Chapter 548: Naruto Side Story - Naruto, Master of the Sun's Breath, Arrives

Chapter 548: Naruto Side Story - Naruto, Master of the Sun's Breath, Arrives

Several days had passed since Naruto completed the Dragon Vein mission.

In order to gain the power to defeat the leader of the Akatsuki, Naruto, on the suggestion of Toad Sage Fukasaku from Mount Myoboku, embarked on a journey to the sacred mountain to train in the mysterious Sage Mode.

As Naruto had never learned to sense natural energy before, the first stage of his training involved using toad oil to sense and absorb natural energy.

This was meant to be the initial stage of his training, but something unexpected happened that left both Fukasaku and Naruto bewildered.

Bang, bang!

Fukasaku dispersed three of Naruto's shadow clones that were on the verge of turning into frogs, and then casually dispersed the natural energy within Naruto's body as well. The toad sage furrowed his brows in confusion.

"This shouldn't be happening. Although it's extremely difficult to achieve perfection in this training, Naruto, you've created three shadow clones, which should theoretically multiply the effects of your training. I don't understand why your progress is so slow." Fukasaku scratched his head in puzzlement.

After thinking for a moment, he instructed Naruto, "Naruto, don't create any shadow clones for now. Try the training again as you did just now, and I'll carefully sense what's going on."

Fukasaku then directed the toad oil from the waterfall onto Naruto.

Naruto closed his eyes and focused on sensing and absorbing the natural energy as he had done previously.

Fukasaku, with his senses heightened, kept a close eye on Naruto.

Through Fukasaku's perception, he noticed that while many strands of natural energy entered Naruto's body, a small portion of it was being drawn into his body by a strange, rhythmic breathing pattern that Naruto unconsciously exhibited.

"I see what's happening now," Fukasaku exclaimed, his eyes widening in realization.

Naruto, without realizing it, had been using two different methods to draw in natural energy, causing a conflict within his body that made the already difficult-to-control natural energy even more unruly.

"So, what's going on? Do I not have the talent for mastering senjutsu?" Naruto asked anxiously.

This was a training that Jiraiya had once completed, and Naruto was determined not to lose to that perverted sage.

More importantly, he was at a critical juncture where he needed strength. Without sufficient power, he wouldn't be able to avenge Jiraiya.

"No, it's not that. It's your breathing, Naruto. Don't you find your breathing a bit peculiar?" Fukasaku explained.

"My breathing? It's perfectly normal and healthy," Naruto replied, scratching his head.

He had learned the Sun's Breath from Mu Yue, and with the boost from his diligent training with the Shadow Clone Jutsu, he had already reached a state of constant activation even before coming to Mount Myoboku to train in senjutsu.

If Kakashi and the others knew about Naruto's rate of progress, they would probably be scared out of their wits. The time it took for Naruto to master the constant activation of the Sun's Breath was even shorter than the time they had spent just to grasp the basics of their own breathing techniques.

"It's not about whether it's healthy or not," Fukasaku clarified. "Your breathing is automatically guiding the natural energy to perform some kind of manipulation, which is causing conflict with the other natural energy you're trying to absorb."

"Is that so?" Naruto furrowed his brows in confusion. "But I don't usually sense natural energy like this."

When Mu Yue had taught him the Sun's Breath, she hadn't mentioned anything about natural energy or Sage Mode.

"Are you sure, Grandpa Sage? My breathing changed because I practiced the Sun's Breath. It strengthens my body, and there's an even more powerful Chakra Mode that I can unlock later on."

Naruto was reluctant to give up on the Sun's Breath. On one hand, it was a technique taught to him by Mu Yue, and on the other, it was indeed a practical secret art.

Having mastered the constant activation of the Sun's Breath, Naruto could clearly feel that his body had become much stronger, and the effects of his daily training had improved as well.

Fukasaku observed Naruto for a while longer before speaking again. "It's probably because of the toad oil. The toad oil allows you to sense and absorb natural energy. Your Sun's Breath, in a state where you can't perceive natural energy, wouldn't be able to absorb enough natural energy to affect your body. The toad oil has changed that."

"Naruto, it would be best if you reverted to your normal breathing. Otherwise, your success rate in mastering Sage Mode will be extremely low," Fukasaku advised.

Naruto's face scrunched up in conflict as he thought hard about the dilemma.

"The power of Sage Mode far surpasses your imagination," Fukasaku continued. "Using regular ninjutsu that consumes your internal chakra too frequently will quickly tire you out. But senjutsu chakra is different. Since you can absorb energy from external sources, you won't get tired, and your recovery will be much faster."

