. "Where are my robes?"

"I just told you your body was completely burned. What makes you think your robes survived that?" Ino replied.

"Is not just my robes, I had a lot of things stored inside scrolls....oh well. And this?." He pointed at the black pants that had been laid on top of him to cover his crotch.

"One of the ANBU agents had a spare," Hinata explained.

Naruto glanced around the area.

"They just left with the prisoner you sealed. Technically, he was still alive," Hinata clarified.

"Okay, I get the idea." Naruto tried to stand but was quickly stopped by Ino.

"Hold on, you can't move yet," she said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm feeling much better, thanks to your magnificent care," Naruto replied.

"Your body heals faster than anyone's, but you should still avoid moving too much. Just rest a little longer," Tsunade advised.

"It's not that I don't want to stay here, half-naked and surrounded by beautiful women, but my father's soul won't last long. If it disappears, all of this will have been for nothing."

Naruto gently moved Ino's hand off his shoulder and stood up.

"Your father's soul? You actually got it out of the Shinigami?" Ino asked.

"What happened to the Shinigami exactly? We couldn't see much from here," Tsunade added.

Naruto adjusted the pants and secured them with a piece of string. "Yes, I got it out. In fact, I'm pretty sure all the souls trapped inside the Shinigami were released when it was obliterated by the tribulation."

"Are you saying the lightning killed the God of Death?!" Tsunade exclaimed.

Naruto scoffed. "Please... that thing was no god. Mortals really need to calm down with their exaggerated titles. If there truly is a real God of Death, that wasn't it. And besides, what it was hit with, was a lot more powerful than any normal lightning."

He tried to extend his senses...it was difficult, but he could pick up the traces he was looking for.

His clones had all been dispelled, and he couldn't make any more at the moment. He would need to go there in person.

Naruto could tell his reserves were recovering fast, but it would still take several days to fully restore them.

He had to use whatever energy he had left with utmost care.

Naruto's eyes regained some of their usual golden glow. When he extended his hand forward, a cloud of smoke appeared.

From within the smoke, a large bird emerged, dispersing the remaining mist with a wave of its wings.

"Naruto, you shouldn't be using chakra!" Tsunade scolded.

"Summoning a flying creature is still cheaper than flying on my own...and I need to get there as fast as possible."

He walked toward the bird to climb on.

"Let me help you up." Ino grabbed his waist. "And I'm coming with you—just in case you need medical attention. You're far from recovered."

He didnt not try to argue with Ino, and the two of them climbed onto the beast.

Naruto then turned to Hinata. "You two go back to Konoha. This won't take long."

"Be very careful. You're in no shape for a fight," Hinata warned him.

"I don't expect to fight the ghost of my father... but I'll be careful."

Naruto gestured with his hand, and the summoned beast soared into the sky.

"Do you know where the Fourth's spirit went?" Ino asked. She had no idea how they were supposed to find a lost soul, but she hoped Naruto could manage it with his enhanced senses. Otherwise, they should've brought Hinata.

"I tracked it as my father's soul left the Shinigami's belly... I can still sense some of the traces left by his spirit. I think he was moving around Konoha before heading to the outskirts."

"He went to Konoha? You think he was looking for you? I mean... I don't know anything about ghosts, but do they still remember things from when they were alive?"

"Spirits definitely have the ability to retain memories," Naruto said. He knew this for a fact—he remembered everything now.

"My father's soul never went through the normal process, so his memories were never removed... However, once he leaves the mortal realm, that'll change."

"If he does remember, then he must've been looking for his family. That's what I'd do if I became a ghost," Ino said.

"If he's looking for someone... then yes, it's possible he's looking for me, or more likely, he is looking for his wife. Wait... I'm picking something up—stronger this time. I think it's him."

Naruto guided the bird as it flew past Konoha and continued toward the east.

The massive forest of the Land of Fire stretched out beneath them, but a large clearing devoid of trees lay just ahead.

"That place..." Naruto could feel his father's spirit. It had stopped there.

Ino recognized it too. That clearing held deep meaning to Konoha's people. It was the site of the final battle against the Kyūbi, eighteen years ago.

"My father went to the place of his final battle."

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