Interlude The Secrets of Grotto Heavens
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When the kids left Naruto, Hinata and Sakura went to sit down. They had discussed some stuff when the kids were outside, but now that they had gone they could get into specifics. Naruto had been teleported to Sasuke’s location the day before yesterday and had subsequently spent the night in some kind of confrontation with the owner of the secret dimension. All the while Sakura was having the same problem with her present pregnancy that she did with Sarada.

“They call them Grotto heavens. Hamura secret dimension and the Uzumaki ancestor’s secret dimension. They say that there are three of them hiding in the world.”

Naruto talked about what he and Sasuke had found out. When they had used their Chakra to call out to the creator of that sealed dimension, a woman with red hair had come out. On her forehead was a Sage Mark in the form of a Rinnegan. She had told them that her ancestor was not going to meet them, that she would be their hostess.

"So is the Uzumaki ancestor actually still alive?" Hinata quickly asked. 

"I didn't ask, she could have meant her ancestor was in a similar situation to the Sage of Six Paths or Hamura."

Naruto had not asked because he didn't know if it was somekind of taboo for them. When Hinata thought about it she understood. 

“So are there three others besides Uzumaki ancestor’s and Hamura’s secret dimension?” Hinata pivoting back to Naruto's original statement.

“No, there's one other besides the Uzumaki ancestor and Hamura Grotto heavens.” Naruto switched to how the woman had called it.

“So there's one other we don't know about?” Sakura chimed in.

“Yeah, our guide called herself Izumi, she said that it was the third one that was the most mysterious. Their creator is not a descendant of Kaguya. She said that if we wanted to know more about her we would have to consult her ancestor. As it looks as if the Otsutsuki didn't have a hand in Kaguya's rebirth, I believe the creator of this third Grotto Heaven had a hand in it.” Naruto remembered meeting Kaguya in the Hamura Grotto heaven.

“So did you ask Miss Izumi about Kaguya’s revival?” Hinata asked.

“No, I left Sasuke to deal with that. You know I don't know much about information exchange. I went ahead and asked about your theory though. They said that Mount Myōboku was the same kind of place as their Grotto Heaven. They call places like Ryūchi Cave and Shikkotsu Forest Blessed lands. Blessed lands being on the lower end of refinement. I fact Blessed Lands are not that rare, almost every Sage and Summoning creature has one, even at a lower level of refinement to Mount Myōboku. In a way you were right, the Painted Flame Calamity could have a place like that, otherwise they could have a place like the Kamui dimension.” Naruto made his own commentary on the chase for the terrorists.

“What did Sasuke say about the baby?”

Sakura asked with a little bit of trepidation and a lot of anger. Sasuke instead of coming back home when Naruto told him about the baby had decided to stay in the Grotto Heaven, still looking for information.

“... He said he would look for some solution. He told me to tell you that even if his son does not become a ninja, it won't matter as long as both you and him are happy and safe in the village.”

Naruto said knowing that as much as those words reassured Sakura, they also hurt her.

“Does he truly feel that it is fair on our child to have the option to be extraordinary be taken from him?” Sakura's voice was shaking.

Sakura knew the pain of being ordinary in a group of extraordinary people. She had worked herself to the bone to get to her level, she felt like if ever the option to chase after that improvement was taken from her, she would have lost her spirit.

“It's okay, we can figure something out. There is still time.” Hinata comforted.

“I could ask one of the Tailed Beasts, there is no problem.” Naruto gave Sakura another option.

“... Okay.” Sakura said after a while.

After Sakura calmed down, they continued discussing the Painted Flame.

“Did they have anything to say about the techniques of the Painted Flame?” Hinata asked.

“No, but I don't think they have anything to do with them. From what I sensed, they have at least three people at the level of Obito when he was the Ten Tails’ Jinchuriki. Even Izumi seemed to have Six Paths Senjutsu. I also didn't sense any hostility from the people in the dimension.”

“They have people that strong… If the Kage found out about this, the Painted Flame would have a whole new group of buyers.” Sakura became solemn after hearing the information.

Naruto stayed quiet. He felt guilty when he thought about the sacrifices the villages had given in order to feel safe after Madara and Obito. When Team Seven had told them about Kaguya and the possibility of her having kin, the villages had scrambled for anything that could give them some measure of security. The Painted Flame had appeared, selling them techniques and although the techniques required sacrifice, they had given them the power they wanted.

“We are still going to have to let them know.” Naruto said, pouring cold water on Sakura’s optimism.

“Naruto, do they have to know?” Hinata asked with a bit of pain in her voice.

“Yeah, we kept the secret of Kaguya’s resurrection, I don't think we should keep this one. We'll just have to do the same thing we did with the Hamura Grotto Heaven and not tell them the actual location.” Naruto said suddenly feeling tired.

“They'll say we don't trust them again.” Sakura said also feeling tired.

“Yeah, but we can't afford for anyone to keep records of such places. Especially so for the Uzumaki Grotto Heaven, they have not attacked first like the Hamura Grotto Heaven, all the while seeming to have more power than the Hamura Grotto Heaven.” Naruto felt even more lethargic when thinking about the stances of the Villages.

“Oh I just remembered something. Izumi said something strange about transplanting Dōjutsu.”

Naruto had asked her about her Sage Mark. It had seemed strange to him that her Senjutsu would form a mark so similar to the Rinnegan.

“She said ‘For Dōjutsu is better to have it at birth than to have it be awakened. To be enlightened to it after awakening it, is equal to having it at birth. To have it transplanted and subsequently having enlightenment can never be superior to awakening it. To have it be transplanted is better than not having it at all, but enlightenment of the Sage arts is dependent only on one's enlightenment.’ what do you think she meant?” Naruto repeated what Izumi had said to him.

“I think I can understand, she's saying innateness is always superior in Dōjutsu, but doesn't matter in Senjutsu.” Hinata got it almost immediately as she had been wondering why she could never fully use her Tenseigan.

“I don't think that accounts for the Eternal Mangekyō.” Sakura said in response.

Sakura had talked about Sasuke’s eyes with him. She had especially been interested after the God Tree base incident. Sasuke had said that he had made a mistake when they had been Sealing the God Tree base and Sakura had wanted to know everything about how his eyes worked.

“Still in that case Sarada is set to become very strong isn't she?” Naruto felt hopeful about Sarada’s potential.

“Now that you say that, she really is. I am just glad she won't ever have to play catch up.” Sakura said feeling relieved.

“Catch up to who anyway, she is already very strong.” Hinata said with a gossipy look on her face.

“You already know the kids are close. Don't act all coy.” Sakura said, indulging in the banter.

“So Naruto, you said that places like Shikkotsu Forest are on the lower end of refinement, what is on the higher end?” Sakura asked after a lengthy exchange between her and Hinata.

“Definitely Kaguya’s Six Dimensions, she called them True Heavens. She seemed vague about it but it seemed that the Sage of Six Paths also created a True Heaven.”

Just as Naruto had said that Kurama asked him to give him a voice. Naruto made a Shadow Clone and the Shadow Clone gained the red slit eyes of Kurama.

“I don't know if she was actually talking about this, but the Sage created The Pure Lands.” Kurama interjected for the first time in the conversation.

“...”

Nobody knew what to say in response.

“Is that why he met us when we were close to death?” Naruto asked to no one in particular.

They kept talking until the kids got home. When the kids came back Naruto, Hinata and their kids went out with Sakura and Sarada for dinner. After Sakura and Sarada had gone home, the Uzumaki family went back home to sleep.

A suprise chapter.

I worked on this for a long time. I would appreciate it if you comment.

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