Several days later.
"Naruto, let's call it a day, we're heading down now."
Fukasaku called out to Naruto from across, then hopped onto his shoulder.
"Okay."
Nodding, Naruto withdrew from his communion with nature. The Dark Green Bamboo Light on his body gradually faded, and his Sage Mode Eyes reverted to normal.
"Whoosh!"
Leaping down from the tall, towering stone spire and landing lightly on the ground, Naruto looked at Shima on Jiraiya's shoulder, and instinctively felt a wave of nausea.
"Hey, Naruto, the feast is ready. Come and enjoy it with us."
Shima was clearly very pleased with her work.
"Um… that, Grandma Shima."
Naruto scratched his head and pulled a rice ball from his ninja tool pouch. "Look, I already have food. No need to trouble yourselves. I need to get back to training as soon as I finish eating."
Watching Naruto hurriedly swallow the rice ball, Shima chuckled. "Jiraiya, look how hard Naruto is working! Alright then, Naruto, you train here. Old man, let's go back."
Watching Fukasaku jump onto Jiraiya's other shoulder, Shima laughed, "Jiraiya, come with the old man and me to eat the feast."
"Alright…"
Jiraiya glanced enviously at Naruto, then nodded dejectedly and turned to leave…
Naruto quickly finished his rice balls, then looked up at the stone spire. After exhaling deeply, he scrambled up the spire with a few leaps using the wooden board.
"Phew, I'm starting to feel it. I'll keep up this training with renewed vigor."
Naruto encouraged himself internally.
He sat motionless again on the wooden board placed on the stone spire, closed his eyes, and his breathing became incredibly steady and regular.
"That..."
The Life Force within his body slowly emanated, slightly stirring the air.
"Life creates nature..."
The spark of insight in Naruto's heart grew brighter and brighter.
"So warm..."
Naruto felt his body getting more and more comfortable, as if he were lying in a ball of cotton.
At the same time, his heart was gently wrapped by the Life Force within him, faintly emitting a green light.
Green little spots of light appeared in front of Naruto's lightly closed eyes, playfully dancing about.
"Crack..."
Vines slowly grew out from the stone pillars, surrounding and wrapping Naruto.
From a distance, it looked like a large green egg.
"Hey, old man, look up there!"
After eating, Shima rushed back to Naruto's training ground and pointed a frog finger in surprise at the tip of the towering stone spire.
"Hmm, little Naruto is amazing…"
Fukasaku sighed softly, "Such a vast amount of Life Force is gathering around his body. Inside that green vine shield is little Naruto."
"Hmm…it's Naruto?"
Jiraiya, with a pale face, looked up, and his complexion became slightly flushed, "Truly amazing…"
"Crack…"
It sounded like an egg cracking open. The vines loosened their entwined grip, revealing Naruto inside, who was wearing a dark green bamboo robe.
"Phew, mission accomplished!"
Naruto smiled lightly, his entire body dissolving into specks of dark green light. Then, he reformed in front of Jiraiya, again composed of the same dark green light.
"Hey, Pervy Sage, why are you staring so wide-eyed?"
Naruto grinned at Jiraiya, then looked towards Fukasaku and Shima. "Fukasaku-sama, Shima-sama, does this mean the training is complete?"
"Yes, Naruto. You truly look like a real sage now."
Fukasaku rarely makes jokes.
"Yeah, I feel really good in my body right now."
Naruto looked at his left palm, then clenched his fist.
Naruto aimed his arm at a stone frog on the side, and several vines quickly shot out from inside the sleeve of his dark green bamboo robe, tightly binding the stone frog.
"Hah!"
With a light shout, he quickly pulled the stone frog over. Naruto then easily used his hand to block the rapidly approaching stone frog, weighed it in his hand, and then put it down.
"Little Naruto, your strength is quite impressive."
Fukasaku stroked his beard and chuckled.
"Indeed, the power of nature is limitless."
Naruto smiled gently, breathing in the refreshing air around him comfortably.
"Then, let's go report to the Great Toad Sage."
Fukasaku greeted, "Alright."
"Yeah. Let's go."
Naruto nodded his head. …
"Great Toad Sage, Naruto's training is complete."
Fukasaku reported.
"Alright. Give Naruto that key."
The Great Toad Sage instructed.
"Okay."
Fukasaku nodded. "Toad Tiger!"
With a light croak, the Toad Tiger, which looked like a pillar, appeared before Naruto.
"But, Great Toad Sage..."
Jiraiya looked worried.
"Haha, little Jiraiya, don't worry. The Great Toad Sage's decision is one hundred percent correct."
Fukasaku smiled easily, signaling to Jiraiya not to worry.
"Now, Toad Tiger, bring out the Sealing Key."
Fukasaku instructed.
"Yes!"
Toad Tiger answered and pulled out the Sealing Key from its pillar-like body.
"Naruto, this is the key to seal the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox within you."
Fukasaku used his frog tongue to curl around the key and handed it to Naruto.
"Okay."
Reaching out, Naruto took the Sealing Key and held it in his hand, nodding to show he understood.
"Then, there's nothing else."
Fukasaku laughed, forming a frog hand seal, "Summoning Technique!"
Boom!
Naruto and Jiraiya's bodies vanished in a puff of white smoke the next moment.
"Ugh...quack..."
The Great Toad Sage croaked, gently closing his eyes, unsure if he was pondering something or foreseeing the future...
"Little Naruto, Little Jiraiya, remember to come to Mount Myoboku often."
Inside Konohagakure, Fukasaku called out to Naruto and Jiraiya.
"That's right, I'll prepare a delicious feast!"
Shima happily chimed in.
"Oh, I got it, I got it."
Jiraiya nodded quickly, a bead of cold sweat slowly trickling down his forehead.
"Well then, let's go! Old woman, let's go home."
Fukasaku called out and, together with Shima, vanished in a puff of white smoke.
.....
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