Chapter 548: Naruto's Extra Yang Breathing Naruto
By this point, several days had already passed since Naruto completed the Dragon Vein mission.
In order to gain the power needed to defeat the leader of the Akatsuki, Naruto, following Fukasaku's suggestion, came to Mount Myōboku to train in Sage Mode.
Since Naruto had not yet learned how to sense natural energy, the first stage of his training was to use toad oil to feel and absorb it.
It was only the introductory stage, yet neither Fukasaku nor Naruto expected Naruto to run into enormous trouble right here.
Bang! Bang!
After knocking away three Shadow Clones in a row that were on the verge of turning into frogs, and then casually dispersing the natural energy gathering in Naruto's main body, Fukasaku revealed a puzzled expression.
"This shouldn't be happening," Fukasaku muttered. "Although this training is difficult, little Naruto, you're using Shadow Clones. That should multiply your training efficiency several times over. Why is your progress still so slow?"
After thinking for a moment, he said, "Little Naruto, stop using Shadow Clones for now. Train the same way as before. I'll observe carefully and see what the problem is."
With that, Fukasaku applied toad oil to Naruto once again.
Naruto closed his eyes and began sensing and absorbing natural energy just as before.
Fukasaku fully expanded his perception and stared intently at Naruto.
Within his senses, large amounts of natural energy flowed into Naruto's body. At the same time, another small portion of natural energy was also being drawn in under the guidance of Naruto's strangely rhythmic breathing.
"So that's the problem," Fukasaku said, suddenly enlightened.
Naruto was unknowingly using two completely different methods to draw in natural energy. The natural energy inside his body was clashing against itself, which made something already difficult to control become even harder.
"So what exactly is going on?" Naruto asked. "It can't be that I just don't have the talent for Sage Jutsu, right?"
This was training Jiraiya had once completed. Naruto absolutely did not want to lose to Ero Sennin.
More importantly, this was a critical moment. He needed strength. Without enough strength, he would never be able to avenge Jiraiya.
"No, little Naruto. The problem is your breathing," Fukasaku explained. "Don't you think your breathing is a bit strange?"
"Breathing?" Naruto scratched his head. "My breathing is totally normal. Super healthy, even."
He had learned Mugetsu's Yang Release Breathing, and with effort plus the assistance of Shadow Clones, he had already reached Constant before ever coming to Mount Myōboku for Sage training.
If Kakashi and the others knew how fast Naruto had progressed, they would probably be scared silly. The time Naruto needed to reach Constant was even shorter than the time they had spent just to get started with the Breathing Technique.
"It's not a matter of healthy or unhealthy," Fukasaku said. "Your breathing is automatically guiding natural energy and using it in a certain way. That's what's causing the conflict with the other natural energy."
"There's actually something like that?" Naruto asked in confusion. "But I've never even felt natural energy before."
"Grandpa Sage, are you sure? My breathing changed because I trained Yang Release Breathing. Yang Release Breathing can strengthen the body, and after that there's an even stronger Yang Release Breathing Chakra Mode."
If possible, Naruto did not want to abandon Yang Release Breathing. On one hand, it was something Mugetsu had taught him. On the other, it was genuinely useful.
After reaching Constant, Naruto could clearly feel his body growing much stronger, and even the results of his daily training had improved.
Fukasaku observed Naruto for a little longer before speaking.
"It's probably because of the toad oil. Toad oil allows you to sense and absorb natural energy. Before this, your Yang Release Breathing couldn't sense natural energy, so it couldn't draw in enough to affect your body. The toad oil changed that."
"Little Naruto, you should return to normal breathing for now. Otherwise, your chances of successfully mastering Sage Mode will become extremely low."
Naruto's face immediately filled with conflict, and countless thoughts began racing through his mind.
"The power of Sage Mode is far beyond what you imagine," Fukasaku continued. "Ordinary Ninjutsu only consume Chakra from inside the body, so using too much leads to rapid exhaustion. Sage Chakra is different. It uses energy from the outside as well, so not only does it not tire you out as quickly, it also recovers incredibly fast."
