"Thank you for the compliment. However, I believe that understanding the fundamental essence of a phenomenon is what allows one to progress faster—and to experiment with the new," Shorai said, a faint smile on his lips as he stared at his upturned palm.
He began slowly, pushing chakra through his arm toward a central point. He applied the Yin aspect, thinning the bluish energy until it felt familiar—similar to the chakra thread principle he had already mastered. He began to weave those strings, stirring the air into motion.
'Stirring the molecules in the atmosphere... with the very chakra I extend from my body.'
It was his first attempt at the Rasengan in practice. He had cut through the training stages, following the pure logic of what he had just explained to Jiraiya. As the threads interlocked and set the air into a violent spin, a pulsing gust radiated from his hand, snapping at his clothes and hair. The rotation accelerated, and Shorai divided his focus, shifting from maintaining the spin to imposing spherical containment.
The threads acted as a membrane—a cage for the sheer force building within. Jiraiya stood frozen in silence as he watched the process unfold above the boy's palm. Shorai remained entirely focused on the delicate balance: the chakra's shape, the thinned streams, and the vortex stirring within.
'It's working...' Shorai thought. His reserves were steadily draining to stabilize the vortex that fought to tear itself free. 'Now... containment.'
He shifted his full attention toward binding that violent force into a defined state. His arm shook slightly; his focus drifted for a fraction of a second.
Woosh! Bam!
The storm escaped, erupting from his palm in a jagged cone that shot into the air. Thanks to his heightened reflexes, Shorai leaned out of its path as the gust sheared through the nearby trees, tearing loose a cloud of leaves that spiraled into the sky
"What happened?" Naruto's voice called out from a distance.
"All good! Just a small accident! Don't worry!" Shorai shouted back, his voice steady.
"Unbelievable," Jiraiya blurted out, his eyes tracing the path of the gust before settling on the boy. "It took Minato a full three years to master this, and he developed it from scratch. You caught every step in a single glance. Without any of the prior stages of practice… you replicated it to this extent? Genius? Monster?"
"Jiraiya-san, while I am flattered by your praise, I cannot entirely accept it. My body is biologically enhanced by my elemental affinities. It is this unique, inherent state that makes such feats possible."
Shorai lowered his hand and applied a brief burst of healing, noting that even the imprecise attempt had consumed nearly a third of his reserves.
"How so? You mean your body is in a constant state of boost? That makes concepts easier to grasp?" The Sannin leaned in, studying the boy's features with renewed intensity.
"That is how I came to understand my Kekkei Genkai. My lightning affinity is the culprit behind the acceleration of my internal processes—my brain function, my synapses, and even my blood flow. It gives me a natural boost to my perception and memory. I learn and process information faster by a massive margin." Shorai offered a half-smile, staring at his hands and feeling the faint static beneath his skin.
"Oh... I see. It's like... like those with the Sharingan," Jiraiya mused, rubbing his chin.
"The Uchiha's Kekkei Genkai and my own state share that brain boost, yes," Shorai explained calmly. "But while the Sharingan has its own special benefits, my state affects my entire body—my reflexes, my speed. I realized not long ago that it is both a blessing and a curse."
"Interesting. And quite rare for these parts," Jiraiya noted. "That kind of physiology is usually seen in the Land of Lightning. The Raikages are known for similar techniques. But what was the 'curse,' Shorai?"
"The most immediate issue is poison; my metabolism processes it far too quickly. And it worsens the more I progress with my Swift Release," Shorai noted, seeing Jiraiya nod knowingly. "The deeper issue is the harm to my regenerative abilities—a steady deterioration and an accelerated aging process."
"Indeed. A blessing in disguise, and a body always under pressure. You are living in a constant state of a forbidden jutsu." Jiraiya sighed. "You are like a butterfly, Shorai. A beautiful, memorable sight... but short-lived."
"Perhaps for now. I intend to fix that issue and preserve my biological clock—if not extend it."
"The hell? You already have a solution? Kid, that would be revolutionary. Do you understand what you're saying?" Jiraiya's eyes widened.
"I do. To repair the body past a certain threshold, external energy sources are required. My first stage is bearable, but requires healing after prolonged use. The second stage requires active healing as I perform it..."
"Wait. You're telling me you've already solved the problem for your advanced form?" Jiraiya was beginning to find the boy ridiculous. "To develop a solution for injuries received mid-combat... that's like Tsunade's level. A medical ninja who can fight on the front lines."
"Yes. I have studied every detail and scroll regarding the body, medicine, and the biochemical processes of chakra application. I developed a method tailored to my specific damage. I call it the Yang-layer active healing... the Perfect Body Revival jutsu."
Jiraiya stared at him, dumbfounded. Then, he laughed and ruffled Shorai's hair again. "It really was the right choice to take you along. This greatly increases our chances of convincing her to return. To tell you the truth... as it stands, our mission was unlikely to succeed."
"Lady Tsunade has a... complicated history with Konoha, I assume?" Shorai asked, keeping his voice neutral despite his meta-knowledge.
"She has suffered her share of misfortune. She lost her younger brother and the man she loved. I can only imagine how heavily that still weighs on her."
Jiraiya sighed, then turned his attention back to Shorai. "But that can wait. You, boy, are a rare find. You need to be careful with your skills. To be this proficient in chakra control and elemental affinities… that is potential at the very top of the world. Tell me, Shorai—do you have goals? Aspirations? Dreams?"
"I do," Shorai replied shortly. He looked into the curious eyes of the Sannin. "Three goals, in fact."
"And they are?"
