At the training ground.
Boom!
As the fist made contact with the ground, there was an enormous explosion, and the ground immediately blasted out a crater several meters in diameter, sending sand and gravel flying, and the figure was shrouded in the sudden dust cloud.
After the dust settled, the crater was still filled with shocking cracks, extending deeper into the earth.
The skin on Ruri's fist was slightly red, feeling a faint pain, but soon the pain vanished without a trace.
"Is this the power of Natural Energy? It's truly not to be underestimated; just a casual punch brings about an effect identical to a Ninja Technique."
Not only that, Ruri felt her body becoming incredibly light. Using Natural Energy to replace Chakra for body enhancement was remarkably effective.
This made Ruri start to develop a sense of reverence for the power of nature.
In comparison with all of nature, the Natural Energy within her body was merely a drop in the ocean.
Falling into such reflections, Ruri suddenly felt that humans, or ninjas, were truly insignificant.
Survival cannot be separated from this land, nor from this sky.
No matter how strong you become, you cannot transcend this world.
Everything is granted by nature.
And the Chakra naturally formed by the human body is insignificant before such great power.
"What's wrong? You seem absent-minded."
Hakushi carried a portable medical box, just in case Ruri or himself got hurt during the upcoming practice, allowing for rapid treatment.
Seeing Ruri fall into contemplation after testing the power of Taijutsu, he couldn't help but feel puzzled.
"Nothing, I just suddenly feel how small humanity is in the face of nature."
Upon hearing this, Hakushi suddenly burst out laughing.
"What are you laughing at?"
Ruri squinted her eyes, a fierce gleam flashed in her eyes, and her fist was already raised.
"Ah, it's nothing, I just find it so unlike you, Ruri, to be reflecting on life here."
"..."
"Alright, alright, there's no need for that. After all, we humans are also an inseparable part of nature; humans are merely a more distinctive animal group in nature. Don't think of humanity as a higher life form above nature when thinking about the relationship between humanity and nature. As the saying goes, the more knowledge you have, the more you realize your powerlessness."
Ruri, contemplating Hakushi's words, rather agreed.
She had been too ignorant in the past, hence fearless.
As she grew older and more knowledgeable, she came to understand what was truly vast and grand.
In the face of such great power, she realized she had been just a frog in a well.
"Alright, how does Natural Energy feel?"
Hakushi asked about the matter at hand.
Ruri didn't answer verbally but instead threw a punch at Hakushi's face.
Hakushi slightly tilted his head, allowing Ruri's fist to brush past his ear, as if calculated with precision.
"As you said, this sensation is powerful, on a whole different level from before. Now, with the power of the Sharingan, I should be able to catch up with Sakumo-sensei's speed and make a timely counterattack."
Ruri felt inexhaustible energy coursing through her body, the kind of state where every cell in her body was cheering, making her feel unprecedented comfort.
"That's right. Next, let's experiment to see if Natural Energy can be applied directly to Ninja Techniques and Illusion Techniques."
Natural Energy, like Physical Energy and Spiritual Energy, requires many steps to extract.
Extracting Natural Energy from nature is merely a general concept. How to effectively extract it, how to store it in the body, and which part of the body is best suited as an entry point all require the continuous accumulation of experience.
Physical Energy and Spiritual Energy are the same.
The amount of food intake that day, the type of food, and the stability of the emotional state all affect the extraction amount of Physical and Spiritual Energy.
Theoretically, Chakra can be used for Taijutsu, Ninja Techniques, and Illusion Techniques. Having proven that Natural Energy can enhance Taijutsu, it should also be possible for Ninja Techniques and Illusion Techniques.
Ruri didn't object, she was also eager to know whether Natural Energy could be used to unleash Ninja Techniques and Illusion Techniques.
Saying this, she began forming Seals to better balance the Natural Energy gathering in her mouth for Ninja Technique release.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
As the Uchiha Race's signature Fire Style Jutsu, it was far stronger than an average ninja's Fire Style Jutsu.
Although Ruri successfully formed the seals and Natural Energy indeed gathered in her oral cavity, there was not much response.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing Ruri's face slightly unnatural, seemingly in pain, Hakushi worriedly ran over to ask.
Ruri turned her head, opened her mouth, took a breath, and her expression improved slightly.
"Burned my tongue..."
Hakushi: "..."
It seemed to have failed.
Natural Energy merely emitted unimaginable heat in Ruri's oral cavity but did not transform into a fireball to manifest physically.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
"Fire Style: Great Fireball..."
...
