The sky was still tinged with red, the clouds drifting as if bathed in the glow of sunset, yet the vast expanse didn't feel heavy or melancholic. The endless sea of swaying paulownia trees stretched as far as the eye could see, their rustling leaves like a song of heaven and earth, boundless and serene.
Of course, Logan knew this forest of paulownia had an end.
Back when he had stumbled upon this place by accident, it had been in a remote wilderness enclosed by a barrier.
This peaceful, secluded land was no different from when he had first seen it. It was graceful, beautiful, tranquil, and far removed from the world. If there was one flaw, it was perhaps that it was too quiet.
Landing steadily on the towering paulownia tree at the center, Logan adjusted easily.
Having experienced dimensional travel and played with Flying Thunder God Technique, the sensation of the Reverse Summoning Technique was child's play to him.
He tapped the sturdy bark beneath his feet. The massive leaves, each as large as a door, easily blocked out sunlight and obscured his vision, while the wide branches formed a network of paths stretching in all directions.
'Which way should I go? I don't think I've seen this part before.'
In fact, every direction looked the same, with big leaves, thick branches. Clearing his throat, Logan called out, "I'm here!"
"Are you guys around?"
He wasn't sure how far his voice would carry. The tree was simply too massive, and there was no response.
A sudden pang of loneliness hit Logan, 'This is just sad. I come all this way, and not a single soul greets me? This place is emptier than it has any right to be.'
Fortunately, he'd been here before, otherwise, he'd have doubted whether he'd signed a fake summoning contract.
Staring at the seven or eight branching paths for a moment with no clue which to take, Logan sighed and started climbing.
''If I don't know the way, I don't know the way. But going up is definitely the right move.'
Whoosh!
Just as Logan began his ascent, the lush foliage beside him suddenly trembled, and a bird's head poked through.
Loganwas startled and took a step back.
It was Akiyama. Only his head and a bit of his neck were visible, while most of his body still hidden beyond the leaves. His sharp eyes locked onto Logan in an instant.
Man and bird stood face-to-face, staring each other down.
"Are you sick?"
"Are you swearing?"
"...Whatever, I'm too lazy to talk." Logan had never been on particularly friendly terms with Akiyama, so this kind of attitude was nothing new. He waved his hand and asked, "Where are the old clan head and Kotonami?"
Akiyama's fiery red feathers brightened the surroundings. Though they'd never gotten along, time had dulled the edge of their mutual dislike. He answered as usual, "We were all up there chatting and drinking tea. I sensed your Chakra and came down."
Beyond the inherent connection of their summoning contract, in a sparsely populated place like the Paulownia Forest, the presence of an additional life form stood out like a beacon.
Logan's eyebrow twitched at the phrase 'chatting and drinking tea', 'These three birds really have nothing better to do than huddle together to stave off boredom.'
"Thanks, then can you please take me up?"
Akiyama sighed but still let Logan climb onto his back.
Boom!
The moment Logan settled in, the sheer force of acceleration pressed him down. Leaves and branches blurred past as they shot upward, bursting into the open sky.
A hundred meters in the air, the view was breathtakingly vast.
But before Logan could even take it in, Akiyama paused for only a second before flapping his wings with even greater force, rocketing straight into the heavens like an arrow loosed from a bow, but this time, it was several times faster.
'This reckless speed demon definitely did that on purpose.' The wind howled against Logan's face, but thanks to his instincts, he clung on tight.
When faced with an unannounced joyride from a veteran driver, the only solution was to weld the door shut.
Whether this was a ride to kindergarten or not, as long as it wasn't heading straight into a pit of monsters, he wasn't getting off.
In just a few seconds, they reached the platform at the top of the tree.
Whoosh!
Akiyama's blazing wings slowed as they landed. Logan scrambled off immediately, taking deep breaths to steady himself.
The scenery here was as breathtaking as ever, bathed in the same golden-red glow. The Clan Head and Kotonami were both present.
"Well, well, long time no see... Hattori."
The old clan head sat in his usual spot, leaning on his cane. His aged voice carried warmth, his eyes crinkling into cheerful slits.
Still recovering from the ride, Logan forced a smile. In reality, during the past year in the real world, he'd dropped by occasionally to chat… venting about why Sumika was upset this time, or complaining about too many exams.
After all, he's a student, not a Ninja, so he can't cheat on exams.