"Naruto, you already possess an immense chakra reserve, and with the addition of the Nine-Tails' chakra, your recovery ability will be even stronger than that of an ordinary sage. Successfully mastering Sage Mode will give you a boost far greater than what you'd get from the Sun's Breath."

From Fukasaku's perspective, Naruto should have no hesitation in giving up the Sun's Breath. After all, what secret art could possibly surpass the might of senjutsu?

"Grandpa Sage, wait a moment. I'll make some adjustments right now," Naruto said, taking a deep breath as he made his decision.

He didn't have much time to hesitate, and he wasn't planning to abandon the breathing technique completely.

Since the Sun's Breath seemed to complicate the control of natural energy, he decided that he would use it simultaneously later on when his control abilities were stronger.

For now, he would stagger his training, refraining from maintaining the constant activation of the Sun's Breath.

Fukasaku nodded with a smile, pleased that Naruto was such an obedient student.

As Fukasaku had predicted, once Naruto stopped maintaining the Sun's Breath, his progress accelerated significantly.

By the time evening fell, Fukasaku brought Naruto back home for dinner, marking the end of the first day of training.

"Hmm, I really feel like having some of Mu Yue's ramen," Naruto sighed, looking at the table filled with insect delicacies.

The time he had spent training with Mu Yue was truly blissful, and Naruto felt that he would never forget it for as long as he lived.

"Naruto, eat up. You won't have the energy to train tomorrow if you don't fill your stomach tonight," Fukasaku said as he popped a plump, green insect into his mouth and started chewing.

Naruto nodded and quickly began to eat.

Perhaps it was because he had gotten used to Mount Myoboku's cuisine, or maybe it was due to his training in Sage Mode, but this time, Naruto actually found the meal to be quite palatable.

Naruto created over twenty clones in a large open space and began his training in the Sun's Breath.

Although he had only started learning it when he parted ways with Mu Yue, she had explained the path of the breathing technique to him clearly.

Naruto remembered everything Mu Yue had taught him about the Sun's Breath, from its characteristics and effects to the Chakra Mode and the Transparent World it could unlock.

Normally, Naruto wasn't good at memorizing theoretical concepts, but for some reason, Mu Yue's teachings stuck with him and he never forgot them.

"According to Big Brother Mu Yue's lecture, the Transparent World is the most difficult aspect, so my goal is to master the Sun's Breath Chakra Mode while also training in Sage Mode," Naruto set his cultivation goal.

At that moment, he yearned for strength more than anything. The threat of the Akatsuki, his desire for revenge against Pain, and his mission to bring back Sasuke—all of these fueled his determination to become stronger.

Time passed as Naruto continued his relentless training.

Using the Shadow Clone Training Method, Naruto endured an unimaginable amount of fatigue, but in return, his progress in Sage Mode was exceptionally fast.

Perched atop a towering rock spike, Naruto sat unwaveringly on a wooden board.

"Could he finally be succeeding?" Fukasaku's expression turned anxious as he sensed the natural energy flowing smoothly into Naruto's body.

The next second, Fukasaku witnessed something astonishing.

Naruto's eyes snapped open, revealing a hint of orange in the corners, and not a single sign of toad-like transformation could be seen on his body.

"Little Naruto has become a sage, surpassing even Jiraiya," Fukasaku exclaimed in surprise.

The fewer toad-like transformations, the more perfected the Sage Mode, and there was no doubt that Naruto's Sage Mode was in its ideal state.

"So this is what it feels like to become one with nature," Naruto mused, ruffling his hair as he experienced the unique aspects of Sage Mode.

Although he couldn't see the familiar toads, Naruto, with his enhanced perception from Sage Mode, could pinpoint their exact locations.

Just then, a bird landed on Naruto's shoulder, disrupting his delicate balance and causing him to fall from the spike.

Naruto expected it to hurt, falling from such a height, but to his surprise, he felt no pain at all.

"This is Sage Mode for you," Fukasaku explained with a laugh as he jumped down from the spike. "Your body has been revitalized by senjutsu chakra, making you stronger in every sense of the word."

"That's amazing!" Naruto exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

The Sun's Breath Chakra Mode also enhanced his body to a large extent, and if he could use it in conjunction with Sage Mode, his taijutsu and combat abilities would receive a tremendous boost.

"Now, it's time for me to teach you the fighting techniques of Sage Mode," Fukasaku said, beginning a new round of instruction.

As part of the training involved teaching Naruto the Frog Kata of Mount Myoboku, Fukasaku engaged him in numerous real combat scenarios, sending him flying with every move.

