Naruto suddenly felt a gust of wind approaching and instinctively dodged to the left.
"Whack." Sage Fukasaku's black staff landed squarely on his back.
"Ow!" Naruto's yelp of pain made Jiraiya, who was drinking, heartily down a cup.
This sake truly tastes wonderful.
Naruto rubbed the red, swollen spot on his back and asked, "What kind of staff is that? It hurts so much!"
It hurts more than when I self-destruct. Is this black staff of yours perhaps made from a Truth-Seeking Orb?
However, this time he didn't hold a grudge; holding grudges depended on the situation.
"This staff was specially forged to expel natural energy from your body," Sage Fukasaku explained. "The pain you feel is because the natural energy instantly leaves your body, making it overly sensitive."
This elder toad was very patient in teaching, explaining everything, but his strikes were a bit heavy-handed.
"Did you see the changes in your body just now?" Sage Fukasaku asked.
He was asking about the "frog transformation" of his body, not the "eye markings."
Although Naruto's eye markings were somewhat unique, being two colors, these varied from person to person, so Sage Fukasaku wouldn't be surprised no matter what color they turned out to be.
"Yes, I saw them." Although he had primarily focused on his face earlier, he had also noticed the changes in his body: his hands had grown webs like a toad's, and many lumps had appeared on his skin.
It was as if he'd been stung all over by a swarm of hornets.
Sage Fukasaku put the black staff behind his back, pointing to the frog statues. "This is the consequence of poor control. If you don't expel the natural energy in time, you'll eventually turn into one of those."
After hearing this, Naruto adopted an enlightened expression. "Understood, Lord Fukasaku."
"Good. First, recall the sensation you just felt. We'll continue in a little while."
"No need, Lord Fukasaku, let's continue now."
"Don't be so eager. You're still young; you have time."
Gazing at the cluster of frog statues, at least sixty of them, Naruto felt he truly had no time.
He was superior to the original protagonist in every other aspect, but in one area, he was far inferior: the ability to clear his mind.
His mind never stopped with all sorts of fantasies. How could someone whose very clones could "act up" so easily clear his head?
Only in Sage Mode could he manage a few seconds of mental emptiness.
"Let's continue, Lord Fukasaku," Naruto said, sitting back down in front of the oil pond.
Sage Fukasaku hopped beside Naruto. "Alright, then I'll watch over you."
Adopting a meditative posture, Naruto closed his eyes and entered a state of contemplation.
This time, Fukasaku didn't use toad oil.
Mount Myōboku's environment was perfect for cultivating Sage Arts, and Naruto's current spot was the best for it.
Although the oil fell directly into the pond from the waterfall, some would also diffuse outwards, enhancing the perception of natural energy for those nearby.
Naruto was sensing nature, and Fukasaku was watching. But as he watched, Fukasaku began to feel something was amiss.
Why was this child's head slowly turning?
After an unknown period, Naruto was roused by the call for a meal.
Occasionally, he could sense natural energy during this time, but it was always fleeting. Still, it was much more effective than his previous habit of zoning out in class.
Only, his neck hurt a bit.
Rubbing his stiff neck, Naruto asked, "Lord Fukasaku, which direction was I facing just now?"
Fukasaku pointed. "That direction."
"Thank you."
After thanking him, Naruto used a kunai to carve a line on the stone slab beside the oil pond.
Next time, he'd sit facing that way, so he wouldn't have to twist his neck.
After thinking for a moment, he carved an arrow on the line.
He was afraid he'd sit the wrong way again.
Sage Shima, who had called for the meal, had already walked over to them, holding a tray laden with toad delicacies—insects.
Jiraiya, who had been drinking heartily, also rushed over upon hearing the call for food.
Handing Naruto a fish cake, Jiraiya said drunkenly, "Naruto, how do I usually treat you?"
"So-so," Naruto mumbled, rubbing the fish cake that smelled faintly of alcohol.
Indeed, just so-so. You kick me for no reason, and you don't let me talk. I'm seriously considering giving you a bad review.
"How can it be 'so-so'? It should be… great!" Jiraiya was quite drunk.
"Yes, yes, great." Naruto didn't want to argue with a drunkard.
"Your master treats you so well… how will you repay me?"
"Perverted old man, what exactly do you want?"
"Hehehe… send me to the Fire Capital…"
Having drunk his fill and with inspiration striking, Jiraiya wanted to go gather material.
Green crystals are good, but they lack the thrill of almost being caught while peeking.
"Alright, be careful."
"Are you underestimating me? I am…" Drunken Jiraiya still wanted to say something, but he was pulled away and teleported by Naruto's clone.
The clone was one he had sent to keep an eye on Jiraiya.
Although Jiraiya called himself a Sage, he was still mortal. If he got stabbed after too much drinking, he would still die.
Naruto truly worried himself sick with such a master.
"Little Naruto, how's your training going?" Sage Shima asked.
She was very familiar and informal; after all, Naruto was the "magical boy" who had signed a contract with Mount Myōboku.
"I'm getting a bit of a feel for it."
"That's good. Want some to eat?" Sage Shima asked after setting down the tray.
"No, no thanks."
Those colorful insects, no matter how Naruto looked at them, seemed to still be alive.
His body was healthy, but he didn't have Bear Grylls' stomach that could eat anything.
He pulled out roasted meat from his storage. "I brought my own…"
At that moment, Naruto was truly glad he had this "cheat" of his. Otherwise, eating bug ramen like the original protagonist was unbearable just thinking about it.
However, when it came to eating, if you saw others enjoying their food, you always wanted to try it yourself.
Seeing the two of them eating with such relish, Naruto, his "soul of courting death" resurfacing, inexplicably asked, "Is it tasty?"
As soon as he said it, he wanted to slap himself silly.
How could this stuff be tasty?!
Sage Shima offered a rounded object. "Larva rice balls, they're very tasty. Little Naruto, would you like one?"
"Uh…"
Although this thing, without its head, has six times the protein of beef, its appearance…
Ultimately, Naruto still ate the insects, but he fried them. He had a pot, oil, egg wash, and breadcrumbs. After eating one skewer and feeling unsatisfied, Naruto asked Sage Shima for more.
This stuff is actually quite tasty.
That evening, Jiraiya still hadn't returned.
Naruto, having finished his day's training, lay on a giant leaf somewhere on Mount Myōboku, enjoying his skewers and listening, somewhat entranced, to the never-ending croaking of the toads on Mount Myōboku.
Mount Myōboku's atmosphere was very serene, much like the paradise he envisioned.
If he could settle down here in the future, that would also be a good choice.
He jumped off the leaf, took out a piano from his sealing scroll, and prepared to offer Mount Myōboku a song.
Jay Chou's "Rice Fragrance."
Amidst the fragrance of rice flowers, they speak of a bountiful year, listening to the multitude of frog croaks.
No song was more fitting for Mount Myōboku than this one.
Dappled moonlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves onto the piano. The piano melody and the frog croaks rose and fell, complementing each other.
Interspersed within it was the humming of a young boy.
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