Chapter 25 Meeting with Fate
Returning to Konoha, Jiraiya didn't explain the strange prophecy predicted by the Great Toad Sage to his teacher, Hiruzen Sarutobi, aka the Third Hokage.
Whether or not the Hokage believes in prophecies is debatable. Even if he did believe, investigating without a good reason could cause chaos within the village.
Many times, even the Hokage can't inquire into the secrets of a ninja without good cause. Jiraiya knew this well.
Therefore, Jiraiya had two plans. One was to find the person mentioned in the prophecy and directly deal with them. This was the first method, and the most straightforward and effective.
But it wasn't in Jiraiya's nature to handle it this way.
The second plan was to find the person mentioned in the prophecy and give them the correct ideological education. This way, not only could they avoid the disappearance of Konoha, but they could also cultivate an excellent ninja for the village.
Both methods depended on finding the person mentioned in the prophecy. If they couldn't find them, all of this would be a pipe dream.
However, Jiraiya was a little worried. The Great Toad Sage didn't give a conclusion that the person in the prophecy could be correctly guided and turned away from the path of destruction. Instead, he directly predicted the disappearance of the ninja forces led by Konoha, accompanied by a unprecedented war that swept through the ninja world.
Therefore, Jiraiya worried that the person in the prophecy was unable to be persuaded by any means or words, and would continue to walk the path of destruction.
If all the ninja disappeared, the ninja world would naturally be destroyed. This was precisely what Jiraiya was afraid of.
…
In late July, the sun was scorching. Under the shade of a large tree in the courtyard, Shiroshi and Rui were meditating together, practicing extracting natural energy from the natural world.
Unlike the physical and spiritual energy that naturally forms within the body, the source of natural energy is much broader. Air, water, flowers, and trees all contain natural energy. It is an ubiquitous, endless life force.
Absorbing natural energy can greatly enhance physical and mental activity, that is, it can increase one's overall strength. After absorbing natural energy, the body can be improved in a positive way, making the person's vitality stronger.
In simple terms, if all the people in the ninja world mastered the method of absorbing natural energy, human life span would increase by at least several decades. Even in old age, their physical condition wouldn't decline too much, their appearance wouldn't become too old, and they would maintain vigorous energy.
Of course, this is an ideal situation. Theory often needs logic, and reality is often different from fantasy.
To promote this practice in the current age, and benefit all humanity, is a pipe dream. Without a perfect system and structure, carrying out this practice rashly could not only put oneself in danger but also brew a storm of war unlike any other.
This war would no longer be limited to ninjas but to the entire human race.
Therefore, continuing to protect oneself is the best way.
Because of mastering the method of extracting natural energy, they should hide deeper and never stick their necks out unless they have to.
While Shiroshi was focusing on extracting natural energy, Rui had already opened her eyes.
On her shoulder, a fluffy orange cat suddenly fell. This cat was slightly fatter than a normal house cat and looked harmless. However, it came to Ruri's side with a light and silent posture, indicating that its speed and agility were not proportional to its fat size.
"Rui-sama."
A voice similar to a human's, leaning towards neutrality and indistinguishable as male or female, came out of its open mouth.
"Yuhi, is there anything wrong?"
Yuhi is the most outstanding ninja cat among Rui's contracted familiars, and is usually responsible for managing the hundreds of cats in Konoha Village and transmitting intelligence.
It was not yet the time for fixed information transmission, which meant that Yuhi had important information to report.
"I don't know why, but the number of toads in Konoha has increased significantly in the past few days."
Jumping down from Rui's shoulder, Yuhi faced her.
"Toads?"
Rui frowned.
"Yes. I think this is a bit strange, so I came to report it."
"What do you think is the reason?"
When she sent those hundreds of cats to Konoha, she spent almost half a year through various formal channels. Therefore, the matter of using cats to collect intelligence was not noticed by outsiders.
Even the identities of these cats naturally blended into Konoha, without any discrepancies.
Because of past experiences, Rui is vigilant about any abnormalities around her.
"I'm not sure. Rui-sama, what should we do next?"
"When your cat grandchildren transmit information in the future, choose a place without toads in high-rise buildings. If there is anything wrong with those toads, come and inform me immediately."
No matter what the reason for the sudden increase in the number of frogs in Konoha, whether it is a natural phenomenon or someone behind the scenes controlling it with some intention, Rui must remain extremely vigilant.