In the midst of battle, Naruto instinctively activated the Sun's Breath.

In truth, the breathing technique had become second nature to Naruto, as it did for anyone who reached a high level of proficiency. He had only been suppressing it while training in Sage Mode.

Now, in the heat of battle and at a disadvantage, Naruto unconsciously reverted to using the Sun's Breath.

Unlike before, Naruto had now perfected Sage Mode, and his control over natural energy absorption far surpassed his previous abilities.

With deliberate control, Naruto filtered out most of the natural energy drawn by the Sun's Breath, allowing only a minuscule amount—too insignificant to affect his Sage Mode—to enter his body.

As Naruto's breathing became more focused, his body grew stronger.

Successfully combining the Sun's Breath with Sage Mode, Naruto couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.

Since he could use the Sun's Breath in Sage Mode, there was a high possibility that he could also use the Sun's Breath Chakra Mode simultaneously with Sage Mode.

"Why does the Sun's Breath guide natural energy? And why doesn't it seem to affect the Sun's Breath if I don't absorb it?" Naruto wondered.

He had initially worried that deliberately avoiding the absorption of the natural energy drawn by the Sun's Breath would weaken its effects or even cause them to disappear, but to his surprise, it made no difference at all. The Sun's Breath remained as potent as ever.

Unable to figure it out, Naruto decided not to dwell on it. After all, being able to use them together was a good thing.

Naruto pushed the Sun's Breath to its limits and once again sparred with Fukasaku.

The sudden boost in Naruto's strength caught Fukasaku off guard, and he was sent flying by Naruto's unexpected power.

"Hmm, Little Naruto has gotten stronger," Fukasaku remarked in surprise.

"Hehe, Grandpa Toad, you didn't expect this, did you? This is a powerful secret technique from another world!" Naruto exclaimed, giving a thumbs-up in admiration of Mu Yue.

Ever since acquiring the Sun's Breath, Naruto had been training relentlessly with his shadow clones, making significant progress every day.

If Mu Yue were to use his Appraisal Technique to assess Naruto's proficiency in the breathing technique, he would find that Naruto's mastery of the Sun's Breath had surpassed Hinata Hyuga's skill with the Water Style: Water Stream Fist.

As night fell, Naruto, as usual, ventured to a secluded area of Mount Myoboku to train.

"I hope it turns out as I expect," Naruto said solemnly as he began absorbing natural energy to condense senjutsu chakra.

While training in Sage Mode and the Sun's Breath, Naruto was also refining his Wind Style: Rasengan.

Due to the strain it had previously caused on his chakra pathways, Tsunade had forbidden Naruto from using the Rasengan.

Fearing that others would try to stop him if they found out, Naruto could only practice the Rasengan at night.

"Also, if I can successfully throw it, I won't be affected by the recoil of the Rasengan," Naruto reasoned.

In Naruto's vision, the true Rasengan Shuriken should be throwable, which would not only prevent self-inflicted damage but also provide greater flexibility in battle.

Orange eye-shadow appeared at the corners of Naruto's eyes as he entered Sage Mode, and he immediately performed hand seals to create shadow clones for assistance.

A large amount of senjutsu chakra gathered in Naruto's palm, with one shadow clone helping him shape the chakra into a shuriken while another applied a wind-attribute transformation to the Rasengan.

Soon, a rapidly spinning Rasengan Shuriken appeared in Naruto's hand, emitting a piercing sound that was especially noticeable in this secluded area.

Fortunately, Mount Myoboku's toads didn't have a habit of staying up late, and the spot Naruto had chosen was sufficiently remote, so none of them noticed.

Naruto didn't succeed on his first attempt. Although he managed to throw the jutsu, it dissipated before hitting its target as the internal powers conflicted and canceled each other out.

Naruto paid it no mind and continued refining the Rasengan Shuriken.

By the time dawn broke, numerous craters had appeared near Naruto's training area.

"I'll continue tonight," Naruto sighed, quietly returning to his bedroom.

The Rasengan Shuriken still had many issues, either lacking in power or detonating prematurely.

When Fukasaku woke up and saw the sleeping Naruto, he was about to wake him but decided against it and got up alone.

At breakfast, Jiraiya was nowhere to be seen, so Gamaken asked, "Where's Naruto? If he doesn't eat breakfast, how will he have the energy to train later?"

"He's still asleep," Fukasaku explained.

"Then I'll go wake him up," Jiraiya said, preparing to do so.

Fukasaku shook his head and stopped him, saying, "Little Jiraiya's death hit him hard. He's under a lot of pressure, and I think he didn't sleep well last night. Let him sleep a bit longer."

