Chapter 161: Ino’s Understanding and the Unexpected Visit

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 161: Ino's Understanding and the Unexpected Visit

Naruto continued to show Ino more memories, one after another.

Ino quickly lost her sense of time in the vast labyrinth of scrolls. However, as the hours, or perhaps days had passed, she began to understand much more about the person standing beside her.

These memories belonged to Naruto's past self, a self he had somehow regained, granting him access to an incredible wealth of knowledge.

It explained so much about his sudden transformation after leaving the Ninja Academy, and about the confidence and wisdom he now carried.

What shocked her most, though, was that this world she glimpsed through his memories wasn't their own.

In that world, there were no ninjas or samurai. Instead, there were cultivators, individuals who honed their bodies, minds, and souls in entirely different ways. They practiced techniques far removed from anything she knew.

These cultivators lived extraordinarily long lives, which explains why Naruto's library contained such an overwhelming number of memories.

'How long did his previous life last?' Ino wondered, awed by the sheer magnitude of it all.

From the fragments she absorbed, she picked up pieces of the breathing techniques used by members of the Blue Jade Sect, along with other cultivation methods. Yet she wasn't sure these techniques would work in their world, given the different nature of the energies involved.

Throughout the process, Naruto said little, simply guiding her deeper and deeper into the labyrinth of shelves and scrolls. He would occasionally stop, point to a specific scroll, and let her absorb its contents.

Finally, her curiosity got the better of her. "Naruto… why are you showing me all of this?"

Naruto paused, his gaze thoughtful. "Because I wanted you to understand me a little better," he said softly.

Her eyes widened. "You've only known me for a few months, and yet you're trusting me with all this?"

She was acutely aware of the value of what he was showing her. This wasn't just personal...it was dangerous knowledge. If the Hokage or the Elders ever learned about the wealth of information hidden within Naruto's mind, there was no telling what they might do.

Naruto was looking at her closely, and by the faces she was making, he could guess at what she was thinking about right now.

But he was not worried about people trying to steal his knowledge. There was no chance of that happening. At least not anymore.

Perhaps if he had been captured right after waking up in that hospital bed, months ago…back then, if someone with Inoichi capabilities had insisted on entering the deepest parts of his mind…then maybe they could have gotten something.

But now it was too late for that. He had grown in power, developed his cultivation, and secured his mind.

But Ino thought he was taking a massive risk by telling her, so why would he deny it?.

And he hasn't even shown her anything that important. Just memories from his time at the Blue Jade Sect to give her a basic understanding of his previous persona.

"I may not have known you for long, Ino, but my instincts tell me I can trust you with this," Naruto said, his voice sounding sincere.

Her heart skipped a beat. "Naruto…" She felt truly moved by his words. This was proof of how much he trusted her...how much he cared.

"Do you believe me now," Naruto continued, "when I say I never intended to disparage you or Hinata when I asked you to become my companions?"

Ino frowned slightly. "So, having multiple partners was a normal thing in that world?" Her voice carried a hint of suspicion. From what she'd seen in his memories, that didn't seem to be the case.

Naruto chuckled nervously. "Well… it wasn't unheard of, but it wasn't exactly common either."

"See?" Ino said, looking smug.

For a brief moment, Naruto considered explaining the concept of dual cultivation to her...how it could benefit both parties, and why it was such a vital aspect of his previous life. He even thought about showing her a memory or two to make it easier to understand.

But after spending this much time with her, he knew better.

'She'd just get mad and start yelling,' he thought, stifling a sigh. 'I'll save myself the trouble.'

For now, there was no urgent need for a Dao Companion. He could give Ino more time to adjust to the idea and grow more mature. If necessary, he could rely only on Hinata or find someone else who could support him in cultivating Yin energy.

'I'll need to create a technique for Hinata. There are ways to enhance the quality of her yin chakra. That would make dual cultivation a lot more rewarding.'

"Naruto?" Ino's voice pulled him from his thoughts. She was watching him intently, her head tilted in curiosity.

"Sorry," Naruto said, shaking off his distraction. "I think we should end the discussion here. You probably have a lot to think about."

Ino blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift. "Huh?"

Then a thought struck her. "Are you planning to show all of this to Hinata too?" Her tone was casual, but there was a hint of something deeper...possessiveness, perhaps?

Naruto shook his head. "No. You're the only one I can show this to."

Of course, this was because Ino was uniquely capable of delving into someone else's mind. There was no way for Hinata to do the same, and he was not able to pull someone in here by himself.

"I see…" Ino smiled, her cheeks tinged pink. At that moment, she didn't care about the reasoning behind his words, she was too happy to think clearly.

If Naruto noticed, he made no attempt to correct her.

"Then—" He was about to suggest they leave his mind when a golden light flared above them.

"Whoa!" Ino gasped, staring up in awe. "What is that? It's beautiful!"

Naruto's eyes widened, but his reaction was entirely different.

'What is the Golden Scripture doing here?' he thought, alarmed.

He hadn't intended to show Ino the Divine Artifact. In fact, he had deliberately avoided bringing it up.

This meant that the Divine Artifact had decided to move on its own and show itself before Ino.

And Naruto had no idea as to why.

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