Hikaru's heart tightened.
Without daring to hesitate, he turned and bolted toward the Gate of the Heavens inside the system.
At this moment, all he wanted was to escape this place of unknown danger—and get far, far away from this smiling, mysterious being whose depths he couldn't fathom.
Tongtian, watching Hikaru's panicked retreat, only smiled more brightly.
He knew the boy had already imagined the worst.
But that didn't bother him—after all, lots of people hated the West. He wasn't the only one.
Still, there was something he had to clarify. So with a wave of his hand, a brilliant streak of light shot forward—vanishing directly into Hikaru's body.
Just as Hikaru was about to flee, he suddenly felt a strange force flood into him.
Then the system prompt rang out again:
[Detected high-dimensional entity's gift. Idle Training speed +100%.]
The unexpected boost made Hikaru freeze.
He turned back, eyes filled with suspicion and caution, and stared at Tongtian.
What is this guy really up to?
Why would he give me a gift like this?
Tongtian could see the guarded look in Hikaru's eyes and found it amusing.
Of course the boy was cautious—his sudden appearance and mysterious generosity were bound to make the kid wary.
In truth, he rather appreciated Hikaru's caution.
Clearing his throat, Tongtian began to speak gently:
"You don't need to be so tense, young one. I mean no harm. I merely sensed your exceptional nature and wished to offer a token of goodwill."
But despite his calm tone, Hikaru remained on edge.
He understood a simple truth:
There's no such thing as a free lunch.
No relationship. No reason. Who gives out such rewards without a motive?
This stranger had shown up out of nowhere and handed him a massive bonus—that alone was enough to raise every red flag.
So Hikaru didn't lower his guard at all.
One foot had already stepped halfway into the system's portal—ready to bail at the first sign of trouble.
But then, the system chimed again in his mind:
[Analyzed high-dimensional gift. No malicious intent detected. Safe to accept.]
At that, most of Hikaru's doubts melted away.
The system had always been his most reliable ally.
It had even shielded him from this being's interference just moments ago.
If the system said it was safe—then it probably was.
Noticing the shift in Hikaru's expression, Tongtian chuckled:
"Afraid I'm out to harm you? If that were the case, with my level of power, I wouldn't need to play such petty tricks."
Hikaru nodded slightly. He had to admit—what the man said was true.
As his tone and demeanor grew increasingly calm, Hikaru slowly let his defenses down.
After all, if this Tongtian really wanted to hurt him, there was no need for such roundabout methods.
So, with a respectful yet slightly curious voice, he asked:
"Senior… may I know your name?"
The man stroked his beard, a subtle smile playing on his lips.
"I am the Supreme Pure Spirit Treasure Heavenly Lord."
The moment Hikaru heard the name, something flickered through his mind. It sounded… familiar.
But before he could think more on it, the man added:
"You may also call me… Tongtian Jiaozhu."
Boom.
Like thunder on a clear day, the words exploded in Hikaru's mind.
His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the man before him.
He never expected this legendary figure to suddenly appear… and even chat with him so casually.
Tongtian Jiaozhu, watching the stunned look on Hikaru's face, couldn't help but feel a little pleased.
He was well aware of his status in countless worlds—but seeing such honest awe still brought a sense of satisfaction.
Still, he didn't dwell on it for long.
He had a purpose for appearing here.
He wanted to see if this young man, chosen by fate, had the ambition and potential to match his destiny.
And Hikaru's actions had more than proven that.
Now it was time to act.
Tongtian was just about to make his offer to take Hikaru as a disciple—when something unexpected happened.
He found himself unable to speak the words.
In that instant, his heart trembled.
He realized—he had underestimated just how profound the fate wrapped around Hikaru truly was.
A Saint like him didn't even have the qualifications to take Hikaru as a disciple.
The magnitude of this revelation… was staggering.
Though waves of shock crashed within him, Tongtian Jiaozhu's expression remained calm and composed.
He quickly adjusted his thoughts, calculating a new approach.
Since he couldn't formally accept Hikaru as a disciple, he certainly didn't want to offend him either.
Who knows—perhaps in the future, this youth would surpass him and become a vital ally.
So Tongtian kept smiling, as if nothing had happened.
From Hikaru's point of view, the man had simply paused for a second before continuing normally.
Hikaru had no idea of the mental storm that had just swept through the Saint's heart.
"I was traversing the myriad realms when I happened to witness your act of saving this world."
Tongtian spoke slowly, his tone filled with admiration.
"You're cautious by nature, but decisive in action. Clear-headed, unshaken by temptation… you are truly worth cultivating."
As he finished, he raised his hand.
With divine power, he summoned the very Source of this World, and generously gifted it to Hikaru.
In that moment, Hikaru felt a vast, boundless power flood his being—like it was remaking his entire reality.
Then, the system prompted:
[Detected gift from Tongtian Jiaozhu. Accept?]
Though still a little suspicious, Hikaru wasn't foolish enough to pass up something this grand.
Without hesitation—he confirmed.
Immediately, the system began flooding his screen with notifications.
The World Source poured into the Naruto world like a tide.
And in just moments, its structure visibly changed.
What had once been a borderline Middle World was now, unmistakably, a true Middle World.
And it wasn't done.
The world continued to evolve at a staggering pace.
By the time the notifications stopped, Hikaru was stunned.
Not only had the Naruto world fully ascended to a Middle World—it had already achieved 30% progress toward becoming a Great World.
And as the World Lord, he reaped the rewards.