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After resolving his emotional issues and achieving his breakthrough, Sakumo Hatake no longer appeared as brooding as he used to.
Though his expression remained serious, anyone could sense the renewed vigour in his demeanour.
Following his breakthrough, Sakumo and Kakashi didn't talk for too long.
Initially overwhelmed with emotion, Sakumo gradually calmed down and realized that Asahi and Minato were likely still waiting for him.
He didn't want to keep them waiting outside, so he quickly left the training room. After all, there would be plenty of time to catch up with Kakashi.
As Sakumo stepped out of the training room, he glanced at Sara with a smile. Despite her attempts to hide it, Sakumo could tell she had been crying.
He was deeply moved by everything Sara had done for him. Over the years, she had been his constant companion, and he had long regarded her as his daughter.
That's why he shared his true identity with her and taught her the Hatake family's sword techniques.
"Sara, thank you for everything," Sakumo said. Though usually articulate, he found himself at a loss for words at this moment.
His simple words were enough to satisfy Sara, who only wanted to see Sakumo free from his emotional burdens.
"Master, Asahi and Minato are still at the Dragon Vein. You should go see them," Sara suggested after calming herself.
Sakumo nodded without hesitation and, accompanied by Sara and Kakashi, left the floating island.
As his feet touched the ground, Sakumo felt a sense of nostalgia. It had been a very long time since he had left the floating island or even the training room.
Despite the harsh, sandy environment of the Land of Wind, he felt an unexpected fondness for the earth beneath him.
As they arrived, Asahi and Minato greeted Sakumo with congratulations.
"Congratulations, Sakumo (Sakumo-senpai)," they said, celebrating both his breakthrough and his return to the world.
Sakumo quickly bowed to Asahi. "Sakumo greets the clan leader," he said respectfully.
Then, turning to Minato, he bowed again, this time out of gratitude for Minato's care of Kakashi over the years.
Minato hurriedly sidestepped the bow. Though he was the Hokage, Sakumo had long left Konoha, and his role as Hokage held no sway over Sakumo.
Moreover, Sakumo was his senior, making Minato uncomfortable with the gesture.
Despite understanding that the bow was a token of gratitude for looking after Kakashi, Minato couldn't accept it.
Seeing this, Asahi chuckled. "Alright, Sakumo, we know you appreciate Minato, but he can't accept such a gesture from you," Asahi said, shaking his head with a smile.
After a brief pause, he continued, "So, Sakumo, what are your plans now? Are you going to immediately break through to the Six Paths level?"
Sakumo straightened up and shook his head.
"No, clan leader. I plan to take Sara to the Land of Fire to pay respects to our ancestors before returning to train and attempt my breakthrough to the Six Paths level," he replied.
When Sakumo Hatake spoke, Sara, who had been standing behind him, couldn't help but feel a surge of happiness.
Despite his son's return, Sakumo still held her in high regard, evident from his decision to include her in the ancestor worship ritual.
Asahi did not object to Sakumo's plan and immediately suggested,
"That sounds good. Before you return, go to the Ogami Clan to exchange for a Mind Focusing Pill to aid your breakthrough. Both Sara and Kakashi know how to go about it."
"Nagato is still training. I'll stay here and keep watch for a while," Asahi continued.
Before Sakumo could respond, Minato spoke up, "Clan leader, is Nagato about to break through?"
Although Minato had strong sensory abilities, he hadn't noticed Nagato and the others training underground due to the concealment barrier Asahi had personally set up.
No one had mentioned this to him, so he had been puzzled about why Asahi was here and had asked Sara and himself to persuade Kakashi.
Now, he fully understood. "Yes, and Nagato is progressing smoothly. It shouldn't be long before he breaks through," Asahi confirmed with a nod.
Minato, though he had his suspicions, was still shocked to hear Asahi's confirmation.
The Six Paths level was no longer a distant dream, but Minato knew he was still a few years away from achieving it himself.
He hadn't expected Nagato to be on the verge of breaking through already. Sakumo, too, marvelled at Nagato's incredible talent.
As the guardian of the Dragon Vein, he had only recently learned of Nagato's impending breakthrough.
After reflecting on this, Sakumo didn't linger. He bid farewell to Asahi, Minato, and Sara, and left with Kakashi and Sara.
Minato, as Hokage, was left behind by the trio. Watching them depart, Minato couldn't help but feel a bit awkward.
Although he didn't want to intrude on their family reunion, their swift departure didn't exactly respect his status as Hokage.
He could teleport back to Konoha in an instant, but still, they could have at least asked.
Seeing Minato's bewildered expression, Asahi couldn't help but laugh.
He felt that Minato differed from the idealized version of the Fourth Hokage he had in mind.
However, this made him more real, more human, and more relatable. The anime's portrayal of the Fourth Hokage was almost too perfect to believe.
This Minato, with his imperfections, felt more genuine and grounded.
Minato, hearing Asahi's chuckle, snapped out of his thoughts and scratched his head, giving a slightly embarrassed laugh.