"Little Naruto, you already have powerful Chakra of your own, and with the Nine Tails' Chakra added on top of that, your recovery will be even greater than that of an ordinary Sage. Once you master Sage Mode, the boost it gives you will definitely be much greater than Yang Release Breathing."
From Fukasaku's point of view, Naruto should abandon Yang Release Breathing without a second thought. After all, what secret technique could be stronger than Sage Jutsu?
"Grandpa Sage, please wait a moment. I'll adjust right away."
Naruto took a deep breath and made his decision.
He did not have the luxury of hesitating for long, but he also had no intention of completely giving up the Breathing Technique.
Since Yang Release Breathing increased the difficulty of controlling natural energy, then he would simply wait until his control improved before using the two together.
Before that, he would separate the training and stop maintaining the Constant state of Yang Release Breathing while practicing Sage Mode.
Fukasaku nodded with a smile. Naruto really was an obedient good child.
As Fukasaku expected, once Naruto stopped maintaining Yang Release Breathing, his progress instantly sped up.
After training until evening, Fukasaku brought Naruto home for dinner, and the first day of training officially came to an end.
"Ah, I really want to eat ramen made by Brother Mugetsu," Naruto sighed softly as he stared at the insect feast on the table.
The days he spent training with Mugetsu had truly been too blissful. Naruto felt he would never forget them.
"Little Naruto, eat quickly," Fukasaku urged. "If you don't eat enough, how are you going to have the strength to train tomorrow?"
As he spoke, Fukasaku casually popped a plump green insect into his mouth and chewed.
Naruto nodded and hurriedly started eating as well.
Perhaps he was beginning to get used to Mount Myōboku's food, or perhaps Sage training had changed something in him, but this time, after eating, Naruto actually found it pretty good.
That night, after Fukasaku had fallen asleep, Naruto, who was sharing a room with him, quietly slipped out.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
Naruto arrived at a wide open space, created more than twenty Shadow Clones, and began training Yang Release Breathing.
Although he had only just started when he parted with Mugetsu, Mugetsu had already clearly explained the path of the Breathing Technique to him.
Naruto firmly remembered every single thing Mugetsu had taught him: the characteristics of Yang Release Breathing, the power of Breathing Technique Chakra Mode, and the existence of Transparent World.
Normally, Naruto was not especially good at memorizing theory, but for some reason, Mugetsu's lessons had always been very easy for him to remember. Once he heard them, he never forgot them.
"According to Brother Mugetsu, Transparent World is the hardest, so I'll aim for Yang Release Breathing Chakra Mode first. While learning Sage Mode, I'll master Yang Release Breathing Chakra Mode too."
Naruto set his training goal.
He was desperate to become stronger now. The threat of the Akatsuki, his hatred for the enemy who killed his teacher, and his promise to bring Sasuke back, every one of those things demanded more power.
Time passed little by little amidst Naruto's endless training.
Using the Shadow Clone Technique, Naruto endured a level of exhaustion that ordinary people could never imagine, all in exchange for unbelievably fast progress in Sage training.
On top of a towering stone pillar, Naruto sat motionless on a wooden board.
"Is he finally about to succeed?" Fukasaku's expression grew tense as he sensed the natural energy around Naruto flowing into his body with extreme smoothness.
Then, the next moment, Fukasaku saw a sight that left him stunned.
Naruto suddenly opened his eyes. Orange eye shadow appeared around them, and there was not a trace of toad transformation anywhere on his body.
"Little Naruto has become a Sage that surpasses Jiraiya," Fukasaku said in shock.
The less toadification there was, the more perfect the Sage Mode. Naruto's Sage Mode had clearly reached the ideal state.
"So this is what it feels like to become one with nature."
Naruto scratched his head as he experienced the wonders of Sage Mode.
