Walking mountain trails on a night of torrential rain was the sort of thing only a madman would do. But Uchiha Zhuang had done it, and his mind was perfectly calm. Whenever he came across uneven ground, he leaped over it from tree to tree. When he encountered a fallen giant tree, he climbed over it. When he came upon a swollen mountain stream cascading down the slopes, he took a detour. In any case, through the silent mountains, only Uchiha Zhuang was there, carrying the dead Kappa and pressing onward toward his destination. He walked all night. Near dawn, the dark clouds finally dispersed amid the rumbling, resentful thunder. The sound of swollen mountain streams still echoed in his ears, mingling with birdsong and the chirring of insects. Now and then, droplets fell from the leaves with a patter, sinking into Uchiha Zhuang's thick black hair and vanishing. Standing on a jutting earthen ledge along the mountain road, he gazed into the distance at the newborn sun, haloed by brilliant rays. It rose slowly, yet ceaselessly, scattering its golden breath of life across all things. As he looked at the mist-shrouded mountains and the radiant golden sun, the gloom in his heart was kindled and slowly faded away.
"The golden wheel still shines in the boundless sky; billions of living beings are born and pass away without end." A warmth filled his eyes. He drew his short sword and looked at the Two-Tomoe Sharingan reflected in its blade, his heart perfectly calm. As expected, the claim that hatred was what awakened the Sharingan was a sinister lie spread by schemers. Any intense emotion, positive or negative, could resonate with the bloodline and awaken the Sharingan. Setting aside these unpleasant thoughts, Uchiha Zhuang drew a deep breath of fresh air. The mountain's unique fragrance of grass and trees seemed to wash every cell in his body. He left the ledge and continued on his way.
When thirsty, he drank from streams; when hungry, he ate rations and wild fruit. He never stopped, pressing forward at a steady pace. His body stayed warm, and he seemed to have endless energy, unwilling to rest even for a moment. After three days and nights, he finally reached Mount Okura, as marked by the All-Purpose System. Gazing up at the cloud-wreathed mountain, Uchiha Zhuang struggled to climb, darting and weaving between sheer cliffs and dense woods until he reached a cave near the summit. It was a true marvel of nature: a mighty river rushed below, while towering cliffs soared above. Inside the cave, it was warm as spring and very comfortable; it was not damp at all, but dry. At last, he laid down the Kappa's body. Strangely enough, despite the days spent trekking through the mountains, it had not rotted at all. Only the severed ends had turned pale. Looking at the Kappa's peaceful expression, as if it were merely asleep, Uchiha Zhuang said, "All things in nature live and die. Perhaps one part of your life has ended, while your journey through death is still continuing. May you rest in peace, in life and in death." After saying this, he used a Fire Release technique to burn the Kappa's body to ash, packed the ashes into a bamboo tube, and hurled it far away into the distant mountain ranges. When he had finished, Uchiha Zhuang felt increasingly dizzy. Then he collapsed, his mind going blank, and fell asleep.
When he woke again, he had no idea how much time had passed. All he knew was that the mountains were still mountains, and the peaks were still peaks. The only thing that had changed was that the system had sent him a message. He opened it and saw: congratulations, transmigrator, on completing the rare-level mission "Return to the Mountains." Reward: "Aura of the Child of Nature (Gold)." Then the system fell silent again. An aura tied to nature could only mean Sage Mode! Uchiha Zhuang understood, then carefully focused on sensing it. After a long while, he finally detected an exceedingly natural, pure aura within himself, like a spring breeze brushing across his face. He then circulated it throughout his body and reached out to sense nature. In the ninja world, anyone who could not control nature energy would turn to stone. But Uchiha Zhuang had been through the wringer of cultivation and primordial-world novels. Following the masters' methods, he circulated his dantian energy, transforming one breath into three pure forms. In plain terms, it just felt better and better. He kept channeling nature energy, letting it communicate and intermingle with his own cells. When he felt that his cells had absorbed just about all they could, Uchiha Zhuang stopped cultivating and breathed out a long breath of stale air. His physical abilities had improved; he could feel it clearly. If he had to fight the bandits again, he believed he could take down forty or fifty of them through sheer physical strength alone. Half a Zabuza's stamina? About one unit of chakra? That was his tentative assessment. Finally, he used the system to give himself a full physical examination. Uchiha Zhuang didn't feel much, but the system reported that his health had surpassed the physical standard of a Chunin from Naruto, and his chakra had reached the level of a Special Jōnin. As for his physical strength alone, Uchiha Zhuang was already more than satisfied. After all, he was only five. Ha! Thinking about being five made him laugh. He used to mock other protagonists who could punch planets apart at four or five, but now he was far beyond ordinary people at five himself. He could be considered a cheat-enabled player, though only with a minor boost. Thinking of all that made him miss his days on Earth a little. If he hadn't transmigrated, he'd probably still be working overtime there, stuck in the 996 grind—or maybe suffering through twelve-hour shifts. Just thinking about it sent a shiver down his spine. Tsk, the capitalists' exploitation really was terrifying!
