Bang!
Natsuro, rubbing his forehead, looked at Sage Fukasaku in confusion. The sage, with a stunned expression, was holding his black ruler.
Just moments ago, Fukasaku had struck Natsuro on the forehead with the ruler. He had sensed the sage's movement and attempted to dodge, but as expected…
He couldn't avoid the strike and was forcefully pulled out of his meditative state.
Fukasaku took a deep breath and asked gravely, "Is this state something Jiraiya taught you? He's incredibly irresponsible! With your current chakra level, how could he teach you this..."
Fukasaku, usually calm and gentle, now looked quite angry. If this misunderstanding wasn't cleared up, it might spell trouble for Jiraiya.
"Sage Fukasaku, it wasn't my master who taught me this. I've been using this state for relaxation since I was young. It's very comfortable. Is there something strange about it?" He explained, trying not to blame Jiraiya.
"Really?!" Fukasaku's eyes widened in disbelief, as if he were looking at a monster.
When Natsuro confirmed with a nod, Fukasaku took several more deep breaths, then said with excitement in his voice, "Your talent would be wasted if you don't learn Sage Techniques!"
"Sage Techniques?" He asked, puzzled.
"Yes, Sage Techniques. However, Fukasaku, your current chakra level isn't sufficient to learn them yet. It's a pity." Fukasaku glanced at him, feeling that time was dragging on. If only his physical growth progressed faster, he could witness Natsuro learning Sage Techniques sooner.
Seeing his curious expression, Fukasaku decided to explain, "Natsuro, in this world, not only do living beings possess physical and mental energy, but nature also has natural energy. Sage Techniques involve absorbing this natural energy from the environment and combining it with your own physical and mental energy in a specific ratio to form Sage Chakra, which is then used in ninjutsu."
"So, how are Sage Techniques different from ordinary ninjutsu?" Natsuro asked.
"Of course, they're different. With Sage Chakra, a ninja's ninjutsu, physical techniques, and genjutsu all receive a tremendous boost." Fukasaku explained.
"Can I learn Sage Techniques?" Natsuro's eyes sparkled with interest.
"Not right now. Learning Sage Techniques requires a massive amount of chakra. Otherwise, you would be overwhelmed by the surging natural energy. You saw those stone statues with Jiraiya before, right? Those were formed by natural energy consuming their hosts." Fukasaku said gravely.
Natsuro showed a disappointed expression and didn't ask further. However, he wondered if the natural energy he sensed in his meditative state was as overwhelming as Fukasaku described.
But since Fukasaku was an expert, he decided not to challenge it, fearing potential problems.
"By the way, Natsuro, did you notice any other energies around you while in that state?" Fukasaku asked again, though he suspected the answer.
"Yes." Natsuro replied after thinking for a moment.
"...Really?!" Fukasaku was incredulous. This meant he might not need to use toad oil when learning Sage Techniques.
"Yes, but it's very vague." Natsuro added.
Fukasaku took another deep breath and said solemnly, "Natsuro, remember, your chakra level is still insufficient, so do not attempt to absorb those energies, understand?!"
"I understand." he nodded.
"By the way, Natsuro, have you ever used this state in front of Jiraiya?" Fukasaku suddenly asked.
"Are you referring to the Void State? Yes, I have." He confirmed.
"Did you come up with the name 'Void State' yourself?" Fukasaku inquired, adjusting his beard.
"Yes."
Fukasaku nodded but looked very dissatisfied. "But Jiraiya has been so careless. Despite studying Sage Techniques for so long, he still didn't recognize your Void State."
Natsuro felt a bit guilty, realizing he might have put Jiraiya in a difficult position.
"Alright, continue with your training. Just make sure not to absorb those energies!" Fukasaku reiterated his warning.
"I understand," Natsuro nodded and closed his eyes, quickly slipping back into his meditative state.
Seeing this, he nodded in satisfaction. Natsuro was indeed much better than Jiraiya, even at this stage.
In the Void State, his mind was racing. He had just noticed that while he was in the meditative state, he was able to keep his eyes open when Fukasaku struck him with the ruler. Crucially, he remained in the Void State even while his eyes were open!
This indicated that he could now act in the meditative state, even if it was just blinking. And what was the primary benefit of the meditative state? Improved perception? Shape-shifting? No, it was the absorption of natural energy!
Recently, he had focused on controlling the shape of his chakra in the meditative state, working towards combining Lightning Release massage with this state.
He initially thought he needed to master one before advancing to the next, but it turned out these could be developed simultaneously!
Maintaining the Void State while moving meant he could absorb natural energy even while in action. According to his memories, the Sage Mode of Mount Myoboku had a relatively short duration, only slightly longer than the Giant of Light's activities on Earth.
If he could perfect this method, Sage Mode might be extended indefinitely, or even improved further.
After all, the Great Toad Sage was able to utilize natural energy for training even before having chakra. So, did Sage Mode really require chakra?
He briefly pondered these thoughts but decided to focus on mastering the method of maintaining the meditative state while moving. He would consider learning ordinary Sage Mode once his chakra level was adequate.
As for the Great Toad Sage and White Dragon Sage, he would address those after perfecting and mastering the ordinary Sage Mode.
The path forward required taking it one step at a time...
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