Every time Ruri used the Great Fireball, she had to take a big gulp of water to cool down the heat in her mouth.
This continued until evening when the experiment on releasing Ninja Techniques with Natural Energy finally ended.
The result ended in failure.
◎
A week passed after that.
The experiments using Natural Energy to replace Chakra in releasing Ninja Techniques and Illusion Techniques all ended in failure.
This meant that, at present, Natural Energy alone could not replace Chakra in the role of releasing Ninja Techniques and Illusion Techniques, except for enhancing physical and spiritual activity.
But this didn't mean the experiment was a total failure. Hakushi believed that the reason for not achieving the expected results might be due to the wrong method.
Suddenly, an urgent order came from above, and Sakumo's team needed to take immediate action to support the front lines of the Land of Fire's battlefield.
Thus, Hakushi had to halt his work, quickly concealing everything in the laboratory, handing over the experimental equipment to the Ninja Cat summoned by Ruri for relocation.
After a nearly twenty-day break, Sakumo's team was finally entering a new mission phase.
They gathered at the gates of Konoha.
When Hakushi and Ruri arrived, Ayane and Sakumo had already been waiting there for a long time.
Because of the time spent hiding the experimental equipment, Hakushi and Ruri were a bit late. However, there was still half an hour until the scheduled meeting time, so they weren't actually late.
The four met without much conversation. Over the past month and a half, there were slight changes in all four's appearances. Sakumo's presence was the most noticeably sharper, radiating a keen aura that suggested his Swordsmanship had reached a new level.
"Sakumo-sensei, everyone's here, we can leave now."
Seeing everyone was there, Hakushi prepared to move out.
"Let's wait a bit longer, there's another team joining us. They should be here soon."
Sakumo smiled, patiently waiting on the side.
Another team? Hakushi and the others showed a look of curiosity.
Sure enough, as Sakumo said, about half a minute later, two individuals, one big and one small, arrived.
The adult, wearing the same Jonin uniform as Sakumo, was a white-haired adult man. He appeared somewhat cunning and unserious, but carried an extraordinary bearing.
The small figure following him was about the same age as Hakushi's group, with bright, shining blonde hair and a sunny, handsome smile. Compared to his shy and bashful demeanor a few years ago, he was now a more mature young man.
——Namikaze Minato.
Hakushi recognized this young individual.
Like themselves, he was a student who entered Ninja School at the same time, a fellow classmate.
However, he skipped a grade in the fourth year, graduating earlier and becoming a Genin ahead of them to participate in missions.
Unexpectedly, they met under such circumstances.
Hakushi greeted Minato amicably, to which Minato responded with a smile.
"Sorry, sorry, got delayed by some things. I hope it didn't cause any trouble, Sakumo?"
The white-haired ninja laughed, scratching his head. He seemed easygoing, with a generally cheerful personality.
"No trouble. But I didn't expect you were back in the village, Jiraiya. We haven't seen each other in years, right?"
Sakumo called out the white-haired ninja's name.
One of the Konoha Sannin, the Third Hokage's disciple, Jiraiya.
Hearing this name, Hakushi took a moment to observe Jiraiya.
From his outward demeanor, he indeed appeared to be a formidable Jonin, with no apparent flaws in his every move, showcasing his undoubtedly strong Taijutsu skills.
That's not enough to capture Hakushi's attention.
What caught his eye was the sudden appearance of numerous toads in Konoha lately, with Jiraiya being the prime suspect.
With just a few words, Jiraiya and Sakumo were already bantering like old friends, while Hakushi nodded thoughtfully.
This kind of person is troublesome, thick-skinned, with strong social skills. Therefore, when conversing, it's best to avoid critical points, as even in small talk, he has a strong sense of purpose.
Setting aside his abilities, Jiraiya's personality was the type Hakushi most wanted to avoid.
Before long, Sakumo and Jiraiya led the way, heading towards the front-line battlefield.
On the way, Jiraiya sighed quietly.
He had placed some toads from Mount Myoboku in Konoha, but wasn't sure if he could uncover anything.
Moreover, as he was heading to the battlefield, he didn't have time to think about this matter.
If only the Great Toad Sage's prophetic abilities were a bit more precise.
Which led to the question... did such a powerful ninja truly exist within Konoha?
Yet the formidable ninja he knew in Konoha all had strong ties with him. While he might not know every detail, he was certain of their loyalty to Konoha.
Then, who was the person in the prophecy, destined to bring endless strife to the Ninja Realm, potentially leading to the ninja's ultimate destruction?
And where were they hiding within Konoha?