Though he could not see the familiar toads with his eyes alone, the enhanced perception of Sage Mode let him immediately determine all of their positions.
At that moment, a bird landed on Naruto's shoulder. Naruto, who had been balancing delicately on the board, instantly lost his footing and fell.
He had expected it to hurt badly given how high the stone pillar was, yet when he hit the ground, he realized he was completely fine.
"This is Sage Mode," Fukasaku explained with a chuckle as he jumped down from the stone pillar as well. "Your body is activated by Sage Chakra, so every aspect of it becomes much stronger."
"So awesome!" Naruto's eyes lit up.
Yang Release Breathing Chakra Mode could also greatly strengthen the body. If he could use Yang Release Breathing Chakra Mode together with Sage Mode, then his taijutsu and overall combat power would skyrocket.
"Now I'll teach you the combat methods of Sage Mode," Fukasaku said, beginning a new phase of Naruto's training.
Since this stage involved learning Mount Myōboku's Frog Kata, it naturally included a great deal of sparring, and Naruto was continuously sent flying by Fukasaku.
During the fighting, Naruto instinctively began using his Breathing Technique.
In truth, once someone reached Constant in a Breathing Technique, it almost became instinctive, something the body used on its own. Up until now, Naruto had only been deliberately suppressing it during his Sage training.
Now, faced with real combat and put under pressure, Naruto unconsciously returned to Yang Release Breathing.
Unlike before, Naruto had already fully mastered perfect Sage Mode. His ability to absorb and control natural energy was on an entirely different level now.
Under his conscious control, most of the natural energy drawn in by the Breathing Technique was filtered back out, and in the end, only a faint trace of natural energy that would not interfere with Sage Mode remained in his body.
As Naruto focused harder on his breathing, his body also became stronger.
The moment he realized Yang Release Breathing and Sage Mode could coexist, Naruto could not help but reveal an excited expression.
Since Yang Release Breathing could be used during Sage Mode, then there was a high probability that Yang Release Breathing Chakra Mode could also be used together with it.
"Why does Yang Release Breathing guide natural energy anyway? If I don't absorb it, it doesn't seem to affect the Breathing Technique at all."
A question surfaced in Naruto's mind.
Originally, he had worried that deliberately rejecting the natural energy guided in by Yang Release Breathing would weaken it, or even nullify its effects. But he soon discovered that there was no impact at all. It functioned exactly the same as before.
Since he could not figure it out, Naruto stopped thinking about it. Being able to use both together was already good enough.
Naruto pushed Yang Release Breathing to the limit and once again began exchanging Frog Kata with Fukasaku.
Naruto's sudden increase in strength caught Fukasaku off guard, and before he could adjust, Naruto sent him flying.
"Oh? Little Naruto suddenly got stronger," Fukasaku said in surprise.
"Hehe, Grandpa Sage, didn't expect that, huh?" Naruto grinned and gave a thumbs up. "This is a super powerful secret technique from another world!"
He praised Mugetsu without hesitation.
Since getting Yang Release Breathing, Naruto had been training with Shadow Clones almost nonstop, making noticeable progress practically every day.
If Mugetsu used his appraisal ability on Naruto now, he would discover that Naruto's Yang Release Breathing proficiency had already surpassed Rin's proficiency in Water Breathing.
That night, as usual, Naruto snuck off to a secluded place on Mount Myōboku to train by himself.
"I have to make it work tonight."
Naruto's expression turned solemn as he began to absorb natural energy and condense Sage Chakra.
While training Sage Mode and Yang Release Breathing, Naruto had also been working on another thing: completing Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.
Because his earlier use of Rasenshuriken had damaged his Chakra pathways, Tsunade had already classified it as a forbidden technique and forbidden him from using it again.
To stop anyone from finding out and stopping him, Naruto could only train Rasenshuriken in secret at night.
