After leaving the Land of Demons, Sora traveled swiftly and did not return directly to Konoha.
It was time to check the growth of those two little ones.
When they parted a year ago, Tenji stubbornly insisted on returning to the Land of Peaceful Bliss to reclaim his dignity, and he took the critically injured Small White Tiger with him when he left.
Although Sora had summoned Tenji during the time he was guarding Tsunade, he was after all on the front lines of the battlefield and did not have the time to examine him carefully.
As for that Small White Tiger, because they had not formed a contract, he could not sense it. He could only hope that Tenji was taking good care of it.
Now that the mission in the Land of Wind was completed, with considerable gains, it was a good opportunity to see how much they had grown.
...
Sora ventured deep into a remote, primitive forest in the northeastern part of the Land of Fire. Here, ancient trees towered into the sky, vines tangled everywhere, and it was an area where beast tribes were active. Ordinary shinobi would not easily set foot here.
After confirming there was no one around, Sora took a deep breath and swiftly formed a few hand seals.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Poof!
A faint puff of white smoke flashed, and a figure appeared before Sora.
However, when the white smoke cleared and he saw the sight before him clearly, even with Sora's usual composure, a flicker of astonishment could not help but pass through his eyes.
Standing before him was indeed the familiar Six Eared Monkey, Tenji, but the change was far greater than he had anticipated.
A year ago, Tenji only came up to his waist.
But now, its height had shot up to Sora's chest level!
Sora was now almost thirteen years old, and his height was already considered tall among his peers, nearing one hundred and eighty centimeters. Tenji's current height had already reached about one hundred and fifty centimeters.
Its body was no longer skinny and small, but had become well-proportioned and agile, with smooth muscle lines, full of explosive power.
Its originally dull blue fur was now glossy and sleek, shimmering with a healthy blue-gold luster under the sunlight.
The most striking feature was the three pairs of ears on either side of its head. They were even more agile than before, trembling slightly, as if capturing every bit of information carried by the wind.
Its face had also lost some of the childishness of a monkey, gaining a touch of imposing majesty. The two small, almost imperceptible bumps on its forehead had now become clear, like the budding forms of newborn dragon horns, adding to its dignity.
Overall, Tenji's form seemed to be evolving in some unknown direction, with less of the appearance of a traditional monkey and more of... the majesty and noble bearing of a dragon?
Perhaps it could be called the aspect of a "Dragon Ape".
"Mas... Master!"
When Tenji saw Sora, an irrepressible joy and closeness instantly burst forth in its eyes. Its voice was still somewhat halting, its articulation not very clear, but it was unmistakably human language!
Sora was slightly taken aback, then understood.
Tenji had always been highly intelligent. After multiple enhancements by his blood, its physique had undergone a transformation, and its learning ability and wisdom must have also risen accordingly. Being able to learn simple human language, though it still sounded very awkward, was already shocking enough.
"It seems you have gained a lot this past year." Sora suppressed the surprise in his heart and said in a calm tone, "As I said, just call me Sora."
Tenji shook its head vigorously, its eyes firm as it said,
"Master... is Master. Gave me new life... gave me strength... gave me a name."
Its expression was brief, but the meaning was clear.
What Sora might consider a trivial act of rescue or bestowing a name carried a completely different weight in Tenji's heart.
That was the only one who had given it hope and dignity when it was abandoned by its tribe and on the verge of despair.
Seeing the stubborn look in Tenji's eyes, Sora sighed inwardly, knowing it would be difficult to change its mind anytime soon.
At the same time, this also made him dismiss some of his previous thoughts. His blood, especially his "essence blood," was too overpowering in its effects. It not only transformed the body but also seemed to leave an extremely deep imprint on the mental level.
Beings transformed and strengthened by his blood were more aptly called "dependents."
Unless absolutely necessary, it must never be used lightly on people he cared about.
"As you wish." Sora stopped dwelling on the form of address and instead asked, "It seems you have gained a firm footing in the Land of Peaceful Bliss?"
Mentioning the Land of Peaceful Bliss, Tenji's eyes burned with fighting spirit.
"Yes, won... won a few times. They... don't dare look down on me anymore, but... it's not enough!"
Sora nodded. The law of the jungle was even more nakedly brutal in summoning beast tribes.
For Tenji, who was once ostracized, to fight its way back and win a certain status, the effort it had expended and the dangers it had experienced were probably far beyond what words could describe.
This also proved that his initial judgment was correct. This little one's resilience and potential were indeed extraordinary.
"Let me see what you can do now."
Sora stepped back a few paces, signaling Tenji to demonstrate.
Tenji let out a low roar, and its body suddenly moved!
Its movements were swift as lightning, leaping and darting through the thick tree trunks. Only a blue afterimage could be seen. Its sharp claws easily sank into the hard bark, using the force to propel itself. Its speed was so fast that even Sora nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
"In terms of speed, in a complex forest environment, it's already close to the Body Flicker Technique of an ordinary Jonin." Sora calmly evaluated.
Next, Tenji landed in front of a huge rock, took a deep breath, and its small fist suddenly shot out!
Thud!
With a dull sound, the surface of the boulder, which would require two people to encircle with their arms, instantly became covered with spiderweb-like cracks, then crumbled with a crash.
"Strength is also very high. In terms of pure physical strength alone, it probably already rivals some Chunin who specialize in taijutsu, or is even stronger."
A glint appeared in Sora's eyes. This was just Tenji's inherent physical strength. If combined with chakra, the power would undoubtedly be even greater.
Afterward, Tenji demonstrated its sensory ability. Its six ears trembled slightly, and it could accurately report the position and movements of several birds hundreds of meters away, even able to distinguish subtle differences in the frequency of their wing flaps.
"Excellent sensory talent. It seems these six ears are not just for show."
Finally, Sora asked the question he was most concerned about.
"Regarding the Enma clan's ability to transform into weapons, how much have you mastered?"
Hearing this question, Tenji's excited expression retracted slightly, becoming serious.
It extended its forearm, concentrated its mind, and a faint chakra glow began to gather on it.
Sora could clearly see that the bones in Tenji's arm were emitting a faint humming sound, and its shape began to change extremely slowly. At times it became straight and hard, at other times it tried to bend into a certain arc, but this process seemed very difficult. That layer of chakra glow also flickered unsteadily, extremely unstable.
After more than ten seconds, Tenji somewhat dejectedly lowered its arm.
It looked at Sora somewhat apologetically.
"Still... still can't. Feel it... but... can't control it. The old ones in the tribe say... need time... to adapt."
"But... soon! Soon will be able... to help Master!"
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