Asahi then asked seriously, "Minato, how far have you and Kushina progressed in your training?"
Minato and Kushina hadn't returned to the Ogami Clan for a long time, so Asahi was unsure of their training progress. He wanted to check in on them.
Based on Kushina's previous progress, Asahi estimated that she wasn't far from the final step. Minato's response confirmed his assumption.
"Clan leader, Kushina began breaking through the permanent Sage Mode barrier three months ago. She has been in seclusion ever since."
"According to her, with Kurama's help, the breakthrough should be much faster." Asahi nodded slightly upon hearing Minato's update.
Although Kushina only has less than half of Kurama's chakra within her, it's still effective. Four years ago, Kushina split Kurama into three parts.
One part remained within her, another was sealed inside Naruto, and the last part was kept in the Ogami Clan, prepared for Asahi to take when he leaves the world of Naruto.
You might wonder why Naruto still needed to become a Jinchuriki. Remember, the current Kurama is not the same as before.
While Kurama eventually became more of a power reserve, in the early stages, having Kurama's chakra significantly boosted a ninja's strength.
Moreover, during training, Kurama serves as an excellent aid. Not utilizing such a powerful asset would be foolish.
"It seems that when Nagato breaks through, Kushina should be ready as well. By the way, how about you, Minato?"
Asahi muttered to himself before asking Minato. This question put Minato in an awkward spot. Although he was powerful, he lagged behind Kushina.
It's one thing to be left behind by others, but by his wife, it's a bit embarrassing. Still, he couldn't ignore Asahi's question.
"Well, I'll probably need another year or two before I reach the bottleneck," Minato replied awkwardly. Asahi nodded lightly.
While Minato was indeed behind Kushina, it wasn't surprising.
Minato was progressing faster than Asahi had expected, considering he started training in the Ogami Clan's Sage Mode much later than Kushina.
Despite his previous training in Mount Myoboku's Sage Mode, reaching this level was still impressive, especially with the demands of being Hokage taking up much of his time.
"In that case, if you have the time, you should come to the Dragon Vein to train. Also, tell Obito and the others they can train here as well."
"With Nagato, Sakumo, and Kushina breaking through one after another, training with the diluted Dragon Vein energy will benefit you all greatly, likely saving you a lot of time," Asahi suggested.
Minato nodded in agreement. There were still many village affairs to handle, but he would find time to train.
The convenience of instant teleportation made it feasible. After agreeing, Minato didn't linger.
He bid farewell to Asahi and marked his departure, instantly teleporting away from the Dragon Vein.
As Minato left, Asahi returned to the underground altar. Time passed, but Nagato, deep in his breakthrough, didn't sense it.
In his intense training, Nagato entered a state where he didn't need to eat or drink, a fasting-like state.
Since beginning his breakthrough, Nagato hadn't awakened, focusing entirely on absorbing the Dragon Vein's energy.
Nagato felt the quality of his energy continuously improving. Each day, he found himself in a profound and mysterious state.
Finally, as the energy within him reached its peak, Nagato abruptly opened his eyes.
His Rinnegan gleamed with a piercing light, and an invisible wave of power radiated from his body.
As the pressure around him increased, the energy within him began to transform.
At last, with the weight of a collapsing mountain, six Truth-Seeking Balls materialized behind him, and his body started to float involuntarily.
However, Nagato's expression changed as he became aware of his surroundings.
His attention had been entirely focused inward during his breakthrough, leaving him oblivious to the external environment.
Now, with his breakthrough complete, he noticed several people training around the altar's perimeter.
If his intense energy wave affected them, it could cause serious problems.
He tried to control the pressure he was emitting but found it impossible to manage immediately. Moreover, there was no time!
"Watch out!" Nagato shouted. But as soon as he did, he realized something was amiss.
Logically, everyone should have felt the oppressive force he was emitting by now. However, they all remained deeply engrossed in their training.
Only then did Nagato notice the invisible barrier surrounding the altar.
The oppressive force he had unconsciously released was contained within, much like air trapped inside a balloon.
At this moment, his shout snapped everyone out of their training. Seeing Nagato's state, they all knew he had successfully broken through.
Spontaneously, they began to congratulate him sincerely. Most of the people present were elite members of the Ogami Clan's third-generation disciples.
By seniority, they would address Nagato as "Senpai"
Among his peers, only Wangin remained without having broken through the bottleneck; the others were all preparing to ascend to the Six Paths level.
It's expected that soon, the second-generation members of the Ogami Clan will reach the Six Paths level as a group.
No one had anticipated that the diluted Dragon Vein energy would be so effective for training.
This unprecedented speed and wave of breakthroughs surprised even Asahi. Hence, Asahi encouraged the clan's disciples to come and train here.
This scenario is understandable.
The limited power ceiling in the Naruto world stems mainly from the lower quality and concentration of its energy compared to higher-level worlds.
Now, with the diluted Dragon Vein energy, everyone's training environment has effectively been elevated to the next level.
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