In the mental space where the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, resided, even with the seal in place, its immense power still influenced the area. The Four-Tails' chakra possessed the power of Lava Release, making the environment as scorching as a volcano. When Uchiha Kagami was here before, he felt extremely uncomfortable.
However, Fumori Masaki stood calmly before the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, his body showing no unusual reactions, as if he was perfectly adapted to the environment. This was the benefit brought by the Sage Realm, minimizing the adverse effects of the natural environment.
The more profound the Sage Realm, the more one could integrate with the environment. The Four-Tails, Son Gokū, hadn't seen a human with such a level in a long time.
For a millennium, the first to possess this realm were those of the Six Paths lineage. Their Sage Body allowed them to accommodate and adapt to natural energy. What would take ordinary people ten or even decades to cultivate in Sage Mode was merely a slightly more troublesome cultivation for those with a Sage Body.
For example, the grandson of the Sage of Six Paths could inherently use Sage Mode, but as the bloodline weakened, the advantage of this Sage Body gradually diminished. Although they still had the ability to learn Sage Mode quickly, compared to the previous generations who could master it innately, not only was the speed not as fast, but the realm was also much lower.
According to the Four-Tails, Son Gokū's impression, after approximately the seventh generation, the descendants of the Asura lineage no longer produced Sage Realm users of the same level as Fumori Masaki. They lost the innate ability to accommodate natural energy and had to learn how to master it before accommodating natural energy. Due to wars, the inheritance of the Shinobi Sect was mostly lost, and few people could access the three Great Sage regions that preserved alternative learning methods, so gradually, fewer and fewer people learned to use natural energy.
However, exceptions would occasionally arise, such as the First Hokage of Konoha Village a decade or so ago. He not only possessed Wood Release, which could suppress Tailed Beast chakra, but also a high-level Sage Mode. In terms of realm, he was similar to the person in front of him, considered a rare powerhouse among Asura's descendants.
However, all the Sage Art masters the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, had seen were descendants of the Sage Body lineage. For ordinary humans, just sensing natural energy would take over a decade, let alone refining Sage Art to this level?
"Yes, I am not a descendant of a Sage. I am merely a descendant of an ordinary Shinobi Sect believer," Fumori Masaki replied. Apart from the descendants of the Sage lineage, all current ninja families with a lineage were descendants of the believers who followed the Shinobi Sect back then. They had no special bloodline; they merely mastered the learning methods of ninjutsu among the Sage of Six Paths and his descendants. Some exceptionally talented individuals learned Kekkei Genkai or created powerful secret techniques, passing them down, thus becoming the predecessors of today's powerful ninja families who are not of Sage blood.
However, Fumori Masaki's Kazemori family had no special abilities and was not considered powerful among ninja families. It didn't even survive the Warring States period and went extinct, being merely descendants of ordinary Shinobi Sect believers.
"Then how did you acquire this power? Who taught it to you?" the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, asked immediately after Fumori Masaki's confirmation.
"I don't know. After an accidental experience in my childhood, I gained the ability to freely sense natural energy," Fumori Masaki said honestly. He truly didn't know how his ability came about, only that it was a benefit granted to him after transmigrating to this era.
Perhaps there was some abnormal change in his soul state during the transmigration process, allowing Fumori Masaki to sense the omnipresent natural energy. Originally, humans with Sage bloodline who attempted to use natural energy had to consciously sense its presence.
And for Fumori Masaki's soul state to become more receptive to natural energy didn't seem like an incredible thing. After years of researching Sage Art, Fumori Masaki believed he merely skipped a series of struggles, much like those descendants with a Sage Body.
"A special mental state?" The surprise on the Four-Tails, Son Gokū's face lessened slightly. "It seems you're not an ordinary person either. Is it precisely because of your unique mind that you can come up with those things?"
"What are you referring to?" Fumori Masaki asked.
"A Uchiha brat told me earlier," the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, said patiently, briefly recounting what Uchiha Kagami had told him. "Compared to humans of the past, your words and actions are unlike ordinary people. You make me think of the Sage of Six Paths back then. You bear some resemblance to him."
"I bear some resemblance to the Sage of Six Paths?" Fumori Masaki was somewhat surprised.
