A born sage

Over the next few days, Kazemori Masaki recuperated at home. The natural energy had not encroached very far, so his body had suffered no serious damage. Hashirama Senju also found time to visit several times, teaching him how to gain better control over natural energy. As he established a balance between natural energy and chakra, Masaki learned to produce senjutsu chakra and use it to nourish his body, rapidly repairing the areas damaged by the natural energy.

Entering Sage Mode greatly increased both strength and speed. What made it even more remarkable, however, was that while ordinary ninja depleted their stamina the longer they fought, someone in Sage Mode would remain full of energy, no matter how much strain their body endured.

As Masaki saw it, natural energy could, to some extent, provide the human body with abundant vitality. Jūgo, for example, could use his own cells to heal others and absorb other people's cells to heal himself. That trait originated in Ryūchi Cave, one of the places where Senjutsu was passed down.

Thinking it over, Masaki's current condition did share some similarities with Jūgo's. Both absorbed natural energy unconsciously. The difference was that, under Hashirama's guidance, Masaki had gradually learned to control it, so he would not go berserk the way Jūgo did.

Masaki listened attentively during his daily lessons with Hashirama. He already knew what he needed to do: if he wanted to grow stronger, Senjutsu had to be his highest priority. The Kazemori Clan was not a powerful ninja clan. It had no formidable kekkei genkai passed down through its bloodline, only a few secret techniques inherited over generations. Compared with civilians, Masaki already had a considerable advantage, but he fell far short of the others.

If he wanted to earn Tobirama Senju's regard, and even make Tobirama consider naming him his successor, he would have to surpass Hiruzen Sarutobi. Yet Hiruzen was exceptionally gifted. The aptitude he had inherited from his father, Sasuke Sarutobi, even allowed him to master all five elemental styles.

Under normal circumstances, Masaki would have no chance against someone like that. Only Senjutsu offered him any hope of surpassing Hiruzen. Since he lacked the aptitude to master all five elemental styles, he would devote himself entirely to training in Senjutsu. If he brought it to a sufficiently high level, he surely would not lose to Hiruzen.

Thanks to the unusual changes in his mind, Masaki truly possessed an extraordinary gift for practicing Senjutsu. Senjutsu emphasized balance. It required practitioners to lose all awareness of themselves and imagine becoming part of all things. Only then could they approach the source of everything and sense the natural energy flowing through it. Of course, the dangers involved were also unimaginable.

For ordinary people, therefore, practicing Senjutsu was extraordinarily difficult. How could an ordinary person achieve a state of near-total selflessness and become one with all things? Of the many who embarked on that path, most fell along the way. Only a select few obtained that great power.

Hashirama told Masaki that he had not learned his Senjutsu at any of the places where it was passed down. Like Masaki, he had learned to use natural energy on his own. The Senju Clan possessed exceptionally powerful physiques, and Hashirama had gone one step further, fully unlocking his body's potential. By the time he realized he could absorb natural energy, his body had already adapted to it without any deliberate training.

"Your situation is different from mine," Hashirama said. "Tobirama has already examined your blood. You don't absorb natural energy through your body the way I do. If your physique isn't the reason, it can only be something to do with your soul. That's the only other thing that could allow you to sense natural energy."

At that point, Hashirama chuckled. "Honestly, your condition gave me quite a surprise. According to some written records, and what I learned from Shikkotsu Forest, one of the places where Senjutsu is passed down, practicing Senjutsu requires either a body adapted to it or arduous mental training. Someone like you, who has never trained in Senjutsu, suddenly becoming able to absorb natural energy is truly hard to explain. I think... hmm, perhaps you're a born sage. Haha."

Inwardly, Masaki agreed that Hashirama's guess was correct. Otherwise, how could someone from an ordinary ninja clan with no sage bloodline suddenly gain the ability to absorb natural energy? It was not a matter of physique, but an effect of the changes in his mind. He had felt that himself.

As for Hashirama's remark about being a born sage, Masaki could only give an awkward smile. The idea was a little too far-fetched, and Hashirama's tone had not been entirely serious either. He would take it as a joke.

