"So, why did you bring that human back to life? Just to say a few words to him?"
Ichikishimahime appeared, her gaze falling on the corpse lying on the ground.
"That's not it."
Kiyosuke chuckled and said, "I made a bet with him. But in the end, I'll definitely be the winner."
"A bet?" Ichikishimahime tilted her head curiously. "And what exactly did you bet on? Besides, you already sent him back to the Pure Land. How would you even know whether you've won or lost?"
"What we bet on is a secret. But I'll tell you this much—it'll be my win for sure. And he'll definitely come back. That man isn't just anyone. Uchiha Madara… though he's Indra's reincarnation, I'd say he's even stronger than Indra himself."
After all, Madara was the kind of villain even Kishimoto himself couldn't figure out how to kill off!
"Forget it. Do whatever you want, as long as you don't drag Ryūchi Cave into it. If it doesn't touch our domain, we won't interfere."
Ichikishimahime floated closer, her tone shifting.
"Now then, which two Sage Arts are you planning to learn? Up until now, you're the only human to ever be granted the chance to learn Sage Arts more than once."
"Guess I'm just special."
Kiyosuke smiled.
"One is your ability to float. The other is that concealment technique that completely hides one's chakra presence."
The three sisters could freely fly and also possessed a terrifying ability to mask their chakra so completely that no one could sense them. While neither was an offensive move, both were incredibly practical.
Kiyosuke could already manage flight to some extent, though it consumed a lot of chakra. As for concealing his presence—its usefulness was obvious.
Big, flashy techniques weren't giving him much of an edge anymore. What he needed were more versatile tools. And these two abilities were perfect.
"These two, hm? Floating isn't easy to learn. It relies heavily on manipulating natural energy. Concealment, though—that's done by wrapping natural energy around your body, blending yourself completely into nature. At that point, you're no longer separate, and even someone in Sage Mode wouldn't be able to sense you. Of course, it still won't fool certain specialized dōjutsu."
"Either way, I want to learn both—flight and concealment."
"Concealment, huh? That's a good name for it. Very well, let's start with the simpler one. We'll begin with concealment."
Ichikishimahime motioned for Kiyosuke to sit and enter Sage Mode.
As he did, the chakra radiating off him made her expression tighten.
"You're a monster, aren't you? The amount of Sage Chakra you're holding… it already surpasses most of the great serpents of Ryūchi Cave. It's almost on par with us. Tell me, are you really human?"
Feeling the sheer volume of chakra pouring from him, Ichikishimahime couldn't hide her shock. Who was the real sage here?
"Hahaha, I just happen to have a lot of chakra, and I absorb natural energy pretty quickly. That's all there is to it."
"That's not just 'a lot.' That's absurdly more than anyone else."
She frowned. "I don't recall any human with chakra reserves that could compare to this."
"You probably never met Hashirama Senju. Asura's reincarnation, blessed with the body of a Sage, and with Wood Release… his chakra reserves were among the greatest in the shinobi world. Even some tailed beasts couldn't compare."
Kiyosuke remembered well: during the Fourth Great Ninja War, Hashirama had once said that half of Kurama combined with Naruto's reserves still only approached his own when he was alive. Approached, but not surpassed.
That was how terrifying Hashirama's chakra truly was.
"I think I've heard of this Hashirama before… but I've only ever seen you." Ichikishimahime waved the thought away. "Enough talk. Let's begin training. Empty your mind, purge yourself of all distractions, and let yourself merge into nature."
She floated gracefully in the air, her pale legs crossing as she circled him.
Kiyosuke obediently closed his eyes. His breathing slowed as he tried to clear his mind.
Empty…
Empty the mind…
Empty…
"ZZZZZ…"
Whack!
Ichikishimahime pulled her fist back with a scowl.
"I told you to clear your mind, not fall asleep!"
"Sorry, sorry. I've been a bit tired lately. If I empty my head too much, I doze off right away." Kiyosuke rubbed the back of his head with an embarrassed laugh.
"I don't care. Pay attention when I'm teaching you!"
She grabbed his face and tugged at his cheeks in frustration.
"Why is it always me teaching you? Tagitsuhime and Tagorihime could be doing this too!"
After venting by stretching his face for a moment, she let go and sighed.
"You're nothing like when you were a child. Humans grow far too quickly… a few decades from now, you'll probably be gone."
"Well, I am human. A short lifespan comes with the package, doesn't it?"
"But Orochimaru only seems to get younger the longer he lives."
"That's because he's not human anymore! I still want to die as a human being! He's a pervert. I refuse to follow him down that path!"
"…Fair point." She smirked. "Now continue. And this time, don't fall asleep. Clear your thoughts. Keep your body still. Slow your breathing. Let your body begin to adjust itself."
Under her guidance, Kiyosuke tried again. It sounded simple, but in practice, it was maddeningly difficult. Just staying perfectly still felt suffocating.
Still, if he wanted to master Sage Arts, he had to endure.
For three days straight in Ryūchi Cave, Kiyosuke meditated. Finally, he managed to grasp the knack of it. His mind slipped into a steady meditative state, seamlessly blending with nature.
In this state, if someone stood right in front of him, they would subconsciously overlook him—as if he were nothing more than a stone or a tree.
On top of that, Ichikishimahime taught him how to use Sage Chakra to mimic appearances. With this, he could make himself look like a rock, or a tree. Since he already knew Object Transmutation, this kind of mimicry came twice as easily to him.
"Now, all you have to do is maintain concealment while moving. Once you can do that, you've mastered it. Truly, human learning ability is astonishing."
She couldn't help but marvel at his progress.
"Got it. But… how exactly should I train that?"
"Start by practicing while standing, then slowly move. Fill your body with natural energy while walking. Once you think you're ready, take a trip past Manda. If you can make it through without him noticing, you've succeeded."
"Manda?"
"Yes. Manda's strength is nothing to take lightly. When it comes to snakes trespassing in his territory, he doesn't hold back. Walk past him without being noticed, and that will be proof you've mastered concealment."
"Alright. Understood."
Kiyosuke nodded without asking what would happen if he was discovered.
If Manda noticed him… well, then he'd just beat Manda up.
That oversized snake never listened anyway.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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