"Okay, that's enough."
Li Shang raised his hand, and the gesture was enough to stop Naruto, who was preparing to create more clones.
"I can still go on! I haven't lost yet!" The blond boy shouted, his chest rising and falling rapidly, his hands clenched into fists.
Neji kept his tone calm, almost impassive.
"I know. But discussing and reflecting on the fight is also training. That's how you maximize your efforts."
Naruto blinked, surprised by the unexpected response. He'd expected a smug comment, a typical Neji mockery, but what he got was different. He hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath.
Li Shang walked to a small rock nearby and sat down with the ease of someone who had done this countless times. Naruto, still suspicious, eventually did the same, sitting across from him.
Silence fell for a few seconds, broken only by the distant singing of birds and the light sound of the breeze through the leaves.
Then, Li Shang suddenly asked:
"Naruto, tell me. Have you ever felt a strange energy inside your body?"
Blue eyes widened. The question struck the boy like a bolt of lightning. He blinked a few times, swallowed, and answered hesitantly,
"Yes... why?"
Neji narrowed his eyes, studying his every reaction.
"I understand."
He murmured softly, not completing his answer, letting the silence hang heavy between them. Naruto waited anxiously, but the next question came sharply:
"Can you control it?"
The blond's eyes widened once more.
"Control? Is it possible?"
Naruto knew, deep down, what was inside him. Ever since Mizuki's revelation, that truth had stuck with him. The Demon Fox, the monster that had attacked the village, was sealed within his body. But the idea that he could control it... that had never crossed his mind.
Li Shang remained calm, observing with the Byakugan the irregular flows of chakra within the boy's body.
"If it's inside your body, you should be able to control it. I've noticed that it slowly merges with your chakra. It's an almost insignificant amount... but it's there."
Naruto stood still, staring at him in shock. His heart pounded, and for a moment, he didn't know what to say. Then, slowly, a smile appeared on his face, full of excitement. He jumped to his feet and walked closer to Neji, his eyes shining.
"Can you teach me?"
Naruto's wide, hopeful smile contrasted with Li Shang's cold, calculating gaze.
And it was at that moment that, for the first time since arriving in this world, Li Shang let out a genuine smile.
"Let's calm down first. Sit down, relax, and don't resist, okay?"
Li Shang crossed his legs and assumed the lotus position. He touched the ground in front of him, signaling for Naruto to do the same. The blond, suspicious, blinked a few times before imitating the gesture.
Hinata, hidden behind a nearby tree, could hardly believe what she was seeing.
'What is cousin Neji doing...? I thought he didn't like Naruto.'
Ever since he'd woken up in the hospital, his cousin had changed. He was no longer the same cold, cruel young man. Now he spoke calmly, even kindly. Hinata felt her heart race just watching.
Li Shang raised his hand and pointed a finger at Naruto's forehead. The boy's eyes widened in shock.
"What you...?"
Before he could finish his sentence, a wave of energy ripped through his mind like thunder. The surroundings distorted, and when he blinked, he was no longer on the training ground.
Naruto found himself standing in a dark place, cold water lapping at his ankles. The sound of drops echoed through the space, and huge grates loomed ahead, surrounded by metal pipes that stretched on forever.
"Amazing..." Li Shang muttered, appearing beside him as if nothing had happened.
"DO YOU WANT TO SCARE ME TO DEATH?" Naruto screamed, goosebumps all over his body.
Li Shang didn't answer. His eyes, now glowing with the Byakugan, were fixed beyond the bars. A colossal mass of orange chakra pulsed, alive, sinister. He had never seen such a quantity of natural energy in his life.
'If I can just absorb this...'
A slight smile appeared on his lips.
At that moment, two slitted red eyes opened in the darkness. A deep roar shook the air, and a massive paw smashed through the bars, trying to crush them.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS!" Naruto sat down in the water, his face pale with terror.
Li Shang remained firm, his voice calm as if nothing had happened.
"Don't worry. That thing can't hurt you until that seal is broken."
He pointed to the enormous talisman in the center of the bars. One look was enough to understand its function: someone had sealed the beast within, allowing small amounts of energy to leak into the host. It was obvious. Whoever did this wanted Naruto to be able to control the power in the future.
"Thing? Damned human brat..." The voice boomed, filled with hatred. The nine tails rose behind the creature, swaying like giant serpents. "When I get out of here, I will devour you whole!"
"You can speak..." Li Shang muttered with interest. In his world, many demonic beasts cultivated, and when they reached a certain level, they were able to speak and even take on human forms.
The boy's calm in the face of the threat made the fox narrow his eyes in curiosity.
"Who are you? How did you get in here? Is it because of those eyes?"
"Relax. I'm just Naruto's friend. I was curious about what was inside his body, preventing him from using his chakra."
The beast fell silent, staring at him with a piercing gaze.
Li Shang looked away at Naruto, still stunned.
"Naruto, take off your shirt."
"What?"
"Trust in me."
With trembling hands, the blond obeyed. On his abdomen, a seal identical to the one on the bars was revealed.
"Interesting..." Li Shang muttered, analyzing every detail.
"Sorry if it hurts a little."
His hands began to glow red, the technique ofHeart of the Celestial Devoureractivating. He pressed his palm against the seal.
"Aaaaargh!"
Naruto screamed, his voice echoing through the void. A dense, wild energy escaped the seal in orange bursts and began to be sucked into Li Shang's technique. The sensation was intoxicating, like drinking from an infinite source of power.
But then something went wrong.
Naruto's eyes, once blue, began to tinge red. Slitted pupils appeared, and a menacing aura spread through the air.
"Drugs!"
Li Shang immediately interrupted the flow. Without hesitation, he struck Naruto's neck, knocking him out.
The next instant, the darkness disappeared. He blinked and was back on the training grounds, Naruto's body lying unconscious before him.
Hinata ran a few steps, her face pale.
"N-Naruto-kun!"
Li Shang took a deep breath, still feeling the remnants of orange energy burning in his meridians. His eyes shone for a moment.
'This power... is much more dangerous than I imagined.'
[Author's Note:This story was originally written in Portuguese, so there may be some translation errors. If you notice any, please let me know so I can fix them. Thank you for reading!]