Naruto: I'm in Konoha, my name is Uzumaki Menma

Chapter 362 Immortal Arts and Natural Energy

The slug immortal's enormous body trembled slightly in the pervasive dampness, not out of fear, but from a sense of awe that transcended millennia.

Menma's current display of the Chakra Tenseigan mode awakened memories buried for a thousand years.

That was the oppressive feeling emanating from the distant past, when the Divine Tree stood tall on the earth, and when a woman named Kaguya Ōtsutsuki reigned over this planet in a similar manner.

However, Menma's chakra aura is not entirely the same as Kaguya's.

Kaguya's power is closer to pure "devouring," like a black hole.

The golden chakra flowing around the young man before them, though equally vast and powerful, possessed a kind of "inclusive" vitality, as if the stars themselves were breathing and evolving.

This subtle difference, while shocking the Slug Immortal, also revealed a completely different possibility.

free……

This word carries a complex and profound meaning for the slug fairy, who possesses near-eternal life.

Although it can summon a small part of itself to the ninja world through a contractor like Tsunade, briefly experiencing the warmth of the sun and the breeze, and observing the changes in the human world.

But that was merely a glimpse of the world through the cracks in the cage.

Its true, mountain-like form has been confined for millennia to this safe yet ultimately oppressive Damp Bone Forest.

Each "breath of fresh air" felt more like a pitiful consolation for the long life of imprisonment.

Now, the boy before us has not only displayed power comparable to Kaguya Otsutsuki, but also seems to be seriously considering the possibility of taking it away from this "prison".

This promise, like a pebble thrown into an ancient well, stirred up unprecedented ripples in the long-calm lake of the Slug Immortal's heart.

The yearning for a wider world and the longing for true freedom, like seeds that have been dormant for a long time, have begun to sprout quietly.

But a thousand years have endowed it with patience and caution far exceeding that of humankind.

Humans, especially powerful and ambitious ones, often have complex calculations and demands behind their promises.

The slug hermit's gentle tentacles examined Menma, who was suspended in mid-air like a golden deity, and the gentle female voice rang out again: "Truly astonishing power... It reminds me of the 'Goddess of the Rabbit'."

“So, Menma, if you really intend to help me leave this place, what do I need to give in return? Everything in this world is balanced through exchange. I don’t believe you would extend such great assistance to the ‘freedom’ of an outsider without a reason.”

It has lived for too long and has seen too many contracts that begin with "help" eventually evolve into one-sided demands or even enslavement.

The dazzling golden light surrounding Menma slowly receded, and the Tenseigan and dragon horns on his forehead gradually disappeared. He lightly landed back on the curved, pale tree trunk, and his posture returned to its previous state.

Faced with the slug immortal's straightforward question, he did not evade it and answered frankly, "You are right, I do have a request. I wish to learn immortal arts from you."

“A way to truly perceive, absorb, and utilize natural energy.”

This answer startled the slug immortal slightly. It was clearly surprised, and its huge body lowered slightly, moving closer as if to examine Mianma more closely: "Learn...immortal arts?"

Its tone was full of incomprehension.

“I can sense that the chakra contained within you is no less than, and may even surpass, Kaguya from a thousand years ago.”

"Moreover, within you lies not only the power of the starry sky, but also powers that even I cannot perceive. Why then turn back to seek more primal natural energy? The power of immortal arts, for you..."

The slug fairy's question was not without merit.

In its view, Menma, who possesses the "power of the Tenseigan," is already at the level of the Sage of Six Paths and Kaguya Otsutsuki.

Menma sat cross-legged on the tree trunk, his hands folded in front of his knees, his expression serious: "This is one of the key things I want to understand. Lord Katsuyu, in your opinion, what is the essential difference between Sage Chakra and the chakra I use, or rather, the chakra used by regular ninjas who inherited the tradition from the Sage of Six Paths who founded Ninshu?"

He did not belittle magical arts; on the contrary, it was precisely because he valued them that he had to understand their essence.

In the original work, Sage Mode can effectively damage the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki and even Kaguya, which in itself demonstrates its uniqueness.

The slug fairy was silent for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts.

"The difference..." Its gentle, wise voice echoed slowly in the mist-shrouded Damp Bone Forest: "Hmm, there is, but perhaps not in the kind of 'higher or lower' distinction that you humans usually understand. Let me think about how to describe it..."

