Nature Energy

Early the next morning, the little slug woke him up.

Chiya rubbed his face, got up, and washed.

That sleep had felt incredible. He had not slept that deeply in a long time.

After washing up, the little slug led him to the side of a waterfall.

The waterfall plunged from a towering cliff face, its thunderous roar shaking his ears.

Moss grew thickly all around, and the rocks were covered in moisture.

Yet beside the waterfall was a flat white stone, as though it had been specifically prepared for someone to sit on.

Chiya sat on the white stone.

The little slug slowly crawled onto the top of his head, its soft body pressed against his hair.

Chiya stiffened for a moment.

This posture was a little strange.

But he did not say anything.

Lady Katsuyu did not waste many words, merely explaining the cultivation method once.

The first step of the Sage Art of Wet Bone Forest did not require Chiya to absorb natural energy himself.

The little slug would first absorb a trace of natural energy, then transfer that trace into his body.

All Chiya had to do was feel it.

He had to remember the difference between it and ordinary chakra.

Once his chakra began to fluctuate, or the natural energy showed signs of going out of control, the little slug would immediately draw that energy back out.

When natural energy entered his body for the first time, Chiya nearly shivered.

That energy was very cold.

Unlike chakra, which flowed out from within his body, it was like a drop of water from outside, falling in through the top of his head and slowly sliding along his meridians.

Chiya had just been about to move his chakra to touch it.

The next moment, that drop of natural energy was drawn away.

Chiya opened his eyes.

"That fast?"

The little slug said nothing more and merely told him to close his eyes again.

The second time, the third time, the fourth time.

For an entire morning, Chiya did the same thing.

He sat there, feeling natural energy enter his body.

Then watching it be drawn away.

At first, he thought it was quite simple, but as time passed, it only became more exhausting.

He had to remain mentally tense at all times. He could not lose focus, could not rush, and could not let his chakra move erratically.

And the process was far too dull.

His attention was constantly drawn away by the occasional passing insect, the roar of the waterfall, or the cries of insects in the distance. Then he would fail and have to start over.

At lunch, Chiya held a bowl of mushroom soup, his neck already somewhat stiff.

He stared at the surface of the soup for a long time and suddenly felt as though he were practicing some elderly wellness exercise.

After who knew how many days,

Gradually, he was finally able to catch that sensation the instant natural energy entered his body.

A few more days passed, and even without the little slug sending natural energy into him, Chiya could vaguely sense that power floating through the air as he sat beside the waterfall.

It was everywhere.

There was some in the water.

There was some in the leaves.

There was even some in the damp moss beneath his feet.

But he could only sense it. He still could not draw it into his body.

The little slug soon began teaching him the second step.

Letting natural energy remain inside his body.

This step was far more painful than the first.

The first time, the little slug directly sent in far more natural energy than before.

The instant that energy poured down through the top of his head, Chiya's entire body suddenly went rigid.

It felt as though his meridians had been washed through with icy water.

He instinctively moved his chakra to suppress it.

As a result, the chakra in his body immediately became chaotic.

The next moment, the little slug drew the natural energy away.

Chiya gasped for breath.

His forehead was covered in sweat.

"Again."

He gritted his teeth and spoke.

The second time was still a failure.

The third time, the natural energy remained for less than a breath before being drawn away again.

The fourth time, the fifth time, the tenth time, the Nth time.

Chiya sat on the white stone, his clothes dampened by the spray from the waterfall, his wet hair plastered against his forehead.

Again and again, he let natural energy enter his body, only to watch it be drawn away again and again.

The process was maddening.

Whenever he thought he was about to succeed, it vanished with a snap.

Whenever he thought he had stabilized it, his chakra became chaotic again the next instant.

Chiya nearly cursed aloud several times.

Seeing how impatient he was, Kaguya reminded him not to rush.

Chiya thought about it and realized she was right. Now that he was in Wet Bone Forest, no one except Tsunade and Shizune could find him, so what was he in such a hurry for?

Living like this every day, eating and drinking, was not bad either.

He even began to consider staying here forever.

More than ten days later, he finally managed to keep natural energy inside his body for a short while.

Though it was brief, he could clearly feel the natural energy merge with his own chakra, becoming Sage Chakra.

After that came the third step.

Absorbing external natural energy himself.

Once this step began, Chiya sat beside the waterfall every day, remaining there for most of the day at a time.

The little slug no longer lay on his head. This was also the most dangerous stage. Without the slug, he had to be extremely cautious. If anything went wrong, he might turn into a statue and never return.

He closed his eyes and sensed everything within Wet Bone Forest.

Sometimes, after sitting for too long, Chiya would suddenly forget that he was cultivating.

He felt as though he were a stone, simply staying here and feeling the wind blow and water strike him.

Until one day, he finally sensed natural energy slowly approaching him with each breath.

Then it slowly entered his body, merging with his chakra as naturally as water flowing into a channel.

Soon, green markings appeared beneath Chiya's eyes, like facial tattoos from an ancient tribe.

Chiya opened his eyes.

"I did it?"

The little slug lay on a nearby rock, its voice carrying a hint of joy as well.

"Lord Chiya, you have successfully absorbed your first trace of natural energy."

Chiya sat on the white stone, dazed for quite a while.

Then he lowered his head to look at his palm and could not help laughing.

"Good."

It had been nearly a month since he arrived at Wet Bone Forest.

He had finally crossed the threshold.

At that moment, the Sage Chakra inside his body suddenly disappeared, as though something had sucked it away.

The markings beneath his eyes also gradually faded until they vanished completely.

Chiya froze.

"Huh? The duration was that short?"

Then Kaguya inside him suddenly let out a laugh.

"Idiot, I absorbed it."

Only then did Chiya understand.

"I knew it. There was no way I could be that short."

Chiya continued asking,

"Oh, right. Why did you absorb Sage Chakra? Can you use it?"

Kaguya sensed it for a moment, then said,

"It can restore me."

Chiya froze.

"Really?"

"Mm."

"This power is very similar to the power of the God Tree Fruit. It can directly restore my origin."

Kaguya fell silent again for a while.

Then she began trying to imitate Chiya's method from earlier and absorb the natural energy outside.

Chiya immediately felt the balance within his body sway.

The natural energy nearly went out of control.

Chiya hurriedly stabilized his chakra and gritted his teeth.

"Kaguya, slower!"

Kaguya paused.

"I know."

Sweat appeared on Chiya's forehead.

"You know nothing. You nearly got me killed just now."

Kaguya fell silent for a moment.

She gave a soft huff.

"I will learn."

Chiya sat beside the waterfall, and hearing those words, his heart suddenly trembled.

For all he knew, this ancestor might really get up in the middle of the night while he was asleep to practice Sage Art.

If she messed it up, he might get killed in his sleep!

"Nonsense! How could I possibly be that stupid?" Kaguya's angry voice rang out in Chiya's mind.