Reborn in the Shinobi World with an Arceus Inside

"…And that's the gist of becoming one with nature. Take your time figuring it out; you won't master it in a month or two. I have other business to attend to, so I'll be going now. I'll come find you again when I have time, or after this phase of the war is over," Jiraiya said with a smile, standing in the clearing.

"Goodbye. Be careful not to get yourself killed," Kaito said, waving him off without a hint of sentimentality.

"Don't worry. I won't die until I see peace with my own eyes."

With that, he leaped away, vanishing from Kaito's sight.

As he moved swiftly through the branches, Jiraiya's face was filled with regret. It's a shame I couldn't make Kaito my student. I was really looking forward to making Orochimaru and Tsunade burn with jealousy. Sigh… I can't believe I found the Child of the Prophecy so soon. Should I even continue my journey?

Hmm, I might as well. I think the Great Toad Sage said something about me writing a book, right? Perfect! I'll use Kaito as the protagonist—a story about a boy's quest for peace. Ha! The inspiration is just pouring out of me! I want to start writing right now. Wait, no! I think I forgot to warn Kaito not to absorb natural energy recklessly. He probably won't be able to sense it that quickly, right…?

Standing alone in the clearing, Kaito sighed. "Figures. I'm just too righteous. Vice and I are clearly fated to be strangers."

With that thought, he returned to the tower, gave Shiori a quick heads-up, and then descended into the underground secret chamber.

Jiraiya hadn't given him any complex training methods. He had simply told him to try and empty his mind, to become one with nature and achieve a state of "stillness."

It was pitch-black and exceptionally quiet down here—the perfect place for training.

Sitting on the floor, Kaito closed his eyes, recalling the advice Jiraiya had given him.

"Kaito, achieving 'stillness' is incredibly difficult. First, your body must be still, and then, your mind must be still. Physical stillness is easy enough to get with a few tries, but mental stillness is much harder. The slightest emotional ripple will mean failure. So, when I train, I try to visualize a perfectly calm lake to help my mind achieve that state. You could give it a try."

Isn't this just visualization? As an avid reader of novels, Kaito was no stranger to the concept. He immediately pictured a block of white, tender, silky tofu.

Before long, his mind was as placid as still water.

It wasn't until dinnertime that evening that Kaito left the secret chamber, his brow furrowed in thought.

"This isn't working. I've practically carved that tofu into a work of art, but I still don't feel like I'm entering a meditative state. Did I choose the wrong object to visualize? I'll try something else next time."

"And the musty air in the chamber, the chirping of insects… it all keeps breaking my concentration. Having senses this sharp isn't always a good thing."

The next day, he took a more direct approach. He plugged his ears and nostrils with tissues and even put on a blindfold before entering the chamber.

The results were much better. He finally succeeded in entering a true meditative state.

Notably, he had changed his visualization object to Arceus. As he focused on tracing the lines of Arceus's form, his mind grew increasingly serene.

By the fifth day, Kaito could skillfully enter the state of "stillness" and had begun to sense the special energies floating in the air and hidden within the earth.

So this is natural energy. It's certainly very different from chakra.

Kaito wasn't foolish enough to try and absorb it directly; he knew that taking in too much would turn him to stone. One had to perfectly balance the spiritual and physical energies within the body with this natural energy to create sage chakra.

But that raised a question: before the seeds of chakra had been sown in this world, did Sage Art not exist?

That seemed unlikely.

Sage Art probably existed in another form. After all, the sages of the three great sage regions didn't seem to need chakra. The existence of chakra merely gave humans, who were originally weak in body and spirit, the potential to practice Sage Art.

Thinking about it, the world of shinobi was deeper than it appeared.

Shaking his head, Kaito pushed these thoughts, which were irrelevant to him for now, to the back of his mind. He closed his eyes again and entered his inner space.

A long while later, Kaito's eyes opened, a faint smile playing on his lips.

"Fortune favors the persistent. I finally did it."

He held out his right hand, palm up. Amidst a flash of golden light, a fist-sized golden sphere materialized before him.

"This is Aura Sphere."

After weighing it in his hand for a few moments, Kaito allowed the Aura Sphere to dissipate. Having just learned the skill, his control wasn't perfect yet, and keeping it active was too dangerous. Fortunately, Aura Sphere was formed from the Power of Aura, and by gradually releasing his control, he could let it safely dissolve.

"Next, let's see if I can use the Power of Aura itself."

He calmed his mind, recalling the unique power that had stirred within him when he released the Aura Sphere.

Soon, a golden light enveloped his entire body.

He felt as if he had become a ghost. His perspective passed through the thick layers of soil and rock, moving up to the surface. An all-too-familiar scene bloomed in his mind's eye.

The clean, tidy streets, the rows of houses, and the large pool of water at the center.

"This is the sanctuary above… Shiori, Konan, Yuto… I can see them. The color of their bodies is different, though. Shiori's and Konan's are lighter, while Yuto's is deeper. Is this a difference in their chakra levels?"

Next, Kaito decided to test the range of his Aura, attempting to extend his mental feelers outward. They passed through houses and forests, reaching into the distance.

Along the way, he inadvertently saw a group of people heading toward the sanctuary.

That attire… are those Rain ninja?

Just then, his Aura reached its limit. Kaito ceased his perception, opened his eyes, and immediately left the secret chamber.

Seeing him, Shiori, who had been recording data outside, asked in surprise, "Lord Kaito, why are you out so early today?"

Kaito gave her a mysterious smile. "We have guests. I'm going to greet them."

"?"

As he opened the door and walked out, the Rain ninja were just landing one by one at the village entrance.

Based on their speed, the range of my Aura must be less than a kilometer, huh? Well, it's barely enough for now.

As he pondered this, Kaito didn't forget to address the one who appeared to be their leader. "What are you doing here?"

"Don't you remember me? We've met before."

You've got a mask covering half your face, how am I supposed to remember? Kaito complained internally, but played along. "Oh, it's you. I recognized your voice the moment you spoke. What is it? Here for a friendly reunion?"

"Of course not." The leader waved a hand, and his squad parted to reveal three wounded individuals being carried behind them. "I need you to honor our agreement and heal them for me."

"Don't you Rain ninja have your own medical ninja?"

The leader fell silent for two seconds before pointing to one of the wounded. "He is our medical ninja."

"Ah," Kaito said dryly. "What a truly sad story."