Chapter 103: Attitude is Everything
No time, no space, not even a sensation.
Oh, now there was. Dana's leg had fallen asleep.
It had been three days since he had arrived in Shikkotsu Forest. After the first day, he had spent the next two absorbing natural energy. It was incredibly boring. Even the most tedious chakra molding was more interesting than this.
The absorption of natural energy was a slow and gentle process. He didn't even have to do anything. In Katsuyu's special acid, all he had to do was maintain a calm mind. This, in turn, was incredibly boring. It was like being forced to meditate for two straight days. He felt less like he was training and more like he was cultivating immortality.
The natural energy in Shikkotsu Forest was much denser than in the outside world, and it had been further refined by Katsuyu's influence over the years. Whether for learning Sage Mode or simply for strengthening the body, this was the best place to be. Once he left this special environment and Katsuyu's special acid, his absorption rate would drop dramatically. This was why, despite the boredom, he persisted.
But even at this relatively fast pace, he had no idea when his spine would finally be "full." And he couldn't learn Sage Mode until it was.
He shifted his weight, relieving the numbness in his legs. After an unknown amount of time, the mountain-sized Katsuyu arrived, her pleasant voice echoing in his mind.
"Yotsuki-kun, are you hungry today?"
Dana's face fell. He remembered yesterday's unpleasant dining experience and shook his head. "Not really," he said. "Let's skip it today. Lady Katsuyu, is there any way to speed up the absorption process?"
Katsuyu shook her massive head, creating a gust of wind. "That is dependent on the talent of each individual," she said. "Your speed is not slow. On the contrary, it is very fast. When I first started, I was nowhere near as fast as you. Any being who masters natural energy needs decades, even centuries, to familiarize themselves with it and to transform themselves. You are just used to the speed of chakra training."
Dana just sighed and resigned himself to more staring into space... no, more meditation.
On the giant head of the island turtle, under the fierce sea wind, Hiroto and Kayo's minds were as chaotic as the wind itself.
"The sea seems to be telling of her troubles," Kayo said wistfully, smoothing down her hair. "But who can I tell my troubles to?"
Hiroto took a rice ball from his backpack and, to the sound of the seagulls and the light of the rising sun, began to eat. "The wind is too loud," he said. "I can't hear you."
"Brother," she said, "do you think we might be in a dream? Or a genjutsu? Maybe we're still in the classroom, and this is just a test from the genjutsu teacher."
Hiroto said nothing, just silently ate his rice ball.
Kayo threw a tantrum, then finally sat down on the deck in resignation. "Why do we have to infiltrate Konoha all of a sudden? Everything was fine before."
Hiroto finished his rice ball. "Kayo," he said, "I've been thinking. Compared to the others, we're missing something crucial. Something that could make or break this mission."
"What is it? Strength?" she asked, listlessly.
"No! It's attitude!"
She looked at him, confused.
"Not only are we going to infiltrate Konoha," he continued, "but we're going to be meeting with their ninja. If we act like rookies, they'll look down on us, and they might even get funny ideas. We have to hide the fact that we're newbies. We have to act calm, like masters. That's how we'll intimidate any potential enemies. Look at Blue Bee-senpai. He's been sitting there, watching the waves, since we set sail. Even if you didn't know him, you wouldn't want to mess with him."
Kayo thought for a moment, then nodded. "You're right. Samui-senpai is the same. No ninja would wear... so little. She must be a master. Oh no, brother! That means we'll be seen as the weak links in the team, the first ones to be attacked! This is terrible!"
We are the weak links, Hiroto thought. "Think of Dana," he continued. "He's always smiling, but he also has an air of mystery. The safest way is to eliminate the danger before it even arises. When the time comes, we'll do this..."
In the distance, Kyohei was sharpening his short sword, keeping an eye on them. "What are those two kids talking about?" he said to Samui.
"It's their first important mission," she said, holding a parasol to shade herself from the sun. "They're bound to be nervous. Let them talk. It will help them relieve the stress."
Kyohei just smiled. He remembered being the same way when he was young. But the younger generation was getting more and more impressive. When he had first graduated, he was nowhere near as strong as these two. He was starting to feel like he was being left behind. But it was a good sign. It meant the village was prospering.
The island turtle continued its journey for an unknown amount of time. Their destination was the Land of Fire, but they stopped a few kilometers from the coast.
"Everyone, transform," Blue Bee ordered.
They all nodded. Blue Bee concealed his half-black, half-white hair and changed his facial features. Hiroto and Kayo concealed their red hair and made minor adjustments to their faces, making them look like a couple of random passersby.
The two of them exchanged an encouraging look and then leaped from the turtle.
"Old friend," Blue Bee said to the turtle, "patrol this area for a while. Try not to surface."
The turtle nodded and disappeared into the deep sea.
The group headed for the shore. A short while later, the coastline was clearly visible.
The moment they set foot on land, a dozen masked ninja appeared. From their attire, they were Konoha ANBU.
Hiroto and Kayo swallowed nervously and quickly adjusted their expressions.
Blue Bee, the leader of the group, was unfazed. This was not enough to intimidate him.
The masked ninja sized them up, trying to glean any information from their appearance, especially the two shorter ones, who, for some reason, were both smiling with the corners of their mouths turned up, their eyes narrowed to a slit. They looked like a pair of ruthless, cold-blooded killers. They were not to be taken lightly.
"Dispel your transformations," the leader of the ANBU said.
"That wasn't part of the deal," Blue Bee said, not even blinking. "I have no desire to be on Konoha's wanted list. The transformations are for everyone's benefit."
The two groups were at a standoff. Just as Hiroto thought a fight was about to break out, the ANBU leader reluctantly nodded in agreement.
The five of them followed the ANBU through the forest for half a day and arrived on the outskirts of Konoha, in the direction of the Forest of Death, still a good distance from the village itself.
The ANBU ninja calculated the time. "Any further, and you'll be detected by the barrier," he said, pointing. "After dark, an opening will appear here. It will only be open for three hours."
"Are you coming with us?" Blue Bee asked with a sarcastic smile.
"No," the ANBU leader said. "We will be here to cover your retreat."
"Cover," in this case, meant "make sure you don't get away."
"I don't trust Konoha ninja with my back," Blue Bee said. "Two of us will stay here as backup. The other three will infiltrate the village."
Hiroto, still maintaining his "smirking god of war" expression, thought to himself, It's really happening. Mom, we're about to infiltrate Konoha.