Chapter 102: Spying on Natural Energy
"It's... it's absorbing natural energy?"
He carefully examined the sensations within his body. He could vaguely feel a strange, subtle energy being absorbed by his spine. It was a strange feeling. If he hadn't been covered in the special acid, which had increased his sensitivity to natural energy, he was sure he would have missed it.
And upon closer inspection, he realized that this subtle sensation was not unfamiliar at all. It was as if his spine had been absorbing this energy all along, but this was the first time there had been such a rich supply of it, and the sensation had become much stronger.
Sure enough, Katsuyu's words confirmed his feeling.
"Your body is absorbing natural energy without mixing it with chakra," she said. "You... you are one of us."
One of "us"? What is "us"?
"Us" referred to the beings on this planet, the one-in-a-million individuals who were born with the ability to absorb and use natural energy. The chosen children of this planet.
Why was it that no matter how strong a ninja became, as long as they did not reach the level of the Sage of Six Paths, their physical bodies could not transcend the mortal realm? They could have the power to shatter mountains and split the earth, they could have an almost immortal regenerative ability, but without the aid of chakra, even the strongest of them could be cut by a dagger. They were still mortal. No matter how much chakra they possessed, it would not improve their physical bodies. They still had only a few dozen years of life. Their backs would still ache, and their teeth would still fall out.
But natural energy was different. Beings like Katsuyu, who could directly use natural energy, had not only gained powerful physical bodies and a variety of miraculous life-altering abilities, but also a lifespan of thousands of years. The Sage of Six Paths, who could destroy the world, had been dead for hundreds of years, but beings like the Great Toad Sage and the White Snake Sage were still alive and well.
A phrase from his past life came to his mind: "To cultivate the spirit without cultivating the body is to end up with nothing."
His own physical strength had been abnormal since he was a child. It was not the kind of strength that was enhanced by chakra, but a strength that was inherent to his body itself. His weight was several times that of his peers, and even as a child, without chakra, he could use his pure physical strength to perform taijutsu at a Chunin level.
This was likely because he, or rather his "spine," had been slowly absorbing natural energy and transforming his body all along. But the absorption was so slow that it had been mistaken for normal development. Just as milk makes you grow taller, you don't feel it happening when you drink it.
Chakra was not some sweet nectar that benefited all. It was just a potent drug planted by a certain clan. In fact, chakra itself was probably just the natural energy of this land, absorbed and converted by the God Tree. After all, the God Tree could not create something from nothing. If it could produce chakra without absorbing the nutrients of this planet, then why plant it here at all? Why not just throw it into the void and wait for it to bear fruit?
Chakra... natural energy...
Chakra had a very high applicability. Countless people could use it. And in just a dozen or so years, it could give a person the power to shatter mountains and split the seas.
Natural energy, on the other hand, could only be used by the lucky few, one in a million. The training was incredibly slow, but it could sublimate a living being, even grant them a long life.
Even Sage Mode could not do that. Because Sage Mode was just another way of using chakra. The natural energy that entered the body was only used to mix with chakra to create sage chakra, not to be absorbed by the body. In fact, for most people, absorbing sage chakra was harmful and would cause petrification.
Katsuyu was both surprised and delighted. "Unbelievable," she said. "It has been a very, very long time since I have met another of my kind, one who can naturally use natural energy. Yotsuki-kun, I look forward to your future."
Dana was also pleasantly surprised. He had always thought of ninja as glass cannons, their lives as fragile as paper. Was natural energy the true path?
"But you can still learn to mold sage chakra," Katsuyu said. "Pure natural energy is relatively gentle, not as volatile as chakra. Even I, in battle, prefer to use chakra. And sage chakra and Sage Mode can greatly enhance your chakra control, the power of your ninjutsu, your sensory abilities, and your taijutsu."
He nodded. Natural energy would be added to his... training regimen. For now, with Katsuyu here to guide him, he would first master Sage Mode.
He suppressed his excitement and continued to try and mix his chakra with the natural energy that was gradually entering his body.
And then he discovered... he couldn't.
Not a single wisp. His spine was not leaving him a single drop of natural energy.
He remembered how his chakra had been the same way, all of it absorbed into the bottomless pit of his spine, for years.
"Uh... this..."
This is going to take a while, he thought. I should probably send a message to Dad.
With that, he summoned a small snake.
Hiroto went home and explained the situation to his mother. He and Kayo had agreed beforehand not to tell her it was an S-rank mission, just a special mission assigned by the village.
His mother was worried, but she was no longer the newcomer she had been when they had first arrived. She knew the special nature of the ninja profession. She just reminded them to be careful and made them a large number of rice balls for the road. Though she didn't say it, they knew she was very worried.
The two of them arrived at the village gate on time. Samui and Kyohei were already waiting.
Kyohei looked them over. "What's that you're carrying?" he asked, looking at Hiroto's backpack.
Hiroto and Kayo blushed. "Rice balls," Hiroto said shyly. "Our mom made them for us."
Kyohei was speechless. Ninja on a mission usually traveled light, eating off the land or, at most, carrying a few soldier pills. Rice balls... well, they'd probably be eaten before the mission even started.
"Alright," he said, "let's go."
Kyohei and Samui took the lead, leaping through the mountains, with the Uzumaki siblings following behind. Samui was so "attractive," and her clothes so revealing, that Hiroto didn't even dare to look up, his eyes fixed on his own feet the entire way, earning him a merciless glare from his sister.
At first, Kyohei had slowed down to test their skills. But he soon discovered that they were both quite strong and showed no signs of fatigue. For their age, it was an impressive performance. He remembered the stories about the Uzumaki clan's innate talent and, after exchanging a look with Samui, picked up the pace.
Half a day later, they reached the coast and finally took a short break.
Looking out at the vast, open sea, Hiroto finally found a chance to speak. "Um... Kyohei-senpai," he said, "we still don't know what the mission is. Could you tell us?"
"I'm not the leader of this mission," Kyohei said. "The captain will explain everything."
Hiroto was surprised. He had thought Kyohei was in charge. He then looked at Samui.
"Don't look at me," she said with a stretch, her impressive curves making him blush. "I'm not the captain either. The captain isn't here yet."
"Not here yet?" Kayo asked, confused. They had been traveling for half a day, and their captain hadn't even shown up? And why were they just standing here, on the coast, in the wind?
As they were wondering, a massive head shot out from the deep sea. A huge wave of water was displaced, and they had to use their water-walking to keep their balance.
A giant turtle, as large as an island, rose from the depths. Hiroto and Kayo's jaws dropped.
"Wha... what is that?!"
"Have you never seen the island turtle before?" Kyohei explained. "It's a special creature raised by the village."
On the turtle's head stood a powerful figure. His half-black, half-white hair revealed his identity. Even Hiroto and Kayo, who rarely left the village, knew who he was. His picture was plastered all over the village.
The war hero, the Eight-Tails Jinchuriki, the leader of the Three Hundred Spartans of the Cloud, the current "B" of the A-B combo, Blue Bee.
Hiroto and Kayo's minds went blank.
Mom, Hiroto thought, I think I'm on a very important mission.