Chapter-116

"But before you enter, I need you to make a barter, to receive information I need information. Do you have any knowledge worth keeping in my collection?"

Naruto shifted restlessly where he was; he didn't have an ancient book like the professor or a sacred scroll like Katara's. He didn't even have a 'Wanted' poster like Aang. Sokka's gift was only taken out of pity for the spirit. Well, maybe he would have something in his pockets or stamps.

The great Owl raised an eyebrow, watching as the strange boy made various things appear in explosions of white smoke, taking out weapons and other things of different types, until finally, he took out what seemed to be a book.

"Look, little bird! I present to you the pinnacle of my home's writing!" In a strange glow out of nowhere, the ninja boy presented the book as if it were a treasure before the eyes of mortals, "Icha Icha Paradise!"

This had definitely caught the spirit's attention. He had never seen a copy like that, and the writing was not known to him by any of the authors throughout all time.

"Interesting. Who was its writer?"

"These writings are from the legendary toad sage, Ero-sennin!" Naruto presented the book, which was taken by the librarian.

"Oh... well, I'll take the copy. Thank you for your collaboration with the great library, and enjoy the information here," gratefully the great bird flapped its wings and flew away.

"Since when do you read?" Katara asked curiously. She had never seen the boy with a book in his hands, much less read one.

"I don't. That was one of the many books that Ero-sennin gave me, and I had them stored in a seal in my pockets. I didn't remember that I had it until now," he explained nonchalantly.

"You said he was a toad sage, right?" The professor was very interested in what that book could have had. If it was written by a wise man, it must be that he had a lot of wisdom to give to the world. "What kind of book was it? Existentialism? Philosophy?"

"Porn."

"Sorry?" The professor from the Earth Kingdom may have heard wrong.

"It was a pornography book."

Katara had to blush at that, although her embarrassment turned to anger at knowing that a wise man gave pornography to a child like Naruto.

Sokka, for his part, burst into laughter; the sorcerer really knew how to scam people, even the spirits who thought they knew everything.

"What is pornography?" As for Aang, well, he was very lost. He had never heard a word like that before in the monastery where he grew up.

As for the teacher's reaction, well...

"You gave erotic literature to the spirit of knowledge to keep in his collection?!"

"Yes."

"Just... let's continue." The professor was no longer in the mood to argue; he just wanted to continue with his expedition, followed by the Avatar team. They still had a whole library to explore.

….

"What a good book."

"It's a children's book."

"Hey, don't make fun of the adventures of Yogi Bear."

Katara shook her head with a smile; the ninja boy was someone with simple tastes who entertained himself with children's books.

But, unbeknownst to her or the others, this was just a shadow clone; the original was very far away.

"What do you need?" The great spirit of knowledge stopped arranging his books when he realized that the golden-haired boy was behind him.

"You said you were the spirit of knowledge... Do you know everything?"

"I know many things."

"Do you know about trips to other worlds?"

The great owl stopped what he was doing to look at the boy. "It is no coincidence that you are the first human with golden hair and markings that I have ever seen in my existence. Follow me."

Naruto did not hesitate to follow the spirit, which guided him to what seemed to be a strange chamber. There were many strange paintings on the walls and what seemed to be doors throughout the room.

"The journey to other worlds was something basic for us spirits. After all, we come from the spiritual world to the physical world. But there was once a human who asked an interesting question: Can there be more?"

The shinobi saw curiously the painting of a woman with a long snow-white ancient dress with black embroidery, long white hair, and what seemed to be horns or rabbit ears. The most attention-catching detail was the peculiar eye on her forehead, red as blood, with several rings with tomoe around it.

"We don't know who she is, but it is said that she was the first to break the walls that separate the worlds, at least until now..." The spirit looked up at the shinobi curiously. "How did you come to this world? Are you like her? Do you have the ability to break reality and venture to other worlds?"

"No," he didn't even know an ability like that was possible. Traveling to different dimensions sounded like a power too rare to be considered shinobi.

"Is it possible to recreate the incident that sent you into this world?"

"No..." he muttered, clenching his fists furiously. If only Sasuke had fallen into this world, everything would be much easier.

"Then everything is in the hands of the spirits."

"What are you talking about?"

"Millennia ago, I heard that celestial spirits used to venture to other worlds, just out of curiosity and fun. Maybe you can contact one who helped you return home."

"Thank you." Very grateful, the boy bowed before the spirit. Perhaps he did not come to a solution, but at least now he had more information that could be of help in the future.

"That's the goal of knowledge, child, to help people. At least that's what it should always have been..." With a sigh, the great Owl shook his head. "This place was supposed to be a temple for knowledge, where people would come to learn and be better. But in the end, they only do what humans do best."

"What?"

"Destroy each other for selfish and worldly reasons. It is a shame to see how, for a few, you condemn an entire species to suffering..."

"…"

"You are going to fall under the weight of your own progress. You have already stopped moving forward to improve your lives; now you move forward only to destroy each other."