Ren took his hand off Nawaki's head, watching the natural energy rapidly dissipate from the boy's body. He frowned and said, "Alright, stop."
Nawaki opened his eyes, looking dazed and confused. He had just felt an unprecedented level of comfort and was about to enter "the zone" when the natural energy suddenly thinned out, forcing him out of the state.
"Based on my observations, your constitution is actually very well-suited for Sage Mode. It's normal for progress to feel slow at first. Don't be anxious; just take it steady."
Ren had been thinking—with Nawaki's latent talent, his cultivation shouldn't be this sluggish. He suspected the kid had tried some "creative" workaround that was actually hindering his results.
"Steady, huh?" Nawaki made a wry face but nodded. "Alright, I'll keep at it."
Two peaceful days passed. Ren made a trip to visit Konan every day, bringing good food, drinks, and gadgets for the orphans. After forty-eight hours of this, Jiraiya's expression was... complicated.
"To think I, Jiraiya, have lived a life of gallantry and am still single, while my student—at such a young age—has not only found a partner, but more than one... Sigh~"
During these few days, Ren also hit it off with Yahiko. People with that "Naruto-style" personality were always the easiest to befriend.
When Ren returned from the Land of Rain, he heard Nawaki's excited voice echoing from the courtyard. Walking out, he saw Nawaki standing in the center of the yard—but something was very wrong with his current state!
Nawaki's limbs had turned into wood, rooted deep into the soil. Minato and the others were sitting nearby, and even Mikoto had joined them, watching Nawaki with curiosity.
Nawaki's exuberant voice reached everyone. "Behold! This is my newly researched Photosynthesis Sage Method!"
Photosynthesis?
The group looked at him curiously, waiting for the punchline. Ren jumped down from the second floor and landed next to Hikari, habitually resting his hand on her waist. Hikari didn't resist; she just leaned in and whispered into his ear, "I smell Konan on you~"
Ren wasn't embarrassed at all. As a man aiming to be a Harem King, he wasn't going to back down over a little thing like that. He whispered back into her ear, "Would Hikari-chan like to leave her own scent on me as well?"
Against a tsundere, the "straight ball" approach was always the most effective. Predictably, Hikari turned beet red and began mumbling incoherently, unable to look him in the eye.
Nawaki, who was tired of being fed "dog food" (public displays of affection), grumbled, "Hey! Can we focus on me for a second?"
Ren looked at Nawaki, whose limbs were currently "tentacles" plugged into the earth. "Please, begin your performance."
Kushina gritted her teeth. "This better be important!"
Minato and Mikoto were genuinely curious.
"Hehe! Watch this!" Nawaki wiped his nose with a vine and shouted with total confidence: "Sage Art: Wood Style: Photosynthesis!"
Rumble—!
Several massive vines, ten meters thick, erupted from the ground. In an instant, they grew into towering trees, creating a massive natural canopy over the courtyard. A gentle breeze wafted through, and the sudden coolness made everyone sigh in comfort.
However, they were still confused.
"Photosynthesis? And it's a Sage Art? What does this actually do?" Ren asked.
"The tentacles got thicker... it actually looks like a tree now instead of something creepy," Kushina and Hikari critiqued.
Minato clapped his hands, looking excited as if he were about to name it something ridiculous, but then slumped his shoulders in disappointment. "Darn... it already has a name..."
The group's collective eyes twitched. Fortunately, everyone was more interested in Nawaki's "trick."
Nawaki beamed at their reactions. "This move doesn't just help me absorb natural energy at high speeds—it's also a Super Healing Jutsu!"
He pointed at the vines with pride. "I collect a massive amount of natural energy through these vines. Anyone who makes contact with them will have their wounds healed at high speeds! Even if they're sliced in half, as long as they have a single breath left, I can pull them back from the gates of death!"
"High-speed regeneration? Like the First Hokage's passive ability?" Ren didn't think much of it at first, but then his eyes went wide. "Wait! What did you say? You can grant high-speed regeneration to anyone touching the vines?!"
"Hehe~" Nawaki rubbed the tip of his nose, head held high. "I finally didn't disappoint you, Master!"
Ren ignored the praise and looked at Nawaki intensely. "Does this mean you currently possess a massive amount of life force?"
Nawaki didn't quite catch Ren's drift, but he nodded. "Mhm... I feel like my life force is overflowing."
Ren drew a kunai and made a quick slash on Nawaki's arm. A wound appeared, but it closed instantly, healing as if it had never been there. It was so fast that if Ren had been any slower, the closing flesh would have pushed the kunai out!
"I'm using Photosynthesis right now," Nawaki explained proudly. "The natural energy I absorb constantly strengthens my vitality. Unless my head is literally kicked off, I basically can't die!"
"Constantly strengthening vitality?" Ren caught the key phrase. He expanded his perception. In his mind's eye, Nawaki was no longer a human, but a colossal entity siphoning natural energy from the surrounding area. The concentration of natural energy in the yard was actually dropping!
Darn, I still haven't decrypted the Byakugan. If I had it, I could see exactly what's happening inside his body right now!
Ren cut off his perception. Nawaki was still grinning, waiting for his Master's approval. Ren patted his shoulder. "Not bad. With this, your utility on the battlefield surpasses even Tsunade-sama!"
Just as Nawaki's ego reached its peak, a playful voice came from behind them.
"Who surpassed me? Let me see!"
Tsunade, dressed in her green haori, walked through the gate. Since the yard was full of people, Hikari hadn't bothered to close it. Tsunade was carrying a sake bottle, her cheeks flushed with a slight drunk-red glow.
She looked at the massive canopy Nawaki had created and sat down casually. "Nice! It's much cooler in here than outside. So, what did you say surpassed me?"