Chapter 166: Nature's Path and an Ominous Message
In the secluded hut deep within the Rain Country, Ragnar sat in the lotus position on the worn floorboards, deep in meditation. His focus was absolute, a silent communion with the intricate flows of chakra within him and the new, profound equilibrium of his upgraded powers.
The Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Daibutsu, now at Level 5, thrummed with a serene, golden potential that seemed to resonate with the very structure of his being. Integrating this heightened power required fine-tuning, a recalibration of body and spirit. Meditation was the perfect crucible for this process.
Yet, his practice went deeper. Even as he centered himself, he kept a fraction of his consciousness actively engaging his Observation Haki. He stretched his senses outwards, not to locate life forces, but to perceive the subtler currents—the vast, placid, and immensely potent flow of Natural Energy that permeated all things.
He did not know the Sage Mode. He had no toad, snake, or slug sage to guide him. But his unique, Level 4 Observation Haki granted him a key: the ability to sense this energy directly. He could not yet safely blend it with his own chakra to create Senjutsu Chakra—that required a perfect, precarious balance he hadn't mastered. However, he could attract it, guide it into his body, and let it simply… coexist.
It was a risk-free experiment. The Natural Energy, by itself, was not harmful; it was the very essence of the world. Allowing it to saturate his cells, to mingle with his spiritual essence, could only be beneficial. And so, he did.
Under the guidance of his Observation Haki, the invisible streams of natural force drifting through the forest, the soil, the very air, began to gently swirl towards him. They seeped into his pores, reacting with the potent vitality of his spirit and the enhanced vessel of his Phoenix- and Buddha-tempered flesh. A new, faint, and incredibly pure energy began to coalesce within him—a nascent form of Senjutsu Chakra, resting inertly, a reservoir of untapped potential.
His physique, refined by mythical Zoan fruits and supreme Haki, was becoming something unique—a form intrinsically closer to nature itself.
A long time passed. When Ragnar finally opened his eyes, he exhaled a breath that seemed to carry a faint, golden sparkle. He felt… lighter. Not in weight, but in spirit. As if a layer of mundane grime had been scoured from his soul. It was an exquisite, profound sensation.
As he began to rise, he felt an unusual weight atop his head, a soft, damp pressure.
A flicker of instinctive alarm. With a swift, reflexive motion, he reached up and snatched the object, flinging it away before him.
Plop. Oof!
A soft, plump white form tumbled onto the floorboards.
"Owwwww!"
The voice was distinctly feminine, young, and carried a squeak of protest.
Ragnar stared. The creature before him was roughly the size of a basketball, glistening and pale. Its most defining feature—a pair of slender eyestalks—wobbled indignantly. "Slug?" he asked, his voice flat.
"Y-yes! It's me, the little slug! Master Ragnar!" the slug piped up, its voice now a hurt whimper. "That really hurt!"
"'Little'?" Ragnar echoed, his eyebrow twitching. The thing had swelled to grotesque proportions. As it began to wiggle its bulk closer, seemingly intent on climbing his leg, he acted.
Swat.
He backhanded it gently but firmly, sending it rolling across the floor like a misplaced dumpling.
"Owwieee!" it wailed, coming to a stop. "Master Ragnar, why hit me? I'm just a baby! Waaah~"
"A 'baby' the size of a melon," Ragnar stated, unimpressed. "Explain. You were palm-sized before. Why the sudden… inflation? And I was under the impression you remained dormant unless I was injured. Why are you conscious, rational, and on my head?"
The thought of this damp, oversized mollusk squatting on his crown for an unknown duration sent an involuntary shudder down his spine.
"It's the Natural Energy!" the slug blurted out, its eyestalks waving. "I never imagined Master Ragnar could actively draw in Natural Energy! It woke me from my dormant state! For our kind, Natural Energy isn't just power; it's the most nutritious substance for our growth!"
Understanding dawned. So this little freeloader was siphoning off my gathered Natural Energy. No wonder it had ballooned in such a short time. It had been feasting.
"I see. However," Ragnar's gaze was stern, "you will not perch on my person without permission. Is that clear?"
"Y-yes, Master Ragnar," the slug mumbled, deflating slightly (though not in size). "But… may I stay near you? To absorb the Natural Energy? It's so much more efficient than gathering it myself!"
"Why can't you gather it yourself?" Ragnar questioned. "I was under the impression your species had a natural affinity for it."
In his memories of the canon, the toads of Mount Myōboku could use Natural Energy—it was part of their racial inheritance. Animals perceived the world differently; their senses were often more attuned to nature's rhythms. They could use Senjutsu and, later, even mimic ninjutsu. Humans, however, struggled. True Sage Masters were exceedingly rare, and those like Jūgo, with innate Sage-like bodies, were unstable, prone to berserk rages.
"I can," the little slug admitted, "but it's slow. Master Ragnan's body… it's different. It attracts Natural Energy. The energy seems to… want to be near you. Instead of working hard to gather scraps, wouldn't it be better for me to just… lounge nearby and absorb the abundance?" It sounded utterly logical from its perspective.
"Won't you just keep getting bigger?" Ragnar asked, envisioning a future with a slug the size of a house trailing behind him.
"Well… it would significantly shorten my growth cycle," the slug confirmed.
Ragnar considered for a moment. A symbiotic relationship wasn't entirely without merit. "Fine. You may absorb it. But if I find you on my head, shoulder, or any other part of my anatomy again, I will personally deliver you to the nearest toad burrow. Understood?"
"NO!" The slug's cry was one of genuine horror. The thought was apparently a fate worse than death.
Ragnar ignored its dramatics. A plump, caterpillar-like blob of sentient mucus was an aesthetic he could do without. "Can you change back to your original size?"
"I can… but it wastes the energy I just absorbed. We prefer to stay larger once we grow," it explained.
"Change back. I am not carrying a melon-sized slug. It's unseemly," Ragnar commanded, his tone leaving no room for debate.
"What a cruel master…" the slug thought, too scared to vocalize it. The promise of effortless Natural Energy was too great a lure. With a soft poof of expelled chakra and a faint sigh, its body shimmered and rapidly contracted until it was once again a petite, palm-sized creature.
Much better, Ragnar thought. He picked up the now-tiny slug. It immediately nuzzled against his palm, its movements less affectionate and more like a connoisseur savoring the lingering traces of Natural Energy on his skin. The energy was an irresistible temptation for its kind.
Suddenly, the little slug in his hand went rigid. Its eyestalks locked straight, its entire body becoming as still as a pebble. For a moment, Ragnar thought it had somehow expired from excitement.
He poked it with a finger. No reaction.
"Did it actually short-circuit? Pathetic," he muttered.
The moment the words left his lips, the slug jolted back to life. "Master Ragnar! I'm not dead! But—but it's Tsunade-sama! She's in trouble!"
Ragnar's casual demeanor vanished. "Explain. Quickly."
"I just established a mental link, a vision share with my main body's connection to Tsunade-sama! She's fighting! They've encountered a… a monster! A monster with many tails!"
"Tails?" Ragnar's blood ran cold for a split second before his mind supplied the answer. "A Tailed Beast."
If that was true, then the situation on the front lines had just escalated from a difficult battle to a potential massacre.
(End of Chapter)
✨If you're enjoying this story, consider supporting me on Patreon —
Patreon.com/TofuChan
Where you can read Extra Advance Chaters
Bonus Chapter For Every 100 Power Stones
Lets hit the goal of 300 Patreon Members now for 5 Extra Chapters 💕