"Hmm. Humans are all foolish creatures, but there are always some who can stand out. They possess wisdom beyond the reach of ordinary people, can overcome ordinary instincts, and accomplish things ordinary people cannot. The Sage of Six Paths was like that back then. Over a millennium, such people occasionally appear. Without exception, they are all people who can influence an era. In our Tailed Beasts' eyes, such people are the heroes of humanity," the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, said.
"I don't think I'm that great yet," Fumori Masaki said.
"Heh heh, what do you humans call this behavior? It seems to be humility. People like you also have some such tendencies, never thinking that what you accomplish is a world-shaking feat, but in the eyes of others, it's not like that. But precisely because of this, it brings fear," the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, said.
Seeing Fumori Masaki's somewhat surprised expression, the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, sneered, "People like you, though you have the appearance of humans, your wisdom and spirit are no longer truly human. And while humans respect those who are human but can control their desires, deep down, they also feel fear. Over a millennium, there have been instances of foolish humans harming such people."
"Do you think ordinary humans would reject people like me?" Fumori Masaki asked.
"Of course. Otherwise, why would the Shinobi Sect established by the Sage of Six Paths reach its current state? It's because humans felt aversion and resistance to the Sage of Six Paths' teachings, which surpassed ordinary people and were beyond their reach. When the Sage of Six Paths was still alive, he was still respected as a Sage, but as time passed, he was increasingly disregarded," the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, snorted coldly.
"The ideal society envisioned by the Sage of Six Paths was indeed too far-reaching, but I think that's only because it was too distant, making people feel somewhat hollow. There are objective laws in the world. Violating objective laws and attempting to reverse human instincts all at once is inherently an unlikely thing," Fumori Masaki said.
"What objective laws, I don't quite understand," the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, frowned. "However, you do seem to be doing better than the Sage of Six Paths' descendants. His descendants not only failed to inherit the Sage of Six Paths' ideas but later gave up themselves. The Uchiha brat told me that it is you, a descendant of an ordinary Shinobi Sect believer, who inherited the Sage's ideal, reviving the Shinobi Sect once again, and you've even achieved some results."
"Yes, I am following the policies left by the Sage of Six Paths, combined with the current social situation, making certain improvements. Compared to the Sage of Six Paths' overly far-reaching ideas, it better suits the current human mindset, gradually raising their moral and knowledge levels. Only after this transitional stage can we potentially reach the society envisioned by the Sage of Six Paths," Fumori Masaki said.
However, Fumori Masaki added in his heart, it might only be a near-reaching state. The ideal society envisioned by the Sage of Six Paths was too perfect, something ordinary humans couldn't achieve. Even if it truly could be achieved, it might take hundreds or even thousands of years.
"As I said, I don't quite understand these things. In short, you've indeed done well. Compared to those people before, you are indeed smarter," the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, said.
"Well, thank you for your compliment, Son Gokū," Fumori Masaki smiled.
"Hmm... Hmm! You, how do you know my name?" The Four-Tails, Son Gokū, didn't react at first, but when it realized Fumori Masaki had called out its name, it immediately looked at him with a shocked expression, its lava-like chakra becoming increasingly agitated due to its emotions.
"I found some clues due to certain reasons, and I couldn't be sure, but judging by your reaction, I seem to have guessed correctly?" Fumori Masaki said with a smile.
Looking at Fumori Masaki's expression, the Four-Tails, Son Gokū's expression was uncertain and surprised. It didn't know where Fumori Masaki had learned its name. However, because the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, disliked being called 'Four-Tails' by others, unlike other Tailed Beasts who would only reveal their names after gaining trust, it wasn't uncommon for the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, to tell its name to strangers it met for the first time.
In later generations, when the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, and Uzumaki Naruto first met, Naruto called it 'Four-Tails,' and the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, immediately told him its name. In this regard, the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, was truly different from other Tailed Beasts.
"Forget it, I don't care where you learned it. Really, do people like you always have this unfathomable habit? The Sage of Six Paths was the same, often saying things that were hard to understand," the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, muttered.
—No, I didn't mean it that way originally, but using my plot advantage to appear unfathomable in front of a Tailed Beast seems genuinely interesting.
Fumori Masaki smiled at the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, and said, "We've talked so much, it's about time we got to the point, Son Gokū."
