Sage Face
There were no clearly defined seasons in Shikkotsu Forest.
It was always dim and warm with moisture. The crowns of towering ancient trees screened out the entire sky, leaving only scattered patches of luminous moss clinging to trunks and floating on the wetland waters, giving off a faint blue glow.
The air carried the scent of humus, ancient tree resin, and an elusive sweetness. Every breath felt like drawing pure vitality into the lungs.
A thick, soft carpet of dark green moss covered the ground. Stepping on it squeezed out a thin layer of warm water, beneath which tangled ancient roots were faintly visible.
Fragments of the Slug Sage, large and small, filled the wetland. Some were no bigger than a thumb, curled beneath the caps of glowing mushrooms;
others stood half a person's height, crawling slowly between ancient roots and leaving silvery trails of slime in their wake;
and a few enormous fragments, each the size of a small hill, rested beneath distant trees, their pearly white bodies radiating a soft, sacred glow in the blue gloom.
Their feelers swayed gently in the air, passing messages inaudible to humans. Night in Shikkotsu Forest was peaceful and silent.
Countless little slugs crawled over with soft rustling sounds, forming a white buffer around his knees. Then their feelers drooped, and they all fell still.
They knew Sōji no longer needed help with the training ahead.
The instant Sōji sat cross-legged, he felt endless natural energy rushing toward him from every direction. Its purity in Shikkotsu Forest was beyond anything the outside world could offer.
The natural energy here was so dense that even the air felt thick, every breath sending an almost tangible warm current into his lungs.
As natural energy poured in, the senjutsu chakra within him grew