"There isn't just one way to practice Senjutsu. Each place where it's passed down has its own way of using natural energy, though the results are much the same. I can teach you how I use Senjutsu, but you don't necessarily have to follow my methods exactly. Finding your own way to use natural energy might suit you better," Hashirama said.

Masaki considered this carefully for a while and concluded that he really should not follow Hashirama Senju's path. As Hashirama had said, the reasons they could absorb natural energy were different. If Masaki followed Hashirama's path exactly without possessing the same advantages, he might never be able to unleash the full power of Hashirama's style of Senjutsu.

Still, learning about Hashirama's Senjutsu was worthwhile. The reasoning behind the way Hashirama used it could give Masaki something to draw on as he worked out how to use Senjutsu himself.

By the time Masaki had made some initial progress with Senjutsu, his body had fully recovered. Perhaps because he had produced senjutsu chakra, he felt healthier than ever before, and his energy seemed inexhaustible. Senjutsu's effects were astonishingly good.

Now that he had recovered, it was time to attend the Konoha Academy. The academy had only recently been completed, and formal enrollment had yet to begin. Zhenghui thought over the clans currently living in Konoha and could roughly guess who would be attending.

On the day classes began at the Konoha Academy, Masaki carefully put on his forehead protector and headed out. The academy had admitted thirty-eight students this time, all heirs to their respective clans. Their clans had sent them there in hopes of receiving guidance from Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju. The powerful ninja clans hoped their heirs could become disciples of the two brothers and gain greater influence, while the smaller clans simply hoped to strengthen their heirs so their clans could better carry on.

Originally, Kazemori Masaki would have been just another heir from one of those smaller clans, hoping to receive a few pointers from the Senju Brothers. The thought that he could now try to compete with a genius like Hiruzen Sarutobi for the position of the Hokage's successor left him momentarily lost in thought. It would have been unimaginable before.

Arriving at the Konoha Academy, Kazemori Masaki looked up at it. It was not yet as large as the Ninja Academy would be in later years. Its purpose and role meant that its grounds would inevitably be limited. It would only begin expanding gradually after Tobirama Senju transformed it into the Ninja Academy and began admitting civilians without distinguished family backgrounds.

The heirs of the other clans had also arrived. They all lived in the same village and were around the same age, so naturally, they knew one another and exchanged greetings. Kazemori Masaki chatted for a while with those he knew reasonably well, then spotted several people who had left a deep impression on him.

Hiruzen Sarutobi, Shimura Danzō, Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, Torifu Akimichi, and Kagami Uchiha. These were the people who would later be known as the Second Hokage's Escort Unit and would go on to become senior figures in Konoha. Though they were still young and inexperienced, they had already earned some renown within the village.

The most renowned of them was undoubtedly Hiruzen Sarutobi. His father, Sasuke Sarutobi, had been a powerful ninja during the Warring States Period, one whose strength even Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha praised. As his son, Hiruzen had demonstrated exceptional talent from an early age, earning praise from both Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju.

Looking at Hiruzen, Masaki had to admit that he was currently the most outstanding young person in Konoha. No wonder Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju would groom him to become the next Hokage. Honestly, even with Senjutsu at his disposal, Masaki felt the pressure of taking someone like that as his rival.

"Zhenghui." Hiruzen Sarutobi walked over and asked with concern, "I heard you were injured while out hunting a little while ago. Are you all right now?"

Hiruzen had always been kindhearted. During the Warring States Period, the Sarutobi Clan had been renowned for its loyalty and reliability, and it firmly supported Hashirama Senju's ideals. Hiruzen was no different. He hoped to make his own contribution to the village's prosperity.

"I'm fine. I've already recovered," Kazemori Masaki said with a smile.

"That's wonderful. As you know, the Academy was established so we could learn from one another. I look forward to learning from you. Let's get stronger together." Hiruzen smiled and held out his hand.

Naturally, Kazemori Masaki did not reject Hiruzen's goodwill and shook his hand. Hiruzen studied Kazemori Masaki with curiosity in his eyes. He had approached Kazemori Masaki partly out of genuine concern, but also because Kazemori Masaki's bearing was so different from before.

After shaking hands with Kazemori Masaki, Hiruzen could sense that he really had changed, though he could not say exactly how.

(End of chapter)