In the following days, Fūmori Masaki recuperated at home.
The erosion from Natural Energy was not deep, so his body did not suffer significant damage.
Senju Hashirama also took the time to visit several times to teach him how to further master Natural Energy.
As a balance formed between Natural Energy and Chakra, Fūmori Masaki learned how to refine Senjutsu Chakra and used it to nourish his body, allowing the parts eroded by Natural Energy to heal rapidly.
After entering Sage Mode, both strength and speed increase significantly.
What is even more commendable about Sage Mode is that while ordinary Ninja experience greater stamina depletion the longer they fight, in Sage Mode, regardless of the physical burden, one's energy remains in a replenished state.
In Fūmori Masaki's view, Natural Energy can, to some extent, provide the human body with abundant vitality.
In the future, a person named Jugo could use his own cells to heal others or absorb others' cells to heal himself, and this trait originated from the Senjutsu inheritance site, Ryūchi Cave.
Thinking about it carefully, the current Fūmori Masaki has some similarities with Jugo; they both unconsciously absorb Natural Energy.
However, under Senju Hashirama's guidance, Fūmori Masaki has gradually learned to control Natural Energy, so he won't end up in a berserk state like Jugo.
Every day while learning from Senju Hashirama, Fūmori Masaki listened very attentively.
He already had the answer in his heart: if he wanted to become stronger, Senjutsu was his top priority.
The Fūmori Family is not a powerful Ninja Clan and has no strong Bloodline Limit passed down, only some Secret Technique passed down through generations.
For a commoner, Fūmori Masaki's advantage is already significant, but compared to others, it is far behind.
If he wants to gain Senju Tobirama's regard, or even make him consider naming him as a successor, he must be even more formidable than Hiruzen Sarutobi.
However, Hiruzen Sarutobi is a person of exceptionally outstanding talent.
Inheriting the aptitude from his father, Sarutobi Sasuke, he can even master Doton of all five attributes.
Compared to such a person, Fūmori Masaki would certainly have no chance under normal circumstances.
Only Senjutsu can give him the hope of surpassing Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Since he lacks the aptitude to master five types of Doton, he will devote himself entirely to Senjutsu as his training goal.
Practicing Senjutsu to an extremely high level will certainly not lose to Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Thanks to unique changes in his mental state, Fūmori Masaki truly has a unique talent for practicing Senjutsu.
Senjutsu emphasizes balance and requires the mind to be completely selfless, imagining oneself as part of all things, so as to approach the origin of all things and perceive the Natural Energy flowing within.
Of course, the dangers involved are unimaginable.
Therefore, for the average person, practicing Senjutsu is an extremely difficult task.
To make one's mental state nearly selfless and become one with all things—how could an ordinary person achieve that?
So many people who embarked on the path of practicing Senjutsu fell along the way; only a very few obtained this powerful strength.
Senju Hashirama told Fūmori Masaki that his Senjutsu was not learned from any Senjutsu inheritance site.
Like Fūmori Masaki, he also learned to utilize Natural Energy on his own—the Senju Clan possesses a very powerful physique, and Senju Hashirama went a step further, fully stimulating his body's potential.
When he realized he could absorb Natural Energy into his body, he didn't even need to practice specifically; his body had already adapted to Natural Energy.
"Your situation is different from mine," Senju Hashirama said.
"Senju Tobirama has already studied your blood; it's not like me, where I can use my body to absorb Natural Energy.
If it's not due to your physique, then it can only be related to your soul.
Only this could allow you to perceive Natural Energy."
Speaking of this, Senju Hashirama laughed, "Honestly, your situation gave me a shock.
According to some literature and what I learned from Shikkotsu Forest, a Senjutsu inheritance site, practicing Senjutsu either requires physical adaptation or relies on arduous mental training.
For someone like you who has never received Senjutsu training to suddenly be able to absorb Natural Energy is truly hard to understand.
I think... hmm, perhaps you are a natural-born Sage, haha."
Fūmori Masaki inwardly acknowledged that Senju Hashirama's guess was correct.
Otherwise, how could he, a member of an ordinary Ninja Clan without Sage lineage, suddenly possess the ability to absorb Natural Energy?
This was not a factor of physique, but an influence on the mental aspect, which he himself had experienced.
However, regarding Senju Hashirama's later comment about a "natural-born Sage," Fūmori Masaki could only smile awkwardly.
This claim was a bit too outrageous, and Senju Hashirama's tone was somewhat unserious, so he decided to treat it as a joke.
"Senjutsu practice is not singular; the methods of using Natural Energy at each Senjutsu inheritance site are different—although the final effect is similar.