At any time, she cannot let go of any suspicious places.
"Yes!"
After Yuhi's report, he disappeared from Rui's sight with a whoosh.
Not long after Yuhi disappeared, Shiroshi over there had already opened his eyes and stood up from the shady place where he was meditating.
"How is it, is it done?"
Rui was concerned about this.
"It went smoothly. Now there is an endless supply of energy in my body, and my mental state is much better than usual. I feel like I can go for days and nights without feeling tired."
After stretching his muscles, Shiroshi smiled with satisfaction on his face.
As he had expected, natural energy has unimaginable benefits for living beings.
If this method is promoted among the human population, it can indeed make the human body and mind rejuvenated, and minor illnesses can be eliminated by relying on their powerful immune system without the need for medication.
Now Shiroshi's body seems to have not changed at all, but in addition to chakra, there is also natural energy absorbed from nature.
Through experiments, Shiroshi has not yet felt that after extracting natural energy, he suddenly felt that he did not have chakra, and natural energy can also become a very complete energy system.
This is also very close to the result he expected. Even without chakra as support, natural energy can still be used as a necessary energy supplement in battle.
Especially in terms of enhancing physical techniques.
This conclusion has been proven in previous experiments.
As for whether natural energy can be used to release ninjutsu and genjutsu alone, further research is needed.
If natural energy can be used to release ninjutsu and genjutsu, then natural energy is undoubtedly the superior substitute for chakra.
But in fact, the two complement each other.
After the fusion of natural energy and chakra, the chakra of Senjutsu that is produced is much stronger, including the strong vitality that it provides to the body, which needs further transformation.
Chakra, natural energy, and Senjutsu chakra progress in a deep progression in this order.
In theory, since natural energy can be used alone to enhance physical and mental activity, that is, to strengthen physical techniques, then there is no logical problem in using it alone to release ninjutsu and genjutsu.
But it is only logical.
Even so, Shiroshi was already satisfied. His combat skills were mostly derived from physical techniques, and medical ninjutsu was his main ninjutsu.
Now that he has a better substitute for chakra, natural energy, which can enhance his physical techniques, he can save his scarce chakra and use natural energy to improve his physical and mental activity, which will have a better comprehensive effect and stronger endurance than chakra.
Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to call natural energy an inexhaustible energy.
Rui didn't hide anything and spoke directly, "It came to report to me that there have been a lot of toads in Konoha recently, so I should be careful."
"Toads?"
Shiroshi tilted his head.
To be honest, it was difficult to detect the sudden increase of toads in Konoha unless one was particularly observant. After all, toads were small in size and mostly hidden in damp and dark sewers. Who would pay special attention to this?
"Myoboku Mountain, one of the three sacred places, is the old nest of the toads. And Jiraiya, one of the three sannin, has a deep connection with Myoboku Mountain."
"Are you worried that these are the toads from Myoboku Mountain?"
Shiroshi suddenly felt that this was a bit far-fetched.
"According to the Uchiha's classics, the three sacred places have a long history of inheritance and possess incredible mystical powers. Whether it's the three sannin causing trouble or not, we can't take it lightly."
"Is that so? Then we'll just have to be careful."
Shiroshi didn't object. After all, Rui had a complete intelligence system in her hands, and he didn't need to worry about these things.
But... it was indeed strange that so many toads suddenly appeared in Konoha.
Forget it, I just need to avoid drawing attention to myself. There's no need to do these unnecessary things. Shiroshi thought to himself.
So far, he had hidden himself well, and Rui had taken care of many aftermath problems for him. He could be said to be a pure-minded and ordinary Konoha Genin at this moment.
Just keep going with this ordinary feeling.
…
On the training ground.
Boom!
At the moment when the fist hit the ground, accompanied by a loud explosion, a several-meter-wide pit was directly blown out of the ground, and gravel flew everywhere. The figure was also covered by the suddenly rising sand and dust.
After the smoke and dust dispersed, the pit was still covered with shocking cracks that extended deeper into the ground.
The skin on Rui's Fist was slightly red, and the fist felt a dull pain, but soon the pain disappeared without a trace.
"So, this is the power of natural energy? It's really not to be underestimated. Just a casual punch caused the same effect as ninjutsu."
