After drawing the jutsu formula, Hagoromo's hands began to rapidly weave signs. Naruto felt a slight, prickling pain radiating from his abdomen. Was it like being pricked by needles? Or being burned? Although it wasn't agonizingly severe, it certainly felt that way.
As Hagoromo's hand movements stopped, the sizzling sound also ceased. The jutsu formula had been permanently branded onto Naruto's stomach.
The Eight Trigrams Seal had now become a Twelve Trigrams Seal.
From this day forward, Naruto sported the most complex tattoo in the entire ninja world. His abdomen looked as if an entire, bizarre cult altar had been laid out upon it, circle after circle.
Fortunately, the pattern of this sealing jutsu remained invisible under normal circumstances. Once Hagoromo completed the seal, the entire formula immediately faded beneath the skin and vanished.
It was as if nothing had ever happened.
Hagoromo's actions went far beyond merely slapping on another layer of the Four Symbols Seal. In reality, this new seal had caused a certain degree of structural damage to the Fourth Hokage's original Eight Trigrams Seal. Simply put, the "key" the Fourth Hokage had specifically left behind to unlock the Eight Trigrams Seal was now completely useless. Unless Hagoromo's unsealing method was used in tandem with that key, releasing the Nine-Tails was impossible, and accessing its chakra was equally out of the question.
Naruto, being thick-skulled, hadn't realized that his body had just undergone a fundamental change. Right now, all he was thinking about was:
What exactly are these two trying to do?
Hurry up and let me go! Is no one coming to save me?!
Being half-naked is kind of cold, you know?
"How about now? Can you still sense it?"
Hagoromo had no idea what Naruto was thinking. His concern lay entirely with the result of the seal, so he turned and asked Mirai.
It wasn't that he couldn't measure the success of the seal himself, but doing so would never be as convenient as using Mirai's abilities.
Seemingly aware of the question's importance, Mirai closed her eyes. After concentrating deeply for a full five minutes, she opened them again and said, "I can't sense anything at all anymore."
When Hagoromo called Mirai his "clone," he wasn't entirely wrong. Most of the time, she acted no differently than any other five-year-old child. However, in certain moments, the attitude and absolute focus she displayed transcended the realm of a mere "child."
More importantly, she knew how to discern when a moment was truly important.
This was remarkably similar to Hagoromo himself: he was accustomed to courting death, but he never let it ruin actual business.
It was hard to say whether letting him raise this child was the right or wrong choice, but since Mirai was under his care, he would naturally raise her in his own way.
"That's good. It means the jutsu formula is working." Hagoromo ruffled Mirai's hair, signaling her not to worry.
"With the first task done, it's time for the second."
As Hagoromo spoke, he stood up and took a few steps back. The second task required the use of his "eyes."
Within the secret scrolls of Shikkotsu Forest, Hagoromo had discovered some information that greatly concerned him. As a result, he had found something else he needed to eradicate.
Mirai consciously stepped away from Hagoromo's side.
Next, Hagoromo stood completely motionless, simply staring at Naruto.
This started to creep little Naruto out. Being stared at by such calm, deadpan eyes... he was only five years old, after all.
Then, five minutes later, he realized how wrong he had been. He realized how blissful his previous state had been. Now, he truly understood what it meant to be creeped out.
The man's eyes changed. But those magnificent, dazzling eyes brought only one word to Naruto's mind...
Death.
This wasn't an isolated reaction; anyone stared at by those eyes would feel incredibly uncomfortable.
Hagoromo's initial condition for awakening his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception had been a "near-death" state. For a very long time, he couldn't figure out a flexible way to activate them on command.
Perhaps the difference in worldviews caused a difference in how the ability was applied... but since the awakening was tied to a near-death experience, the method of use was likely similar.
So Hagoromo began experimenting in that direction, and he succeeded.
