Chapter 123: Seven Days

The moon about to disappear on the horizon could still be seen.

Toshiro had already woken up early and begun his training for the day. A lot of time had already been wasted, and he needed to make every second count in his rigorous training if he wanted to master Sage Mode.

On the hillside of a small hill about fifty or sixty meters high, next to a small stream and a tiny pond less than ten square meters in area, sat seven Toshiros. They were all sitting by the pond, legs crossed and hands cupped as if holding something, earnestly trying to sense natural energy.

His torso was bare to better sense the essence of nature. Although he didn't know whether this would be effective, it wouldn't hurt to try. 

To increase his chances of perceiving natural energy, he split into six shadow clones, along with his original self, making seven in total trying together. It wasn't that he didn't want to create more clones; he simply couldn't.

At just ten years old, though he hadn't relaxed in the past few years, he was limited by his innate chakra constraints and had no better method to overcome them.

A ninja's chakra reserves generally grow with age, typically going through a growth period. Toshiro's next rapid growth period of chakra was imminent.

As time slowly passed, small animals, relatively normal in size, occasionally came to the pond to drink water. Oddly, none of these animals fled in panic at Toshiro's presence. Instead, they would pass by him as if he did not exist, some even brushing against him, while insects or small birds rested on him.

The results of Toshiro's six years of persistent meditation practice began to show. Though he hadn't yet truly sensed the natural energy, it seemed only a matter of time. He just needed to remain patient, and the door to Sage Art, which he had been relentlessly pursuing, would eventually open for him.

Seven days later...

Boom!

With the dissolution of the shadow clones, Toshiro, who had been sitting motionlessly for seven days, finally made a breakthrough. Without his accustomed persistence in meditation, he wouldn't have known whether he could maintain such stillness.

Coming from a future era flooded with information, he never imagined being able to sit still in one place, mind completely empty, for seven days simply to perceive nature. In his past life, it would be unthinkable; he would likely go mad from being disconnected for just one morning.

But now, he could stay immobile for an entire week. This ninja world truly changed him...

Toshiro calmed his chaotic thoughts and focused on his recent experience. It did not feel like "seeing" per se, but rather as though he had awakened a "sixth sense" beyond the usual five senses - vision, touch, hearing, etc.

In this "sixth sense" world, forests, land, sea, and sky appeared as vibrant oceans of light, with these ordinarily mundane objects suddenly brimming with emotions, joyfully playing in this colorful world. 

A slight smile curved on Toshiro's lips as he reminded himself not to celebrate prematurely. This was just the first step. The challenges ahead were numerous, and assuming victory now would be too early. 

Steady! No rushing! The advantage is mine!

In these seven days, Toshiro, without any relaxation, had changed significantly compared to when he first arrived on the island. His skin was tanned by the island's sun, and his face showed slight crackles due to the fierce sea wind, making him look quite different from when he was in Konoha.

But it was all worth it…

Another three days flew by.

During these three days, Toshiro did nothing but consolidate his progress, deeply imprinting the feeling of natural energy in various environments, from the beach to the mountaintop and over the sea.

Only when he could sense natural energy in all these places did he return to his base. Today, he was going to attempt to absorb natural energy.

Having read the original work, he knew merely sensing natural energy achieved nothing substantial. To enhance one's power, this threshold must be crossed. However, this wasn't easy - one misstep, and he could turn into stone!

When Naruto, Jiraiya, and Minato Namikaze trained, they were in Mount Myoboku, constantly supervised by the Great Toad Sage, who could immediately intervene if something went wrong, even using a rod to expel excess natural energy from their bodies.

But Toshiro had none of that.

The perils were evident. Merely thinking about them could give a sense of the stakes involved. Yet Toshiro had no choice but to face these difficulties head-on, as time was pressing.

The Third Ninja War had already begun, and even the eventual "great filial son" was born. If he didn't lay plans for himself now, his future wouldn't be promising.

The next few years were critically important for him. Turning ten this year, the following decade marked a period of explosive growth in his power. Simply following standard training regimens would predestine his growth ceiling to at most a strong Kage level, and even then, with significant risks of blindness.

(The chapter ends)