The All-Bug Feast

Sage Fukasaku was not joking.

Without Toad Oil to help, sensing and absorbing Natural Energy was far, far harder.

That was only natural.

If it were that easy, who knew how many ninjas would have mastered Senjutsu over the past thousand years?

"I can handle it." Kazan sounded confident.

Having mastered Life Return, he did not expect controlling his body to absorb Natural Energy to be a problem.

He only needed to find a way. Then he could reproduce Toad Oil's effect and draw in a vast amount of Natural Energy in an instant.

"So I need to become perfectly still and merge with nature?"

Kazan heard voices unlike the others.

They did not come from Sage Fukasaku, but from the stone statues.

Those who had absorbed too much Natural Energy while training in Senjutsu had been turned to stone forever.

Now those stones told him how to train, warning Kazan through their own failures.

Sage Fukasaku could hardly believe it.

The Great Toad Sage had prophesied that Kazan possessed an ability to hear the Voice of All Things.

Even so, seeing him communicate with statues that had been petrified for who knew how many years left Sage Fukasaku stunned.

Gradually, Kazan's state changed.

He used Observation Haki to listen to all things, imitating flowers, grass, trees, and stones until he became perfectly still.

Like an enlightened monk in meditation, his mind emptied, calm as still water.

He had no idea how much time had passed before someone woke him.

It was Sage Shima. She told them to stop training and come eat.

"That's enough for today. Let's eat," Sage Fukasaku said proudly. "My wife's cooking is delicious."

Kazan opened his eyes and went to Sage Fukasaku's home.

Countless insects covered the dining table.

What a feast of bugs.

Kazan