Chapter 33 Meditation

When Naruto didn't respond, the stag took another step forward, lowering his head and breathing heavily.

The suspicion in its eyes gradually turned into curiosity.

It took a few more steps forward until it was face to face with Naruto.

Naruto was still crouching, almost holding his breath, with his back against the rubble of the wall.

The stag exhaled, the sound of his snort echoing in Naruto's ears.

It tilted its head and moved closer until Naruto felt the stag's huge antlers swaying just above his head, creating a breeze.

The stag moved closer and nudged Naruto's chest with his nose before pressing gently.

During this brief contact, Naruto felt mixed emotions, not knowing whether to be afraid, confused, or anxious.

Suddenly, this strange behavior changed.

The stag went beyond just gentle touches and began to nuzzle his head affectionately against Naruto's chest, his warm, rough fur rubbing against his bones and humming in a friendly manner.

The test passed, Naruto suddenly felt this way.

Tentatively, he reached out and gently stroked the buck's neck, feeling the warm, rough fur.

This soft touch, although the color and texture were different, instantly reminded Naruto of the Nine-Tails and the painful past.

Tears welled up in his eyes and rolled down his cheeks. He began to sob uncontrollably and his body began to tremble.

The deer noticed Naruto's sadness and stepped back, staring at him quietly with wide eyes.

Naruto didn't dodge, he knew there was no need to hide his emotions.

The stag stomped its front hooves, and chakra flowed out from under its hooves, as bright green as young sprouts, swirling up and then merging into the ground.

It shook its head and stomped its feet again. This time the chakra was brighter and more violent, and the ground began to shake.

The next second, the buck started running.

Confused, Naruto followed the stag into the dense forest.

Along the way, the trees seemed to make way for them, bending to both sides.

The stag moved through the trees and across rocks with a grace and lightness that contrasted sharply with its massive size.

Soon, they came to the foot of a canyon.

The stag did not stop, it easily climbed up the steep rock wall and continued running upwards.

Naruto watched the scene in disbelief.

"I can't lose to you." Naruto thought to himself, mobilizing more chakra, enduring the burning pain caused by the corrosion of the Nine-Tails' chakra in his body, and climbed up with difficulty.

When he finally climbed to the top of the mountain, his knees had been rubbed by the rough rocks, and blood was flowing down his calves, the color of which was dark and shocking.

His chest was in great pain, as if it had been crushed by a huge rock. The stag stood on the edge of the cliff, looking at him with its wise eyes.

Naruto looked up and found himself in a ruin.

This must have been a temple.

The wind howled from the sea, blinding him. He raised his hand to shield his eyes and carefully observed everything around him. Broken plaques, mottled mosaics, and a staircase leading to a higher hillside.

He looked down the stairs and was startled to see that they wound their way up the cliffs. Turning back, he could see the ruins of the Whirlpool Kingdom, safely nestled in the valley on the east side of the island.

The moon had risen, and its light shone on the top of the mountain, dyeing the sparse grass and rugged rocks a silvery white.

At the end of the stairs, Naruto could vaguely see the outline of another temple.

The temple was smaller than the ruins at his feet, perched precariously on the top of a narrow cliff, towering above the forest.

At this moment, he felt a force behind him gently pushing him forward.

The stag used its body to block the cold wind blowing in its face, went around him, and silently guarded him.

Naruto reached out and grasped the stag's dark grey fur, seeking comfort and strength.

A man and a deer walked side by side towards the stairs leading to the top of the mountain.

Naruto wasn't sure where this mysterious creature wanted to take him, nor did he understand why it was doing this.

But he had a feeling deep inside that told him it was safe here and there was no need to be afraid.

He has always relied on his intuition to get to where he is today, so this time, he chose to trust his intuition again.

The road to the top of the mountain is long and winding.

When Naruto finally reached his destination, he felt two feelings of exhaustion coming at him at the same time: one told him to lie down immediately and sleep for a whole month; the other told him that rest was the last thing he needed.

The temple in front of me, unlike the previous one, is almost intact, with only a few traces left by time.

It is more like a portal, and the roof made of black stone strips can barely keep out the wind and rain.

The building is very old, much older than the surrounding ruins.

The wall is decorated with a carving of a giant tree, which is now mottled but still exquisite, with branches and roots intertwined in a strange knot-like pattern.

The deer hummed softly and took a step back before nudging Naruto with his body again, motioning him to go through the portal and towards the edge of the cliff.

Naruto noticed that the deer did not follow him this time, and seemed unwilling to cross the threshold with him.

It just lay down behind the door, quietly waiting for Naruto.

The edge of the cliff was bare, without a single weed, and stretched off into the distance like a thin, flat needle, with a rounded end made of pale stone, not unlike the stones in the square.

Suddenly, memories that did not belong to Naruto flooded into his mind.

It was a pilgrimage, a group of robed people trekking to the edge of the cliff and kneeling in a circle that represented the center of the island.

The heart beat violently, and the world's chakra gathered here. There should have been something here, but there was nothing. It was buried deep below, out of reach.

These words came from the depths of an ancient and hidden memory, a puzzle yet to be solved, an answer given before Naruto could even ask the question.

Naruto walked up to the stone circle and peered down the cliff.

Below is a huge lake, as large as a village.

Under the moonlight, the deep lake water shimmers like a mirror.

The lake was so deep that Naruto couldn't imagine where it ended. It was like a bottomless pit that went straight to the depths of the earth, swallowing everything.

The air was thick with the scent of chakra, dark, fluid, yet strangely soothing.

Naruto could feel it whispering against his skin, ringing in his ears, he could even see it ripple through the air like a wave of heat.

At first, Naruto knelt down like the monks he remembered, but soon felt something was wrong, so he changed his posture - sitting cross-legged.