When it was time for training, Fukasaku woke Naruto up, and Jiraiya reheated breakfast.

"Ugh, good morning, Grandpa Sage," Naruto said, rubbing his eyes, which felt a bit sore.

Although Fukasaku had let Naruto sleep in, he had stayed up too late, so he still hadn't had enough rest.

Naruto forced himself to be cheerful and smiled at Fukasaku.

A little thing like pulling an all-nighter couldn't defeat him, Naruto, who was destined to become Hokage.

"Let's eat first," Fukasaku said, leading Naruto to the table.

Breakfast was the usual Mount Myoboku fare, and Naruto closed his eyes and ate indiscriminately, aiming to fill his stomach as quickly as possible to get the nutrition his body needed.

After breakfast, it was time for another day of Sage Mode training.

Naruto's Frog Kata and senjutsu had become more skilled and fluid.

However, for Naruto, the real focus of his training was at night.

While the Frog Kata, senjutsu, and Rasengan were all impressive, they still paled in comparison to the Rasengan Shuriken.

"I have to succeed today," Naruto said to himself as he began his solitary training once more.

This was his sixth day on Mount Myoboku.

Before leaving Konoha, Tsunade had told Naruto that if things went well, they could obtain more intelligence on Pain from the interrogation and autopsy within a week.

If all went smoothly, perhaps tomorrow Konoha would be able to piece together Pain's secrets and then gather their forces to deal with the Akatsuki.

Naruto wanted to get stronger quickly and be part of that effort, taking revenge for Jiraiya with his own hands.

"I hope Kakashi-sensei and the others are doing well," Naruto thought, remembering the young Kakashi he had seen when he traveled through time.

According to Kakashi's speculation, they were from similar yet different worlds.

Even if Naruto might never be able to return to that world, he sincerely hoped that the Kakashi and Jiraiya of that world were living good lives.

With determination in his heart, Naruto continued to gather chakra for the Rasengan Shuriken, attempting it over and over.

After countless failures, a loud explosion echoed through the mountain, and one of Mount Myoboku's peaks was destroyed.

"Phew, I did it," Naruto said, breathing heavily.

The massive chakra expenditure caused Naruto to automatically exit Sage Mode, and he grinned happily at his accomplishment.

Then, his expression turned sheepish as he realized that causing such a ruckus in the middle of the night was a bit immoral.

To prevent being discovered by others, Naruto quickly changed locations and continued his Sun's Breath training.

With his success in Sage Mode and the refinement of the Rasengan Shuriken, if he could also master the Sun's Breath Chakra Mode, his strength would reach a pinnacle.

Naruto created numerous shadow clones to accelerate his training.

Every hour, he would dismiss the clones, sort through the memories and experiences, and then create new clones to continue.

Unknowingly, night turned into day, and the sun slowly rose.

After dismissing the last set of clones, a flood of training memories returned to Naruto's original body, and he collapsed from exhaustion.

Naruto lay on the ground for a minute to rest and then quickly stood up, focusing on his breathing to enter the Sun's Breath Chakra Mode.

"Sun's Breath, full concentration!"

Naruto directed all his attention to the Sun's Breath, pushing his breathing control to the limit.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to enter the Sun's Breath Chakra Mode that Mu Yue had described.

"I guess I'm still a bit short," Naruto said, looking up at the brightening sky. With a sigh, he gave up and quietly returned to his bedroom to sleep.

"I'll go get some fresh ingredients," Jiraiya said, seeing that Naruto had finished his meal. He then left with a small basket in hand.

"I wonder when I'll be able to eat Mu Yue's ramen again," Naruto sighed, looking at the remaining insects on the table.

Although he was grateful to Jiraiya for cooking, the diet on Mount Myoboku was truly not suitable for normal humans. Even if he had gotten used to the taste, the sight of those insects still made him feel uncomfortable.

"Let's continue the training," Jiraiya said, urging Naruto to resume their session.

After practicing for about half an hour, Jiraiya exclaimed, "Little Naruto, you've become a qualified sage!"

Although Naruto had only trained for seven days, he had already mastered a more perfect sage mode than Jiraiya, and he had become adept at the Frog Kata as well.

Then, Jiraiya proceeded to explain some of the drawbacks of Sage Mode to Naruto.

Normally, the sages of Mount Myoboku could only maintain their Sage Mode for about five minutes, and if the battle was intense, it would be even shorter.

With a single activation of Sage Mode, Naruto could only use the Rasengan Shuriken twice at most, and after that, he would be out of senjutsu chakra.

