66. Dance of Beautiful Women

Weeks had passed, and Naruto had already spent nearly six months at the Fire Temple.

During this time, he mastered many new Control Techniques, gained a better sensitivity to Energy, and learned the sealing arts created by the Monks. Naruto had already mastered most of the intermediate seals, of which there were quite a few. Memorizing so many seal patterns took some time.

Although he couldn't use most of the seals he learned yet due to his low Energy levels, this might change in the future, so there was no point in getting discouraged.

Naruto also analyzed all the Kontorōrujutsu techniques, from basic to intermediate, and even advanced techniques. He drilled them into his head with the intention of learning them all one by one. Even though many of them, especially the basic techniques, were meager, it would be good training for body control.

One intermediate technique took Naruto about a month of training under Shoka-sen's supervision. With his guidance, the training was going quite smoothly. From the very beginning, Naruto had learned 'Blood Production,' 'Electricity Control and Manipulation,' 'Organ Movement,' 'Fluid Control,' 'Energy Absorption from the Environment,' and 'Life Distortion.'

'Organ Movement,' as the name suggests, allows moving a specific organ in a certain direction. For example, Naruto could move his heart to the other side in case of a stab wound. This cannot be done freely; every slight organ shift is incredibly dangerous and the damages are severe. Naruto learned this technique in case of an emergency—better to face the consequences but save a life than to die. The training itself was also dangerous, with Shoka-sen having to watch over Naruto the entire time in case of any accident or mistake.

'Fluid Control' allows the control, movement, and manipulation of all bodily fluids. Although Naruto had already mastered 'Blood Flow,' this technique also allows him to control it.

'Energy Absorption from the Environment' involves absorbing foreign Energy into the body. Naruto had thought about something like this a while ago, back when he was still in the Leaf Village. He wondered if he could absorb Energy from sunlight, as it is also a form of Energy. After learning more, Naruto discovered that such a technique existed and was feasible.

Naruto mastered many basic Kontorōrujutsu techniques. Now having a good sense of his body, training with basic Control Techniques is easy, and Naruto masters them very quickly. For him, they are more like exercises than something useful.

Instead of listing them one by one, it's better to call them 'Minor Body Controls.' Let this be a stage that Naruto has reached in body control and awareness. Although there are no classified levels representing a general stage in Kontorōrujutsu, Naruto feels that he is slightly below average as a Monk at the Fire Temple. This assessment seems fair and just in his eyes.

Control Techniques (Kontorōrujutsu) are very close to the Hermit Group's Gift. Human Energy is literally Kontorōrujutsu, another one of the many techniques that require four years of training to achieve. This Energy isn't divided into levels, but it can definitely be added to advanced Kontorōrujutsu techniques. The Hermit Group's Gift is the most versatile Control Technique and can even be added to other techniques.

By adding the Hermit Group's Gift to, for example, the 'Organ Movement' technique, organs can be moved more safely, avoiding severe side effects. Adding Energy to the 'Fluid Control' technique allows for a smoother and more advanced manipulation of fluids.

Practically all Control Techniques can be enhanced with the Hermit Group's Gift to strengthen the technique and expand its applications.

...

Naruto learned that once every six months, a tea ceremony is held in the Main Part of the Temple. However, besides this, the Head of the Fire Temple along with the Elder Monks managing the Main Part of the Temple organize several other meetings.

Naruto's first thought about such meetings was, "It's like a cult...". However, it turns out that these meetings are quite important, and the Monks treat them as part of their tradition.

Naruto and his Master were now heading to the next meeting in the Main Part of the Temple. On the way, Naruto noticed an elderly man cleaning; it was Ni Tian, who didn't even glance at Naruto as he passed by.

Theoretically, they didn't know each other, and aside from nighttime meetings, they ignored each other as if they were strangers. Shoka-sen probably knew that Naruto was also training under his guidance but never mentioned it, seemingly having no issues with it.

They both entered the Fire Temple and sat in their designated seats. They were quite early, so Naruto settled in comfortably and closed his eyes. Soon after, other Elder Monks arrived, some with their students.

Nichiren, an Elder Monk and close friend of Shoka-sen, arrived about ten minutes before the meeting started. With him were all his students. Compared to Shoka-sen, he had quite a few, as many as four!

Shoka-sen had two other students in the past, but Naruto knew nothing about them. It's possible they are no longer alive or left the Fire Temple. They could have lived over a hundred years ago, so their current status is unclear.

"Do you know what this meeting is about? Maybe it's another tea ceremony...?" Naruto asked Honen, who was sitting next to him as before.

Naruto didn't talk to other Monks unless necessary. The Monks generally respected this after experiencing continuous disregard from Naruto. Many wanted to befriend Naruto because of his position and Master, but Naruto wasn't interested in such things. Honen was probably the only person he talked to regularly, besides Kakashi and his Master. By regularly, it meant every few days.

"You really don't know? It's a dance ceremony, the Head of the Temple's daughters are going to perform a special dance," Honen explained, slightly surprised at his ignorance.

