He couldn't help but imagine the moment when he would summon six colossal spiders to aid him in battle.
The thought filled him with ecstasy. The toad and snake summons might not even stand a chance against his powerful allies. As for the slugs, the Purple Spider alone might be enough to poison them to death. That thought sent a thrill through him.
Enso bowed deeply before the Six-Colored Spiders and the Elders who stood among them.
His enthusiasm and humble gesture were well received by the spiders. Among their kind, strength was the ultimate measure of worth. Their entire code of existence was built around this principle. Otherwise, they wouldn't create such a trial to begin with.
The fact that Enso had stood victorious in trial and combat had earned their respect more than any words could have.
Bursting with curiosity, Enso asked the Elders about something that had been bothering him. Despite their overwhelming power, he hadn't sensed them using any external energy during their battle.
"There's something I've been meaning to ask," he said, glancing between the Elder spiders with genuine curiosity. "During our fight, I didn't notice any of them using Nether Energy. Why is that?"
The Elders burst into laughter, clearly amused by his question. Even Hana, who was usually the most serious among them, chuckled softly before replying, "You should be thankful none of them used Nether Energy. If they had, you wouldn't be standing here right now. You'd be dead. Thankfully, they haven't yet mastered it. But from this moment on, all of you will begin training together."
Tengen then stepped forward calmly, offering a clear explanation. "Nether Energy surrounds us all the time. It exists everywhere around us. Every second, cells in our bodies die and are replaced by new ones. Nether Energy is born from this natural decay. It is the counterpart to Nature Energy."
He paused briefly, allowing Enso to fully take in the significance of this idea.
"Nature Energy," Tengen continued, "is the force that infuses life. It strengthens your body and can push your abilities beyond your physical limits. It is a creative, nourishing energy that sustains and grows living things."
Hana then added, "On the other hand, Nether Energy is a destructive force. While it can also reinforce the user's body, its power comes from its ability to corrupt or modify. Its attacks are irreversible. It breaks the natural chain of cause and effect entirely, delivering damage that is absolute and cannot be undone."
Her explanation struck a chord deep within Enso. It reminded him of Licht's power, the very power he had once wielded after falling and becoming a dark elf. The sacrifice of Ratri and the other elves' souls had been the price for Licht's renewal of dark power, Casualty Break.
Enso wouldn't be here if not for those powers. When he faced the lightning storm that followed the breaking of the endless void, he had cast it aside to survive. Yet now, fate seemed to be offering him a second chance to reclaim that lost strength.
His curiosity grew stronger, and unable to hold back, he asked, "What would happen if someone managed to combine Nature Energy and Nether Energy?"
Tengen and Hana exchanged a brief, meaningful look before Hana finally responded.
"Each type of energy is difficult enough to control on its own," she said thoughtfully. "Only a few beings in existence have ever managed to master Nether Energy. There is a race of Evil Spirits in your world called Yokai, and a creature known as the Abyssal White Tiger in another dimension. Aside from them and us, no one has come close."
She paused, her voice taking on a more reflective tone.
"One of the most powerful among the Yokai was known as Otookemaru. He fell long ago in your homeland. Theoretically, it is possible to combine Nature Energy and Nether Energy. However, the process is incredibly unstable. When the two forces merge, the person attempting to wield both must act as the vessel, and that burden can be overwhelming. The strain placed on both body and mind is immense. In most cases, the user cannot endure it and ends up losing control completely. Madness often follows, turning them into a destructive force that cannot be reasoned with."
Enso tilted his head slightly, curiosity sharpening his features. "Otookemaru? I've never heard of him before," he said. The name did sound familiar, as though he had encountered it once on Earth, buried deep within old legends. Still, he had a strong feeling that the Otookemaru she mentioned was not the same figure.
Hana's expression changed subtly. Her eyes lit up, not with warmth, but with the spark of memory and recognition.
"Otookemaru was once a loyal subordinate of the original Thunder God," she explained.
"But when that god was destroyed, Otookemaru did something unthinkable. He absorbed his master's power. People in your world often mistake him for an Oni because of his fearsome presence and power. But in truth, he was a divine wolf, a being born of the heavens. He held dominion over storms, fire, and lightning. After he defeated and unified the Yokai, they worshipped him out of both fear and awe. In time, he came to be known as the Demon God."
Enso looked at her with suspicion. There was a strange fondness in her voice, as if she were recalling someone she had once loved.
"Do you… know him personally?" he asked, his curiosity deepening.
Tengen responded before Hana could speak. "Of course we knew him. He broke into our dimension once and defeated each of us in one-on-one combat. Power like that leaves a mark. I heard he was eventually sealed inside an artifact called the Box of Paradise."
