Naruto: Heaven Rewards Diligence

Chapter 438: Domain Awakening

Golden light erupted from Naruto's body as his chakra surged violently, fully revealing his seriousness toward Demon Ancestor Kaguya.

With a slight movement of his hand, a Rasengan formed instantly. In the next moment, it split apart, transforming into dozens of concentrated beams of light that shot toward Kaguya like piercing lances.

Kaguya did not move.

She simply flicked her wrist and released the lotus resting at her fingertips.

The moment it left her hand, the lotus expanded rapidly, its petals unfolding as the surrounding space rippled like water. It drifted forward and intercepted Naruto's attack.

With a soft, almost imperceptible touch, every beam of light vanished.

There was no explosion.

No violent collision.

The attack simply dissolved.

The lotus itself remained pristine, elegant, and harmless in appearance.

But Naruto's expression tightened.

He could clearly sense that Kaguya had compressed her chakra to an extreme degree. That seemingly delicate construct carried an unimaginable density of power. The ease with which it erased his attack proved everything.

Naruto did not hesitate.

The Rasengan in his hand shifted again, its shape distorting before evolving into a Rasenshuriken. Violent chakra fluctuations surged outward, stirring a powerful wind that swept across the space.

With a sharp motion, Naruto hurled it forward.

The Rasenshuriken spun at terrifying speed, its edges tearing through space itself. It vanished for an instant, then reappeared directly beside Kaguya, striking from an unexpected angle.

He had no intention of clashing head-on.

Against an opponent like her, direct confrontation was not always the best choice.

Kaguya's gaze flickered slightly, and she gave a faint nod, as if acknowledging the precision of his approach.

At the same time, the lotus that had neutralized Naruto's previous attack drifted toward him.

Naruto raised his hand, golden chakra forming a defensive barrier as he caught the incoming lotus.

The moment it made contact, his expression changed.

"Explode."

The lotus detonated instantly.

The barrier shattered under the force of the blast. Within the explosion were countless needle-like fragments formed from condensed chakra, impossible to fully block.

Several pierced through Naruto's body.

A series of muffled explosions followed from within his flesh.

For a brief moment, blood scattered.

Yet almost immediately, his wounds regenerated, closing at a visible speed under the influence of his immense vitality.

Even so, Naruto's heart sank.

Being forced to rely on regeneration at the very start of the battle meant that Kaguya was not holding back. She was teaching him through overwhelming superiority.

Meanwhile, Kaguya faced the incoming Rasenshuriken without urgency.

Dark crimson chakra gathered around her hand, coating it in a thin, fluid layer. With a gentle motion, she caught the attack's trajectory and redirected it, sending the Rasenshuriken flying away as if it weighed nothing.

The simplicity of the action made Naruto's eyes narrow.

That single movement revealed an enormous gap.

He had believed his chakra control was already refined to a high level, yet compared to Kaguya, it felt crude.

Her movements were smooth, almost like a dance, each action perfectly measured and effortless.

Naruto finally understood.

Even though Kaguya had not returned to her peak as a True God, her control and experience still far exceeded the Half-God realm.

This was not just strength.

This was mastery born from countless epochs.

"Little one," Kaguya said calmly, "you are already exceptional. You are approaching the peak of this world. But if you wish to truly stand at the summit, you still have a long way to go."

Her tone remained gentle, yet it ignited a spark within Naruto.

A desire to win.

Naruto let out a quiet chuckle.

"Maybe you were a True God in the past," he replied, "but that is the past. As you are now, it is better not to be too confident."

His aura shifted again.

The chakra within his body began to burn violently, surging through his limbs and meridians like raging flames.

"Hyperfrequency Particle Mode."

In battles at this level, most chose to fight with their bodies.

All power condensed into a single point.

A simple punch or kick could carry the force to shatter worlds.

Even the power of laws resonated more effectively through physical form.

At the same time, Naruto drew upon his martial path. Among Half-Gods, his mastery in this field was already at a terrifying level.

In the next instant, his figure blurred.

He vanished.

Then reappeared beside Kaguya.

His fist descended like a collapsing starry sky, carrying overwhelming force.

For the first time, Kaguya's expression shifted slightly.

She recognized the path Naruto was walking.

She had once studied the combination of martial techniques and vital energy herself, but her progress had only reached the Six Paths level before she abandoned it.

The path beyond that was too difficult.

After awakening her Demon Ancestor consciousness, she chose a different route, relying on her accumulated knowledge as a former True God. That allowed her to advance rapidly without bottlenecks, reaching her current state.

But Naruto was different.

His sudden burst of power caused her eyes to gleam with interest.

"A secret art that burns chakra," she thought, "combined with this unique vital energy system… The structure of this power is quite fascinating."

For the first time, genuine curiosity appeared in her gaze.

As Kaguya moved, their fists collided.

Naruto relied on the overwhelming strength of his physical body, while Kaguya countered with absolute control over her chakra. The clash between them was silent yet terrifying, every exchange carrying enough force to shatter worlds.

Under normal circumstances, such a battle would have torn the surroundings apart, generating violent shockwaves and devastating everything nearby.

But here, it was different.

The moment destructive energy spread, a portion of it was quietly absorbed by the space itself. The environment stabilized almost instantly, repairing the damage as if nothing had happened.

Naruto immediately understood.

This space was under Kaguya's control.

Every fluctuation of chakra, every trace of destructive force, was being regulated.

In terms of chakra manipulation, aside from a few decisive trump cards, Naruto knew he could not compete with Kaguya. She had once stood at the level of a True God, and that depth of mastery was not something he could match yet.

If she had any weakness right now, it was her physical body.

To recover quickly after awakening, she had clearly prioritized restoring her chakra over refining her body.

That was Naruto's advantage.

Their movements accelerated further.

At their level, the speed of their strikes had already surpassed ordinary perception. In that fleeting instant, it felt as though time itself had been momentarily halted.

To anyone else, nothing would have happened.

But between them, countless exchanges had already taken place.

"The last time I felt this alive… was when I fought Ōtsutsuki Shiki."

Naruto's eyes burned with excitement.

"Again!"

He stepped forward, his figure tearing through space as he attacked once more.

"Suppress!"

A strange power erupted from his body.

The surrounding space subtly distorted.

Kaguya's eyes narrowed slightly.

A domain?

For a moment, even she was surprised.

That was a power only True Gods were supposed to wield.

No… not quite.

This was still incomplete.

A prototype.

During Naruto's previous battle with Ōtsutsuki Shiki, she had not paid close attention, so she had not noticed this aspect of his power.

Without direct confrontation, such a force was almost impossible to detect. It was not something visible to the naked eye. Only when laws clashed would its presence become clear.

It existed, undeniably so, yet remained elusive.

"You actually possess the embryonic form of a domain at the Half-God stage," Kaguya said, her voice carrying a rare hint of excitement. "This is a power only those qualified to become True Gods can touch."

Such individuals were often called True God seeds.

Beings with the potential to step beyond the Half-God realm.

Within the Ōtsutsuki clan, Ōtsutsuki Shiki was one of them.

Ōtsutsuki Amaterasu-shiki was another.

Ōtsutsuki Shiki had gained that qualification through the unique nature of his Rinnegan, which granted him access to domain-like abilities.

Even so, that alone did not guarantee success.

He could still remain trapped at the Half-God stage for eternity.

Reaching the level of a True God required more than talent.

It required opportunity.

And perhaps… a bit of fate.

...

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