There were two ways to sustain Sage Mode. One was the Mount Myoboku fusion technique, and the other was to remain immobile and absorb natural energy to condense more senjutsu chakra.

In essence, these two methods were one and the same. The former involved another sage from Mount Myoboku performing the fusion technique with Naruto and then taking his place to immobile and absorb natural energy, thereby extending the duration of Sage Mode.

However, an embarrassing situation arose for Jiraiya. Due to the presence of the Nine-Tails inside Naruto, they were unable to perform the fusion technique together.

This left the two of them in a difficult position, as without being able to 'refill,' the strength of Naruto's Sage Mode would decrease significantly.

"Since the Sun's Breath can guide natural energy into my body, if I use it while moving to absorb natural energy, won't that solve the problem of not being able to move during Sage Mode?" Naruto suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

"It does sound plausible, but your Sun's Breath has its own unique system. Forcibly trying to mesh the two together will most likely end in failure," Jiraiya replied, shaking his head.

To Jiraiya, Naruto's Sun's Breath felt like some sort of primitive form of Sage Mode.

Forcibly integrating the Sun's Breath with the Mount Myoboku Sage Mode was an extremely dangerous endeavor.

If Naruto were to leave Mount Myoboku, Jiraiya would definitely caution him against attempting this, as it could easily lead to a loss of control over the natural energy.

"We won't know if it works until we try," Naruto said, always one for taking action.

Previously, in order to allow the Sun's Breath to coexist with Sage Mode, Naruto had deliberately prevented the natural energy drawn by the Sun's Breath from entering his body.

This time, not only did Naruto absorb the natural energy, but he also tried to absorb as much as he could, intending to use Mount Myoboku's techniques to extend the duration of Sage Mode.

Bang!

Jiraiya saw Naruto's body beginning to transform, and without hesitation, he struck him with his staff, dispersing the natural energy within Naruto's body.

"I told you it wouldn't work," Jiraiya said, his expression one of 'I told you so.'

How could he, an eight-hundred-year-old sage, possibly be outdone by Naruto in understanding Sage Mode?

However, Naruto was not one to give up easily. Since using the two techniques together didn't work, he decided to try them separately first.

This time, Naruto did not enter Sage Mode. He simply used the Sun's Breath and tried to absorb as much natural energy as he could, intending to use Mount Myoboku's techniques to extend the duration.

Instantly, Naruto felt a distinct difference. His strength and speed were noticeably enhanced compared to when he used the Sun's Breath without absorbing natural energy.

When Naruto felt that he had become familiar with this state, he attempted his previous idea again. However, he still failed, and the natural energy within him went berserk, prompting Jiraiya to strike him with his staff once more.

In the end, Naruto concluded that the Sun's Breath, after absorbing natural energy, could not be used simultaneously with Sage Mode, at least not with his current abilities.

Naruto had no choice but to temporarily give up on the idea of using the Sun's Breath to 'recharge' his Sage Mode.

"It's a pity that Grandpa Sage's energy is limited. If not, I could have used my shadow clones to test out different methods for a couple of days," Naruto thought ruefully.

The training of Sage Mode was too dangerous, and it restricted his ability to use the shadow clone training method.

"That's right, the shadow clones!"

Naruto's eyes lit up as a brilliant idea came to mind.

"Deep in the mountains, a terrible disaster has occurred!"

Just as Naruto was testing out his new idea, a pink toad came hopping towards them.

"The liaison, Kousuke, has been killed. His name has disappeared from the registry," the pink toad said sadly.

Both Jiraiya and Naruto's expressions turned grim. Without a doubt, something terrible had happened in Konoha.

Jiraiya instructed Naruto to be ready for battle at any moment, and he quickly began making arrangements.

...

On the other side, Konoha Village had been reduced to a massive ruin by Pain's Almighty Push, yet strangely, the gate remained intact.

Sizzle!

Sakura emerged from the protective barrier of her slug, staring blankly at the wreckage before her.

Her familiar companions had perished before her eyes, and the village where she had lived since childhood was now in ruins. At this moment, the last thread of Sakura's sanity snapped.

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she could no longer hold back her emotions.

"Naruto, please come back quickly!" Sakura fell to her knees, crying out helplessly.

Kakashi was dead, Sasuke had defected, and of the original Team 7, only she and Naruto remained.

"Please, Naruto!"

At this moment, Sakura's rationality had left her, and she felt utterly insecure.

As if hearing Sakura's desperate plea, something began to stir within the massive crater created by the Almighty Push.

Boom!

A puff of white smoke appeared, signaling a summoning jutsu.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end