Hana gave a slow nod, confirming Tengen's words. "People often associate him with the Oni because he once commanded them, but they are a different race entirely."
Enso's eyes widened as a sudden thought struck him. He turned his gaze to the six spiders he had just defeated. Would they remember him the way Hana remembered Otookemaru? Would his presence, too, be etched into the memory of their kind, becoming part of their legacy?
The six spiders remained unreadable. They gave no sign of emotion, their multiple eyes were cold and expressionless. Enso tried to gauge their thoughts, but he had never learned how to read spider emotions. For all he knew, they could have been impressed, indifferent, or simply waiting in silence.
Yet something about the Box of Paradise continued to gnaw at him. He remembered a film he had once seen, a strange story in which those who opened a sealed box were transformed into bird-like creatures. The antagonist in that story had used fire-based jutsu. That particular detail now seemed more important than before.
The pieces did not quite fit, but they felt close.
"Do you think he had wings?" Enso asked. His voice was quiet, almost hesitant, as if he himself was unsure whether the question made sense. He searched his memory again, trying to understand what had prompted the thought.
It felt like an odd thing to ask. Hana had described Otookemaru as a divine wolf, a creature of the land. Wings did not belong in that image.
But Hana answered without hesitation.
"Yes. After he absorbed the Thunder God's power, he grew wings," she said. "He became something more, something beyond what he once was. We call it a Skywolf. It is the natural evolution of beings like us who manage to fully master Nether Energy. Just as our bodies transform through that mastery, so did his."
Enso felt something click into place. The fragments of story, memory, and reality finally aligned with a clarity that left him still and silent.
If Hana was right, then the Box of Paradise must alter the human body in a profound way, transforming it into a yokai form infused with Nether Energy. This transformation would not only change their physical shape but also awaken and enhance their natural affinity, making them vastly more powerful than ordinary beings.
Suddenly, everything started to fall into place. It was no longer a mystery why those so-called "Satori Creatures" possessed such overwhelming strength.
A chill ran down Enso's spine at the realisation. If those beasts had truly been infused with Nether Energy, then Naruto and that girl would have stood no chance against Satori. None of them would have survived that encounter. Their victory was only possible because of plot conveniences such as the antagonist's father later siding with Naruto's team.
It made sense now why the girl had to use her reincarnation jutsu to bring Naruto back to life. As Enso pondered this more deeply, the scattered pieces of the puzzle began to fall into place within his mind.
Nether Energy was the force of decay, the direct opposite of Nature Energy's life-giving essence. While Nature Energy nourished and sustained life, breathing energy and growth into matter, Nether Energy eroded and stripped it away, leaving behind only irreversible damage and destruction.
"It's time we head back," Hana said, clapping her hands together. The sound echoed softly in the still air.
In the blink of an eye, the scene shifted. They were instantly transported back to the towering web fortress, hidden deep within the heart of spider territory.
The familiar silk threads shimmered around them, forming a majestic dome overhead. The strands wove together in delicate, intricate patterns that stretched in every direction, like veins of silver running through the air.
With a graceful motion, Hana summoned a large scroll from thin air. It was a summoning contract, elegantly sealed and bound with thick silk cords that glowed faintly with an inner light. She placed it gently on the ground before Enso, allowing it to unfurl with deliberate care.
"This is the true summoning scroll," she said. "It allows you to summon spiders from all lineages, not just a single clan like the previous contract."
Pride swelled in Enso's chest as he stepped forward. With steady hands, he signed his name in blood across the ancient parchment.
Though the six spiders had been defeated in their earlier battle with him, Hana had observed them closely. Their resilience, growth, and unwavering spirit had left a lasting impression. As a gesture of recognition, she went against her initial decision.
She granted each of them a name.
In their culture, receiving a name was more than just tradition. It was a rite of passage, a sacred act that marked the transition into adulthood and affirmed one's place within the great web.
As Hana stood before them, her expression took on an oddly playful glint. Then, with a quiet nod, she declared their new names.
The white spider was named Shiro.
The black one, Kuro.
The red became Aka.
The purple one, Murasaki.
The silver was named Gin.
And the golden spider received the name Kin.
Enso nearly choked trying to contain his laughter. Naming them after colours? It was so straightforward it bordered on absurd, and yet it somehow suited them.
Still, because the names came from the leader of their race, they held undeniable weight. The spiders couldn't refuse, even as their expressions flickered between quiet embarrassment and reluctant recognition.
To celebrate the occasion, the spider clan prepared a grand feast deep within their web fortress. Intricate tables made of tightly woven silk were spun between towering threads, and countless spiders gathered around with a sense of pride and ceremony.
Lanterns crafted from glowing cocoon orbs floated gently above, casting a warm light across the gathering.
