A Warning: Dangerous Natural Energy

Southern Front Camp.

As soon as Taiichi entered the Camp, he keenly noticed that everyone's mental state was quite relaxed.

There were no more people coming in or out of the Medical Camp entrance; a few Medical Ninja were still leaning against the entrance, chatting and joking.

At the Mission Center, the number of staff responsible for mission assignment has been reduced from 10 to 5. Even so, two of them are yawning with nothing to do.

Around the Camp, Taiichi sensed that many Training Ground had been set up, where many ninjas were training.

Judging from the intensity of their training and their casual demeanor, it seemed they were just killing time, without any sense of urgency to improve their strength.

Taiichi frowned and slowed down considerably. He had fought on the front lines in many battles and had experienced high-intensity battlefield environments most of the time. He was quite unaccustomed to this situation.

This is the current Southern Front. If it were any of the other three battlefields, the enemy would teach you how cruel the battlefield is before Commander even have a chance to speak.

Taiichi's arrival naturally attracted the attention of the ninjas who stayed behind at the Camp. There were hardly any ninjas here who didn't know Taiichi; they had either been rescued at the Medical Camp or received his help on the front lines.

"Lord Taiichi, what brings you here? Has the village decided to launch a full-scale attack on Sunagakure?"

Soon, some ninjas who recognized Taiichi took the initiative to come forward and greet him.

"Did Lord Taiichi bring orders from the village? When can we go back to the village? Even going to another front would be fine; it's so boring here!"

Warm greetings rang out around Taiichi, who simply smiled in response, but his pace unconsciously quickened.

As soon as Taiichi entered the Camp, someone came to inform Jiraiya of the situation.

At this moment Jiraiya was also full of doubts, not understanding why Taiichi had come this time. He had heard that the battle on the Eastern Front was going very smoothly, not only killing the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, the clan leaders of Hozuki and Kaguya, but also severely damaging the Mist Village forces multiple times.

In that case, it doesn't seem like they've encountered difficulties and come seeking help; surely they're not here to catch up with old friends?

But you know what, considering Taiichi's personality, this kid is actually capable of doing something like this.

Hearing the increasingly loud noises outside the camp, Jiraiya decided to stop thinking about it. Taiichi would be arriving soon, so wouldn't it be better to just listen to what he had to say?

Thinking of his long-lost disciple, he couldn't help but laugh out loud again. Turning to look at Nara Shikaku beside him, he boasted with no small amount of pride, "This guy has been gone for so long, but everyone still remembers him!"

"Everyone has received a lot of help from Taiichi, and naturally they will not forget this kindness just because of a short time."

At this point, what could Shikaku say? It was a pity that Taiichi wasn't a member of the Nara Clan, nor was he Shikaku's disciple. Now he could only watch others show off.

Fortunately, his relationship with Jiraiya was more than just that of superior and subordinate; they were actually very close. Otherwise, he would have been cursing Jiraiya in his heart.

Before the two could continue their conversation, Taiichi had already lifted the curtain and walked in.

Having gotten used to Tsunade's style over the past few months, it feels quite strange to be in Jiraiya's Central Army Tent now.

Apart from Nara Shikaku, there was no one else in the entire tent.

Perhaps it's because the battle situation has become more stable recently that not many people have come to Jiraiya to report on their work.

However, looking at the thick pile of scrolls on Jiraiya's desk, and then thinking about Tsunade's desk, which remained empty even during the most intense battles, Taiichi looked at Jiraiya with a strange expression.

Indeed, I still need to learn more from Tsunade when it comes to personnel management and shirking my responsibilities.

Taiichi naturally Jiraiya Taiichi's strange look.

He couldn't help but touch his face, then looked at his clothes, and finding nothing unusual, he complained with dissatisfaction.

"You little rascal, what kind of look is that? You've been following Tsunade for a few days, have you gone astray?"

Taiichi eyebrow and smiled brightly, but his words sent a chill down Jiraiya's spine.

"Jiraiya- sensei, I've remembered those words. You said Teacher Tsunade taught me bad habits, I'll go back and talk to Teacher Tsunade about it."

Jiraiya's face immediately darkened. "You brat, when did I say that? Don't misunderstand me!"

He bared his teeth and brandished his claws, looking as if he was about to pounce on Taiichi.

Nara Shikaku was standing nearby, didn't want to watch them put on a show of deep master-disciple affection. He held Jiraiya's hand, but turned his face towards Taichi Matsushita.

"Taiichi, why have you come here at this time? Does Lady Tsunade have something to tell us?"

