"A special kind of power…?"
Chiriku frowned. "Why do you ask that?"
"Because in the past, there was no chakra. If the Sage Chakra's Arts were inherited from the old arts, then they must've contained some other kind of power system."
Chiba explained patiently.
Another power system…
The words made Chiriku pause and think. He realized that he had never once considered such things—he had only ever cared about whether the techniques could be learned or not.
"Chiriku?"
After a moment of thought, Chiriku nodded slowly. "Now that you mention it… there is something. A faint sensation—extremely subtle. If I hadn't spent so much time in deep meditation, I might never have noticed any change at all."
Chiba nodded, continuing to guide him gently. "And do you think the effect of meditation might vary depending on the environment?"
"The results in the capital are definitely weaker than in the Temple of Fire. As for other places, I'm not sure."
"And what about…"
Chiba kept asking questions, one after another.
He was leading Chiriku step by step toward understanding the true nature of the Sage Chakra's Arts.
Because in truth—
they were simply a variant of Sage Chakra!
The monks of the Temple of Fire hadn't developed a complete Sage Mode system; they had merely adapted an old exorcism spell, likely without ever realizing that the "power" they were using was, in fact, natural energy.
As the questioning went on, Chiriku's expression grew increasingly bewildered.
Why… had he never thought about these things before?
"I see," Chiba summarized. "So far, we can conclude this: it's a special kind of energy that changes slightly depending on the environment. That means we can start experimenting from the environment itself."
He picked up a pen and wrote down a few places around Konoha.
—Hokage Tower
—Residential District
—Forest of Death
"Chiriku, would you be willing to meditate at these three locations and compare the results?"
"No problem."
Chiriku's expression was solemn now.
If he still couldn't tell what Chiba was trying to do at this point, then he would truly be a fool.
And if Chiba's theory turned out to be correct…
then for the Temple of Fire, this discovery alone would be priceless—
It would mean more monks could learn the Sage Chakra's Arts!
"Once we finish this test," Chiba continued, "we'll move on to the next stage."
"There's more?"
Chiriku looked calm, but inwardly he was deeply shaken.
"Yes. That special power alone isn't enough to perform jutsu—that's why those old techniques eventually disappeared. I suspect that the Temple's sages once fused that power with chakra, extracting and combining it into a new energy."
Chiba spoke his "speculation" thoughtfully.
Chiriku's breath quickened as he listened. His expression could no longer hide his astonishment.
So that's what the Sage Chakra's Arts truly were!
"Incredible…"
"Indeed," Chiba said with genuine admiration. "The sages of your temple were truly extraordinary to have developed such an art."
Time passes, yet true geniuses always find a way to rise with the current and ride the tide of the era.
The Temple of Fire's founder had been one of those few. No wonder their order stood apart within the Land of Fire.
Chiba sighed in admiration.
Chiriku said nothing, simply nodding quietly—but in his heart, he was thinking:
Child, I was talking about you.
What is genius?
It's the ability to notice what others overlook, to think in ways others cannot—and then to have just enough talent to make it real.
That's genius.
"Well then, I'll leave the testing to you, Chiriku. I need to return and finish redesigning the Iron Wall Seal Formation formation."
"Of course."
Chiriku nodded gently, watching as Chiba departed.
As soon as he was gone, a voice came from behind.
"Chiriku, how did it go?"
"Asuma…" Chiriku sighed deeply. "Do you know what I was just thinking?"
"What?"
"I was thinking that perhaps Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara… weren't so different from him."
"That high an evaluation?"
Asuma was stunned.
He had only caught the tail end of their discussion, not the entire exchange, so he had no idea what had transpired.
"The Sage Chakra's Arts—he listened for just a while and then peeled back layer after layer, uncovering their essence. At first, I didn't believe him. But by the end… I was completely convinced."
Chiriku's tone was complicated. "He notices things no one else would ever think to notice."
Asuma exhaled a puff of smoke and nodded. "Yeah. That's what makes him so gifted."
"Want to head to my place?"
"No. I want to begin testing the Sage Chakra's Arts right away. You should come too—two sets of data might give clearer results."
"..."
Asuma hesitated. Chiriku had come all this way just for this, and he couldn't bring himself to refuse.
He agreed.
Only then did he learn of Chiba's hypothesis.
Different environments produce different results?
No wonder Chiriku had been so excited. If this were true, then the Temple of Fire would no longer have to worry about the continuity of its legacy.
Without delay, they rushed straight to the Forest of Death.
Meanwhile, Chiba returned home and began sketching at once.
The books Chiriku had brought contained maps of the Temple's barrier formations. He only needed to draw and modify them on that basis—but there were still parts that required testing.
It was a massive project. Two days was barely enough time.
The next day, Chiriku and Asuma showed up looking exhilarated, dark circles under their eyes.
They hadn't slept at all.
From yesterday until now, they had meditated in one place after another—and the result was clear:
The Forest of Death yielded the strongest effect.
Moreover, even within the forest, different spots produced varying results—it was almost mystical.
Chiba's theory was correct. The effect of "meditation" truly was influenced by the environment.
"Incredible!"
Chiriku's hands trembled from excitement.
Generations of the Temple's monks had passed down the art without understanding it—and now, a twelve-year-old boy had unraveled the mystery.
He could finally see the Temple's path to even greater strength.
"Asuma, I regret it!"
"Regret what?" Asuma looked at him curiously.
Chiriku slapped his thigh hard. "Why didn't I come sooner?! I wasted two or three whole months! If I'd made up my mind earlier, we might already have two or three more monks who've mastered Gift of the Hermit Group!"
"..."
Asuma chuckled softly.
It was just hindsight speaking.
Even though the Temple of Fire wasn't as bureaucratic as Konoha, deciding to share their temple's secret art with an outsider had taken time.
He still remembered how much trouble Chiriku had gotten into for secretly teaching him before.
"Hm?"
"What's wrong? Isn't Chiba around?"
Chiriku rubbed his bald head.
Asuma shook his head. "Not exactly. It's just… now might not be the best time to visit."
Chiriku followed his gaze.
Outside a certain home stood a middle-aged man in a gray robe, exuding quiet nobility.
After watching for a while, the man turned—and his eyes immediately drew Chiriku's attention.
"The Hyuga Clan? What's he doing here looking for Chiba?"
"Probably something to do with the Gentle Fist," Asuma said gravely.
Chiriku's expression grew complicated.
A Konoha noble clan…
Don't mess up my progress now!
Hyuga Hiashi narrowed his eyes slightly, then waited quietly at the door.
Before long, he saw Chiba emerge.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Lord Hiashi."
"It's quite all right. Would it be convenient to talk inside?"
"Honestly, not really. I've been working with the Temple of Fire lately—my place is full of their materials."
Chiba hadn't expected Hiashi to come personally.
Hiashi smiled faintly. "That's fine. I just happened to be passing by and wanted to have a quick word."
"Please, go ahead."
"The Hyuga Clan," Hiashi said, his eyes intent, "is very interested in working with you."
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