Kazemori Masaki was astonished to see Asuna nod. The meditation method she mentioned was something he had devised by combining Taoist theories from his previous life with his own understanding of the sage realm. He believed that cultivation in the sage realm emphasized personal experience, and that practicing this meditation method might help with learning Sage Mode.
Yet when Kazemori Masaki taught this meditation method to others, they made almost no progress toward Sage Mode, though their chakra training did improve. He could not help wondering whether there was something wrong with the method. Still, even if that was the case, it had value of its own, so his efforts had not been wasted.
Now, however, Kazemori Masaki heard Asuna say that she seemed to sense the presence of natural energy. This proved that the meditation method did indeed offer a path toward the sage realm. As for why the others had sensed nothing while Asuna had, he thought it might be because she was his daughter.
Kazemori Masaki's sage realm differed from ordinary Sage Mode, bearing a closer resemblance to the sage constitutions possessed by the Sage of Six Paths and Asura. It seemed entirely plausible that he could pass some traits of a "sage body" on to his children. That would also explain why Asuna had sensed natural energy sooner than anyone else.
Of Kazemori Masaki's two daughters, Asuna was the one most like him. Not in appearance—both daughters took after their mother and were as beautiful as Satomi. What Asuna truly shared with him was her temperament.
After mastering the sage realm, Kazemori Masaki was no longer as impulsive and quick-tempered as he had once been. Recovering his memories of his previous life had played a part, but he felt that the sage realm had influenced him