[Great Sage: Assistance required from host.]
This was the first time Shigure had ever heard the Great Sage make such a request.
Although he had assisted the Great Sage in development before, truthfully, even without Shigure's involvement, the Great Sage was perfectly capable of completing the calculations on its own—it would just take more time.
But this time... it seemed different.
"How exactly do you need me to assist?"
[Great Sage: This calculation requires extensive data. Host must assist in data collection.]
"So... how do I help with that?"
[Great Sage: I require control over the host's body.]
Control his body?
"You mean, you want to use my body to collect data?"
[Great Sage: Correct.]
Hmm...
Shigure thought about it for a moment. There didn't seem to be any real danger. The only issue was—what would happen to his consciousness while the Great Sage was in control?
Just as that thought crossed his mind, the Great Sage answered promptly.
[Great Sage: The host's consciousness will enter a deeper state. From the host's perspective, it will feel like only an instant has passed.]
So... like falling asleep?
And just for a moment?
Then there was nothing to worry about.
"All right, go ahead."
[Great Sage: Authorization confirmed. Initiating control of host body.]
[Estimated computation time: 72 hours]
"…Wait, what?!"
Three days?!
This guy needed his body for a full three days?
Didn't it just say it would only take a moment!?
Before he could react further, Shigure's vision suddenly went black.
[Great Sage: Successfully assumed control of host body. Commencing physical analysis.]
[Hunger levels: Stable]
[Cellular activity: Normal]
[Mental state: Optimal]
[Beginning data collection. Initiating process.]
Boom!
In the next instant, the chakra within Shigure's body erupted.
Because he constantly kept the Chakra Refinement Technique active in his skill set, Shigure's chakra reserves had steadily grown over time.
By now, his chakra volume was nearly a thousand times greater than an ordinary shinobi's.
To put it in perspective, he had roughly ten times the chakra Naruto possessed during the early days.
If Shigure were controlling that vast reserve himself, it would have been impossible to release all of it so suddenly.
But under the Great Sage's precise command, his chakra surged outward without hesitation or preparation.
A tremendous pool of chakra swirled around Shigure, threads of pure energy radiating in all directions.
His eyes glowed faintly.
[Chakra fluctuation data collection: Initiated]
The overflowing chakra threads began to weave together in midair, forming an intricate lattice.
Had anyone witnessed this, they might have been scared out of their mind.
Was it really possible for a human to control chakra so finely?
At this moment, Shigure's body was under the control of the Great Sage, but his consciousness had already drifted elsewhere—into another plane entirely.
While the Great Sage managed his physical form, it also maintained a link with his mind, allowing their consciousness to remain connected.
Through this connection, Shigure found himself sharing part of the Great Sage's extraordinary computational and analytical power.
From his perspective, he now stood amid a vast, silent starry sky.
It was like floating through the vacuum of outer space, with radiant streams of light soaring past him—like comets tracing eternal arcs through the cosmos.
And from within those streaks of light, Shigure could perceive countless techniques—ninjutsu, chakra control methods, taijutsu, and other exquisitely refined skills.
It wasn't just seeing them—it felt like he was performing them himself. The lights passed by, and as his consciousness brushed against them, it was as if he had mastered each technique in that moment. The precision of chakra manipulation, the devastating taijutsu forms—it all mirrored what Shigure had once experienced personally.
He was absorbing it all at a furious pace. From Shigure's perspective, mere seconds were passing.
But in the real world, an entire day had slipped by.
The Great Sage had taken control of Shigure's body and remained in the stone forest throughout—never moving, never leaving—from dusk to dawn, and then dusk again.
When hunger struck, a shadow clone brought food and replenished his energy.
When mental fatigue crept in, the body would sit cross-legged to recover spiritual energy through meditation.
Even during these rest periods, the Great Sage continued collecting data—driving Shigure's subconscious to manipulate chakra in various patterns. Though less efficient, the process remained systematic and uninterrupted.
—Meanwhile—
At Shigure's home, Masano stood outside the door, knocking lightly.
"Shigure! Open up—it's me, Uncle Masano! I heard you finished your first mission, so I came to celebrate!" he called cheerfully.
"So? How was it? Is life as a ninja what you expected?"
He chuckled, ready to share some light-hearted advice—not about combat, but about navigating the mundane challenges of everyday missions.
But after several knocks, there was still no answer from within.
Masano frowned slightly.
That's strange. Shigure should be home by now.
Having just completed a mission, it would make sense for him to be resting today…
"What's this kid up to…?"
Masano muttered to himself, puzzled.
After thinking it over, he decided not to disturb Shigure any further. Instead, he scribbled a note and left it on the door, asking Shigure to drop by and see him the next day.
However, the following morning came and went—no sign of Shigure.
By noon, Masano was growing anxious. He rushed back to Shigure's house and knocked again—firm, urgent raps on the door—but still received no response.
Worried now, he made his way to the nearby home of Gekkō Hayate.
"Hayate," Masano called as he approached. "Did Shigure come home yesterday?"
Hayate blinked, momentarily caught off guard.
"Huh? Now that you mention it... I didn't hear anything from his place. He just got back from a mission, right? I figured he'd be resting at home already."
"No one?" Masano's brows furrowed. "You didn't hear anything at all?"
As a ninja, Hayate had acute senses. If Shigure's door had opened, he'd have noticed—even from a short distance.
But there had been no movement. He simply assumed Shigure was lying low after his first mission.
Alarmed now, the two men hurried to Shigure's door—and forced their way in.
The note Masano had left was still there. Untouched.
Which meant only one thing: Shigure had never returned.
The room showed no signs of anyone being there for over a day. And Shigure wasn't the type to vanish for so long without saying anything—not after a mission.
"Shigure... is missing," Masano said grimly.
His expression darkened. "I should've come inside yesterday…"
Hayate placed a hand on his shoulder. "Uncle Masano, now's not the time to blame yourself. We need to focus on finding Shigure—immediately."
"He disappeared right after completing a mission... and he vanished within the village. This isn't something simple."
...
TN:
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