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Yuichi Yuki was a little confused by what the crow had just said. When he heard the mention of natural energy, he assumed he could learn it directly.
Seeing that Yuichi seemed perplexed, the crow hopped onto his head and explained, "The natural energy that our Fire Crow clan absorbs is extremely volatile. It's fire-based, and if you absorb it directly, you'll probably burn from the inside out."
"However," the crow continued, "there is another type of energy within your body that can help balance it."
Looking down from atop Yuichi's head, the crow said, "The natural energy you cultivate might be weaker than ours, but there's a chance it could fuse uniquely with your original energy."
The crow's explanation was straightforward: Yuichi could cultivate natural energy, but with no guarantee of the outcome.
Yuichi Yuki fell deep in thought. Something about this sounded familiar. "The energy in my body…? That must be chakra. So, natural energy plus chakra… isn't that Sage Mode?" he thought, growing excited.
"Big Crow, I want to learn!" Yuichi said eagerly.
"No, you don't," Big Crow replied, shaking its head. "You're not strong enough yet. If you tried now, you'd probably ignite from the inside out." It flapped its wings and took off, circling the air above Yuichi.
Its body, previously half-black and half-red, turned fiery red as flames began to emanate from it. In an instant, Big Crow transformed from a harmless-looking bird into a fiery, majestic figure.
Though it didn't fly high, Yuichi could feel the intense heat coming off its body.
"Fire Style: Feather Scattering Technique!"
Yuichi watched as the flames from Big Crow's body turned into feathers, shooting down toward the ground. The barrage of flaming feathers lasted for about ten seconds, leaving the black rocks below riddled with holes, smoke rising from the scorched surface.
Big Crow then retracted the flames and reverted to its harmless appearance, returning to perch on Yuichi's head. "See? That's the natural energy we cultivate. It's an ability exclusive to our Fire Crow clan. You can learn it, but only by neutralizing it with the energy in your body—and you need a strong physique for that."
Yuichi took a deep breath. He really wanted to learn this Sage Mode.
After learning the Shadow Clone Technique, he had thought that would allow him to relax a little. His goal was to become a ninjutsu-focused ninja, and having a decent physique was enough for that. But now, realizing he'd need to train his body for this, Yuichi felt like his plans were becoming more complicated.
While talking with Big Crow, Yuichi also gained a deeper understanding of the Crow Immortal's status. The Crow Immortal was the strongest fire crow of the clan, evident from its size. Having been asleep out of boredom, it was only now that it had reawakened.
In addition to cultivating natural energy, some fire crows specialized in building up their physical strength. While these fire crows could use natural energy, they weren't as skilled at it as others, but their physiques were much stronger, making them far larger in size.
Big Crow mentioned that there was a legend about the Fire Crow clan evolving. "Some in the clan are working hard to evolve, but it's just a legend passed down from ancient times," Big Crow explained. "Many are trying to evolve, whether by cultivating natural energy or through sheer physical strength, but none have succeeded."
As Big Crow pecked at the hard black rocks, breaking them apart with ease, Yuichi couldn't help but marvel. "These rocks are so tough," he thought, recalling how his kunai had barely left a mark on them. Yet Big Crow shattered them effortlessly. The sharpness of its beak was beyond imagination.
Curious, Yuichi asked, "If your clan could evolve, what would you evolve into?"
"I don't know," Big Crow replied. "No one has ever evolved, not even the Crow Immortal. It's just a legend. But many believe in it because some of the prophecy has already come true."
Yuichi's mouth twitched. Was this prophecy really not just some system-imposed fantasy?
"Well, do you want me to suggest something for reference?" Yuichi asked, eyes falling on Big Crow's middle claw.
Big Crow tilted its head, intrigued. "No need, but feel free to guess. After all, you're the prophet."
Yuichi smiled, "There's an ancient legend I read about—the 'Golden Crow,' representing the sun god."
"And what does that have to do with us?" Big Crow asked, looking at him curiously.
"The Golden Crow is also called the Three-legged Golden Crow, born from the sun," Yuichi explained. "It might be something for you to think about."
Big Crow fell silent, staring at its own half-golden body, lost in thought. After a long pause, it sighed, "You really are the one foretold by the legend. I'm going to be rich!"
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