Naruto was not some lunatic who pursued strength without regard for his body. He was not that foolish. If his Chakra pathway system were badly damaged, then he would not even be able to remain a shinobi, let alone protect Konoha or bring Sasuke back.
The reason Naruto had resumed training Rasenshuriken was that he was now stronger than before, and because Yang Release Breathing and Sage Mode had both improved his recovery ability.
"And as long as I can throw it, I won't have to suffer the backlash from the Rasenshuriken anymore."
In Naruto's view, the truly complete Rasenshuriken was one that could be thrown. Not only would that eliminate the self inflicted damage, it would also make it far more useful in real combat.
Orange eye shadow once again appeared at the corners of Naruto's eyes. The moment he entered Sage Mode, he formed hand signs and created Shadow Clones to assist him.
A large amount of Sage Chakra gathered in Naruto's hand. One Shadow Clone helped him shape the Rasengan into a Shuriken form, while another injected Wind Release Nature Transformation into it.
Soon, a rapidly spinning Rasenshuriken appeared in Naruto's palm, its ear splitting rotational whine especially sharp in the stillness of the open field.
Fortunately, no toads on Mount Myōboku had the habit of staying up all night, and the place Naruto had chosen was secluded enough that nobody noticed him.
Naruto did not succeed on the first try.
Though he managed to throw the jutsu, the balance inside it collapsed midway, and it dispersed before hitting the target.
Naruto didn't care. He simply began forming the Rasenshuriken again.
As the night deepened, more and more craters appeared around the place where Naruto was training.
"I'll continue tonight."
Naruto let out a long breath and quietly returned to the room to sleep.
The Rasenshuriken still had many problems. Sometimes it lacked enough power, and other times it exploded before it should.
When Fukasaku woke up, he looked at the sleeping Naruto and prepared to wake him.
But after calling to him once and getting no response, Fukasaku gave up and got up alone.
At breakfast, Shima noticed Naruto wasn't there.
"Where's little Naruto? If he doesn't eat breakfast, how can he train?"
"He still hasn't gotten up," Fukasaku explained.
"Then I'll go wake him," Shima said, preparing to do exactly that.
But Fukasaku shook his head and stopped her.
"Ero Sennin's death hit him too hard. The pressure on him right now is enormous. He probably didn't sleep well again last night. Let him rest a little longer."
Only when it was time for training did Fukasaku finally wake Naruto. By then, Shima had already reheated breakfast for him.
"Ugh, Grandpa Sage… morning."
Naruto rubbed his aching eyes.
Even though Fukasaku had let him sleep in, Naruto had gone to bed far too late, so it still wasn't enough.
Even so, Naruto forced himself to brighten up and smiled at Fukasaku.
It was just staying up late. There was no way something like that could defeat him, Uzumaki Naruto, the man destined to become Hokage.
"Eat first."
Fukasaku led Naruto over to the table.
Breakfast was still Mount Myōboku's signature cuisine. Naruto ate wildly with his eyes half closed, doing his best to fill himself and give his body the nutrients it needed.
After breakfast, it was another full day of practical Sage Mode training.
Naruto's Frog Kata and Sage Ninjutsu became more and more skilled.
But to Naruto, the real focus remained nighttime.
Frog Kata, Sage Ninjutsu, Rasengan, those were all excellent, but in Naruto's heart, they still could not compare to Rasenshuriken.
"I have to succeed tonight."
Once night fell, Naruto returned once again to his private training.
This was already his sixth day on Mount Myōboku.
Before he left Konoha, Tsunade had told him that if things progressed quickly, the village might be able to extract more information from autopsies and interrogations within a week.
If everything went well, then perhaps tomorrow Konoha would finally piece together Pain's secret and begin gathering forces against the Akatsuki.
Naruto wanted to become stronger as fast as he possibly could so he could personally avenge Jiraiya.
"I wonder if Kakashi sensei and the others are doing well."
Naruto found himself thinking of the young Jiraiya he had seen when he traveled through time.