Enso eyed the preparations with cautious curiosity. He braced himself for what a spider's idea of a feast might look like. In his mind, he pictured a nightmare spread of wriggling centipedes, giant beetles on skewers, and perhaps some terrifyingly crunchy delicacies best left unnamed.
But when the dishes were finally revealed, his jaw dropped in sheer amazement rather than horror.
Laid before him was a large platter of golden-fried bird, seasoned with fragrant herbs and spices that made his mouth water before he even took a bite. The aroma alone was enough to melt his apprehension.
He picked up a piece, hesitated only briefly, then sank his teeth into it.
The meat was tender and juicy, bursting with flavour. The skin had been crisped to golden perfection, crackling delightfully under his bite. Every chew brought another wave of satisfaction. He could hardly believe what he was tasting.
His eyes widened as he looked down at the meal in disbelief. Tears threatened to well up in the corners of his eyes, not from sadness, but from overwhelming gratitude.
"This is... incredible," he whispered, his voice almost reverent.
He thought back to Jiraiya and Minato, who had trained in Sage Arts while surviving on a grim diet of oversized insects. Compared to their suffering, this felt like a royal banquet.
"I think I got the better deal," he muttered, stuffing another bite into his mouth, already dreading the moment it would be gone.
The spiders, unaware of the comparison, chittered softly in what Enso could only interpret as satisfaction. Since arriving in their world, this was the first time he truly felt welcomed. There was a quiet warmth in the moment, a genuine acceptance that made him feel like he had become part of their strange and intricate family.
The celebration continued outside the web fortress, under the glow of the moonlight. The spiders had lit a massive campfire at the centre of the gathering space.
The air buzzed with laughter, music, and the rich, mouthwatering scent of roasted birds. Even the giant spiders joined in the revelry, moving in rhythmic, almost tribal dances around the fire, their movements surprisingly graceful for creatures of their size.
Nearby, the six elders remained in their humanoid forms, gathered close around Enso. Despite their fierce reputations, tonight they radiated warmth and companionship.
Sipping his drink, Enso glanced up at the sky and asked, "Elder, I noticed the web covers almost everything here. But why is the top left open? Doesn't that leave you all vulnerable?"
A burst of laughter rose from the spiders. To them, it was one of those simple, innocent questions that sounded adorably naive.
Unfazed by their teasing, Enso smiled and took another sip. "Hey, I'm just a visitor here. I don't know all the rules and customs yet."
Tengen chuckled and stood up. "You're not entirely wrong, but you've got some details mixed up. The sky isn't open at all."
With a quick motion, he uprooted a nearby tree and hurled it straight upward. Just as it neared the sky, the trunk shattered into thousands of tiny splinters, which rained down and landed perfectly into the campfire flames.
"The entire sky is covered with invisible spider threads," Tengen explained. "It's a defensive measure, designed to protect our younglings and our home."
"Especially from the Rocs," Hana added, gently swirling her drink. "They're enormous predatory birds that have plagued us for generations."
Enso's eyes widened. "But you spiders wield Nether Energy. How can ordinary animals fight against something like that?"
The six elders fell silent, their expressions growing solemn.
"The Rocs are anything but ordinary," Hana said softly. "They wield Nature Energy, and we've been at war with them for over a millennium."
Enso didn't press further. He could sense the topic stirred deep emotions among the elders, and he figured it was better to wait until his training began to learn more.
Later that evening, a special sparring ceremony was held as part of the celebration. Each of the six spiders was required to challenge and defeat a member of the previous generation to earn their official titles. Enso stood at the sidelines, cheering them on enthusiastically.
One by one, they faced their predecessors and emerged victorious. Hana watched with pride, her expression resolute, before declaring them the "Strong Generation."
When the event concluded, Enso was escorted to his quarters inside the Web Fortress. The bed waiting for him was unlike anything he'd ever experienced. Incredibly soft, almost unnervingly comfortable, he sank into it as if being cradled by clouds.
"I need ten of these," he muttered, half-joking, half-serious.
Hana overheard him and smiled, agreeing to his request. Later that night, a few spider guards arrived carrying the beds, neatly packed and ready. Enso carefully sealed them inside a scroll, already imagining the surprise on his friends' and mentors' faces back in Konoha when he shared them.
Enso drifted off into a deep, peaceful sleep.
The following morning, Enso joined the six spiders for Nether Energy training.
As part of their warm-up, they sprinted through dense forest trails toward the training grounds. Enso, along with Gin (Silver) and Kin (Gold), arrived first, their pace quick and steady. The remaining spiders caught up shortly after, each branching off to train individually once they reached the open field.
* Hey everyone, if you've made it this far and haven't left a review yet, please consider doing so. It would really help me out.