After resting properly in the cave at the summit, Uchiha Zhuang took one last look at the majestic, rolling mountain ranges, then ran down along the cliff face. Yes, ran. His control over chakra had advanced another level; he could now freely channel it to move wherever he pleased. With only a dozen or so meters left before the large pool at the foot of the mountain, Uchiha Zhuang used the Water Prison Technique to encase himself, then plunged down. A tremendous splash erupted. He slowly surfaced and swam to shore, then raced toward the town at full speed, without conserving his strength.
Deep in the forest, a pair of green eyes watched the distant figure. After a long while, they finally disappeared...
The journey there had taken several days and nights, but the return took only a day and a night. Uchiha Zhuang went all out, moving like the wind. Even Tarzan couldn't claim he could run faster than Uchiha Zhuang. He reached the town in the morning, and the streets were still packed with people. First, Uchiha Zhuang found a small hot-spring inn and relaxed properly. After a soak, he felt much better. Then he headed for the Iron Hearth Izakaya in town. Yes, it was the same place where Uchiha Zhuang had first eaten a meal.
As the door swung open, someone stepped inside. The owner was busy tidying up and said, "Sorry, sir, we're not ready yet. You'll have to wait half an hour before you can sample our dishes." "All right. Then I'll have a glass of sparkling fruit juice first." "Huh?" The owner turned to look at the young Uchiha Zhuang. "Oh!" His mouth gaped wide enough to fit an egg. "Honored samurai, your legend has been spreading all over town lately! They say you're a samurai sent down by Amaterasu to walk among us, slaying demons throughout the world! You left that rainy night, and it frightened us half to death. We were so afraid Amaterasu would punish us for not treating you well. This time, you must let us show you the warm hospitality of Baiye Town!" After the owner babbled on and on, he even seemed ready to make a move on him! Uchiha Zhuang's expression instantly turned stern. "Uncle, I have to hurry to the next place to exorcise demons. Don't let it slip to anyone. I'll leave as soon as I've finished this meal, or Amaterasu will punish you." Uchiha Zhuang played along. The owner cried out "Yes, yes, yes!" several times so loudly that the cooks and apprentices preparing ingredients in the back jumped in fright. After enjoying a sumptuous meal and feeling quite pleased, Uchiha Zhuang wrote a few calligraphic characters for the owner: "The golden wheel shines over a prosperous sun." The owner's eyes lit up when he saw the Chinese characters. They were ancient Xia script, passed down from a civilization that had ruled the world for thousands of years—a presence even more ancient than the Chakra Tree. Looking at the boy, young but resolute, the owner's desire surged. Uchiha Zhuang could even sense an incredibly intense emotional fluctuation. That was a natural property of nature energy: it let him sense emotions. The owner grabbed Uchiha Zhuang by the lapels, his voice urgent. "Honored samurai, most revered samurai! I have a daughter about your age. She's clever and adorable. Why don't you marry her right now? I'll give you all ten of my properties, as well as several izakayas. Please don't turn me down! What do you say?" Seeing the owner's blazing eyes, Uchiha Zhuang now thought he might not even be able to beat the Giant Catfish. "Amaterasu will punish you..." "I'll bear Amaterasu's wrath myself! I only ask that you, honored samurai, marry my daughter as soon as possible and join with her in matrimony." Uchiha Zhuang had been done in—by the izakaya owner.
Before you continue