Chapter 162: The Gift

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 162: The Gift

Both Ino and Naruto were staring at the floating golden scripture in astonishment, albeit for different reasons.

In his previous world, artifacts crafted by cultivators ranged from low-grade to high-grade. Occasionally, high-grade artifacts made by particularly skilled craftsmen and wielded by equally skilled cultivators would awaken hidden properties and ascend to the legendary grade.

However, there was another type of artifact that sometimes made its way into their world.

These were not crafted by mortal cultivators and were far beyond the level of even the legendary-grade ones.

It was believed that these mysterious artifacts originated from the Immortal Realms where the Gods lived, far beyond human reach. They would occasionally fall into the mortal world when a God perished during a battle fought too close to the lower planes.

This did not happen often...perhaps one Divine Artifact would be discovered every several millennia. And every time such an artifact appeared, the world descended into a frenzy to acquire it.

Even the most reclusive and ancient cultivators would abandon their secluded training, interrupting centuries of cultivation, just for the chance to claim one of these extraordinary items.

In his previous life, Naruto had been the one to find such an artifact. This could have been considered a fortuitous encounter, but it was also a tragic one. The Golden Scripture he had discovered earned him the enmity of every major sect in the world, ultimately leading to his untimely death.

The true potential of a Divine Artifact is hard to quantify. After all, only an Immortal God could truly utilize such an item to its fullest extent.

It was also said that every Divine Artifact recorded in history had a will of its own and would choose its wielder.

This led Naruto to believe that the day he found the cave with the fallen goddess inside… it was the Golden Scripture itself who had guided him there.

For reasons unknown, this Divine Artifact had chosen him as its owner.

And now, for the first time, it was acting of its own accord.

'The Golden Scripture must have a reason for this...it has never behaved this way before.' Naruto's eyes shifted to Ino.

She was clearly the cause for the artifact's bizarre behavior, as it was now slowly descending toward her.

Ino was utterly confused, as she had no idea what this shining book was. But even with no prior knowledge of Divine Artifacts, she could tell this was an extraordinary object, far beyond her comprehension.

So she stood silently, watching as the artifact approached her.

The Golden Scripture stopped when it was just a short distance away.

Its light became more intense, almost blinding...but it wasn't harmful in any way. Instead, it radiated a pleasant warmth.

A single page emerged from the book, drifting down slowly until it landed in Ino's hands.

The moment she touched it, the Golden Scripture vanished, having fulfilled its purpose, leaving behind only the golden page.

Ino looked at Naruto in confusion.

"Read it. It's for you," Naruto instructed her.

When Ino glanced down at the strange page in her hands, she found it written in a completely unknown language.

The symbols were unlike anything she had ever seen. They were neither kanji nor fūinjutsu.

Before she could ask Naruto about it, something happened.

Despite not understanding a single word on the page, knowledge began to pour into her mind, becoming perfectly clear in an instant.

Ice Veins of the Moon Goddess.

This was the name of the cultivation method the Golden Scripture had bestowed upon her.

The information was engraved into her very soul. At this moment, there was no one in existence with a greater mastery of this technique, or who was more compatible with it...than Ino herself. This was because the Golden Scripture had created it specifically for her.

"Incredible…" Ino muttered as the golden page dissolved into particles of light.

"What did you learn?" Naruto asked, genuine curiosity in his voice.

He had never intended to show the Golden Scripture to anyone, and now he needed to know what it had revealed to Ino.

Ino shared the name and described the cultivation method she had received.

'A yin-type cultivation method… and an extraordinary one at that,' Naruto thought. That was no surprise, considering its source.

"Ino, you need to understand something. That golden book you saw and the cultivation method you've learned… you must never tell anyone about them. If word of this reached the wrong ears, the consequences would be catastrophic."

Ino nodded solemnly. "Yes…" She wasn't foolish. A book capable of producing techniques like this would drive every nation to madness if its existence were known.

And she had a feeling this was only a fraction of the book's true capabilities.

"So… should I use it? This cultivation method seems incredible, but… could it harm me?"

"The Golden Scripture has a will of its own, and it's a very mysterious item, even to me. But I don't think it would have given you that technique if it meant you harm."

Ino nodded. "Yes, I think it was trying to help me."

With that, the two of them finally exited Naruto's mindscape, finding themselves seated on a patch of grass.

In the outside world, only a brief moment had passed.

"Naruto…" Ino's expression turned serious.

"Yes?"

"You've shown me so much today, and I've learned a lot. But I need time to process all of this."

She seemed to organize her thoughts before continuing.

"About your proposal to become your dao companion… could you give me some time to think it over properly?" She now understood better where Naruto was coming from, but her mind was a whirlwind of unprocessed information. She needed clarity before making such an important decision.

"Of course, take your time," Naruto replied calmly. He had expected this and wasn't surprised or offended by her hesitation. This could be said to be the possible outcome when it came to her.

"The path of cultivation is a long one, Ino. And now, you're a part of it. If there's one thing we have, it's time."

A.N - Just one thing I want to clarify. Just because Ino had acquired a cultivation technique, it doesn't mean that she is suddenly going to become a powerhouse who outshines the MC, and is going to solo Madara after the time skip or something.Her skill set will remain mostly the same, but just stronger. Ino will remain as a support-type ninja who focuses on healing and long-range assistance.The main purpose of the cultivation method is to make her a better companion for Naruto, but it would feel unfair if she didn't also benefit from the deal. -