Chapter 220: Taking on the Heavenly Tribulation Head On!
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 220: Taking on the Heavenly Tribulation Head On!
"You may want to take a few steps back," Naruto warned them.
"The Wrath of the Heavens?" Yamato repeated.
"Naruto, what are y—"
"Seriously, back away," Naruto interrupted Kakashi's questioning. "You won't be able to ask anything else if you stay here. This is not something you are prepared to face."
"And you are?..." Kakashi asked though he did it while still backing away.
Naruto responded with a grin. "Of course I am."
A loud sound resonated across the sky. It was similar to thunder, but not quite the same thing... it was something else that they could not describe.
Light pierced through the darkness, illuminating the lake so intensely that it became almost blinding.
Naruto focused his cultivation and extended his arms upwards. "Come now! Give it your best shot!"
A translucent red circle with complex symbols appeared in front of him, quickly followed by more circles until there were nine in total.
Then… the Heavenly Tribulation made its appearance in the form of a massive column of light that struck down at him.
The first strike shattered the initial barrier with little effort, moving on to the second, while Naruto watched with rapt attention.
These nine shields were his most potent defense, but he knew they alone would not be enough. If that light managed to hit him, it would do more than just kill him...it would also damage his soul beyond repair, preventing any form of reincarnation.
The last time, he had only survived the tribulation thanks to a life-saving artifact his Dao companion, Liao Ming, had given him. As a genius of the Sword Saint Sect, she had access to many precious artifacts.
He had none of those things now, but what gave him confidence was that he now understood how to better utilize the 'Golden Scripture'.
The tribulation manifestation had already pierced through seven shields. Only two remained between him and certain death, while Kakashi and Yamato struggled from the sidelines to even comprehend what was happening.
"Now!"
As the last shield shattered into particles of energy, a single page from the Golden Scripture manifested in the real world, bathing everything in a golden hue and forcing back the intense brightness of the tribulation.
This allowed Yamato and Kakashi a clearer view of the event...not that they understood what they were seeing.
A piece of golden paper was stopping a gigantic bolt of light that refused to dissipate, even after several seconds had passed. It made no sense to them.
"Still not giving up?!" Naruto shouted at the Heavens, though he knew it was futile.
The Heavens had no consciousness or intelligence of their own. They were merely a manifestation of the Universal Laws...a mindless enforcer of its rules and regulations.
And yet even knowing this, Naruto's disdain for them remained unchanged.
He had been confident that the Golden Page would be more than enough to stop a tribulation of this level. After all, this was a Divine Artifact....something a mere mortal like him should never possess. The Heavens would not be prepared for it.
He could wait it out.
But as he watched the tribulation light clashing with the Golden Page, and feeling the raw energy coursing through his own body, a thought struck him.
'Is it possible? ... Could it work?'
In theory, his 'Cosmic Assimilation' technique allowed him to absorb all forms of energy. And this was a form of it...energy from the Heavens, as pure as it gets.
A grin spread across his face.
"I have to try it..."
His right palm snapped into position as he activated his ability.
"Cosmic Assimilation… Absorb!"
A vortex formed in his hand, pulling in everything before it.
The surface of the Heavenly Light Colum lost its shape, breaking into countless particles that surged directly into his body.
"Yes!" Naruto couldn't help but roar. The surge of power felt exhilarating.
He was stealing from the Heavens themselves...the very force that had sought to destroy him. The tribulation began to dissipate as he absorbed it all.
With the threat now gone, the Golden Page vanished into thin air.
Naruto could only hope that sacrificing that single page had been worth it. He had no idea how many of those he could use but he was sure they were a precious resource he could not abuse.
At this moment, it certainly seemed that it had been worth the use...at least for now.
Once he finished absorbing the residual energy, he allowed himself to relax.
Above them, the dark clouds parted, and the shadows that had overtaken the skies retreated, allowing natural sunlight to return.
In mere moments, everything had reverted to how it was before the Tribulation.
"Is it... over?" Yamato asked hesitantly.
"Did you just absorb that column of light?... How did you do that?" Kakashi asked. He had been watching Naruto closely and had not missed the fact that he used the same technique as when he absorbed the Three-Tails.
"It's over. And yes..." Naruto answered briefly before turning his attention elsewhere.
Inside his Mind Palace, Naruto could now see the results of his actions.
The pure energy he had obtained from the Heavenly Tribulation had flowed into his body, settling into his core. From there, it had begun to be assimilated into his soul, strengthening it immensely.
Two additional pristine white pillars rose around his core.
"Amazing..."
The amount of energy needed to create two pillars was immense.
That Tribulation may have been equivalent to the chakra of the Three-Tailed Beast, or possibly even greater.
In the real world, Naruto had to suppress the urge to laugh like a madman. Not only had he survived the Tribulation, but he had thrived from it.
"Naruto... are you okay?" Yamato asked, still shaken after witnessing such a massive strike of pure light.
"Never felt better. I—"
"What's wrong?" Kakashi immediately noticed the change in Naruto's expression, his joy was replaced with a serious look.
"Something bad must have happened…" Naruto said. "Ino just triggered the 'Formula' I left with her."
Kakashi reacted instantly. "Formula?... You mean the Flying Thunder G—"
"I have to go."
Before Kakashi could finish his sentence, Naruto disappeared from sight.
The two of them stood there, near the shore of the lake, staring at the spot where he had just been.
"What do you think happened?" Yamato asked.
"I think… we better rush back to Konoha," Kakashi replied, a bad feeling settling in his gut.
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