Natural Energy

Night, the second floor of the inn.

Hotaru had already fallen asleep, hugging Ugly Treasure with the corners of her mouth slightly raised, as if she were having a wonderful dream.

Sōji stood by the window, looking out at the night.

Sandview City was quiet at night, with only the occasional camel cry drifting over from afar.

He reached into his robes and took out something—the First Hokage's necklace. Under the moonlight, its emerald-green gem gave off a faint glow.

He clenched the necklace, feeling the barely perceptible warmth against his palm.

"Senju bloodline, the legendary Wood Release..."

He murmured softly, his eyes glinting with thought.

Outside the window, moonlight flowed like water.

In the distance, the Gobi stretched vast and desolate.

Five days passed in the blink of an eye.

Outside Sandview City, deep within the Gobi.

The morning light had just crested the eastern dunes, dyeing the entire wasteland a pale gold.

The wind was weak, and the air still carried the night's chill. Several vultures circled low in the distance, as though waiting for something.

Sōji stood atop a wind-eroded rock, his hands forming seals.

"Summoning Technique."

Chakra gathered in his palms, turning into tadpole-shaped black formula patterns that spread across the ground. Smoke burst forth, and a massive white figure appeared beneath the rock.

A slug—and a huge one at that. It was so large that Sōji had to tilt his head back to see all of it.

The slug was snow-white all over, with an azure back and raised antennae. It measured well over ten meters long.

It slowly wriggled across the Gobi, leaving a damp trail of slime behind it.

"Good morning, Yamada."

The slug's voice was soft and gentle, though it carried a trace of surprise. "This time, the one you summoned is much bigger than last time!"

Sōji jumped down from the rock and landed in front of the slug.

"It's a matter of chakra control."

He smiled casually. "I was too cautious before. Later, I realized that the size of the summon is directly related to chakra output. As long as you're willing to give enough, it can get bigger."

At that, the slug's antennae swayed gently. "You make it sound easy, Sōji, but not many people can do it so easily!"

Sōji did not respond. He placed a hand on the slug's back, feeling the moist slime spread across his palm.

This had been part of his daily routine these past few days: summoning a slug, practicing control over the Summoning Technique, and having the slug examine his body.

"What are today's numbers?" he asked.

The slug fell silent for a moment.

"They're a little higher than yesterday. Yamada, your body's affinity for Natural Energy is truly high."

"How does it compare to Lady Tsunade?"

"It's different."

The slug considered it. "Lady Tsunade relies on precise control to absorb Natural Energy bit by bit, like using a measuring cup to collect water. But she cannot trigger a qualitative transformation."

As she spoke, she paused.

"You, on the other hand, are like a body that craves it instinctively. Like a dried-up riverbed meeting rainwater, you absorb it on your own without needing guidance."

Sōji withdrew his hand, thoughtful. "In other words, I'm well-suited to practicing Senjutsu."

"You are."

The slug nodded firmly, but her tone suddenly turned grave. "But the danger of Senjutsu does not lie in whether one is suited for it. It lies in balance."

"Once Natural Energy gets out of control, one either turns to stone or suffers mental corruption. Your high affinity means you absorb it quickly, but it also means a greater risk of losing control."

"I understand."

Sōji nodded and did not press further.

Senjutsu was still far off. He had not even been to Shikkotsu Forest yet, much less begun formal training.

What mattered most now was mastering the Summoning Technique to the point where he could summon enormous slugs at any time. That alone would be a significant increase in strength.

After releasing the Summoning Technique, he slowly turned and looked into the distance.

A small figure was practicing on the Gobi flats.

Hotaru stood on a patch of level sand, her hands forming seals and her little face tightly scrunched in concentration.

Before her lay an empty stretch of Gobi with nothing in it, but she practiced earnestly, as though facing a real enemy.

"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"

Chakra flowed through her body, rising from her abdomen to her chest and surging along her meridians toward her throat.

She opened her mouth and spat out a wall of water.

It was not large, only a meter wide and half a meter high, like a short water dam.

The water fell onto the Gobi, kicking up sand and dust before quickly being absorbed by the dry ground, leaving only a ring of dark, damp marks.