He used electric shocks to induce cardiac arrest, creating physiological near-death through the cessation of his heartbeat. Simultaneously, he used electrical currents to stimulate his blood flow, maintaining his actual life functions. And then, his eyes became usable.
The side effect was that his body felt somewhat abnormal during use, and the activation process looked quite a bit like terrible constipation.
Regardless, upon seeing those eyes, Naruto felt a genuine, bone-deep chill. I'd rather just take a beating from the young lady from earlier! Or just throw me out the window, that works too!
Now, Hagoromo could proceed with his second task. Under the gaze of the eyes that could obliterate all things, everything that needed to be revealed was laid bare.
He could clearly see the massive mass of chakra clinging to Naruto's back.
According to legend, the Sage of Six Paths, who founded Ninshu, had two sons: Indra, who inherited the Sage's Eyes, and Asura, who inherited the Sage's Body. After the Sage's death, these two began an endless war due to their conflicting ideals—a war that lasted until they died.
But the matter didn't end there. After their deaths, their chakra refused to dissipate. Instead, it clung to future generations of ninjas, continuing their feud.
So, as the "protagonist," did Naruto have this thing on him?
He really did.
Asura... That was probably the thing Hagoromo was looking at right now.
Hagoromo reached behind him and slowly drew his sword. The friction between the blade and the scabbard produced a teeth-grinding screech.
Seeing this gleaming weapon, Naruto's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. Is he going to dissect a child?! Are modern thieves really this brutal?!
The only reason he hadn't wet his pants in terror was that he had completely forgotten his body possessed such a function.
Is Naruto Uzumaki going to kick the bucket at the ripe old age of five?
Hagoromo, seemingly oblivious to Naruto's utter terror, continued his motions.
In Hagoromo's worldview, this was an extremely infuriating matter—infuriating beyond belief.
Dead means dead. Possessing people? Heh.
Is it a grudge or just sheer willpower?
A conflict from a thousand years ago, and you're still stubbornly clinging to the present? The entire history of the world is just your family's petty, dramatic squabbles. Protagonist plot armor shouldn't go this far.
So, chakra possession?
Therefore, Hagoromo swung his sword.
You son of a bitch. Let's see you run rampant for another thousand years if you can.
As the blade swept through, that humanoid chakra instantaneously collapsed, dissipated, and was utterly obliterated into nothingness...
Once that existence vanished from his vision, Hagoromo closed his eyes and sheathed his sword.
"Hagoromo... how did it go?" Seeing Hagoromo finish his work, Mirai immediately trotted over and asked.
She didn't know what Hagoromo was doing, as she only saw him swing his sword at empty air. But Mirai understood one thing: Hagoromo would never harm Naruto.
"It's done for now. We'll check again after some time," Hagoromo said.
Heaven only knew if this thing would be as endlessly persistent as a Tailed Beast.
"Mirai, it's time for us to head back." With everything accomplished, the two of them needed to leave. Couldn't she see that these sudden "strangers" had nearly scared the child to tears?
"...Wait a minute!"
Mirai, however, still seemed to have something she needed to do.
She thought for a moment, then untied her scarf and draped it around Naruto's neck.
Mirai touched the hairpin clipped to her collar, then spoke to Naruto: "I'm giving you this scarf. It's my most important treasure, and from now on, it will be your most important treasure too..."
"So you have to take good care of it. Don't get it dirty, don't break it, and don't tear it."
As she spoke, Mirai wrapped the scarf around Naruto's neck, layer by layer.
By this time, Naruto had regained the ability to move, but for some reason, he allowed Mirai to do as she pleased.
He could read the emotion in her eyes, even if he couldn't put it into words.
Was it sadness? A sorrow without pain?
At this moment, Naruto remembered something. Over the past year, he would occasionally receive packages from outside the village, but he never knew who sent them...
"My name is Uzumaki Mirai. Remember it from now on."
Her movements were slow, but the task was quickly finished. After a soft smile, Mirai followed Hagoromo and left the apartment.