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Chapter 36: The Green Beast and the Golden Opportunity(Bonus Chapter)
Early morning. The first light of dawn painted the eastern sky.
Ragnar emerged from his meditative state feeling… different. His body was light, brimming with vitality. His mind was crystal clear, as if his very spirit had been refined and elevated.
He reflected on the previous night's meditation. After upgrading to Level 3, Observation Haki had unlocked a profound new dimension: the ability to perceive the latent energy of nature itself.
Ordinary shinobi chakra was cultivated internally, a fusion of physical and spiritual energies. But there existed another, rarer source: Natural Energy, or Senjutsu Chakra. This power was not generated by the body but drawn from the world. Normally, it was invisible, intangible, accessible only to those trained in the three legendary hermitages: Mount Myōboku, the Forest of Death, or Ryūchi Cave. Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and later Kabuto tapped into this. Even Senju Hashirama, perhaps through his Asura lineage or an innate affinity, had mastered Sage Mode.
Now, through his Observation Haki, Ragnar could sense that energy. After a night of focused attunement, a new, faint but distinct power hummed within him—a trickle of what might be raw senjutsu chakra.
Natural energy comprised the five elements—wind, fire, water, earth, lightning—but when harmonized with a living being, it transformed into the immensely potent senjutsu chakra. Ninjutsu fueled by it were orders of magnitude stronger.
The problem was, he had no training in Sage Mode. How to use this nascent power? The senjutsu chakra within him was a wisp, a mere hint.
"Observation Haki… 'Listening to the Voice of All Things.' 'All Things' includes nature itself. This ability grants an affinity, a resonance with the natural world," he reasoned. He couldn't truly "listen" yet, but he could "feel." If his Observation Haki ever reached its apex, true unity with nature—a state akin to the philosophical "Unity of Heaven and Man"—might be possible.
In the stories, entering Sage Mode required lengthy stillness to gather energy. Yet Hashirama could do it instantly. Why? Likely because his Wood Release and his very physique were already in perfect harmony with nature.
If my own physique could be refined to approach that level… could I, too, bypass the traditional methods and tap into Sage Mode directly? The idea was intoxicating. If feasible, it would represent a monumental leap in power.
"But that's a distant peak. For now, the path is one step at a time. Sage Mode will be a personal exploration." With that resolve, Ragnar left his cabin.
As an ANBU intern, his schedule was loose, his duties light. This was a precious window to solidify his gains.
"My Haki has hit a temporary plateau. But I have Yama now. I should develop my swordsmanship."
Practicing with the demon blade itself was out of the question—its otherworldly aura was impossible to explain. He needed a standard practice blade. He still had some savings from his stipend; it should be enough for a decent, unremarkable katana.
He headed for a ninja tool shop. The owner, seeing the Konoha forehead protector tied around Ragnar's bicep, was all obsequious smiles. A shinobi customer, even a genin, was a valued patron.
When Ragnar inquired about swords, the man's smile turned apologetic.
They had swords. Very good ones.
They were also very, very expensive.
A quick mental tally of his funds confirmed he was about half short.
Of course. Poverty is a universal constant, he thought wryly.
"Young master, if funds are an issue, the Mission Hall down the street often has tasks with good rewards," the shopkeeper suggested helpfully.
"The Mission Hall." Ragnar nodded his thanks and left.
The Mission Hall was where most rank-and-file shinobi picked up work. With thousands of ninjas in Konoha, not every job could pass through the Hokage's office. The hall was a bustling, noisy place, filled with genin and chunin scanning the posted requests.
Honestly, if it was just about money, ANBU missions paid far better. He was about to turn and leave when a commotion erupted near the assignment desk.
"Why?! We're both genin! He can take a C-rank, why can't I? This is discrimination!" a loud, earnest, and slightly boisterous voice protested.
"Hah! You? A taijutsu-only genin taking a C-rank? What use would you be?" a mocking voice shot back.
"What's wrong with taijutsu?!" the first voice roared, thick with indignation.
"Everything. Knowing ninjutsu is simply better!"
A wave of laughter rippled through the crowd near the desk.
Taijutsu specialist? A suspicion dawned on Ragnar. He pushed through the crowd of spectators, ignoring their grumbles.
"Hey! Watch it, kid!"
"Where'd this brat come from?"
He reached the front. There, face flushed with righteous anger, stood a ninja with a ludicrously bowl-cut hairstyle, wearing a vibrant green spandex jumpsuit.
Might Dai.
"I will take this to the Hokage! This is discrimination against a hard-working shinobi of humble means!" Dai declared, slamming a hand on the mission administrator's desk.
The administrator, a weary-looking chunin, massaged his temples. "It's not discrimination. This C-rank is misclassified. The client provided minimal intel. There's a high probability of combat escalation—it could easily become a B-rank, or even an A-rank. That's why the reward is so high yet no one's touched it. You just happened to pick the most dangerous slip on the board."
"An… A-rank?" Dai's bluster deflated, replaced by shock. No wonder the pay was astronomical. But why label it a C-rank? That was dangerously misleading. His face fell further. The danger was one thing, but his family… he'd just gotten married. He couldn't let his wife go hungry. As a civilian-born ninja with no clan backing, finances were a constant, grinding pressure. He was here out of sheer, desperate necessity.
Ragnar's eyes flicked to the mission slip still clutched in Dai's hand. The reward listed was indeed staggeringly high for its supposed rank. His own need for funds, and the potential for significant experience from a mission that could turn A-rank, collided in his mind.
This wasn't just a mission. It was an opportunity.
(End of Chapter)
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