Not only that, Rui felt that her body became incredibly light, and the effect of using natural energy to replace chakra for physical enhancement was so significant.
This made Rui begin to feel a bit in awe of the power of nature.
Compared to the entire nature, the natural energy in her body was just a drop in the ocean.
Lost in such contemplation, Rui suddenly felt that humans, or ninja, were too small in front of nature.
Survival cannot be separated from the land, nor from the sky.
No matter how strong one becomes, one cannot transcend this world.
Everything is endowed by nature.
And the chakra that forms in the human body is insignificant compared to this great power.
"What's wrong? You seem lost in thought?"
Carrying a portable medical kit, Shiroshi was there to prevent Rui or himself from being injured during the upcoming practice, and to quickly perform treatment if needed.
Seeing Rui testing the power of physical techniques and falling into contemplation, he couldn't help but wonder.
"Nothing, it's just that I suddenly feel how small humans are in front of nature."
After hearing this, Shiroshi suddenly laughed.
"What are you laughing at?"
Rui narrowed her eyes, and a fierce light flashed in her eyes as she raised her fist.
"Ah, it's nothing. I just feel that contemplating life here is not like your usual style, Rui."
"..."
"Okay, okay, there's no need to be like this. After all, we humans are an inseparable part of nature. It's just that humans are a more prominent group of animals in the natural world. Don't think about the idea that humans are a higher life form that dominates nature when thinking about the relationship between humans and nature. There is a saying, the more knowledgeable one has, the more you know your own powerlessness."
Thinking carefully about Shiroshi's words, Rui was quite agreeable.
In the past, she was too ignorant and fearless.
As she grew older and more knowledgeable, she realized what was truly vast and magnificent.
In front of such greatness, she realized that she was only a frog in the well.
"Okay, how does natural energy feel?"
Shiroshi asked about the matter at hand.
Instead of answering, Rui directly punched Shiroshi in the face.
Rui didn't answer, but punched Shiroshi directly in the face.
Shiroshi tilted his head slightly, letting Rui's fist pass by his ear, as if he had calculated it carefully.
"As I told you, this feeling is very powerful and completely different from my previous self. With my Sharingan, I should be able to catch up with Sakumo sensei's speed and make a counterattack at the right time."
Rui felt an inexhaustible energy in her body, a state in which every cell in her body was cheering, making her feel more comfortable than ever before.
"That's good. Next, let's experiment whether natural energy can be directly applied to ninjutsu and genjutsu."
Natural energy is actually the same as physical and mental energy, and it requires many steps to extract it.
Extracting natural energy from nature is just a general overview. How to effectively extract it, how to store it in the body, and which part of the body is most suitable as an entrance all require a continuous accumulation of experience. The same goes for physical and mental energy.
The amount and type of food intake on the day, as well as whether the emotional state is stable, will also affect the amount of physical and mental energy extracted.
In theory, chakra can be used to use taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu. Therefore, since it has been proven that natural energy can enhance taijutsu, ninjutsu and genjutsu should also be possible.
Rui did not object, and she also wanted to know if natural energy could be used to release ninjutsu and genjutsu.
As she spoke, she began to form hand seals to release ninjutsu, in order to better balance the natural energy gathered in her mouth.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
As a signature fire jutsu of the Uchiha clan, it is much stronger than the fire jutsu of ordinary ninjas.
Although Rui successfully formed the hand seals, and natural energy did gather in her mouth, there was no significant reaction.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing Rui's slightly unnatural and painful expression, Shiroshi ran over to ask worriedly.
Rui turned her head, opened her mouth, took a breath, and her expression improved slightly.
"My tongue got burned..."
Shiroshi: "..."
It seems like it failed.
The natural energy only emitted unimaginable heat in Rui's mouth, but did not change into a fireball and manifest in a tangible way.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
...
Afterwards, every time Rui used the Great Fireball Jutsu, she had to drink a large amount of water to reduce the heat in her mouth.
It wasn't until evening that the experiment of releasing ninjutsu with natural energy finally ended.
The result was a failure.
After that, a week passed.
Experiments using natural energy instead of chakra to release ninjutsu and genjutsu all ended in failure.
That is to say, currently existing natural energy, in addition to being able to enhance physical and mental activity, cannot replace chakra to release ninjutsu and genjutsu.
