Naruto: Cultivating to Immortality

Chapter 112 Unwavering Belief

"Life is so fragile, it vanishes so easily in the flow of time. To me, the lifespan of the physical body is far too short and too unpredictable. Even a Hokage is reduced to ashes upon death. I think Kanan-kun understands this."

Orochimaru didn't care whether Hyuga Kanan answered him or not, and continued speaking calmly. He believed that this genius understood his existence, and that this funeral wouldn't affect the other's pursuit.

The Hyuga Kanan before him was someone Orochimaru respected. He didn't believe Kanan would be affected by the loss of a life, and even if he was somewhat affected, he would recover quickly. Orochimaru's purpose in coming was simply to have a good talk with Kanan and to observe how much emotional turmoil Kanan experienced in the face of the death of a loved one.

Since his encounter with Hyuga Kanan, Orochimaru had never sensed any emotional fluctuations in the other's demeanor. Kanan seemed detached from the world, as if nothing in the ninja realm could disturb him. But this time, Orochimaru truly felt a trace of sadness in Kanan's aura, making him realize for the first time that there were still things in this world that could be of concern to him.

"It seems that Kanan-kun needs some time alone, so I'll take my leave now. By the way, most of the materials you requested have been collected and will be delivered to Konoha Village in a few days at most. I'll come back to beat you up then."

Having achieved his goal, Orochimaru didn't want to bother the other party any further. His figure quickly disappeared beside Hyuga Kanan, as if he had never been there at all.

Hyuga Kanan remained oblivious to Orochimaru. Just as Orochimaru had sensed, a trace of sadness lingered in his heart. Gazing at the distant funeral, Hyuga Kanan bid his final farewell, bidding farewell to all his emotions in return. His last remaining attachment was buried along with the funeral procession.

Cultivation is essentially a process of understanding the universe and nature, gradually bringing one closer to the world and causing emotions to fade. However, Hyuga Kanan didn't want to truly become an emotionless entity like the world's will. He believed that while cultivators cultivate the power of the rules of heaven and earth, they couldn't cultivate themselves to be like the world's will. Otherwise, their obsession with becoming an immortal would vanish. That wouldn't be cultivation, but rather assimilation with heaven and earth.

Cultivating immortality requires being close to heaven and earth and nature, but one must always ensure one's existence and not become immersed in heaven and earth. Just like when one breaks through to the innate realm, the world's will creates the rules and patterns of heaven and earth for one, which can easily cause the cultivator to become immersed in the rules of heaven and earth and nature.

Hyuga Kanan must now strengthen her resolve to train, and she cannot truly abandon all her emotions, otherwise her path of cultivation will become extremely difficult.

Hyuga Kanan now truly understands the difficulty of cultivating immortality. Not only does he have to learn and comprehend the incredibly complex power of the laws of heaven and earth, but he also must constantly guard against becoming ensnared by them. This makes him hesitant to devote his entire spirit to studying and comprehending the power of the laws of heaven and earth, because these laws are extremely attractive, easily drawing the mind in and causing one to unknowingly become trapped, unable to extricate oneself, ultimately succumbing to them, assimilating into their power, and becoming a part of it.

Then the path of cultivation will be completely over. How can someone without any emotions or feelings know how to pursue the path of immortality? In the end, they can only become nourishment for heaven and earth.

Hyuga Kanan now needs to strengthen his belief in cultivating immortality, prevent himself from being easily attracted by the rules of heaven and earth, and be able to break free from the cultivation process of the rules of heaven and earth at any time, so that he can always face the power of the rules of heaven and earth with clarity.

Hyuga Kanan now finally understands why Taoist cultivators, after reaching a certain stage, enter the mortal world, traveling and leaving behind various deeds. This is a process in which cultivators constantly strengthen their beliefs and resolve, preventing themselves from being attracted and assimilated by the rules of heaven and earth.

The path to immortality is not simply a matter of diligent practice. Talent is only one factor among many cultivators who succeed; countless highly talented individuals ultimately lose their way within the rules of the world. Talent only determines the speed and efficiency of cultivation; it is not a necessary factor for ultimately ascending to immortality. Those who ultimately ascend to immortality are invariably those with unwavering faith. Regardless of talent, a strong belief in cultivation is the most crucial foundation.

While Hyuga Kanan hasn't yet reached the point where he absolutely needs unwavering faith to sustain his training, he must begin to cultivate and strengthen his resolve. Previously, Kanan believed himself to be a practitioner with unwavering faith, but his previous setback has taught him that he must further reinforce his conviction.