"Natural energy exists in every inch of land, every breath of air, every drop of water on this planet, and even in the cycle of life. It is like... the ubiquitous 'soil' and 'nutrients,' the foundation upon which all life, including spirit beasts like us and you humans, is born, grows, and exists."

"Any living organism, as long as it is alive, instinctively draws extremely small amounts of natural energy to maintain the most basic cycle of its own life. However, most individuals cannot clearly 'perceive' this process, let alone 'control' it."

The Slug Immortal paused slightly, seemingly observing Menma's level of understanding, before continuing:
"And when an individual... usually one of you humans who is exceptionally gifted or has undergone special spiritual practice, begins to clearly 'sense' this omnipresent energy, and actively and consciously guides and absorbs it, integrating it with their own 'physical energy' and 'spiritual energy' in a certain balanced proportion..."

"The new energy generated at this time is 'Sage Chakra'."

"It is not water without a source, but a bridge connecting individual life with the primordial power of the planet that nurtured it."

"As for the 'chakra' that you all commonly use now..." The Slug Sage's voice carried a hint of reminiscence and complexity.

"That's more like... the 'technology' brought by the Otsutsuki clan. They regarded natural energy as a 'resource' and refined, transformed, and perhaps even 'domesticated' it in ways we don't fully understand, making it a 'form of energy' that is easier for them to inherit and use in their own bloodline, and also easier to extract and aggregate on a large scale through tools like the 'Divine Tree'."

"It has not completely broken away from the source of natural energy, but it has been modified and is more dependent on specific bloodlines and magical systems."

This explanation was like clearing away the fog, giving Menma a clearer framework for understanding natural energy, chakra, and Sage Mode.

Natural energy is the origin, Sage Chakra is "active energy" that actively connects and merges with the origin and generates itself, while regular Chakra is a "standardized product" after the Otsutsuki clan processes natural energy. Although it is powerful and has a mature system, it may have lost some of the original characteristics and is deeply bound to the God Tree system.

"Then, what about the power within me?" Menma raised his hand, examining it carefully, while subtly mobilizing a trace of Dark Nine-Tails' chakra, letting the faint dark red chakra flow in his palm.

"Based on your perception, how is my current state connected to natural energy?"

The slug sage's pair of enormous tentacles were positioned forward, seemingly intently "watching" the wisp of dark red chakra in Menma's palm.

After a long while, it finally murmured, clearly confused: "Strange...how strange..."

"The dark red chakra you're wielding right now contains creation, destruction... and a sense of nothingness. It's unlike any chakra I know, much closer to... well, I don't know how to describe it..."

Menma then suppressed the Dark Nine-Tails' chakra.

The slug sage's antennae twitched slightly: "Eh?"

“When you restrain this power, the natural energy aura surrounding your body… is unusually thin. In fact… it’s not significantly different from that of ordinary humans in the ninja world who have never undergone any training. This is illogical…” “Logically speaking, an individual with such strong vitality and spiritual power as you should naturally attract and integrate more natural energy even without actively cultivating Sage Mode.”

A knowing glint flashed in Mianma's eyes.

This may be a potential influence that the "Limited Tsukuyomi World" brought to him.

In that virtual world, perhaps the concept of natural energy is vague, or even nonexistent, or perhaps it exists in another, unrecognized form.

This resulted in a difference in his affinity for and perception of natural energy deep within his soul compared to the native inhabitants of the ninja world.

He was like someone accustomed to breathing a certain type of synthetic air, suddenly arriving in a natural environment with a different oxygen concentration. Although he could adapt physiologically, he needed to rebuild the most subtle senses and instinctive responses.

"I understand." Menma lowered his hand, most of his doubts resolved.

"This may be related to some unique source of my power. For this reason, systematically learning how to perceive, absorb, and balance natural energy is an important piece of the puzzle for me, allowing me to understand the power system of this world more completely, and perhaps... also to find a way to integrate different power systems and create new possibilities."

He looked at the Slug Sage with a sincere attitude: "Therefore, Lord Slug, I hope to follow you and systematically learn the Sage Arts of Shikkotsu Forest, starting from the most basic perception of natural energy."

The slug fairy stared at the pockmarked face.

It could sense the sincerity in the boy's words, and his pure desire to explore the essence of knowledge and power, rather than greed.

This is different from many other contractors who will stop at nothing to gain power.

The last time I saw a human like this was probably that guy named Hashirama Senju.

