Escape from Konoha.

Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to call natural energy an inexhaustible energy source.

"By the way, I think I heard Yu Huo's voice just now. What happened?"

While extracting natural energy, Shiraishi faintly heard the voice of Ninja Cat Yuuka, hence this question.

Liuli didn't hide anything and said directly, "It came to report to me that a lot of toads have appeared in Konoha recently, and it told me to be careful."

"Toad?"

Shiraishi tilted his head.

Honestly, the appearance of so many toads in Konoha Village is hard to notice unless you pay special attention to such things. After all, toads are so small and mostly hide in dark and damp sewer environments, so who would pay special attention to such a thing?

"Mount Myoboku, one of the three sacred sites, is the lair of the toad. And Jiraiya, one of the three legendary ninja, had a deep connection with Mount Myoboku."

"Are you worried it's a toad from Mount Myōboku?"

Shiraishi suddenly felt that this was a bit too far-fetched.

"According to the records of the Uchiha clan, the three sacred lands have a long history and possess incredible magical power. Regardless of whether it was the work of the Sannin, we cannot let our guard down."

"Is that so? Then I'll be careful."

Shiraishi didn't object, since Ruri had a complete intelligence system, so he didn't really need to do this kind of thing.

However... it is indeed a bit strange that so many toads have suddenly appeared in Konoha.

"Forget it, I just need to avoid attracting attention; there's no need to do anything unnecessary," Shiraishi thought to himself.

So far, he has kept his true nature well hidden, and with Ruri handling many of the aftermath issues for him, it can be said that he is currently a Konoha genin with a pure mind and ordinary abilities.

Just follow this normal feeling.

Chapter Fifty-Three: A New Beginning and an Encounter with Fate

On the training ground.

boom!

The instant the fist made contact with the ground, a huge explosion rang out, creating a crater several meters in diameter. Sand and gravel flew everywhere, and the figure was obscured by the sudden sandstorm.

After the smoke and dust cleared, the pit was still covered with shocking cracks that extended deeper into the earth.

The skin on Liuli's fist was a little red, and she felt a slight pain in her fist, but the pain quickly disappeared without a trace.

"Is this the power of natural energy? It's really not to be underestimated. A casual punch has the same effect as ninjutsu."

Moreover, Ruri felt her body become incredibly light, and the effect of using natural energy to replace chakra to amplify her body was so remarkable.

This made Liuli begin to feel a sense of awe for the power of nature.

Compared to the vastness of nature, the natural energy within one's own body is but a drop of water in the ocean.

Lost in thought, Ruri suddenly felt that humans, or ninjas, were truly insignificant.

We cannot survive without this land, nor can we survive without this sky.

No matter how strong you become, you can never transcend this world.

Everything is a gift from nature.

The chakra that the human body generates itself is insignificant compared to this immense power.

"What's wrong? You seem distracted."

Shiraishi carried a portable medical kit so that he could quickly treat Ruri or himself if they got injured during the upcoming practice.

Seeing Liuli test the power of her physical techniques and then fall into deep thought, I couldn't help but feel puzzled.

"It's nothing, I just suddenly realized how insignificant humans are in the face of nature."

Upon hearing this, Shiraishi suddenly burst out laughing.

"why are you laughing?"

Liuli narrowed her eyes, revealing a fierce glint, and raised her fist.

"Ah, it's nothing. I just feel that reminiscing about life here is completely unlike your style, Liuli."

"..."

"Alright, alright, there's really no need for that. In the end, we humans are an inseparable part of nature, it's just that we are a more prominent animal group in nature. We should never think about the relationship between humans and nature based on the idea that humans are superior life forms that are above nature. As the saying goes, the more knowledgeable you are, the more you realize your own powerlessness."

After carefully considering Shiraishi's words, Ruri quite agreed with them.

I was too ignorant in the past, which is why I was fearless.

As we grow older and gain more experience, we come to appreciate the true vastness and grandeur of things.

Only when faced with such immense power did I realize that I had previously been nothing more than a frog in a well.

"Alright, how does the feeling of natural energy feel?"

Bai Shi asked about serious matters.

Liuli didn't answer, but instead punched Baishi in the face.

Shiraishi tilted his head slightly, letting Ruri's fist brush past his ear, as if he had calculated it carefully.