The three idle divine birds would listen half-heartedly, then share their own mundane happenings in the Paulownia Forest. So, it hadn't actually been that long since they'd last met.
With a clear and melodious chirp, Kotonami stroked her beautiful feathers with an elegant posture, and said somewhat reproachful at Logan: "Hattori, when are you finally going to summon me for some fun?"
'Ah, right. Her first question every time we meet...'
"Next time, next time... Right now, I'm back in the Ninja World. There should be plenty of chances soon..."
The naive Kotonami believed him. Akiyama had once claimed the Ninja World wasn't interesting, but she refused to take his word for it. After all, what do men know? Seeing is believing.
"And if you need help in a fight, don't call Akiyama, okay?"
When Logan heard this, he immediately perked up and his earlier discomfort disappeared. He immediately thumped his chest and promised, "Okay, I will definitely not look for him."
"Tch. Pathetic."
Akiyama, who had just folded his wings, turned his head away disdainfully, his fiery feathers radiating an air of aloof solitude.
Kotonami's strength is actually not inferior to that of Akiyama, as this has been verified by both parties involved.
So if Logan encounters a situation where he needs the help of a Summoned Beast, he'd naturally prefer the more amiable, reasonable, and dependable Kotonami, who carried herself like a reliable older sister.
After some casual small talk, the conversation turned serious.
The birds all knew Logan had returned to the Ninja World. Since he'd come here now, it would definitely not just for idle chatter, and he had real business.
So without beating around the bush, Logan stated his purpose.
"Sage Mode, huh..." The old clan head muttered, "Indeed, Hattori, you didn't have much time before, but now that you're ready to train..."
Logan nodded, "Absorbing Natural Energy is still too difficult, and relying solely on myself is too risky."
The old clan head agreed, "One misstep, and you'll turn into a bird-shaped stone."
While Sage Mode provided an incredibly powerful buff, the training process was both arduous and dangerous.
"Practicing here will be much easier for you than outside." The old clan head said, "But even after mastering Sage Mode, there will be side effects. You're aware of that, right?"
"Yeah."
'Theoretically, achieving a perfect balance between Natural Energy and one's own Chakra was nearly impossible, leading to various side effects.'
'Most were manageable… like Jiraiya's, which just made him look a bit rougher.'
'Mount Myoboku's Sage Mode carried distinct frog-like traits, while Ryuchi Cave's had snake-like traits, so the Paulownia Forest's was no different.'
Thinking about this, Logan grew curious. He turned to the old clan head and asked, "What will happen when a contractor of the Paulownia Forest activates Sage Mode?"
"Well…" The old clan head stroked his beard with a look of reminiscence, "According to records, as long as the balance isn't too poorly maintained, the overall appearance doesn't change much."
"That's good." Logan felt relieved. If the changes were as extreme as Kabuto's later transformation, he might end up looking like some kind of bird-man, which would damage his image.
The old clan head continued, "Though the pupils and hair color will shift slightly. Let me think… Hmm… Blazing hair and fiery eyes… that's the mark of near-perfect mastery."
Logan understood this, 'The Divine Bird Clan was obviously born of flame, and the golden divine fire of Sage Art was immensely powerful. Even Naruto's pupils changed in Sage Mode. Blazing hair and fiery eyes… that didn't sound too bad.'
'Wait, why does this sound familiar?'
Logan stiffened slightly, and he looked at the radiant, flame-like feathers on Akiyama and Kotonami's body. He remembered the time when Akiyama beat Gamabunta, his whole body was wreathed in fire, with embers scattering at every movement.
Then, Logan asked warily, "Uh… About this blazing hair… Does it, like… spark?"
"Hm? Why do you ask that?" The old clan head rubbed his temples, "Probably… I might be forgetting the details."
"Is Sage Mode also known by another name, like… Flame Haze?" (T/N: He's referring to Shana from Shakugan no Shana.)
"What nonsense are you spouting now?!" Akiyama seized the chance to scold him, "Don't talk rubbish. You think you can even master it? To be granted the power of the Divine Bird Can, cloaked in golden flames… only a handful of contractors in history have ever reached that level."
The old clan head chuckled warmly.
"Anyway, do your best, Hattori."
"…Right. Sure."
Logan agreed, though now he suddenly hoped he wouldn't master it too perfectly.