The Sage Mode form of the Paulownia Forest might resemble a certain tsundere who loved melon bread… but in the end, that was just a joke.
The Divine Bird Clan's innate flames were of unparalleled purity, orthodox and majestic. Under the assimilation of fire nature, similar colors were only natural.
Logan quickly dismissed the irrelevant thought and threw himself into training.
When Naruto trained, he had Fukasaku to guide him and Toad Oil to assist. Now that Logan was in his own summoning realm, the setup couldn't be worse. The old clan head personally took charge of his instruction, while Kotonami kept a close eye on Logan's condition, ready to intervene at the first sign of 'birdification' or petrification.
Of course, Akiyama couldn't be bothered to help, but under the old clan head's authoritative urging, he was reluctantly forced to flip through books and research materials.
And so, the three Divine Birds bustled about busily. There was no helping it… Logan was the only contractor in the entire forest, and they were all bored out of their minds anyway.
As for aids in Sage Mode training like the Toad Oil, the Paulownia Forest did have something. Towering trees stood like giants between sky and earth, and when the old clan head brought Logan to the very top of the tallest tree, he was stunned.
"This is the place that speeds up training?"
At an altitude of nearly a kilometer, the winds howled endlessly. The moment they stopped, a chilling frost settled on Logan's clothes.
They stood at the crown of the tree, where a slender branch extended forward, clouds drifting past as if the world had been left behind.
"Indeed, this is the place."
Logan felt like this was more like a shortcut to the afterlife. According to the old clan head, sitting on that thin branch made it easier to sense the Natural Energy of the world.
By achieving a state of tranquility, one could absorb Natural Energy without error.
Well, as long as they don't fall off.
This place did force a state of deep focus. Such a uniquely Paulownia Forest's method… were Logan moved? Of course not. He was terrified of moving.
The old clan head then said, "In this environment, your comprehension will improve greatly. Don't worry, Kotonami will keep watch."
"..." Logan felt a little relieved when he heard that Kotonami was there.
There was nothing else at this height. The faintly red sky seemed close enough to touch.
In this highest, most isolated place, the wind gusted unpredictably. Logan watched as the old clan head stood firm as a boulder without any support, while he himself had to rely on Chakra.
Gritting his teeth, he inched toward the extended branch.
The branches moved with his weight. After tremblingly settling into a cross-legged position, Logan felt suspended in midair with nothing to hold onto. This was way more thrilling than bungee jumping.
Aside from sitting atop a thousand-meter tree, training in the Paulownia Forest had another benefit, which is the Divine Bird Mark.
The mark on the back of Logan's left hand had once granted him the Divine Birds' Fire Attribute Gift, enhancing his Fire Release Ninjutsu. This innate affinity for Fire Attributes, in essence, shared common ground with Natural Energy.
Within the Paulownia Forest, guided by the Divine Birds, Logan's perception of Natural Energy instantly rose to a new level.
Inside and out, the old clan head was serious about teaching. No matter how much Logan complained, his mind remained clear.
Sitting high in the sky, balanced on that tiny spot, Logan's first challenge was simply staying still. He had to find equilibrium amid chaotic, unpredictable winds, which required absolute focus and such thing clashed with the distracting fear of danger.
It was an excellent way to train one's stillness. Even if Logan initially mocked it as something like 'training under a waterfall to become an idol', from another perspective, it was truly unique to the Paulownia Forest.
After countless failures and falls, he gradually learned to silence his thoughts, moving past the struggle of just staying.
Once past the initial difficulty, he sought tranquility. With Kotonami safeguarding him, he slowly forgot his fear of heights and merged with the sky.
The mark on his hand faintly glowed, various clouds and mist came and went, sunlight warming his face, rain occasionally visiting.
And so… stillness, tranquility, merging with nature, Logan's path to Sage Mode was steadily progressing.
…
Time passes unnoticed in the mountains.
Before the autumn equinox, Logan decided to continue his training in the Paulownia Forest without pause.
Meditating in midair, listening to the old clan head's lectures… it all sounded like nonsense at first.
But feeling tangible progress, he could only endure the pain with joy and admit that it really works.
Meanwhile, the outside world moved on with its own rhythms.
…
Konoha Village.
A light rain had just passed, leaving the sky washed clean.
The heat had mostly faded, and while the sun was still hidden behind clouds, puddles dotted the streets, reflecting villagers marveling at the arrival of autumn.
Sakura had just returned from a mission outside the village. After bidding farewell to her teammates and resting for just one night, she headed out early the next morning to the Konoha Hospital for training under Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin.
Beyond theory, there was hands-on practice. Medical Ninjutsu concerned the lives of the village's Ninja, and while Tsunade was usually bold and unrestrained, her teaching was exceptionally strict.
Sakura didn't dare slack off, treating several injured shinobi before finally finding a brief respite in the afternoon.
Today's lessons weren't over yet. As a top student who had stood out under Tsunade's tutelage, this kind of busyness was routine. Hurriedly eating her meal, Sakura paused mid-bite and sighed.
"What's wrong?"
Mai, sitting beside her, asked while neatly eating her bento. She's eating in small bites, but at a steady pace.
Sakura shook her head and said, "It's nothing."
Mai looked over and saw that her senior sister looked like she hadn't slept well last night, and a trace of worry appeared between her brows.
She had noticed it earlier but hadn't had the chance to ask. After a moment's thought, Mai ventured, "Is it because of the mission? You just came back yesterday, right?"
Sakura looked up and smiled, "You guessed it, huh?"
Hearing this, Mai thought to herself, 'Of course I'm paying attention. You were Hattori-nii's former student, and after what happened during the Land of Wind's mission, there's always a chance news about him might come up again.'
"But you didn't get hurt this time." Mai said playfully, poking Sakura's side.
"Look at you, getting cheeky." Sakura retorted, grabbing Mai and giving her a playful scolding. After some lighthearted wrestling, Sakura's mood improved slightly. She sighed and, "That's exactly the problem… nothing happened on this mission."
A few days ago, Team 7 had gone to Tenchi Bridge.
They had planned their tactics and waited in ambush for hours… However, the supposed 'traitor from Akatsuki' never showed up.
Naruto had sworn he heard correctly. If it wasn't a case of faulty intel, then the only explanation was that something had gone wrong on Orochimaru's side.
But the whole situation was strange. After all, even if the traitor had double-crossed them, it didn't make sense for them to avoid contact entirely, as that would just confirm their betrayal.
After waiting for days with no sign of anyone, Kakashi had no choice but to call off the mission.
Since it involved Sasuke, both Kakashi and Naruto took it seriously. Tsunade had assured them she'd investigate further. But the unanswered questions left Sakura restless even after returning.
Mai listened quietly, then fell into a long silence.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have dumped all that on you." Sakura said, noticing Mai's lack of response. She thought she'd been too caught up in venting and forgotten how heavy topics like Orochimaru might sound to others.
"Senpai… I want to ask you for a favor."
"Huh? What is it?" Sakura blinked in surprise.
"If there's ever another mission related to Hattori-n... your former teacher, Raiden Hattori." Mai took a deep breath, gathering her courage, "Please take me with you."
She inhaled sharply, "I am very strong and can be useful… And I'll get Tsunade-sama's permission too."
Holding down her pounding heart, Mai's gaze was unwavering.
She didn't want to stay sheltered. She didn't want to just sit here in the cool, post-rain weather, waiting to hear whether 'that person' was safe or in danger.
The sudden intensity in Mai's expression left Sakura momentarily speechless.
Right now, she couldn't fully understand… couldn't grasp the light shining through the autumn rain.