However, this does not mean that the experiment has completely failed. Shiroshi believes that the reason why they failed to achieve their expected results may be because their methods were incorrect.
Suddenly, at this moment, an order was transmitted from above. The Sakumo team needed to immediately begin their mission, heading to the front lines of the Fire Country battlefield for support.
As a result, Shiroshi had to stop his work and quickly conceal everything in the laboratory, transferring the experimental equipment to a summoned ninja cat by Rui.
After almost twenty days of relaxation, the Sakumo team finally welcomed a new round of missions. They gathered at the entrance of Konoha.
When Shiroshi and Rui arrived, Ayane and Sakumo had already been waiting there for some time. Concealing the experimental equipment had taken up some time, so they were a little late, but it was still half an hour before the agreed meeting time, so it wasn't considered late.
After the four of them met, there was not much talk. After half a month, the appearance of the four had changed slightly, with Sakumo's aura becoming the most obvious. His whole body exuded a sharpness, indicating that his skill in swordsmanship had improved significantly.
"Sakumo-sensei, we're all here. We can go now," Shiroshi said, ready to move.
"Wait a bit longer, another team will be joining us. They should be here soon," Sakumo smiled and waited patiently.
Another team? Shiroshi and the others looked puzzled.
As expected, about half a minute later, a tall man and a small boy arrived.
The adult, like Sakumo, was wearing the uniform of a Jonin from Konoha. He had white hair and looked a little slick and unreliable, but there was something extraordinary about him.
Following behind him was the small boy, around the same age as Shiroshi and the others, with golden hair that emitted a dazzling light. He had a sunny and handsome smile, and compared to a few years ago when he was shy and easily embarrassed, he had become a more mature young man.
It was Namikaze Minato, also known as "Konoha's Yellow Flash".
Shiroshi recognized the identity of this young boy. Like the three of them, he was a student who entered the ninja school at the same time and was a classmate of the same year.
However, when he was in the fourth grade, he graduated early by skipping a grade and became a Chunin, participating in missions earlier than them.
He didn't expect to meet under these circumstances.
Shiroshi greeted Minato in a friendly manner, and Minato smiled back.
"Sorry, sorry, I was delayed because of some things. It shouldn't have affected anything, right, Shakumo?" The white-haired ninja scratched his head and was talkative, with a more cheerful personality.
"No, it didn't. But I didn't expect you to have returned to the village, Jiraiya. It's been several years since we last met," Sakumo called out the name of the white-haired ninja.
Jiraiya was one of Konoha's three sannin and was a disciple of the Third Hokage.
Upon hearing this name, Shiroshi took a quick glance at Jiraiya's aura. Indeed, he was a strong Jonin, with no obvious flaws in his every move, indicating that his physical skills were definitely not weak.
One of the three legendary ninja of Konoha and a disciple of the Third Hokage, Jiraiya, was on the same mission as Shirotsume. Upon hearing his name, Shirotsume took a brief look at Jiraiya's imposing presence. From his outward aura, Jiraiya was undoubtedly a powerful Jonin with no apparent flaws in his movements, indicating his proficiency in Taijutsu.
Just because of that Shiroshi would not pay attention to him. But recently, there had been a sudden increase in the number of toads in Konoha, and Jiraiya was the primary suspect. Nevertheless, Jiraiya quickly befriended Sakumo with just a few words, making him laugh and chat.
Shiroshi silently nodded his head, knowing that Jiraiya was a troublesome person with a thick skin and excellent communication skills. When talking to him, even casual conversations had a strong sense of purpose.
Regardless of his abilities, Jiraiya's personality was the type that Shiroshi least wanted to encounter. After a brief introduction, Sakumo and Jiraiya led the way and headed towards the front line of the battlefield.
On the way, Jiraiya sighed to himself. Although he had released some toads from Mount Myōboku into Konoha, he wasn't confident that he would find anything. Furthermore, he had no time to consider the matter because he needed to head to the front line of the battlefield.
He wished that the Great Toad Sage's prophecy could be more accurate. Jiraiya couldn't help but wonder if Konoha really had such powerful ninja. He knew most of the highly skilled ninja in Konoha, and though he didn't know everything about them, their loyalty to Konoha was unquestionable.
So who was the person that would bring endless warfare to the ninja world and cause the destruction of the ninja world as predicted? And where in Konoha were they hiding?
(Chapter End)