To reach Mount Myōboku, one of the three legendary Holy Lands, a conventional journey would take a month. However, Jiraiya had a shortcut.
The most direct and effective method was to use the Reverse Summoning Jutsu.
Jiraiya skillfully formed the hand seals and summoned a messenger frog. He gave a few instructions, asking the small frog to return to Mount Myōboku first to deliver the message, informing Fukasaki Sennin that he would be arriving with his Disciple, Uzumaki Naruto, as well as Uchiha Satsuki, whom Naruto had specifically asked if he could bring along to attempt to learn.
Bringing Uchiha Satsuki along was not a whim. Long before this, Naruto had privately and earnestly asked Jiraiya if Uchiha Satsuki might also have a chance to try learning Sage Arts.
He had thought about it a lot, considering Uchiha Satsuki's future growth path, especially the evolution of her Sharingan... Naruto was unsure if Uchiha Satsuki would be able to awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan in the future.
Deep down, Naruto harbored a sense of regret regarding that "Night of the Clan's Annihilation."
Every time he recalled what happened that night, the moment Uchiha Satsuki awakened her Three-Tomoe Sharingan, he felt a wave of self-reproach, feeling like he was a bastard.
He did not want Uchiha Satsuki to have to experience some profound "loss" or "pain" in the future to trigger her power, such as awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan. That method of exchanging pain for power.
He could not accept it and was determined to avoid it. If the path of Sage Arts could provide Uchiha Satsuki with a powerful, stable, and sacrifice-free way to improve her strength, it would undoubtedly be the best choice.
After hearing this, Jiraiya carefully contacted Mount Myōboku. After communicating with Fukasaki Sennin, the reply given was that, in principle, there was no problem with bringing one more person along to try.
However, Sage Arts training is extremely demanding; whether one can successfully perceive and absorb Natural Energy, and subsequently master Sage Mode, depends entirely on individual talent, Physique, and Heart-Nature, and cannot be forced.
The implication was that the opportunity could be given, but whether she succeeded or not was entirely up to Uchiha Satsuki herself.
Upon receiving this reply, Naruto set his mind at ease, which led to the arrangement for this trip.
Preparations were complete. After waiting a while, the jutsu on the other side was completed. The figures of the three were instantly enveloped in a dense white smoke that appeared out of thin air, and with a soft "pop," they vanished without a trace from the spot.
Then, the feeling of solid ground returned. The surrounding scenery had completely changed, and the first thing to flood their senses was the continuous, unending sound of frog croaks, permeating the air like background music.
The air was incredibly fresh, and what met their eyes was a world that seemed like it only existed in a picture book; giant plants grew wantonly, with leaves as wide as small boats.
In the distance, a waterfall cascaded down from the rocky cliffs, its roar softened by the distance, and on some unusually large, broad leaves, frogs of various colors could be seen lying comfortably and resting.
The ground was dotted with brightly colored large mushrooms... they looked like they might be poisonous.
The "person in charge" of this place had been waiting here for a long time.
It was a green frog about the size of an adult's head, with striking long white eyebrows and whiskers, and even white hair growing on top of its head.
"You've arrived, little Jiraiya." An aged yet vigorous voice sounded, "You've finally brought him here... is this the lad who accidentally summoned the Great Toad Sage?"
"Boss, please don't bring up that incident again..." A look of helplessness and slight embarrassment appeared on Jiraiya's face, "Naruto didn't do it on purpose at the time; he didn't mean any offense."
The green old toad before them was none other than Fukasaki Sennin, the second-in-command of Mount Myōboku.
"I didn't mean to blame him." Fukasaki Sennin's gaze passed over Jiraiya and landed on Naruto and Uchiha Satsuki behind him, lingering on Naruto's face for a moment, "It's just that you must understand, summoning the Great Lord in that manner... in the long historical records of Mount Myōboku, this is an unprecedented event."
"Naruto, this is Fukasaki Sennin," Jiraiya said, turning to introduce him to Naruto, "He is not only the manager of Mount Myōboku but also the master who taught me Sage Arts; he can be considered my teacher."
