Before Natsuro could even react, the 'Umbreon' suddenly appeared on his shoulder and extended its pink tongue to lick his cheek.
Feeling the damp sensation on his face, his pupils shrank.
He hadn't seen any trace of it's movement, it had simply vanished from its original position and reappeared on his shoulder.
So, was this spatial teleportation?
He fell silent, blinking in surprise. Even he couldn't fully comprehend what had happened, but it seemed that he had… succeeded?
Had he really just created a living being out of thin air?
Reaching out his hand, he gently touched it, feeling its warm and smooth texture. It was a rather pleasant sensation.
As for the spatial teleportation just now, he wasn't entirely shocked. When using Yin Release to create forms, the incantations he used were essentially his Flying Thunder God markings from different periods.
Moreover, he could sense the presence of those markings on the Umbreon.
This meant that no matter where it was, he could always lock onto its position… and then use Flying Thunder God to teleport to its side.
But considering that he had already mastered the fixed-point Flying Thunder God teleportation array, this didn't seem to have much practical use for him.
Natsuro pondered for a moment before looking down at it, which was rubbing affectionately against his palm. His heart softened at its cuteness.
Forget it, whether it was useful or not didn't matter. Raising a pet wasn't a bad idea.
After playing with his creation for a while, he realized that its intelligence was… quite low. It was far from being on the level of a sentient being like a Tailed Beast.
But that was understandable. His mastery of Yin-Yang Release was still at a rudimentary stage.
If not for his exceptionally strong spiritual energy and the enhanced control over life energy granted by Sage Mode from Ryūchi Cave, he wouldn't have even had the chance to create life in the first place.
Even now, if he were to attempt it again, he probably wouldn't be able to replicate the feat.
Thinking back to that fleeting state of enlightenment… if this were a cultivation novel, wouldn't it be referred to as a moment of sudden realization?
Except in those stories, an epiphany usually meant a massive power boost or the comprehension of some god-tier technique. But for him…
Natsuro glanced at the pitch-black, beast-like being. After staring at it for a while, he turned his head away.
Oh well. It might not be very useful, but at least it's cute!
"Natsuro, what is that…?"
The Slug Sage had witnessed the entire process of him creating the Umbreon, and even its usually unreadable eyes now held a trace of shock.
"I created it using Yin-Yang Release," Natsuro replied.
"So it really was that…" the Slug Sage murmured. But it was still hard to believe, Natsuro's current level shouldn't have allowed him to achieve this.
At first, the Slug Sage had assumed that he was merely experimenting and that he would soon hit a dead end, realizing that creating life was far beyond his abilities.
Yet… against all expectations, he actually succeeded?!
How?
Unable to suppress its curiosity, the Slug Sage finally asked. However, he could only respond with a helpless shrug, he didn't know either.
"A fortuitous coincidence, then?" the Slug Sage mused. After a moment of contemplation, it nodded slightly and glanced at the dark-colored little beast.
That explanation was far more believable than the idea that Natsuro had suddenly gained the ability to create life at will…
"Are you planning to continue your experiments with the Explosive Truth-Seeking Orb?" the Slug Sage suddenly asked.
"No need. I think I've tested it enough," Natsuro answered.
After days of testing, he had gained full control over the timing of the Explosive Truth-Seeking Orb's detonation. He only needed to hold back some of its power, but even then, its explosion remained the most destructive technique in his arsenal.
Not even the Sage Art: Kirin could compare to its sheer destructive force.
At this moment, Natsuro felt a little guilty looking at the Slug Sage. After all, he had noticed how the sage hadn't been able to sleep properly for days due to his continuous testing.
But there was no other choice, there was nowhere else suitable for these experiments besides Shikkotsu Forest.
With such overwhelming power, any other location would have attracted attention.
If he had tested it in Konoha, even if he detonated it high above the village, the sheer shockwave from the explosion would have rendered every building unstable, turning the entire village into a disaster zone.
Thus, Shikkotsu Forest had been the only viable option.
"Good." The Slug Sage finally sighed in relief. Now, it could finally go back to sleep.
With its massive body, even moving was a hassle. Being unable to sleep for days had been pure torture.
Now that the ordeal was over, the Slug Sage fell silent. Despite having slept for countless years, it had never looked forward to sleep as much as it did now.
Natsuro stretched lazily. These days of intense experimentation had left him mentally exhausted.
With all the necessary tests complete, his next goal was to further refine Sage Mode, but that could wait until he had rested.
He had to admit, he was truly diligent.
Right now, Natsuro envied those transmigrators who had cheat-like systems.
They didn't have to worry about anything, just complete missions and gain power. Plus, they usually didn't have to deal with side effects or conflicting abilities.
But he?
He had to painstakingly figure out everything on his own.
With limited time, he constantly had to seek shortcuts…
After going through so much, he couldn't deny that he was tired.
But as he felt the power he had gained, he also couldn't help but think, maybe, in the end, it was all worth it.
As Natsuro thought, instead of summoning a Spirit Clone, he directly used Flying Thunder God to teleport back to the Hokage's office.
...
Inside the Hokage's Office
"Hokage-sama, you're back."
Upon seeing Natsuro suddenly appear, Shikaku had already grown accustomed to it.
"Mm, I had something to take care of just now, so I stepped out for a bit," Natsuro explained.
"Hokage-sama, if you're feeling tired, you can take a break. Right now, there aren't any pressing matters, and even those advisors looking for something to nitpick won't be able to find any issues," Shikaku said, noticing the fatigue on his face.
"No need."
Natsuro rubbed his forehead. In fact, handling Hokage affairs was almost relaxing for him, it didn't require much mental effort. Even when his Spirit Clone was managing official duties, it was simultaneously studying sealing techniques and other knowledge-based skills.
The reason Shikaku misunderstood him was probably due to his current state of exhaustion.
"Alright."
Hearing Natsuro's response, Shikaku didn't press the issue. Such suggestions only needed to be said once, anything more would be overstepping boundaries.
"Hokage-sama, That Is…?"
Shikaku had already noticed the pitch-black little beast perched on Natsuro's shoulder.
He had been searching his memory for a creature that resembled this "Umbreon," but found nothing.
Long ears… Could it be a rabbit?
However, as someone who had memorized the entire Nara Clan's records, he knew there was no such creature documented anywhere.
"A pet I picked up by chance."
Natsuro casually stroked its fur, a small smile forming on his lips. Petting it when he was tired actually felt quite nice.
After thinking for a moment, Natsuro addressed the little creature, "From now on, your name will be Umbreon."
Umbreon gazed at him with its large, red eyes, it made no sound, but it seemed to accept the name.
Natsuro really wasn't in the mood to come up with a fancy name. Besides, since no other creatures of its kind existed in this world, calling it Umbreon wouldn't cause any confusion.
Shikaku nodded without further inquiry.
Since this creature wasn't recorded in his clan's knowledge, he figured he would document it himself later.
Natsuro didn't idle any longer, he started working.
As he had expected, with Shikaku's assistance, the tasks had already been organized into a simple and efficient workflow.
Processing them was quick and effortless.
In no time at all, he had finished handling the day's affairs.
Even though the work wasn't particularly taxing, when the moment finally arrived, he couldn't help but feel a surge of joy.
Time to get off work!
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