According to Kakashi's deductions, the worlds were similar, but not the same.
Even if Naruto never got the chance to visit that world again, he still sincerely hoped that the Minato and Jiraiya there could live happily.
With that resolve in his heart, Naruto condensed Rasenshuriken again and again.
He failed countless times.
Then finally, a massive explosion rang out, and one of Mount Myōboku's peaks was blasted apart.
"Haa… haa… I did it."
The enormous drain on his body forced Naruto out of Sage Mode, and he bent over, gasping for breath as he looked forward in delight.
Then guilt instantly appeared on his face.
Making a commotion this huge in the middle of the night really was kind of awful.
Afraid that someone would discover him, Naruto immediately changed locations and began training Yang Release Breathing instead.
With Sage Mode mastered and Rasenshuriken completed, if he could also learn Yang Release Breathing Chakra Mode, then his strength would truly reach its current peak.
Naruto created a large number of Shadow Clones to accelerate his training.
Every hour, he dispelled them, sorted through all the returned experience, and then created another batch to continue.
Without Naruto noticing, night gradually turned into dawn, and the sun slowly rose into the sky.
When he dispelled the final set of Shadow Clones, a massive flood of training experience rushed back into his main body, and the sheer exhaustion made Naruto collapse directly onto the ground.
He lay there for a full minute before finally forcing himself back up. Then he focused his breathing and aimed once more for Yang Release Breathing Chakra Mode.
"Yang Release Breathing, Full Concentration!"
Naruto poured all his attention into Yang Release Breathing and pushed it to its absolute limit.
But no matter how he circulated the technique, he still could not enter the Yang Release Breathing Chakra Mode Mugetsu had once described.
"Am I still missing something?"
Naruto looked up at the sky, which had already grown fully bright, and could only give up for the moment and quietly return to his room to sleep.
Even if sleeping now was absurdly late, it was still better than not sleeping at all.
Just like yesterday, Fukasaku let Naruto sleep until training time before waking him for breakfast.
"I'm going out to gather some fresh ingredients."
After seeing Naruto finish eating, Shima picked up a small basket and stepped outside.
"I wonder when I'll get to eat Mugetsu nii's ramen again."
Naruto let out a faint sigh as he looked at the remaining bugs on the table.
The days he had trained with Mugetsu truly had been too happy.
Though he was grateful to Shima for cooking, Mount Myōboku's menu still really wasn't meant for normal humans. Even if he had gotten used to the taste somewhat, the sight of it alone still tested his courage.
"Come on. Back to training," Fukasaku urged.
About half an hour later, Fukasaku sighed.
"Little Naruto, you're already a qualified Sage."
Though Naruto had only trained for seven days, he had already mastered a more perfect Sage Mode than Jiraiya's, and his Frog Kata had also become highly proficient.
After that, Fukasaku began explaining the drawbacks of Sage Mode.
Normally, Mount Myōboku's Sage Mode lasted only around five minutes, and if the battle was especially intense, it ended even faster.
A single use of Sage Mode was basically only enough for Naruto to throw Rasenshuriken twice. After two, his Sage Chakra would be gone.
There were only two ways to extend Sage Mode. One was Mount Myōboku's fusion Sage Art. The other was to remain still and continuously absorb natural energy in order to replenish Sage Chakra.
In essence, the two methods were the same. The only difference was that in the first case, the sages of Mount Myōboku fused with Naruto and absorbed natural energy for him.
But something awkward had happened.
Because the Nine Tails inside Naruto was unwilling, Fukasaku was unable to fuse with him.
And just like that, man and toad had reached an awkward dead end. If Naruto could not replenish Sage Chakra, then the practical value of Sage Mode would be greatly reduced.
"Yang Release Breathing can also guide natural energy into the body. If I use Yang Release Breathing to absorb natural energy while moving, wouldn't that solve the problem of standing still?"
A sudden idea flashed through Naruto's mind.