"Heh...you are indeed interesting." The slug sage's voice was as gentle as ever, even carrying a hint of appreciation: "The sage training in Shikkotsu Forest differs from that of Mount Myōboku and Ryūchi Cave. We place more emphasis on 'fusion' and 'symbiosis,' focusing on the harmony between body and mind and the rhythms of nature. The process may be gradual, but the foundation is more solid. Since you sincerely seek my guidance, and I..."

Its mountain-like body stretched slightly, bringing with it a damp breeze.

"I do look forward to the forest you promised, a forest that can stretch freely... So, let's begin."

In the following time, a lesson officially began in the silent and ancient alternate dimension of the Wet Bone Forest.

The first instruction given by the Slug Immortal was "stillness".

It allows Mianma to find a relatively dry stone to sit on, abandon all distracting thoughts, shut down his sight and hearing and other active demands on the outside world, and instead focus his attention entirely on the most subtle life rhythms within himself.

Heartbeat, breathing, blood flow, every spontaneous movement of chakra.

This is not ordinary meditation, but rather a process of contracting one's perception inward to the extreme, to experience the most fundamental "kinetic energy" that sustains life.

"Natural energy is not some distant external thing; it precedes your consciousness and has already participated in the cycle of life within your body. What you need to do is not to 'search' for it, but to 'recognize' it first." The slug sage's voice, like a babbling brook, guided Mianma's thoughts.

Mianma did as instructed.

With his current mental strength and precision in controlling his own power, it wouldn't be difficult for him to do this.

Soon, after eliminating the active chakra fluctuations, he "saw" something deeper.

The faint, firefly-like aura of life during cellular metabolism, the subtle sparks of electricity during nerve signal transmission, even the ever-changing ripples of thoughts deep within consciousness…

Beneath all this, there seems to be a background "frequency" like the pulse of the earth, which supports everything, yet is almost entirely obscured by all the more active "processes".

"Can you feel it? That seemingly still foundation that supports everything that is 'moving'?" The slug sage's voice rang out at the right moment.

Menma did not answer, her entire mind immersed in this strange sensation.

He tried to shift his attention slightly away from the active fluctuations of his own life force, and instead touch and resonate with the deeper "frequency".

At first, I didn't feel anything special.

But as time went on, under the rhythmic spiritual guidance of the Slug Sage, Menma gradually felt that the clear boundaries of his own individual life seemed to be becoming... blurred.

A cool, moist, vibrant yet incredibly peaceful aura, for the first time so clearly, seeped into his body through every pore and the cracks in his mental perception.

Unlike chakra, which can be explicitly guided and controlled, it is more like an "invitation" or an "assimilation".

If you relax and resonate with it, it will naturally converge on you; if you are tense and try to forcefully grasp it, it will slip through your fingers like flowing water.

This is natural energy!
Unlike any other type of chakra, it is more primal, more inclusive, and more "unruly".

Mianma didn't rush things.

He kept in mind the teachings of the Slug Immortal, maintaining that state of "contemplation" and "resonance," allowing the cool natural energy to seep into his body and slowly come into contact with his active physical and mental energy.

Initially, the two were clearly distinct, and there was even a slight aversion between them.

However, Mianma, with her powerful mental control, patiently adjusted the "frequency" of her two energies, gradually bringing them closer to and harmonizing with the natural energy that had seeped in.

This is an extremely delicate process that requires absolute focus and meticulous control over one's own strength.

If not handled carefully, the proportions will become unbalanced, and natural energy will take over, causing a backlash and gradually making the body "natural."

Just like the petrification of Mount Myoboku.

However, Mianma's soul strength and mental power far exceeded those of ordinary people. Under the safe and peaceful guidance method condensed from the slug immortal's thousand years of experience, the process, though slow, progressed steadily.

I do not know how long it has been.

Shikkutsu Forest has no sun or moon, only eternal mist and dim light.

Finally, at the point where Menma's chakra converged, a tiny, yet entirely different, new energy slowly emerged.

It is more "dynamic" than ordinary chakra, carrying a hint of the vastness of nature, yet it is perfectly integrated with his own life, as if it were his own arm.

The first strand of Sage Chakra has been successfully condensed!
Mianma slowly opened his eyes, and in the depths of his dark eyes, a shimmering luster, seemingly belonging to the natural world, flashed by.

He raised his hand, and above his palm, a thin strand of chakra with a hint of crystalline green silently appeared, swaying gently and creating a strange resonance with the surrounding Shikkotsu Forest environment, as if it were a part of this world.

Mianma has successfully taken its first step.

(End of this chapter)