But compared to the puddle from three days ago that could only wet the ground, this already counted as a genuine ninjutsu.

Hotaru lowered her hands and hurriedly looked toward Yamada Sōji. She was panting, but the smile on her face could not be hidden.

"Mr. Sōji, I did it!"

"Mm, very good!"

Sōji nodded noncommittally, then walked over and glanced at the wet marks on the ground.

"However, there's still a problem with your chakra distribution."

"The key to Water Formation Wall is sustained output, not using up all your chakra at once."

"That breath you released just now was too forceful at the beginning, so you couldn't keep it going at the end. Of course, the environment also played a part."

At that, Hotaru's smile froze, and she lowered her head.

"I'm sorry..."

"No need to apologize."

Sōji shook his head, speaking calmly. "Try again. This time, go slower. Feel the chakra flowing through your body, like turning a faucet—let it out little by little."

Hotaru took a deep breath and formed the seals again.

This time, she moved very slowly.

Chakra rose from her abdomen, passed through her chest, and flowed out along her throat...

The water wall appeared again.

It was wider than before, like a transparent curtain. The stream continued for five seconds before slowly weakening and finally dispersing into a mist.

Hotaru lowered her hands and looked at Sōji expectantly.

"Better than last time, but there's still one more problem."

"What problem?" Hotaru looked somewhat dejected.

"Your chakra reserves aren't enough."

"With Rage Hair Heaven sealed inside you, most of your chakra is consumed by the seal. That leaves only a small portion available for ninjutsu."

Hotaru lowered her head and instinctively pressed a hand to her chest. "So... I can't become stronger?"

"The method is different. You don't need to win through chakra quantity. What you need is precision and control."

"The fact that you can cast Water Formation Wall already makes you stronger than most Genin. Once you grow older and can skillfully control Rage Hair Heaven, your strength will increase explosively."

Hearing that, Hotaru excitedly lifted her head, her eyes sparkling. "Really?"

"Really. Don't underestimate your family's secret technique."

Sōji paused. "But don't get cocky, either. Until you master Rage Hair Heaven, you're still very weak."

Seeing the sternness in Sōji's tone, Hotaru instinctively shrank her neck, though she still could not help smiling.

Ugly Treasure poked its head out from Sōji's waist and gave a soft cry, as though agreeing.

In the afternoon, when the sun was at its fiercest, Sōji sent Hotaru off to rest while he remained alone on the Gobi flats to continue practicing the Summoning Technique.

He stood atop a towering wind-eroded rock, eyes closed as he felt the flow of chakra within his body.

At its core, the Summoning Technique was a type of space-time ninjutsu.

It created a contract between chakra and a summoned beast, then used a formula as a medium to summon that beast from its habitat to one's side.

The size of the summon depended on two factors: chakra output and the depth of the contract.

He could provide chakra, but the depth of the contract required time to build. Every summoning deepened his connection with the Slug Sage.

Sōji took a deep breath and formed seals. "Summoning Technique."

Smoke burst forth.

This time, he had not summoned a large slug, but a Little Slug.

She was tiny, only palm-sized, snow-white all over, resting in his palm with her antennae gently swaying.

Sōji froze.

It was not because he lacked chakra. He had given more than enough, so by all rights, he should have summoned something larger.

"Yamada!"

Little Slug's voice was thin and gentle, but perfectly clear. "Lady Tsunade sent me to pass along a message."

At that, Sōji's hand tightened slightly. "What is it?"

"She said not to think you can get away just because you stole the necklace. Come back early, and don't fool around outside for too long."

Sōji fell silent for a moment. "...Anything else?"

Little Slug's antennae swayed.

"There's one more thing. She said that if you lose the necklace, she'll break your legs."

Hearing that, Sōji could not help smiling. It was brief and light, like a gust of wind passing over the Gobi.

"I understand. Tell Lady Tsunade that the necklace is still here, and I'm still alive and well."

Little Slug said nothing more. She simply gave a soft "Mm," then dispersed into a cloud of white smoke.

Sōji took the necklace from his robes and stared at it for a while. Then he gave a helpless smile and resumed the day's training.