Hyuga Kanan now gazes at her mother's loving face at the funeral, recalling her mother's words. She had always wanted to live a good life, and perhaps this was why, whether in her past or present life, she had only ever wanted to cultivate diligently and achieve immortality. This was her belief in cultivating immortality.

Hyuga Kanan's aura changed rapidly. At this moment, he truly strengthened his belief in cultivation, which was his pursuit of immortality.

"It turns out that I have never changed. My belief has always been to pursue immortality and attain eternal life."

Hyuga Kanan muttered to himself, now completely reaffirming his initial goal. Ever since learning that his arrival in this world was orchestrated by the world's will, he had been caught in a state of anxiety and uncertainty. His previous experience of being submerged in the rules of heaven and earth had made him somewhat insecure, constantly wondering if his beliefs had changed, causing him to waver slightly.

But now, when Hinata Kanan thought of her mother's last words, that all she wanted was for her to live a good life, it woke her up. She realized that she had begun to doubt her original beliefs. Fortunately, her mother's words reminded her of her ultimate pursuit. She had never changed, and her belief in immortality was reaffirmed.

How the world changes, how the world's will and the Sage of Six Paths fight for control—none of these matters to me. I've always been a selfish person, pursuing nothing more than continuous self-improvement, ultimately achieving immortality and ascension to godhood.

In the end, I will always shatter the void and transcend this world. Therefore, the struggle between the world's will and the Sage of Six Paths has no conflict with me, and I don't need to get involved in their conflict.

Right now, all I need to do is avoid exposing myself to the world's will and focus on improving myself so that I have the right to express myself. Improving my strength and level of understanding is what I need to consider right now.

Spending time with her mother during this period allowed Hyuga Kanan to relax her tense nerves. It also greatly improved her mental state, allowing her to better focus on her training.

Hyuga Kanan now needs to find a place to train in seclusion. Konoha's wariness of him will eventually become a problem and interfere with his training, so it's time for him to leave.

Hyuga Kanan's figure on the tree branch moved slightly and then disappeared from the spot.

Back in his courtyard, Hyuga Kanan stood there with his eyes closed. A gentle breeze blew, causing his long hair, which was casually draped behind him, to flutter. The sunlight shone directly on him, giving him an ethereal aura, as if he had merged into the world.

Hyuga Kanan has decided that once he obtains the necessary materials, he will leave Konoha and return to his original place of seclusion for training. It is the most suitable place for him. It is sparsely populated, has a good environment, and the natural energy there, constantly gathered by the world's will, makes it the perfect place for him to cultivate in seclusion.

Furthermore, having learned numerous barrier and sealing techniques within the Hyuga clan, and combining this with the Taoist formations within his Qiankun Inheritance Jade, he can effectively set up a large, enclosed formation there, ensuring he remains undiscovered and undisturbed by others, while also preventing the rich natural energy from dissipating.

All that's needed is for Hyuga Kanan to leave Konoha completely after waiting for the materials to arrive, leaving only his address for Hyuga Hiashi and Orochimaru.

The promise he made to the Hyuga clan was that when Hiashi Hyuga needed him, they would naturally come looking for him. Leaving his address to them was a way of showing that he didn't intend to break his promise, and it was also a way of giving his final account to the Hyuga clan and satisfying his own conscience.

As for Orochimaru, Hyuga Kanan believed that Orochimaru would definitely try to trade with him again, and the knowledge of Konoha was still very much needed for him at the moment. He was confident that Orochimaru would eventually obtain it and trade with him; for Orochimaru, the unknown was the most attractive thing.

Konoha Village fell silent once again. Hyuga Kanan remained in his courtyard, having not left it at all during this time, quietly cultivating and waiting for the materials to arrive.

This action relieved the Konoha leadership, who were completely divided on their stance regarding Hyuga Kanan. Shimura Danzo considered him a threat to Konoha and strongly demanded that all of Konoha's Anbu ninja be deployed to surround and kill him, denying him any opportunity to harm the village. Hiruzen Sarutobi, however, believed Kanan was powerful and only resided within the Hyuga clan; there was no need for conflict, as mobilizing so many Anbu ninja would likely cause resentment within the Hyuga clan towards the Hokage's faction.

Orochimaru, on the other hand, has been studying the scrolls he acquired from Hyuga Kanan. During this time, he has gained some insights, which has increased his strength by at least 10%, and has also made Orochimaru feel the wonder of this knowledge even more.