"Alright, it seems Hidan has come to terms with reality. Let's leave him to reflect." Naruto said thoughtfully.
By destroying Jashin's projection, Naruto had proven himself stronger than the so-called god. According to their agreement, Hidan would now follow his orders.
Though Hidan was fiercely self-centered, that same trait also made him someone who upheld his promises, and he wouldn't easily go back on his word.
Besides, even without the agreement, Hidan's faith had already been shattered. Being dismissed as an ant by the god he worshipped was enough to cause anyone's belief to crumble.
Naruto turned to the others and said, "After today's events, I'm feeling a bit drained. Let's camp here for now. We'll explore the sights of the Land of Hot Water tomorrow."
After saying that, he pulled a villa from the system inventory and retreated to his bedroom.
…
Lying on the large bed, Naruto could still feel his heart racing.
Despite appearing calm while handling the recent events, threatening the Shinigami and even saving a resurrection coin, things had been far riskier than they seemed.
True, Naruto possessed a Zanpakuto and could use Shikai, but in front of an actual Shinigami, he stood no chance.
Shinigami were composed of highly concentrated Reishi. The longer they existed, the stronger they became. Naruto's soul, on the other hand, had never been strengthened. Even with his Zanpakuto and Shikai, he'd likely lose to a trainee wielding an Asauchi.
And even if he somehow managed to enter the Soul Society, the issue of his identity would arise. He couldn't stay there forever, as it would disrupt his role in the Naruto World.
Furthermore, the fact with which the white-robed Shinigami had rendered him unconscious with ease and transported him across realms spoke volumes about its power.
Reporting its misconduct might have led to his death on the way to the tribunal.
That's why Naruto had chosen to retreat, wisely leveraging the opportunity to save his life.
However, after lying on the bed for a while, Naruto began to regret acting so hastily. In fact, he had lingered in the Dangai for even an hour, he could successfully sign in and received another reward.
'Forget it. Better not to dwell on it. Greed only brings trouble, and who knows what might have happened if I delayed. I'm lucky enough to have saved the resurrection coin.' He muttered, shaking off his complicated thoughts.
After enduring Jashin's hellfire and the soul-draining trip through the Dangai, Naruto was mentally and physically exhausted. As soon as he stopped thinking, he passed out, his snores echoing through the villa.
"Snore… snore…"
Naruto's loud snoring reverberated through the house. Kakuzu, who had prepared a meal and planned to call Naruto, decided against it.
In his opinion, surviving a battle between gods and emerging unscathed was a feat in itself, so Naruto deserved a good rest.
'When he wakes up, I'll just cook another meal.' Kakuzu thought.
…
"Ahhh, that was a good sleep!"
Naruto stretched with a satisfied groan. He finally felt rejuvenated.
Looking outside, he noticed the sun hadn't set yet. Smiling smugly, he said to himself, "As expected of me, my physique is good. No matter how drained I am, I bounce back quickly."
Growl!
But then his stomach growled loudly, which is an unusual sensation for him.
"Looks like I overexerted myself. Time to eat."
Opening the door, Naruto yelled downstairs, "Kakuzu! Cook something! I'm starving!"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Four doors flew open simultaneously as Kisame, Itachi, Kakuzu, and Hidan all rushed out.
Kisame, looking particularly excited, exclaimed: "Naruto-kun, you are finally awake."
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
Naruto was a little confused, "I only slept for a few hours. Why the drama?"
Kisame grabbed the calendar from the living room table and pointed at it, "Naruto-kun, you've been asleep for three days! If it weren't for your constant snoring, I'd have forced you awake a long time ago!"
"Three days? That long?"
Naruto was slightly startled, 'No wonder I was so hungry. It turned out that I had slept for too long.'
For a moment, Naruto felt his recovery rate wasn't all that impressive, as it took him three days to bounce back.
In fact, what Naruto didn't know was that if a normal person snored for three days and three nights in a row, they would have already collapsed from exhaustion. His recovery rate was actually exceptional.
"Chomp, chomp, chomp!"
Naruto devoured his meal with gusto, showcasing an appetite that put everyone to shame.
Everything he consumed was broken down by his powerful stomach and rapidly absorbed as energy by his body. By the time the sun was setting, Naruto finally put down his chopsticks, leaving behind a mountain of bones.
"Maybe I was born to be a Saiyan or a pirate king," Naruto said proudly.
The main characters in anime can eat a lot, but that's not because they are foodies, but because their bodies need a lot of energy. In short, the amount of food they eat is also a sign of strength!
"Ahhh, that hit the spot."
Naruto patted his now round belly before activating his Chakra to speed up digestion and absorption. His stomach shrank back to normal in the blink of an eye, flat as ever.
After doing all this, Naruto rose to his feet and clapped his hands, "Three days of rest! I bet you're all itching to go. Well, to mark my full recovery, let's kick things off with an exciting game!"
"It's here, it's finally here!"
Kisame clenched his fists, his eyes brimming with anticipation.
The others didn't say anything, but they were equally eager.
Last time, Orochimaru's overwhelming victory had left them humiliated. For the past three days, they had all been training relentlessly, determined to redeem themselves.
Now that Naruto had proposed another game, they saw their chance to finally prove their worth!
Naruto naturally didn't know their thoughts, but seeing their enthusiasm, he was pleased. Their willingness to play along brought a satisfied grin to his face.
Once outside, Naruto put the villa back into the system inventory, then turned to Hidan and said, " game I have in mind needs your help, Hidan. So, have you decided yet?"
"I... I'll honor my bet." Hidan said after a brief pause, "I'm willing to follow Naruto-kun!"
For Hidan, Jashin's behavior had left him utterly disillusioned. In contrast, Naruto had not only displayed overwhelming strength but had also shown himself to be approachable, and he was even able to command the Shinigami.
To Hidan, Naruto was now a figure no less than a god. His faith hadn't disappeared, it had simply shifted… from Jashin to Naruto.
Naruto was slightly surprised when he noticed Hidan's loyalty through his observation Haki.
The hatred Hidan once harbored had completely transformed into awe and reverence. His loyalty now stood at its peak, surpassing even Itachi's, who is his servant.
'Wow. This guy's either a fool or an extremist…'
Using a term from his previous life, Naruto realized Hidan had become his die-hard fan, the kind who'd stick with him no matter what.
"Not bad, not bad."
Naruto patted Hidan on the shoulder and said, "It's never too late to fix a mistake. You've chosen the right path. Now, as someone from the Land of Hot Water, you'll guide us to our game's venue."
"Ah? Game venue? What are you talking about?" Hidan was confused. He didn't even know what the game was, so how could he know the so-called game venue.
Naruto's lips curled into a mischievous grin and he said, "We're in the Land of Hot Water, so naturally, the game venue is the country's largest hot spring holy land..."