Seeing that the topic had been brought back on track, Taiichi stopped fooling around, took out Tsunade's letter from his Ninja Tool Pouch, and solemnly handed it to Jiraiya.

Jiraiya, reverting to his usual Commander demeanor, took the letter, glanced at the seal, and then opened it.

After quickly reading the letter, Jiraiya's brows furrowed. He handed the letter to Shikaku beside him, gesturing for him to take a look, and then closed his eyes, his mind racing.

Taiichi remained silent upon seeing this, but judging from Jiraiya in a state of turmoil.

Shikaku looked even faster, but the more he looked, the wider his eyes widened. It was truly an unprecedented sight; wasn't this a case of misfortune befalling someone sitting at home?

Although it may sound somewhat heartless, the Mist Village, which should have been dealt with by the East Front, has inexplicably come to their side and may even join forces with the Sunagakure to fight them. Isn't this just taking the blame for someone else's misfortune?

After reading all the letters, Shikaku folded them neatly again, which also helped to calm his emotions.

A long time.

Jiraiya opened his eyes and looked directly at Taiichi. "You're still monitoring Mist Village. Where are they now?"

Taiichi looked around the camp and saw a huge topographical map of the surrounding area of Land of Rivers hanging on the left, so he walked straight over to it.

Standing in front of the map, he carefully discerned the location before pointing to the area of the Land of Rivers near the Land of Fire, a sea area about 30 kilometers from the land.

"The Mist Village fleet is currently in roughly this location, continuing southwards and away from land."

Jiraiya and Shikaku looked at the spot Taiichi pointed to, frowning in thought.

The land of the Land of Rivers is a long strip running from north to south, with Coastline that is only a narrow section in the south. To be honest, the Coastline is not very long.

Based on the Mist Village fleet's current course, unless it suddenly changes course, it doesn't seem like they intend to land in the Land of Land of Rivers.

"They... are they going to the Land of Wind?" Shikaku asked uncertainly.

"It's too early to say now. My Shadow Clone will continue to monitor the Mist Village Fleet. Once tonight is over, we'll know exactly where their target is."

"That's all we can do," Jiraiya himself, staring at the map.

However, some preparations were still necessary, Jiraiya immediately shouted loudly, "Someone come here!"

A middle-aged Chunin lifted the tent flap and entered, bowing respectfully to Jiraiya: "My lord, what are your orders?"

"Dispatch 20 squads to strengthen reconnaissance along the coast. Report any unusual activity immediately. In addition, send 10 more patrol squads towards the Land of Wind to keep a close watch on the movements of the Sunagakure's Border Troops."

Jiraiya's explanation strengthened border surveillance, preventing them from being caught off guard.

Watching the messenger ninja leave, Taiichi followed Jiraiya back to the center of the tent. The three of them sat down, and now it was time for casual conversation.

Jiraiya mainly asked questions, and Taiichi answered them, asking about Taiichi's experiences in various war zones.

After all, Jiraiya only knew the situation from the daily battle reports sent by the village. Those cold words were just the result he knew, nothing compared to the real and exciting feeling of the person involved recounting it.

Taiichi patiently explained, as these were not secrets to Jiraiya.

The three chatted for a while, thoroughly enjoying themselves. During this time, some ninjas came to report on the situation, but they were all trivial matters.

By the time Taiichi had finished saying everything he could, an hour had passed. His throat was parched from talking, so he picked up his water glass and then remembered everything he had seen when he entered the Camp. A conflicted look immediately appeared on his face.

Jiraiya wasn't blind; seeing the change in Taiichi's expression, he knew Tai had something to say. "Hey kid, what's going on? What are you hiding from me?"

Taiichi scratched his head, thought about it and realized it made sense, so he stopped worrying about it and directly explained the scene he had seen to Jiraiya one.

"Teacher, another major battle is likely to be fought soon. Our current state of mind is unacceptable; we'll easily suffer losses on the battlefield."

The Camp's lax discipline certainly didn't develop overnight; ever since Taiichi left the Southern Front, the intensity of the fighting here has been decreasing.

A mind that has been under intense tension for a long time will naturally relax gradually when there is no combat stimulation.

As the person involved, Jiraiya could hardly perceive this slow change; in fact, he was gradually lowering his guard.

If Taiichi hadn't known the differences between the Camp a few months ago and now, he wouldn't have noticed the discrepancy.

Their energy and spirit are completely different states.

Jiraiya and Shikaku broke out in a cold sweat after Taiichi said that.

