Shikkotsu Forest.
Bare-chested, Naruto sat cross-legged in the Slug Sage Pool and entered a state of Mirror Stillness.
The sage power in the Slug Sage Pool had been purified and poured into it by the Slug Sage over many long years. How much a practitioner could obtain depended entirely on their own potential and fortune.
Whoosh! A pale blue glow enveloped Naruto's body.
Clearly, as his meditation deepened, sage power had begun flowing into him.
On the Wonder-Viewing Terrace beside the sage pool, Mito watched, her heart stirring with emotion.
"That boy Naruto truly is gifted. As a rule, the simpler one's heart, the easier it is to grasp the essentials of the Stillness Sage Technique. That mindset is also known as a 'Childlike Heart.'"
"Back then, Hashirama quickly mastered the basics thanks to his Childlike Heart. Though one seeks power, one must harbor neither expectations nor ambition toward obtaining that power itself. Countless people have failed to clear that hurdle, bringing their training to an unsuccessful end."
"After the harrowing future Naruto experienced, I thought his eagerness for quick results would hamper his training this time. Instead, everything has gone remarkably smoothly. Why is that?"
Drawing on her wealth of experience, Mito reconsidered and began to understand.
"Perhaps it's because he once possessed and witnessed power greater than this. He's approaching it from a higher vantage point, so an increase in power like this wouldn't cause much turmoil in his heart. Once you've seen the vast ocean, other waters pale in comparison!"
Mito's guess was exactly right.
Orochimaru stepped forward.
"Come to think of it, Katsuyu's Stillness Sage Technique is the hardest of the three great forms of senjutsu to learn, isn't it? So far, only you and the First Hokage have mastered it perfectly. There was also someone