Tsuchigen Tianlang carefully applied the green liquid onto Naruto's body.
The moment it touched his skin, Naruto felt a cool sensation spread across his back and shoulders.
"Wow… this liquid feels really cool when it's applied!"
Naruto couldn't help but exclaim.
Tianlang continued brushing it evenly and smiled.
"Yes, that's the first stage."
"Later, you may feel a burning power inside your body."
"Oh? It changes like that?"
Naruto asked curiously.
After finishing the application, Tianlang put down the brush and threw it back into the bucket.
Then he looked at Naruto seriously.
"Alright, Naruto."
"From now on, you must meditate and follow my instructions."
"Start sensing it."
Naruto nodded.
"Yes!"
He sat cross-legged on the ground and straightened his posture.
Tianlang stood in front of him and said in a deep voice,
"Listen carefully, Naruto."
"Close your eyes."
"Try to feel the changes around you."
"Remember—dark matter exists everywhere."
"It fills the entire natural world."
"You must learn to—"
"I know!"
Before Tianlang could finish, Naruto suddenly spoke.
"Concentrate… and feel nature!"
Tianlang froze slightly.
He looked at Naruto in surprise.
Because Naruto had directly spoken the core principle of sensing dark matter.
Among the Tsuchigen clan, many people took months—or even years—to grasp this concept.
Some people never succeeded at all.
The biggest reason was simple:
They couldn't truly concentrate.
They couldn't empty their minds.
But Naruto had grasped it immediately.
And he had said it so naturally.
Tianlang was already shocked.
But what happened next shocked him even more.
As soon as Naruto entered a focused state, dark matter began pouring into his body like a flowing river.
It was steady.
Continuous.
Endless.
"Here it comes…"
Naruto muttered softly.
Because of his experience with Sage Mode and natural energy at Mount Myōboku, he could clearly sense what was happening inside his body.
The moment dark matter entered, he felt subtle changes in his chakra network and internal organs.
Tianlang's expression became serious.
"Is this really his first time sensing dark matter…?"
"Even with the medicine's help, he's far too skilled…"
Meanwhile, Naruto continued absorbing energy.
Dark matter kept flowing into his body.
Slowly, his internal temperature rose.
His breathing became heavy.
His chest felt tight.
Soon, he felt as if his body was about to burst.
"So… this is what full absorption feels like…"
Naruto clenched his fists.
His skin was hot.
His lungs burned.
Breathing became difficult.
Instinctively, he wanted to stop.
He opened his eyes.
But even then, dark matter continued to rush in.
It wouldn't stop.
Panicking slightly, Naruto called out,
"Big Brother! Why can't I stop it?!"
Tianlang immediately reacted.
He stepped forward.
Stood behind Naruto.
Placed one hand on the top of Naruto's head.
Then—
He activated his power.
A powerful suction force erupted.
All the dark matter inside Naruto's body was instantly drawn out.
It condensed into a faint mist and scattered into the air, disappearing completely.
"Alright."
Naruto felt his body relax immediately.
It was as if all pressure had vanished.
He felt refreshed.
Comfortable.
Almost like he had just gone to the bathroom after holding it in for too long.
"Big Brother… what did you do?"
Naruto asked, breathing steadily again.
Tianlang walked in front of him and explained calmly,
"I extracted all the dark matter you absorbed."
"Now, how do you feel?"
Naruto nodded.
"Much better."
"But… I still feel like my body wants to absorb more."
"I can't stop it by myself."
Tianlang nodded.
"Did you feel like your body was being stretched to its limit just now?"
Naruto nodded vigorously.
"Yes! Exactly!"
"My body felt hot, uncomfortable, and I couldn't breathe!"
Tianlang smiled.
"Good."
"Congratulations, Naruto."
"You've completed the first step."
"You've mastered the basic absorption of dark matter."
Naruto grinned.
"Thanks to your teaching, Senior Brother!"
Tianlang waved his hand.
"Don't be modest."
"Based on what I just saw, you're already better than many disciples."
"Let's move to the next step."
He continued,
"You can still feel dark matter entering your body, right?"
Naruto nodded.
"Yes."
Tianlang said,
"Now, you must learn control."
"Earlier, I told you to sense nature."
"That was to open your perception."
"Now, you must isolate yourself from it."
"Forget nature."
"Keep your mind calm."
"Maintain normal consciousness."
"That's it."
Naruto closed his eyes again and tried.
At that moment, he recalled his training in Sage Mode.
Back then, he learned to absorb natural energy.
When it reached its limit, he would stop.
Then the Sage markings would appear.
Then he could fight.
Thinking of that process, Naruto adjusted his mental state.
Instantly—
The flow of dark matter slowed.
Then stopped.
"That's it!"
Naruto opened his eyes and smiled.
His confidence slowly returned.
Tianlang looked at him with deep admiration.
"Good boy…"
He walked over and patted Naruto's shoulder.
"If you weren't a foreigner…"
"I would definitely beg Master to accept you as my junior brother."
Naruto laughed.
"Why, Senior Brother?"
Tianlang sighed.
"There's really no comparison between people."
"Your comprehension is too high."
"I only say one thing, and you understand immediately."
After a pause, he added regretfully,
"If only you had a single Fire Release affinity…"
Naruto frowned slightly.
"Senior Brother…"
"With common attributes…"
"Can't someone become strong?"
Tianlang hesitated.
He thought carefully, trying to find words that wouldn't hurt Naruto.
But before he could answer, Naruto spoke first.
"Then I'll be the first one."
Tianlang was stunned.
Naruto looked at him confidently and said,
"If no one has done it before…"
"Then I'll do it."
"I will move forward bravely."
Tianlang stared at him for a moment.
Then he smiled sincerely.
"Naruto…"
"I really admire your attitude."
"No matter what you face, you always think about overcoming it."
"Not running away."
"Just this alone makes you strong."
Naruto smiled softly.
"Thank you for the compliment, Senior Brother."
"Alright."
"Let's practice again."
"Absorb dark matter."
"Then stop it."
With that, Tianlang guided Naruto again.
Naruto absorbed.
Stopped.
Absorbed again.
Stopped again.
Tianlang occasionally intervened to adjust his rhythm.
They repeated this process again and again.
After four full rounds, Tianlang finally nodded.
"Okay."
"Naruto, you've mastered the absorption and suppression of dark matter."
Naruto clasped his hands respectfully.
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother!"
Tianlang laughed and clapped.
"What guidance?"
"You learned it yourself."
"You only needed a few words."
"And you mastered it in less than one morning."
He looked up at the sun.
"It's incredible."
"I planned to teach this all day."
Naruto laughed.
Then he asked,
"So… what do we do this afternoon?"
Tianlang replied,
"Now that you can control dark matter…"
"We'll start learning basic Fire Release techniques."
Naruto's eyes lit up.
"Fire Style training?"
"No problem!"
"Good."
"Let's rest first."
"After lunch, we'll go to the study."
"I'll get you some books."
"You can prepare in advance."
Naruto nodded seriously.
"No problem, Senior Brother."
Inside his heart, Naruto felt excited.
A new path.
A new system.
But with familiar roots.
This world…
Was waiting for him to conquer it once again.