"First…" Shorai narrowed his eyes, drawing out the word. "To become as powerful as the legendary Sage of Six Paths."
Jiraiya's smile vanished at once. "What?" His voice dropped, stern and authoritative. "That is quite an ambition, kid. One that can lead you down a dark path. What drives you to seek that kind of power? Be honest with me."
Shorai felt the sudden, heavy pressure radiating from the Sannin, but his expression remained calm. "I have a premonition of sorts. Through history, legends, and myths, I have found fragments—clues fragile enough that others may dismiss my conclusions as radical… or absurd."
He chose his words with precision. It was one thing to manipulate Hiruzen with talk of the Will of Fire; it was another to speak of such grand intentions to a man like Jiraiya while holding the rank of an ANBU trainee.
"A premonition? Of what?"
"The story of the Sage. The story of this world—and how it might repeat itself." Shorai clenched his fist. "Legends say no one has ever come close to his power. He is the forefather of ninjutsu, and we are all products of his teachings. But for a godly being of that level to exist in a world where he was the only one with such power... you understand the implication, Jiraiya-san?"
"You imply he wasn't native to our world..." Jiraiya visibly shook.
"And if beings of his level exist elsewhere, it is only right to ask: why did he come here? What was his purpose? The history we know can be edited or sanitized out of fear. But one fact remains: the nine Tailed Beasts are here. I believe the Sage was their Jinchuriki before he freed them. My hypothesis is that he fought a being of immense power to become that Jinchuriki in the first place."
"There are tales of a great calamity that created the Sage," Jiraiya mused. "In your interpretation, he fought something, gained its power, and created the monsters at death's door..."
"A monster appearing from nowhere—and a man capable of surviving it, in a world of people who had never known chakra. That man is an enigma. And the beasts he left behind…" Shorai's gaze hardened. "It is only a matter of time before they are united again."
"The Akatsuki's goal?" Jiraiya raised a brow, weighing the possibility.
"Whatever that precursor was, it may return. The Akatsuki is made up of S-rank shinobi searching for the beasts. Their leader must be a monster—someone who would require several Kage-level shinobi merely to confront. In recent history, only Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha reached such a level. If we measure ourselves against them…" Shorai paused. "What level did the Sage stand at?"
Shorai glanced around the forest. "We are weak, Jiraiya-san. An entity of that level would make us slaves. We must be prepared. You are a legendary shinobi—but are you at the level of the First Hokage? How many alive today can claim that?"
Jiraiya was taken aback. "To hear that from a twelve-year-old... your ambition stems from the chance that a legend might return in our lifetime?" He shook his head, then something lit up in his eyes. "The prophecy..."
"Prophecy?" Shorai smiled.
Jiraiya stared at the boy in silence before looking toward the distant silhouette of Naruto. "This is getting stranger by the day. So, your ambition is born of survival and protection?"
"Self-preservation, and by extension, protecting those who are dear to me," Shorai said firmly. "I am an orphan. Konoha raised me. While I may disagree with its philosophy at times, I will protect it. My friends... and my..."
"Love," Jiraiya finished softly. The old man sighed, crossing his arms as he watched the clouds. "Perhaps this is part of destiny. So, the strength of a Sage. What are your other two goals?"
"To travel the world and experience its cultures," Shorai said, his face softening with a slightly broken smile as he thought of the Reality Stone within him. "And lastly, to find a companion to build a family with."
"Whatever troubles you, kid, keep them in the present," Jiraiya said with a quiet laugh. "Enjoy these small moments. Sometimes, it is better to keep your world small. It preserves your dreams; small failures will not hurt as much."
A gust of wind swept through the forest, carrying the first quiet sign that summer was ending. One cycle of rebirth was beginning its descent toward death.
Shorai knew full well what was coming. Preparations had to be made.
"I will keep that in mind. Thank you, Jiraiya-san," Shorai said, bowing slightly.
"Oh, stop! Don't go all formal on me now," the Sannin smirked. "You became an ANBU trainee straight from the Academy? Those three mentors of yours... quite a team. I wonder what Hiruzen was thinking, not assigning you to Kakashi."
"Me too," Shorai murmured. "Me too."
"Alright, enough nostalgia. What else are you working on? You're a close-combat specialist, right? Any finishing moves?"
"I can coat my strikes in wind and lightning to pierce pressure points—or cut directly into the body. At close range, a clean hit can be lethal. I can also concentrate chakra into my strikes, with or without an elemental enhancement."
"Sounds like Tsunade, Guy, and Kakashi rolled into one," Jiraiya chuckled. "That's close range. What about mid to long?"
Shorai smirked. He reached down and pulled a battery-seal kunai from his holster.
"A layered sealing pattern engraved directly into the metal," Jiraiya noted, examining it. "Solid work. Who made this?"
"I did. I figured if I can accelerate myself, I can accelerate objects."
"Wait, you don't mean—"
"A chakra storage pattern that interacts with my supply. I prepare and guide elemental chakra into it. The result is velocity faster than the speed of sound. No need for expensive chakra-conductive alloys."
"You little monster!" Jiraiya exclaimed, staring at the seal before handing it back. "Keep that secret close. That is revolutionary knowledge, boy!"
"I am very careful with my trump cards," Shorai said with a nod. "I am somewhat proficient in genjutsu, though I mainly use it for disorientation and diversion. Aside from that, nothing much… I have only just begun developing my Water affinity."
Jiraiya stared blankly at him, his mind reeling from the sheer breadth of the boy's talent. "Will you stop? Is there no bottom to you? Little monster!"