The rain had stopped completely.
In the meantime, Fern had practiced countless times.
Each time, she was just a little off.
The magic beam struck the boulder, leaving deep marks, but the stone never cracked.
Fern bit her lip, raising her staff again and again.
Naruto stood to the side, neither urging her on nor speaking.
Until this time.
Fern took a deep breath, concentrating her mana at the tip of her staff.
The beam shot out, more solid than any time before.
“Bang!”
The boulder split down the middle, the top half sliding off and falling deep into the bottom of the cliff, echoing heavily.
Fern lowered her staff, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Not because she was tired, but because she was happy.
Naruto stood beside her, smiling happily.
“Sister Fern, you did it too!”
Fern nodded gently, her voice slightly hoarse.
“Yeah…
I did it.”
The two exchanged a look, then turned simultaneously and ran toward home.
Nighttime.
Frieren stood at the doorway, holding a cup of tea, silently watching the rain that had stopped.
The tea had long gone cold, and she hadn’t taken a sip.
Until two figures appeared on the distant path, getting closer and closer.
It was Naruto and Fern.
Compared to the heavy atmosphere from before, both of them had a sense of relief.
Their steps were much lighter too.
Frieren watched them approach, her gaze sweeping over both their faces before finally landing on Fern.
“Fern, did you succeed?”
Fern smiled and nodded vigorously.
“Yes, Master Frieren!”
Naruto took the opportunity to “claim credit,” jumping forward.
“And me, and me!
I succeeded too!”
“You did it too?” Frieren’s cold expression showed a hint of surprise, and she looked toward Fern, wanting a definitive answer.
Fern’s success could be said to be within her expectations.
After all, in terms of talent, Fern could achieve in four years what an ordinary Mage would take ten years to accomplish.
But Naruto…
Over these four years, although his total mana was astonishing, his progress could be said to be zero.
The advice she gave Naruto previously also carried a sense of comfort.
In a sense, could Naruto be considered a late bloomer?
Fern gripped her staff tightly and nodded.
“Not only did we both do it, but Naruto was even faster than me!”
“Is that so?
Frieren rubbed her chin in thought for a moment, said nothing more, and turned to go inside.
But as she turned, the corners of Frieren’s mouth twitched.
She couldn’t help but recall what Serie, her master’s teacher, had said many years ago.
If anyone could kill her, it would either be the Demon King or a human Mage…
The speed at which humans grow stronger is truly incredible.
“Go make dinner, I’m hungry.”
Frieren’s voice came from inside the house, still in that indifferent tone.
Fern and Naruto exchanged a smile, then entered the house one after the other.
The room was much warmer than outside.
The fire in the fireplace was burning brightly, and Heiter was sitting trembling in his chair, a blanket draped over his knees.
Seeing the two enter, he revealed a kindly smile.
Naruto stepped forward quickly, hugging him tightly and burying his face in Heiter’s chest.
“Grandpa Heiter, I really missed you!”
Heiter just gently stroked Naruto’s head.
“Have you accumulated so much longing after being apart for only one day?”
Naruto didn’t know how to explain his transmigration, and it wasn’t just one day since they last met, but over a year.
“Yeah!”
In the end, Naruto had no heart to explain; he just wanted to quietly feel the warmth of this moment, so he nodded heavily and hugged him even tighter.
Fern stepped forward, standing before Heiter, unable to hide her excitement.
“Master Heiter, Naruto and I both managed to pierce the boulder!”
Her voice was a little higher than usual, and her eyes were bright.
Heiter looked at them, silent for a moment.
Then he smiled.
It was a very complex smile.
There was gratification, pride, and also a little bit of relief.
“Is that so…” His voice was very soft, as if talking to himself.
“You both did it.”
Fern took a step closer, holding her staff with both hands.
“Master Heiter, you said that as long as one can pierce the boulder, they can become an independent Mage.”
“So you don’t need to worry anymore.” She looked up, her eyes red.
“Naruto and I can take care of ourselves now.”
Heiter used his other hand to gently stroke Fern’s head, his movements slow but very gentle.
Frieren stood in the hallway outside the door, leaning against the wall, still holding that cup of tea that had gone cold.
She didn’t go in.
She just listened to the conversation outside, revealing a slight smile.
As an emotionally dull elf, her understanding of humans had taken another step forward at this moment.
The room was quiet for a while, and one could hear the sound of the fire burning in the fireplace.
Then she turned and walked back to the study.
In the kitchen.
Naruto and Fern were busy preparing tonight’s dinner, one after the other.
Taking advantage of the moment Fern went to get something, Naruto lowered his head and chatted with Kurama inside him.
“Kurama, I’m planning to tell Grandma Frieren and the others about you; maybe they can help me think of other solutions.”
“Just that white-haired woman?
She doesn’t look that old.”
“Don’t judge a book by its cover.
Grandpa Heiter said that elves’ lifespans are practically eternal,” Naruto said seriously, not stopping his work.
“Grandma Frieren’s age might be about the same as yours.”
“Hmph…”
The Nine-Tailed didn’t retort this time.
After all, this was an unknown world.
It was silent for a while, then asked, “Even if you tell them, what can it do about my existence?”
Naruto said naively, “Maybe there’s a way to take you out of my body, so you can go see the outside world too.”
He paused, then added, “But it’s best to stay in the Ninja World.”
“Because in this world, there are many powerful Mages and warriors; if they see you, they might treat you as a monster.”
The Nine-Tailed sneered.
“Kid, don’t blame me for pouring cold water on you.
I admit that magic is indeed a special existence.”
“But it and Chakra are two fundamentally different systems.
At least in the Ninja World, it is impossible for a Jinchuriki to safely separate from a Tailed Beast.”
“Even elves with vast knowledge and eternal lifespans would be helpless.”
Naruto asked, confused, “What do you mean?”
The Nine-Tailed’s voice sank.
“The moment a Tailed Beast is stripped from a Jinchuriki’s body, the Jinchuriki will die…
That is the reality.”
“Either I stay in your body for a lifetime, or you…
die!”
Naruto was silent for a while.
After a long while, he said softly, “Whether it’s the Ninja World or the Magic World, I will definitely find a way.”
However, precisely because of what the Nine-Tailed said, Naruto decided to tell only Grandma Frieren first.
Grandpa Heiter would be worried.
“Why go to such trouble?” The Nine-Tailed thought Naruto was indeed different from other humans, just didn’t know why.
Naruto answered seriously, “Because it’s only natural for a bird that has always been caged to yearn to fly into the blue sky, isn’t it?”
The Nine-Tailed was silent.
It had lived for thousands of years and had seen too many humans and Jinchuriki.
Some hated it, some feared it, and some tried to exploit its power.
But this was the first time it had met such a sincere human.
With the conversation at this point, the Nine-Tailed didn’t speak again.
Naruto was also thinking about how to tell Frieren about his situation.
Compared to being monitored and the secrecy in Konoha, aside from being born there…
Konoha Village didn’t compare to the Holy Capital in the slightest.
This was his true home, with true family.
Everyone here was trustworthy.
He just shouldn’t make them worry.