"Oh... Sensei didn't tell me. This is a bit boring, but what did I expect?" Naruto sighed to himself. Like before, this meeting was just a waste of time; he didn't even get a lesson from his Master that he could engage in during this time.

"What are you talking about? I've seen their dance several times; the daughters of the Head of the Fire Temple are stunningly beautiful!" — Honen was strangely excited. It was quite surprising because he never had such a strong expression on his face or in his eyes, even when talking about girls, which he often did, so Naruto could only guess that either the beauty of these women was immense or Honen was simply infatuated.

"Really? You seem to like them," — Naruto teased him.

"Y-you...! It's not like that..." — Honen stammered, quickly shaking his head with a deepening blush on his cheeks.

"Sure... You're probably not the only one. Few can resist true beauty," — Naruto said. If they were as beautiful as he suspected, it was no wonder that even the strong will of the Monks would break before them.

The scarlet color only deepened on Honen's face as he fell silent, recalling the time he confessed his feelings to one of the Head's daughters. Honen was full of regret, wondering what he was thinking back then. He was only eleven years old, and she was a grown woman the age of his mother. Ah... how pathetic...! Honen couldn't stop cursing himself for his youthful stupidity.

Feeling the distraction beside him, Naruto just shook his head, guessing what Honen might be thinking about.

After a few minutes, the dance ceremony began. The Head of the Fire Temple sat in his place, closest to the stage, and watched intently as his two beloved daughters appeared.

Two women with veils over their faces entered the stage. Although Naruto couldn't see their facial features, just looking at their beautiful bodies adorned in decorated robes stirred strange feelings in his heart.

He quickly cursed himself for considering this meeting boring. This was definitely worth watching. Naruto felt his heart enter a state of calm, and his mind rise to a new Spiritual level. Of course, this was just a joke on his part.

Soon, the ceremony officially began, and the two women joined hands in a traditional dance.

Watching them, Naruto was sure he could replicate their movements without much trouble.

The dance was quite short, lasting only twenty minutes. However, Naruto thought that in this sport, it was a normal duration, though he wasn't sure.

Naruto didn't see the faces of these women; he thought that during the movement, the veil would at least reveal the edge of their cheeks, but that didn't happen.

During the tea ceremony, Naruto felt a strange peace and calm. He was relaxed watching the hours-long ceremony performed by the Head of the Fire Temple. This time Naruto felt similar, his heart filled with strange feelings that rarely appeared in him. His gaze wasn't lustful; Naruto felt like he was watching a work of art, simply admiring its beauty. The dance wasn't provocative either; it was a traditional Monk dance, often performed by female Monks.

The looks from other Monks were calm, without much emotion. Sometimes new Monks would blush slightly, but everyone behaved decently.

Honen... well, looking at Honen out of the corner of his eye, Naruto had the impression that this guy was falling in love again, with someone he shouldn't.

From what Naruto knew, the Head of the Fire Temple was several hundred years old, so his daughters might also be over a hundred years old, looking extraordinarily young. Maybe behind those veils, their faces were wrinkled and ugly? Well, better not to think that way. However, looking at their hands, they were smooth, with no signs of aging.

Right after the exit of the two beautiful Monk women, the Head of the Temple also left the room.

"That was short," — Naruto whispered.

"Definitely," — Honen said full of regret.

Naruto was silent for a moment, feeling a bit strange after this spectacle. He didn't think about it during the performance because of his admiration of the beauty, but now something was bothering him.

"Why do you think the Head of the Fire Temple allows his daughters to dance in public? I always thought that the women here were quite reserved and would never dance in public due to shame or disgrace they might receive," — Naruto questioned the whole dance ceremony.

"Oh... Now that you mention it, you're kind of right. It is strange," — Honen agreed with him.

Naruto looked around the room again, casting his gaze at many people. He also looked at his Master, but he was busy talking with other Monks.

In the tradition that the Fire Temple has carried for centuries, it is a disgrace for a woman to show herself in such a way to other people. The dance can only be performed during training in a closed room or in front of a partner. Usually, it is the mother or Master who teaches her daughter or student the dance as something important in their life.

Now that Naruto was thinking about it, maybe Chō-sen would dance for him...? Hmm, that's not a bad idea at all, she is quite cute after all.

But back to the point... What is dance to a person? It can represent many things like joy, carefreeness, emotion, life, transformation, prayer, dedication, liberation, ritual, vitality, poetry, music, communication, or courtship and love.

Maybe it's about a Spiritual connection? Dance is a ritual that connects the mind with the Soul? Well, it's a bit far-fetched, but this thought crossed Naruto's mind.

If Monk Taijutsu can increase sensitivity to Energy, why couldn't dance do the same? After all, even exercises with a staff help increase sensitivity to Energy.

It's probably about showing something, proving with this short dance that we strive for something. For something bigger. But is it just a simple message? Maybe there's more to it?