"Natural energy exists within all things plants, mountains, rivers, even the air itself," Fukasaku explained, his small form perched on Naruto's shoulder. His tone was serious, each word carrying the weight of centuries of wisdom. "To absorb it, your mind must become still, attuned like a plant drawing in sunlight, guiding that flow into your body."
Naruto frowned slightly, squinting as if trying to feel something hidden. "I just think the air here feels fresher, but… I don't sense anything else."
"That's expected," Fukasaku said with a nod. "If it were so simple, Jiraiya wouldn't have brought you all the way to Mount Myoboku. Here, natural energy is ten times stronger than in the outside world, but it's still difficult for most to notice."
He gestured toward the golden stream cascading down the rocks nearby. At first glance it looked like liquid sunlight, but as Naruto leaned closer, his eyes widened. "Wait, that's… oil?"
"Correct," Fukasaku said. "This is toad oil, a rare gift of Mount Myoboku. It conducts natural energy. By coating your body with it, the oil acts as a medium, letting you feel the flow of natural energy more clearly. Once you can sense and guide that power without the oil, only then can you be called qualified."
Naruto's determination flared. "Alright then, let's start!"
But Fukasaku shook his head, his expression turning grave. "Not so fast. I haven't explained the dangers."
"D-dangers?" Naruto blinked. He hadn't expected that part.
Fukasaku's gaze hardened. "Look around, boy."
Naruto turned in a slow circle. The mist parted to reveal dozens no, hundreds of frog statues, each with eerily lifelike detail. Their poses varied: some seated in meditation, others caught mid-movement, but all frozen forever in stone.
"These are not decorations," Fukasaku said quietly. "They were once people who tried to master Sage Jutsu… and failed."
Naruto's eyes went wide. His throat tightened. "You mean… they turned into stone?"
"Exactly. Mount Myoboku has existed for over a thousand years. Countless have attempted this training, and not everyone was strong enough to survive it."
Naruto swallowed hard. He could almost feel the silent stares of those who had failed, their warning etched forever in rock. Still, he clenched his fists. "I get it. If I fail, I'll turn into one of them. But…" His voice steadied, iron behind the boyish tone. "I'm ready, Grandpa Fukasaku. Let's do this."
The old sage studied him for a long moment, then allowed a small smile. "Good. That willpower of yours… it just might be enough."
Far away, in the Wind Country, a very different battle was reaching its end.
The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, knelt on one knee, his chest heaving. His hands pressed against the desert floor as torrents of golden sand surged at his command. "Magnet Release: Gold Dust Burial!"
The ground roared. A tidal wave of glittering gold sand rose like an avalanche, crashing down toward Orochimaru and his followers. The desert was his domain, and here, his magnetic chakra turned every grain into a weapon. Under the sun, the storm of gold shone like a sea of blades.
Orochimaru chuckled, a low, rasping sound. "Tch. Magnet Release is still as troublesome as ever." His form blurred, vanishing from the oncoming tide, leaving only a serpent clone behind. The golden sands devoured the clone, grinding it into dust.
Kabuto, already airborne, formed a blade of chakra in his hand. The eerie green glow illuminated his smirk. "The human body is seventy-eight percent water, Kazekage. What happens when I slice apart the flow?" He hurled the blade straight at Rasa, aiming to disrupt his chakra control.
Rasa cursed under his breath, diverting his sand to form a shield. The blade of energy struck, halting the advance of his golden wave for just a breath. And in that instant
A white blur cut through the sands. Kimimaro, pale and elegant, burst forth like a phantom, his Shikotsumyaku hardening his bones into weapons. "Dance of the Camellia." His arms elongated into ivory blades, each slash too swift for the naked eye.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Each strike bit into Rasa's golden armor, carving it apart piece by piece.
Rasa strained, sweat pouring down his brow. Every technique drained him further. He tried to raise another barrier, but his chakra was slipping away too fast, disrupted by Kabuto's interference. His breaths came in ragged gasps.
The bone swords gleamed mercilessly, hacking away at his defenses. Blood splattered into the sand.
And then came Orochimaru's voice, smooth and cruel. "Ten Thousand Snake Wave."
The ground split as venomous snakes erupted upward, coiling around Rasa's legs. The sand struggled to respond, but the bindings slowed him down.
Another volley of poisoned senbon glinted in the air, Kabuto's attack hemming him in.
Trapped. Pressured from every angle. Rasa's options dwindled to nothing.
Kimimaro's eyes narrowed. He let one golden spear pierce his shoulder, blood running freely but he never slowed. His blade drove forward, impaling clean through Rasa's chest.
The Kazekage's body jerked. He looked down, stunned, as the ivory spike burst from his chest, crimson blooming across his robes. His voice came out a whisper. "Too… slow…"
Kimimaro's reply was colder than steel. "No. Your sand was too slow."
The golden waves collapsed without their master's control, hissing back into the desert.
Rasa staggered, the strength leaving his body. His vision blurred, sounds fading to a distant hum. In his final heartbeat, he turned his gaze toward the horizon, toward Sunagakure. "Protect… the future… of the village…"
Then his eyes dimmed, and the Fourth Kazekage crumpled into the sand. His golden dust soaked in blood, scattered to the winds.
Orochimaru stepped forward, his serpent's grin cutting across his pale face. "Heh. Smoothly done."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses, smirking. "To think the Kazekage and his guard would fall so easily. I almost feel disappointed."
Orochimaru spared the corpse only a glance. "Compared to the Third, this one was a mere shadow." His voice turned cold, sharp with ambition. "Continue with the plan. Kimimaro, rest. Kabuto, return to Konoha and prepare."
"Yes, Orochimaru-sama," they answered in unison.
In the distance, the Sound Four reappeared, already disguised as the Kazekage's bodyguards. They had avoided the battle; a single stray attack would have killed them instantly.
Orochimaru, now cloaked in Rasa's likeness, strode forward. The Sound Four fell into place around him, and together, they began the march toward Konoha.
Back in the Leaf, another shadow moved silently.
In Rock Lee's hospital room, the boy lay unconscious, wrapped in bandages. The faint sound of his breathing filled the stillness.
Then, like a whisper of death, Gaara appeared. His pale green eyes gleamed with murderous intent as the sand from his gourd spilled silently into the room. The grains wound around Lee's frail body, curling like serpents ready to strike.
But before the sand could close in completely, a voice broke the silence.
"Gaara."
The boy froze, his eyes narrowing. The sand halted mid-air, quivering like a predator held back by a leash.
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