A gentle breeze swept across the land, carrying with it a dense vitality that seemed almost tangible.
Wakaba stared at the sled dog in front of him and said thoughtfully,
"So that's how it is… Among the Canine Clan, aside from the late Dog Sage, you're the oldest, aren't you?"
The sled dog lowered its head and nodded slowly, its voice tinged with memory.
"The Dog Sage once said that his dream was for the Canine Clan to surpass the Three Great Sage Regions. Because of that, he sought to create a new Sage Art—one that would exceed the Sage Mode of Mount Myōboku.
"But Sage Arts alone were not enough. The Dog Sage also wanted Beast King Mountain to become a new sacred land—a place capable of gathering natural chakra."
It paused briefly before continuing.
"The reason the Three Great Sage Regions are called sacred lands is because they can naturally accumulate and refine natural chakra. For example, the toad oil of Mount Myōboku is a manifestation of condensed natural energy.
"Beast King Mountain, though powerful, lacked that ability. So the Dog Sage tried to transform it."
Its eyes seemed distant, recalling an ancient scene.
"I was still young then, before my intelligence was sealed. Under my father's guidance, I once saw the Dog Sage carrying a dazzling crystal. He entered deep into the mountain's core, carved unknown runes into the rock, and finally embedded the crystal into an altar.
"After that, he said that one day Beast King Mountain would devour all forms of energy to nourish itself—until it became a sacred land capable of refining natural chakra."
Wakaba's gaze swept across the earth. Then he took out a sealing scroll.
"Release!"
Bang—!
A burst of white smoke erupted. From within the scroll appeared chunks of blood-red flesh.
Beast meat.
Wakaba had brought it deliberately. It contained abundant energy. Originally, he had planned to feed three hundred jin of it to the Ghost-Face Mastiff King to strengthen its physique and perhaps help break its seal.
Who would have thought things would turn out like this?
The RR Virus had accelerated the evolution of the entire Canine Clan. And now—this mountain was devouring energy itself.
Wakaba tossed the beast meat onto the ground.
The moment it touched the soil, it began dissolving.
He could clearly sense it—the meat was breaking down into pure energy and being absorbed into Beast King Mountain.
"Incredible…" Wakaba murmured. "It really can devour. Could Beast King Mountain itself be alive?"
The sled dog shook its head.
"Master… the mountain is not alive. If anything is responsible, it should be that crystal the Dog Sage embedded within it. As for what that crystal truly is—we do not know."
Wakaba's brows furrowed slightly.
"Can we enter the mountain's core?"
"Yes," the sled dog replied. "There is a cave that leads directly inside. However, the entrance was sealed by the Dog Sage. We have only just broken our own seals and have yet to relearn the clan's inherited ninjutsu. We do not know how to undo that seal."
Wakaba nodded.
"I see… Then we'll investigate it later. From now on, I'll find more energy resources and let Beast King Mountain devour them."
After all, he had to dispose of "trash" anyway. Whether he threw it somewhere random or into Beast King Mountain made little difference.
Still, today had given him a fright.
The RR Virus had swept through the entire Canine Clan and forced their evolution.
Fortunately, the physiology of ninja world canines was far superior to ordinary Earth dogs. They adapted easily. There had been no casualties.
Even so, Wakaba remained wary.
"I can't just throw things around carelessly in the future. What if I accidentally dump something apocalyptic—some bizarre virus or radiation? That would be disastrous. Especially since in Swallowed Star, nuclear radiation can further stimulate the RR Virus's evolution…"
With that thought, he silently memorized the lesson.
After one last glance at the grassland, Wakaba turned and returned to the clan's main hall.
Inside, the entire Canine Clan had gathered.
Aside from the newborn pups, every single member now stood several meters tall. Their bodies radiated raw power. Compared to the toads of Mount Myōboku, they were clearly on another level.
Even Gamabunta would likely lose in a direct confrontation if Wakaba summoned the Ghost-Face Mastiff King.
Dogs and toads simply weren't in the same league.
And now, after evolving through the RR Virus, the Canine Clan lacked only one thing compared to Mount Myōboku—a Sage.
In the future, once Wakaba obtained more "trash" to nurture them, surpassing Mount Myōboku would only be a matter of time.
Bang—
Wakaba formed hand seals. A cloud of white smoke burst forth, and he vanished from Beast King Mountain.
Moments later, he reappeared in his bedroom.
"Haa…"
He exhaled.
"The RR Virus triggered evolution… so why didn't I evolve at all?"
Puzzled, he took out a crystal and began meditating according to the technique from Swallowed Star, gradually slipping into a trance-like sleep.
⸻
The next day, as soon as Wakaba stepped into the classroom, he felt two gazes land on him.
Mikoto looked shy, her eyes filled with curiosity. She raised her hand and handed him a scroll.
It looked ancient—clearly not something recently made.
Kushina spoke first.
"I asked my grandmother about it. She said the Spirit-Sealing Technique is extremely vicious. For summoning clans, it's practically a curse. It was supposedly eradicated during the Warring States Period. Wakaba, why are you studying something like this?"
Wakaba sat down, unfurling the scroll.
"For a summoning beast," he answered casually. "I discovered a summoning clan that had been sealed."
He began reading the contents of the Spirit-Sealing Technique carefully.
Although the Canine Clan had already broken free and even evolved, Wakaba remained curious about such a malicious sealing art.
Then he reached the latter portion of the scroll—and froze.
There were detailed notes on the practical application of the Sharingan.
He blinked, slightly stunned, before glancing at Mikoto.
"Uh… thank you. This is actually very useful."
Mikoto continued staring at him, curiosity shining in her eyes.
"Wakaba… yesterday, why did your eyes change like that?"
Wakaba's mouth twitched.
How was he supposed to explain that?
Just as he was struggling to come up with an answer, a loud roar erupted from outside the classroom.
The next moment, Nawaki burst in.
"Wakaba! I need you—come with me!"
Before Wakaba could respond, Nawaki rushed forward, grabbed him, and turned toward Mikoto and Kushina.
"Borrowing Wakaba for a bit! My sister just sent news—it's huge!"
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