"Hmph, ask whatever you want. I'm not like humans; I don't like to lie. I can tell you that I have some fondness for you. As long as it's something I can answer, I will tell you," the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, said. "However, don't expect to get intel on Iwagakure from me. I can't constantly peek outside, and that brat outside can't get involved with the higher-ups, so he doesn't know anything."
"Jinchūriki in other places live very hard lives," Fumori Masaki said. "I truly wish I could help them, but I can't right now."
"But you seem to have already helped a Jinchūriki. I heard you helped a Jinchūriki become the leader of a ninja village?" the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, said.
"That was Suna's own choice, and that Jinchūriki's persistence. It doesn't have much to do with me," Fumori Masaki replied.
"That sounds good, but that Uchiha brat already told me some of the things you did in it. However, they were all good deeds, so I won't dwell on it too much. At least, compared to others, your attitude towards us Tailed Beasts and Jinchūriki is good. To be honest, your view that Jinchūriki and we Tailed Beasts should understand each other, I think, has some merit. Thinking about it carefully, that brat is quite pitiful too," the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, recalled.
"Then when you go back, you might as well try to befriend him. Perhaps you can understand each other. You are inherently bound by the same fate and should stand on the same side. I will also try to create a better environment for you. Although I cannot interfere with Iwagakure's internal affairs, using external pressure to improve the living conditions of Iwagakure's Jinchūriki should not be a problem," Fumori Masaki said.
"Then I really have to thank you," the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, said. "Alright, what exactly do you want to know?"
"Then I'll get straight to the point. What I want to know is the relationship between your Tailed Beast chakra and natural energy," Fumori Masaki straightened his expression. "According to my research, the source of your Tailed Beast chakra should be natural energy, right?"
"That's right. We Tailed Beasts are a collection of chakra, but also the embodiment of the natural energy of heaven and earth. As long as natural energy exists, we will not disappear," the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, nodded.
"My goal is to borrow some of your chakra so I can research the conversion relationship between chakra and natural energy," Fumori Masaki said.
"Oh, what for? You're not trying to become like us Tailed Beasts, are you?"
"Of course not. Firstly, I hope to pursue a higher realm of Sage Art. Secondly, I hope to find the conversion relationship between natural energy and chakra so that in the future, we can solve the energy problem in our village," Fumori Masaki said. "If such a method can be found, I can begin to realize some of my ideas and take a step closer to the society of mutual understanding and strengthened connections envisioned by the Sage of Six Paths."
The Four-Tails, Son Gokū, gazed deeply at Fumori Masaki and said in a low voice, "Your name is Fumori Masaki, right? Although you say so, what benefit is there for me? You suddenly came to me, asking for my chakra, even if it's for the Sage of Six Paths' ideal, it has nothing to do with me."
"How can you say it has nothing to do with you? Now I've probably covered half the distance to my goal. In the future, at least half of the ninja world's continent will usher in peace. When I truly achieve my goal, you Tailed Beasts will no longer need to be used as weapons. We can completely establish a more equal relationship. You don't like your current situation, do you?" Fumori Masaki said with a smile.
"How can you prove you can do it?"
"Since I said it, I will definitely do it. However, you might feel there's no guarantee. Trust should be mutual. You've been used by humans too much, so even I probably wouldn't be completely trusted, right?"
"Yes, that First Hokage was also a hero, but he never asked for our opinions. Although we are not human, he was no good either!" the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, snorted coldly.
"So, let's consider it me making up for the mistakes of my elders. I will take the first step to express my sincerity. You can first observe the outside world with your Jinchūriki, see the efforts our Konoha Village has made, and then decide whether or not to give me chakra. However, you also have to leave a guarantee," Fumori Masaki stared at the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, and said.
The Four-Tails, Son Gokū, remained silent, seemingly contemplating something. After a while, it burst into laughter, perhaps laughing too much, with a hint of a monkey's sound.
As the laughter gradually subsided, the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, looked at Fumori Masaki and said, "People like you always keep your word. Although the First Hokage was no good, he also didn't use that trust on us. But since you say so, I believe you, and I cannot let your sincerity go to waste."
As the Four-Tails, Son Gokū, spoke, crimson chakra surged towards Fumori Masaki. It looked grand, but under the effect of the seal, it was merely an empty display.
Fumori Masaki didn't dodge. The crimson chakra landed on him and immediately disappeared. He lowered his head slightly and saw a golden-red mark on his palm.