Chapter 62: Dilu: I Regret It, Should Have Come Earlier!

"A special kind of power."

Jiru furrowed his brow. "Why do you ask?"

"Because in the past, chakra did not exist. If the Talent of the Sage lineage was passed down from ancient techniques, it must have incorporated a different system of power," Chiba explained.

A different system of power...

Jiru could not help but reflect.

He had never considered these things before; mostly, he only thought about whether he could master the techniques or not.

"Master Jiru?"

"I thought about it carefully just now. It seems I have sensed some differences, but they were extremely faint. If not for prolonged meditation and contemplation, it would be entirely impossible to notice the changes," Jiru said.

Chiba nodded, then continued to guide him: "With different environments, would the effects of meditation also vary?"

"The effect in the capital is inferior to that of the Fire Temple, but I am unaware of the rest."

"Furthermore..."

Chiba continued to prompt.

That was right; he needed to guide Jiru step by step to understand the true meaning of the so-called "Talent of the Sage lineage."

It was essentially a variant of sage chakra!

The ninja monks had never developed a systematic Sage Mode; they had merely modified a subduing-demon technique, and perhaps they did not even realize that their technique was a form of sage chakra.

As Jiru answered further questions, his expression filled with confusion and bewilderment.

These questions...

Why had he never thought of them before?

"I see. Although the reason remains unknown, let us summarize slightly."

"It is a special power, and it changes to a certain extent depending on the location."

"We can begin our experiments starting with different locations."

Chiba took out a pen and paper, roughly listing several places around Konoha.

The Hokage Building.
Residential areas.
The Forest of Death.

"Master Jiru, would you mind trying to meditate in these three places?"

"No problem."

Jiru's expression was solemn.

If he still did not understand what Chiba was trying to do by now, he would be far too foolish.

If Chiba's hypothesis proved correct...

For the Fire Temple, this single conclusion alone would be priceless—

It meant that more ninja monks would have the opportunity to master the Talent of the Sage lineage!

"Once we test this, we will test the other aspects."

"There are other aspects?"

Jiru appeared composed, but astonishment churned deeply within his heart.

"This special power alone is no longer sufficient to complete the release of the technique, otherwise it would not have been eliminated by the tides of time."

"The sages of the Fire Temple must have fused it with chakra, extracting and synthesizing a new power."

Chiba continued outlining his "hypothesis."

So that was how it was.

Jiru breathed heavily, unable to control his expression.

So...

This was the Talent of the Sage lineage!

"Incredible."

"Indeed, for the predecessors of the Fire Temple to develop this technique, they were truly remarkable!"

The years change, yet geniuses always adapt to the tides and become the trendsetters of their era.

The sage of the Fire Temple was precisely such a person.

No wonder they could become a unique existence within the Land of Fire.

Chiba was filled with emotion.

Jiru remained silent, only nodding quietly, but inwardly—

*Child, I am talking about you!*

What is a genius?

It is noticing what ordinary people fail to notice, and thinking of what ordinary people cannot imagine.

Add just a tiny bit of innate talent.

That is a genius.

"As for the testing, I will leave it to you for now. I must return to finish the redesign of the sealing barrier technique."

"Very well."

Jiru nodded gently, watching Chiba depart.

As soon as Chiba left, a voice sounded.

"Jiru, how did it go?"

"Asuma, do you know what I was thinking just now?"

Jiru sighed. "I was thinking that perhaps Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara back in the day were no more than this."

"Such high praise?"

Asuma was quite surprised.

He had only overheard the latter half and missed the beginning of their conversation, so he had no idea what had happened.

"The Talent of the Sage lineage—he analyzed its essence step by step merely by hearing a rough description. At first, I didn't believe it, but in the end, I was convinced."

Jiru's tone was complex. "He is able to notice things that ordinary people would overlook."

"Indeed, that is his most brilliant talent."

Asuma puffed on his cigarette.

"Shall we head to my place next?"

"No, I must test the Talent of the Sage lineage first. By the way, you might as well test it with me; combining two people's results might make it more accurate."

"..."

Since Jiru had traveled a long way specifically for this matter, Asuma found it difficult to harden his heart and refuse.

He agreed.

And then he learned of Chiba's hypothesis.

Different environments yield different effects?

No wonder Jiru was so agitated. If this proved true, the Fire Temple would no longer need to worry about the inheritance of their techniques.

Without pausing for breath, the two immediately headed toward the Forest of Death.

Meanwhile, back home, Chiba quickly set to work drawing.

The book brought by Jiru contained the distribution of the Fire Temple's barrier locations; he only needed to draw and modify based on that foundation, though certain elements still required preliminary experimentation.

This was a major undertaking, and two days was not a particularly generous amount of time.

The next day, Jiru and Asuma wore looks of excitement.

They had not slept all night.

From yesterday until now, they had continuously changed locations to attempt meditation, finally arriving at a conclusion—

The effect inside the Forest of Death was superior.

Not only that, but even within the Forest of Death, the effects varied depending on the exact spot, which felt utterly mystical.

Chiba's hypothesis was correct; the effects of "meditation" were indeed influenced by the environment.

"Incredible!"

Jiru was so thrilled his hands trembled.

The inheritance of the Fire Temple spanning so many years had actually had its mystery unraveled by a twelve-year-old boy.

He saw hope for further growth and prosperity.

"Asuma, I regret it!"

"Regret what?"

Asuma looked over with curiosity.

Jiru slapped his thigh fiercely: "Why didn't I come earlier? I wasted two or three months for nothing! If I had made up my mind sooner, who knows, there might have been two or three more ninja monks in the temple who had mastered the Thousand-Hand Slaughter!"

"..."

Asuma smiled faintly.

Hindsight was everything, after all.

Although the Fire Temple did not possess the complex institutional bureaucracy of Konoha, deciding to transmit the temple's foundational technique externally was still not something that could be settled overnight.

When Jiru had privately passed it on to him back then, he had suffered quite a bit of hardship upon returning.

"Oh."

"What's wrong? Is Master Chiba not here?"

Jiru rubbed his bald head.

Asuma shook his head and said, "It's not that he's not here, but it might not be convenient to look for him right this moment."

Jiru looked forward.

At the entrance of a courtyard stood a middle-aged man dressed in grey robes, exuding a distinctly noble bearing.

After staring for a moment, the man turned to look back.

A pair of striking eyes caught their attention.

"The Hyuga clan? What business does he have with Chiba?"

"Probably for the Gentle Fist," Asuma said with a serious expression.

Jiru's expression grew complicated.

The powerful clans of Konoha...

*I hope they don't interfere with my progress here!*

Hyuga Hiashi narrowed his eyes slightly, then quietly waited at the entrance.

He saw Chiba getting up.

"Apologies for keeping you waiting, Senior Hiashi."

"Would it be convenient to talk inside?"

"To be honest, it's not very convenient. I've been cooperating with the Fire Temple lately, and the house is piled high with their related documents."

Chiba had not expected Hiashi to seek him out personally.

Hiashi smiled and said, "It's fine. I know you've been busy lately, and I just happened to be passing by, so I thought I'd come and say a few words to you."

"Please enlighten me."

"The Hyuga clan is very interested in cooperating with you."