Hearing this, Naruto stepped forward and respectfully bowed slightly to Fukasaki Sennin, "Hello, Fukasaki Sennin."
Fukasaki Sennin hopped forward a few steps, moved closer, and carefully examined Naruto's face, which wore a sunny and gentle smile, unable to help but sigh in a low voice.
"Naruto, is it... so alike..."
"Yes," Jiraiya also chimed in from the side, his tone filled with nostalgia, "He is practically a carbon copy of what Minato looked like when he was a child."
Back then, it was also he who brought Minato Namikaze here to begin his training in Sage Arts.
"Heh heh... seems like a good child with a good Heart-Nature." Fukasaki Sennin nodded, appearing quite satisfied, then turned back to Jiraiya, "Little Jiraiya, although the missus is always nagging about how you haven't come to visit her in a long time, but... you must have a pile of things waiting for you to handle over there, right?"
"Yes," Jiraiya sighed, rubbing his brow as the lingering sense of fatigue resurfaced, "I really didn't expect that the Old Man lived like this, and for most of his life, too..."
"Boss, I'll leave them to you then. I have to hurry back, otherwise those two old fogies will start their endless nagging again."
Fukasaki Sennin nodded understandingly and did not try to persuade him to stay. It felt deeply gratified that Jiraiya was finally willing to settle down and shoulder the heavy burden of being the Hokage of Konoha.
"Then, little Naruto, and this one... little Uchiha Satsuki, right?" After Jiraiya released the Reverse Summoning Jutsu and his figure disappeared with a "pop," Fukasaki Sennin turned its full attention back to the two, "Have you two eaten breakfast?"
"We have already eaten, thank you for your concern." Naruto replied politely, subconsciously.
"Already eaten, then." Fukasaki Sennin did not dawdle and went straight to the point, "Since that's the case, let's hurry up and start the training. However, if you get hungry during the training process, feel free to say so at any time, don't be polite. The missus is more than happy to prepare some rice balls; they taste quite good."
Uchiha Satsuki had been standing quietly by Naruto's side. In this strange environment and in front of a "Sage," she reverted to her usual cool and reticent demeanor, merely nodding slightly towards Fukasaki Sennin as a greeting.
Fukasaki Sennin did not mind this. After all, she was an Uchiha; it was well aware of the typical temperament of that clan.
—————— Subsequently, the two followed Fukasaki Sennin and set off towards the training location.
On the way, Naruto tried hard to suppress the inner rant he wanted to voice—regarding Fukasaki Sennin's method of travel. Given that Fukasaki Sennin was petite in size and might find it difficult to lead two humans by just hopping along, it chose to ride a medium-sized toad that also appeared to possess considerable intelligence as its mount.
Using a sapient member of its own kind as a mount... although the toad serving as the mount seemed to view it as a proper job, Naruto still felt the scene was somewhat beyond common sense.
Finally, they arrived in front of a small waterfall surrounded by numerous stone toad statues. However, the waterfall itself—what poured down was not clear water, but a viscous, brownish liquid.
Fukasaki Sennin hopped nimbly off the back of its mount and began the formal explanation.
"Then, I will get straight to the point. What you are about to attempt to contact and Cultivate is Sage Arts."
It paused, ensuring both of them were listening carefully.
Sage Arts is an ancient power that existed on this land and this planet before the energy system known as 'Chakra' appeared in the world.
It relies on the power that fills the heavens and the earth—known as 'Natural Energy.'
The core of cultivating Sage Arts lies in fusing the external Natural Energy with one's own internal Spiritual Energy and Physical Energy.
The brand-new Chakra born after a successful Fusion is 'Sage Chakra.' The jutsus unleashed using this type of Chakra are'Sage Arts.' Its power is absolutely incomparable to ordinary Ninjutsu.
"That's about it; give it a try. Natural Energy exists in the air and the earth, and the first step in cultivating Sage Arts is to merge with nature and perceive the Natural Energy."
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