"That sounds possible in theory," Fukasaku admitted, "but your Yang Release Breathing has its own system. If you force it together with Mount Myōboku's Sage Mode, it most likely won't work."
To Fukasaku, Naruto's Yang Release Breathing already felt like some kind of unfinished Sage Mode prototype.
Trying to force it together with Mount Myōboku's Sage Mode would be extremely dangerous.
If Naruto were anywhere other than Mount Myōboku, Fukasaku would definitely have warned him not to attempt it recklessly. Otherwise, if natural energy ran wild in his body, the result would be disastrous.
"How will I know unless I try?"
Naruto was a man of action. He immediately began another experiment.
This time, unlike before, Naruto no longer blocked the natural energy guided by Yang Release Breathing from entering his body.
He didn't even just allow it in. He actively absorbed as much as he could, trying to use Mount Myōboku's methods to extend Sage Mode through it.
Bang!
Fukasaku watched Naruto's body suddenly swell and take on toad features, then instantly smacked him with his staff to disperse the natural energy flooding his body.
"I told you it wouldn't work."
His expression clearly said exactly that.
How could a Sage who had lived for over eight hundred years lose to Naruto in his understanding of Sage Mode?
Still unconvinced, Naruto decided to separate the experiment and try them one at a time.
This time he did not enter Sage Mode at all. Instead, he simply used Yang Release Breathing, then fully absorbed the natural energy it guided in and merged it into the Breathing Technique itself.
The result was immediate.
Naruto felt an entirely different sensation. His strength and speed rose far beyond what they had been under normal Yang Release Breathing.
Once Naruto had grown somewhat used to that state, he tried combining it with Sage Mode again just as before.
It still failed.
The natural energy in his body instantly went berserk, and Fukasaku's staff came down on him again without mercy.
In the end, Naruto could only conclude that the Breathing Technique after actively absorbing natural energy could not be used simultaneously with Sage Mode, at least not with his current level.
So he was forced, for now, to abandon the idea of using the Breathing Technique to recharge Mount Myōboku's Sage Mode.
"It's such a waste. Grandpa Sage doesn't have infinite energy either, and even staying still, he can only handle about four units at most. Otherwise, I could just use the Shadow Clone method and keep experimenting for a couple more days."
Naruto felt deeply regretful.
Sage training was simply too dangerous. That severely limited how far he could push the Shadow Clone training method.
"Wait a second… Shadow Clones!"
A flash of inspiration suddenly struck Naruto, and his eyes brightened.
He had just thought of an excellent method.
"Lord Fukasaku, this is bad!"
Just as Naruto was about to test his new idea, a pink toad hurried over in alarm.
"Kōsuke nii, who was handling communications, has been killed. His name disappeared from the list."
Both Fukasaku's and Naruto's expressions changed at once.
Without question, something had happened in Konoha.
Fukasaku immediately told Naruto to prepare for battle at any time, then quickly began making arrangements.
…
Meanwhile, back in Konoha, after taking a full force Shinra Tensei from the Deva Path, the village had been reduced to a vast field of ruins.
Only the main gate remained miraculously intact.
Sizzle. Sizzle.
Sakura crawled out from the Katsuyu that had protected her and stared blankly at the destruction in front of her.
One familiar comrade after another had died before her eyes. The village where she had lived since childhood had been destroyed.
At that moment, the final string inside Sakura's heart snapped completely.
Tears spilled uncontrollably from her eyes, and she could no longer hold herself together.
"Naruto, come back already!"
Sakura fell to her knees and cried out helplessly.
Kakashi sensei was dead. Sasuke, the one she loved most, had defected.
From the original Team 7, only she and Naruto remained.
"Please… Naruto!"
At that moment, all of Sakura's reason vanished, and not the slightest sense of security remained in her heart.
As if responding to her cry, a change suddenly occurred in the enormous crater formed by Shinra Tensei.
Bang!
A burst of summoning smoke appeared.
.....
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