I can teach you my way of using Senjutsu, but you don't have to use it exactly as I do.
Exploring your own way of using Natural Energy might be more suitable for you," Senju Hashirama said.
Fūmori Masaki pondered for a moment and felt that he indeed should not follow Senju Hashirama's path.
Just as Senju Hashirama said, the factors behind how Fūmori Masaki and Senju Hashirama absorb Natural Energy are different.
If he were to follow Senju Hashirama's path completely, he, lacking the same conditions as Senju Hashirama, might not be able to unleash the full power of Senju Hashirama-style Senjutsu at all.
However, understanding Senju Hashirama's Senjutsu is still meaningful.
From Senju Hashirama's approach to using Senjutsu, Fūmori Masaki can gain some reference for how he himself should use Senjutsu.
When Fūmori Masaki had already made preliminary progress in Senjutsu, his body had also fully recovered.
Perhaps because he had condensed Senjutsu Chakra, his physical state was better than ever, and his energy seemed endless.
The effects of Senjutsu were unexpectedly this good.
Since his body had recovered, it was time to head to Konoha Academy.
At this time, Konoha Academy had just been built, and official enrollment had not yet begun.
Fūmori Masaki recalled the clans currently within Konohagakure, and he could roughly guess who would come to learn at Konoha Academy.
On the day Konoha Academy opened, Fūmori Masaki carefully put on his headband and walked toward the academy.
This time, Konoha Academy admitted thirty-eight students, each of whom was a successor within their family.
Sending them to the academy was also in the hope of receiving guidance from both Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama.
Those powerful Ninja Clans held the hope of becoming the two's disciples to gain greater power, while those small clans simply hoped to enhance the strength of their successors to allow the family to be better passed down.
Originally, Fūmori Masaki would also have been one of those small clans, hoping to get some pointers from the Senju brothers.
Thinking that now he could try to compete with a genius like Hiruzen Sarutobi for the position of Hokage successor, Fūmori Masaki was somewhat dazed; in the past, this was truly unimaginable.
Arriving in front of Konoha Academy, Fūmori Masaki looked up.
Konoha Academy was not yet as large as the Ninja Academy of later generations.
Given its positioning and function, its grounds were destined not to be too large.
It would only be gradually expanded when Senju Tobirama turned it into the Ninja Academy and began admitting people without family background or commoner origins.
At this time, the successors of other clans had also arrived.
Everyone was in the same Village and around the same age, so naturally, they knew each other and greeted one another.
Fūmori Masaki chatted for a while with people he was somewhat familiar with, and then saw those few people who left a deep impression in his memory.
Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, Homura Mitokado, Utatane Koharu, Akimichi Torifu, and Uchiha Kagami—these members, who would be called the Second Hokage's guard in the future and also become the high-level personnel of Konohagakure later, were still green in appearance, but they already had some fame in Konohagakure.
Among them, the greatest was none other than Hiruzen Sarutobi.
His father, Sarutobi Sasuke, was a powerful Ninja of the Warring States Period, and even Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara had to praise his strength.
As his child, Hiruzen Sarutobi had shown extremely high talent from a young age, and both Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama had spoken in praise of him.
Looking at Hiruzen Sarutobi, Fūmori Masaki had to admit that in the current Konohagakure, Hiruzen Sarutobi was the most outstanding young person.
It was no wonder that Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama would treat him as the next generation's Hokage to be nurtured.
Honestly, to treat such a person as a rival, Fūmori Masaki would feel pressure even with Senjutsu at his disposal.
"Masaki-kun." Hiruzen Sarutobi walked over and asked with concern, "I heard you were injured while out hunting some time ago. Are you alright now?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi had always been a warm-hearted person.
In the Warring States Period, the Sarutobi Clan was famous for being loyal and reliable.
Regarding Senju Hashirama's philosophy, they expressed a resolute attitude of support, and Hiruzen Sarutobi was the same; he hoped that he could contribute his own strength to the prosperity of the Village.
"It's fine, my body has recovered," Fūmori Masaki smiled.
"That's great. You also know that the purpose of this academy is to hope that we can learn from each other. Please take care of me in the future; let's get stronger together," Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled and extended his hand.
Fūmori Masaki naturally would not refuse Hiruzen Sarutobi's goodwill and shook his hand.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Fūmori Masaki with a curious gaze.
The reason he struck up a conversation with Fūmori Masaki was partly out of concern, but also because Fūmori Masaki's temperament was vastly different from before.
After shaking hands with Fūmori Masaki, Hiruzen Sarutobi could feel that Fūmori Masaki was indeed different from before, but he couldn't put his finger on exactly what it was.