Just as Taiichi had thought, although they felt that the atmosphere in the Camp was a bit lax, they didn't really take it to heart, treating it as just a relaxation after the battle.

Now that Taiichi has pointed it out, they immediately realize the difference in their abilities.

"Well... Taiichi, I won't talk to you here anymore. I'm going to take a walk around the Camp."

Jiraiya a man of action, and when he discovered a problem, he naturally wanted to solve it immediately. He grabbed Nara Shikaku and headed out of the tent.

Taiichi didn't want to be a bad guest here. He had just pointed out someone's mistake, and to avoid an awkward situation later, it was best to leave now.

"Then, Jiraiya- sensei, I'll continue keeping an eye on the Mist Village fleet. I'm still a little worried about the Shadow Clone."

"Go, go, hurry up and leave, I'm annoyed by you!" Jiraiya and cursing voice came, but he had already disappeared outside the camp.

Taiichi wasn't annoyed, naturally understanding that this was Jiraiya's joke.

He activated Flying Thunder God Technique, and his figure reappeared on the beach of the Land of Rivers.

He'll spend the night here, enjoying both the sea view and his workout.

The next day.

When the sea and sky met, and the dark, inky sea was tinged with a golden-red hue, Taiichi, who was sitting cross-legged on the shore, opened his eyes.

A night of meditation did not tire him; rather, he was quite amazed by the sight of the rising Sun Barrier.

The Sun Barrier, like a child just waking up, lingered in the embrace of the sea for a while, dyeing the sea red before remaining still for a long time. Then, at a certain moment, the last moment arrived, and the Sun Barrier first peeked out, and then, in a short time, the entire Fireball leaped out of the sea.

Sunlight bathed the entire earth, as if awakening the whole world.

Birds chirped and twittered from the woods behind us.

Every now and then, a few fish would leap out of the water in front of them.

Even on the beach beside me, the constant popping and crackling of bubbles was the sound of shells and conches hidden beneath the sand quietly taking a breath.

This vibrant scene entered Taiichi's eyes, illuminated his heart, and guided his soul to infinite heights.

At this moment, that special state returned once again, and Natural Energy reappeared in Taiichi.

Unlike the previous two times, this time the Natural Energy seemed particularly vibrant and easier to access. Taiichi's perception naturally radiated outwards, coming into contact with this vibrant Natural Energy.

Perhaps because it's by the sea, the water Natural Energy here is exceptionally abundant, and it's more inclined to be close to Taiichi.

As Taiichi's spiritual power probed, these Natural Energy no longer ignored him as before. They moved back and forth, left and right, in accordance with his spiritual guidance. This was a good sign and the first step for Taiichi to control Natural Energy.

Taiichi was not in a hurry to achieve results. He simply followed his heart, spreading his spiritual energy around himself and playing happily with these Natural Energy.

Gradually, it wasn't just the blue water element; red fire, cyan wind, yellow earth, and purple lightning all joined in.

The spirit of Taiichi spread and expanded.

One kilometer.

Two kilometers.

Three kilometers.

This was already the limit of his usual Chakra Perception, and also the limit of his mental power expansion. However, at this moment, his mental power continued to expand outward uncontrollably.

Taiichi was completely immersed in communicating with the Natural Energy; the feeling was so intoxicating and enjoyable.

Until one moment, Taiichi suddenly felt a sense of alarm. When he came to his senses, he suddenly felt an unprecedented emptiness. He felt like a man who had sex ten Jiro in one night, limp and unable to muster any strength.

Stimulated by this, the diffused spiritual energy began to contract back with great effort. However, the spiritual energy that usually returned as soon as it was uttered was now crawling like a tortoise. It was not only slow, but the edges were also difficult to control.

At that moment, Taiichi felt a cold sweat break out on his back. Was this the danger of cultivating Natural Energy?

Improper cultivation of the Natural Energy of Mount Myoboku can turn a person into a stone frog.

The things in Ryūchi Cave will drive people mad and gradually turn them into snakes.

The Shikkotsu Forest will cause people to lose vitality and age rapidly.

Unexpectedly, the method I stumbled upon by accident allowed people's spiritual energy to spread throughout the world. This must be the rhythm of transforming nature!

Taiichi tried his best to calm himself down and controlled his mental energy to slowly recede. As for the mental energy that had spread to the very edge and was completely out of his control, he could only helplessly give up on it.

At this moment, the best approach is to recycle as much as possible, as no one knows what worse things might happen as time goes on.