章節 100: Chapter 98: Reflection
Chapter 98: Reflection
After putting some distance between them, Baishi turned to Jiraiya and called out, "Jiraiya-sama, until we meet again!"
He intended to show some courtesy before leaving, considering the lesson he had gained from their encounter. However, before he could finish speaking, Shima and Fukasaku jumped from Jiraiya's shoulders, their throats vibrating as they unleashed a relentless series of croaking sounds.
The sound was like a torrent of needles piercing into Baishi's mind, each croak resonating louder than the last.
A sinking feeling gripped him. "This is bad!"
Baishi instinctively tried to activate Flying Thunder God, but dizziness overtook him. His surroundings spun wildly, and even standing upright became a challenge.
"What's going on? How can their combined genjutsu be this powerful?"
A surge of fear crept into his heart.
He had encountered the individual genjutsu of both Shima and Fukasaku during the battle. Though potent, they only caused mild disorientation, something he could resist without much effort.
Baishi had also read about their combined technique, Frog Song. Based on his calculations, even the enhanced genjutsu shouldn't have been strong enough to overcome his Level VII Mental Resistance. At the very least, he should have had time to activate Flying Thunder God and escape.
His miscalculation made him question his judgment.
"Have I grown overconfident? Why did I assume I could resist something I hadn't experienced firsthand? Didn't Pain's encounter with this same technique teach me caution?"
The realization hit him hard: hubris.
He reflected on his choices. "Have I become reckless because things have gone too smoothly for me recently? Or is it because I held my own against Jiraiya's Sage Mode?"
Despite the swirling chaos in his mind, Baishi quickly regained his composure. Mistakes were inevitable; he had no illusions of perfection. What mattered was identifying errors, correcting them, and extracting lessons to avoid repeating them.
"At least I still have ways to fight back," he thought, channeling his resolve.
Relying on the precision granted by his Enhanced Senses, Baishi forcibly shut down his hearing and disrupted his internal chakra flow.
Suddenly, an overwhelming surge of energy emanated from him—a side effect of his chakra surging uncontrollably.
The intense fluctuation caused Fukasaku to exclaim, "Not good! Jiraiya, he's about to break free from the genjutsu!"
Without waiting for Jiraiya's instructions, Shima immediately ended the genjutsu and lashed out with her tongue, wrapping it around Baishi's waist. With a mighty tug, she pulled him toward them.
Jiraiya wasted no time. He abandoned his hand seals and extended his right hand, forming a Massive Rasengan nearly two meters in diameter.
At that exact moment, Baishi broke free from the genjutsu. However, his self-disruption technique left his chakra flow in disarray, preventing him from using Flying Thunder God immediately.
As the Massive Rasengan barreled toward him, Baishi muttered under his breath, "Damn it!"
He raised his arms to shield himself, but the attack's immense rotational force snapped both his arms like twigs.
The Rasengan didn't stop there—it struck his chest and abdomen directly.
Even with Level VII Regeneration and Absorptive Skin, the damage was severe. The pain was excruciating, and Baishi's vision blurred for a moment.
"At least it's over now," Baishi thought.
Using the momentum from the Rasengan's impact, he propelled himself out of Jiraiya's range. Without hesitation, he activated Flying Thunder God and vanished.
---
Watching Baishi disappear in a flash, Fukasaku's expression turned serious. "So, it really is Flying Thunder God... just like Minato."
Shima added, "Jiraiya, who is this kid? I didn't sense any hostility from him."
Jiraiya let out a wry smile, deactivating Sage Mode as he sat down to rest. He recounted everything he knew about Baishi to the two Toad Sages.
Meanwhile, Baishi had no time to worry about what Jiraiya might be saying behind his back. He had more pressing matters to attend to.
---
About 60 kilometers east of the Land of Waves lay a desolate, rocky island.
On one of the rocks was a tree-shaped marking.
Suddenly, the marking began to glow, and Baishi appeared in its place.
Both his arms hung limply at his sides, and his chest was covered in blood. His injuries were critical.
After scanning the surroundings to ensure he was alone, Baishi sat cross-legged on the rock.
Instead of immediately tending to his wounds, his attention turned inward—to the natural energy within his body.
Yes, natural energy.
Where had it come from?
The answer was simple: during the battle, when Jiraiya's Sage Art: Massive Rasengan struck him, Baishi had instinctively activated Absorptive Skin in an attempt to mitigate the damage.
Initially, he hadn't expected the skill to work on sage chakra, but to his surprise, it absorbed a portion of it. While the absorption efficiency was lower than with regular chakra, it succeeded nonetheless.
Even more intriguing was what happened next. Baishi's body not only absorbed the sage chakra but also broke it down into its components. The physical and spiritual energies were converted into his own chakra, while the natural energy remained.
For an ordinary ninja, such a scenario would be catastrophic. Without proper training, the natural energy would run rampant, potentially turning them to stone.
But for Baishi, this was an invaluable opportunity to study and familiarize himself with natural energy.
The potential danger was negligible. His chakra reserves, even after the intense battle, remained abundant. Suppressing the minuscule amount of natural energy within him was no challenge.
If anything, he found himself wishing there were more.
Shaking off his frustrations, Baishi focused all his attention on understanding the intricacies of natural energy, hoping to uncover the secret to absorbing it.
---
Hours passed.
As the sun reached its zenith, Baishi opened his eyes and sighed.
"As expected, mastering Sage Mode isn't something that can be achieved so easily."
Despite his efforts, he hadn't even managed to sense the natural energy in the environment, let alone learn how to absorb it.
"Perhaps I need to find a place rich in natural energy… or focus on improving the absorption efficiency of Absorptive Skin."
Deep in thought, Baishi sank into contemplation once more.
(End of Chapter)
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