"Just like you said, this feeling is very powerful, completely different from my previous self. Now, with the power of the Sharingan, I should be able to detect Sakumo-sensei's speed and counterattack in time."

Liuli felt an inexhaustible energy within her body. This state, where every cell in her body seemed to be cheering with joy, made her feel more comfortable than ever before.

"That's right. Next, let's experiment to see if natural energy can be directly applied to ninjutsu and genjutsu."

Natural energy, like physical and mental energy, requires many steps to extract.

Drawing energy from nature is just a general overview. How to effectively draw it in, how to store it in the body, and which part of the body is best suited as the entry point all require continuous accumulation of experience.

The same applies to physical energy and mental energy.

The amount of food consumed each day, the types of food consumed, and the stability of one's emotional state all affect the amount of physical and mental energy extracted.

In theory, chakra can be used to perform taijutsu, ninjutsu, and genjutsu. Since it has been proven that natural energy can enhance taijutsu, ninjutsu and genjutsu should also be no problem.

Ruri did not object; she was also eager to know whether natural energy could be used to unleash ninjutsu and genjutsu.

As she spoke, she began to form hand seals in order to better balance the natural energy gathered in her mouth and release ninjutsu.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

As the signature fire release technique of the Uchiha clan, it is far stronger than the fire release techniques of ordinary ninjas.

Although Liuli successfully formed the hand seals and natural energy did gather in the oral cavity area, there was not much reaction.

"what happened?"

Seeing that Ruri looked slightly unnatural and seemed to be in pain, Shiraishi ran over worriedly and asked.

Liuli turned her head, opened her mouth, took a breath, and her expression improved a little.

"My tongue is burned..."

Shiraishi: "..."

It seems we have failed.

The natural energy merely emitted unimaginable heat within the glass-like mouth, but it did not transform into a fireball or manifest in a tangible form.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"

"Fire Release: Great Fireball..."

……

After that, every time Ruri used the Great Fireball Technique, she would drink a large gulp of water to reduce the heat in her mouth.

The experiment of releasing natural energy ninjutsu continued until evening before it finally ended.

The result was a failure.

◎

A week has passed since then.

Experiments to replace chakra with natural energy to release ninjutsu and genjutsu all ended in failure.

In other words, currently existing natural energy, apart from amplifying physical and mental activity, cannot be used to replace chakra in releasing ninjutsu and genjutsu.

However, this does not mean that the experiment was a complete failure. Shiraishi believes that the reason why it could not achieve its expected results may be due to the wrong method.

Suddenly at this moment, orders came from above, and the Sakumo Squad needed to immediately launch an operation and go to the front line of the Fire Country battlefield to provide support.

Therefore, Shiraishi had no choice but to stop his work and quickly concealed everything in the laboratory, handing over the experimental equipment to the ninja cat summoned by Ruri for relocation.

After nearly twenty days of relaxation, the Shuo Mao Squad has finally embarked on a new round of missions.

Gather at the main gate of Konoha.

When Shiraishi and Ruri arrived, Ayane and Sakumo had already been waiting there for quite some time.

Because hiding the experimental equipment took up a lot of time, Shiraishi and Ruri were a little late, but since there was still half an hour until the agreed meeting time, they weren't considered late.

The four didn't exchange many words after meeting. More than half a month passed, and their appearances had changed slightly. Sakumo's aura had become the most obvious. He exuded a sharp and outward-facing aura, and it was foreseeable that his swordsmanship had reached a new level.

"Professor Shuo Mao, we're all here, we can go now."

Once everyone was present, Shiraishi prepared to proceed.

"Wait a little longer, another team will be joining us. They should be here soon too."

Shuo Mao smiled and calmed himself down to wait.

Another team? The three members of the Shiraishi group looked puzzled.

Just as Sakumo had said, about half a minute later, a man and a woman, one big and one small, arrived.

Like Sakumo, the adult was wearing the Konoha Jonin uniform. He was a white-haired adult male who looked a bit sly and unserious, but also had an extraordinary air about him.

The short man following behind him was about the same age as the three of them, with golden hair that shone brightly and a sunny, handsome smile. Compared to the shy and bashful man he was a few years ago, he was now a more mature young man.

—Minato Namikaze.

Shiraishi recognized the boy's identity.