Kaito frowned and looked up. The sky above was pure darkness—so where was the colorful energy coming from?
After a moment, Kaito opened his eyes and voiced his doubts to the slug.
["The dark world you're in can be understood as a world seen with your eyes closed—a world of perception. In fact, the first step in training Sage Mode is sensing the natural energy in the sky. You should already know this!"]
["If you've practiced sensory ninjutsu before, then your initial ability to sense natural energy will be stronger. Those who train in sensory techniques usually have higher spiritual energy,"] the slug said softly.
After a short pause, it continued, ["What's the maximum range of perception in this dark world you're in?"]
"Around four or five hundred meters," Kaito muttered.
["That wide? Not bad at all. It looks like your spiritual energy is stronger than you realized,"] the slug said with a hint of surprise.
["Do you know what Tsunade's initial perception range was when she trained in Sage Mode?"]
"How much?" Kaito asked curiously.
["Ten meters. Even after years of on-and-off training here, she only reached a range of just over 200 meters. That's why she wasn't suited for Sage Mode."]
["But you're different. You're already twice as strong as her. It won't take long before you can sense the natural energy in the sky,"] the slug said without holding back its praise.
"Then, Slug, can I ask... what about the First Hokage? What was his sensing range like?" Kaito hesitated before asking.
["Him? Don't even think about comparing yourself to him. He may have looked slow, but he was incredibly gifted. I'm not sure if he used sensory ninjutsu, but his initial sensing range was massive. In his words, it was at least seven or eight kilometers."]
["He sensed the natural energy in the sky in just half a day, and it only took him a month to master Sage Mode,"] the slug said with a sigh, not sugarcoating the gap.
"I see," Kaito nodded, unfazed. After all, he was just an ordinary person. Why compare himself to the First Hokage?
["You've now stepped into the dark world. Your next task is to expand that perception as far as you can. Ideally, stretch it toward the sky, where natural energy is densest."]
["Once you've sensed the natural energy in the sky, try to feel it around your body as well."]
["But for now, focus only on the sky,"] the slug explained patiently.
"I understand," Kaito nodded firmly.
"Lord Slug, can I train using Shadow Clones?" He recalled how Naruto used Shadow Clones for training in the original story.
["Of course. How many can you create? I'll go gather the slugs nearby."]
"Thirty. That's my limit," Kaito grinned.
["Perfect. I've summoned the slugs nearby."]
"Got it!"
Kaito nodded and quickly formed hand seals. Chakra split through his body into thirty parts as he shouted, "Shadow Clone Technique!"
Bang!
A cloud of smoke burst into the air as thirty identical clones appeared, standing in formation.
From the forest came the soft sound of movement—slugs began crawling toward them from the shadows.
Before long, the slugs had reached each of Kaito's clones.
"Alright, everyone! Focus on sensing the natural energy in the sky!" Kaito commanded, and the clones all entered a meditative state.
Time passed quickly. Ten days blinked by.
Kaito's life during these ten days had been monotonous but focused. By day, he trained with the help of the slugs, and by night, he entered the god-level space, set to the coordinates of the Shikkotsu Forest, and continued sensing natural energy alone.
The difference was that at night, he had no slug to guide him, so his efficiency dropped. Still, with the 10:1 time ratio in that space, the results balanced out.
Over these ten days, Kaito made significant progress. Just the day before, he finally succeeded in sensing the natural energy of the sky.
While training, he also discovered something unexpected—his electromagnetic sensing range had increased alongside his perception.
Previously, he could only sense as far as Konoha Village. But now, even after covering the entire village, there was more—his reach extended even farther.
His ability wasn't a sensory ninjutsu per se, but rather an application of his mastery over the Thunder Fruit—an advanced form of electromagnetic induction, sensing his surroundings via reflected waves from objects and people.
He usually referred to it simply as electromagnetic induction, and those he sensed were described as having a human magnetic field.
Who would've thought training in sensing natural energy would also enhance that ability?
Though he was puzzled by the connection, he had no intention of stopping. If developing Sage Mode helped with this as well, then so be it.
["Master Kaito, now that you've sensed the natural energy in the sky, try absorbing it,"] the slug's gentle voice came.
Kaito closed his eyes again. The world he had once seen as only dark now began to shift.
Above him, faint traces of colorful light shimmered like flowing threads in the sky.
His next step: to draw those strands of natural energy into his body.
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