Land of Woods, Illusion Forest.
This forest has a unique magnetic field, which, combined with the mist and strong winds, makes it very easy for people to get lost inside.
Because of this—
This place has become a gathering spot for a group of Rogue Ninjas.
Masahiko's goal for this trip wasn't these low-level Rogue Ninjas, but rather this uniquely advantageous location.
Just one hour later.
Inside the forest, amidst a cluster of treehouses.
"A bunch of trash. Using such a wonderful place for this kind of business—how disgraceful!"
The Black-Robed Man looked down at them.
"Who... who are you? How did you get in here— No, no! Spare me, spa—"
Blood splattered onto the ground.
He turned back, looking at the only survivor.
"I heard that you were the one who saved those children?"
"Yes... my lord."
The burly man knelt respectfully and replied.
His name was Marutetsu, a member of the "Shinobazu" organization. Though called an organization, it was actually just a group of wandering Ninja bandits.
And now—
Of these bandits, he was the only one left alive.
He couldn't stop the fear in his heart, yet he also felt a sense of relief, making his expression very complex.
"Continue to take in children like that, teach them, and raise them. In a while, someone will come to train you."
Hearing this, Marutetsu trembled all over and asked, "My lord, are they... going to become Ninjas?"
"People are like blank sheets of paper; once tainted, they are no longer pure white."
The Black-Robed Man sighed softly. "These children have experienced the agony brought by Ninjas. Can they ever return to a normal world?"
Marutetsu was unable to refute him.
The other man looked down and said, "Only with power can tragedies be prevented. Otherwise, next time—will you continue to wait for someone else to save you?"
Marutetsu was stunned for a long time before finally kneeling on the ground with respect and sincerity.
"Yes, my lord! I will do as you say—"
"Before that—"
The Black-Robed Man reached out his hand.
A moment later, the Cursed Tongue Eradication Seal appeared at the base of Marutetsu's tongue.
It had been modified and was slightly different from the original version.
If someone tried to forcibly break the technique, or if he tried to reveal Masahiko's secrets, the Chakra would damage his nerves, causing him to lose the ability to move and speak.
Afterward, he took out a booklet.
"This contains basic Chakra refinement and application methods. Take it and practice well; at the very least, you should have the ability to protect yourself."
"Thank you, my lord!"
The outskirts at night.
Masahiko sat in the forest. Before him, a burly panda was summoned, sitting in front of him.
He really wanted to learn Sage Mode.
In Konoha, he had been staying close to Jiraiya, hoping to learn Sage Mode through Mount Myōboku. Unfortunately, Jiraiya had no intention of taking him as a disciple.
Masahiko had no choice but to give up and look for another way.
Ryūchi Cave was also an option, and Orochimaru had promised to pay him the final installment as long as Sasuke went to his side.
However.
The methods of Ryūchi Cave might not necessarily suit him. As for that set of "reference answers" from the future—
Who knows if they were specifically designed for the "protagonist"?
After thinking it over, Masahiko still felt that his own people were more reliable—
He happened to have some time now, so he could summon the Iron-Eating Beast to have a chat.
This time, he used a considerable amount of Chakra.
Theoretically, what he summoned should be a big fellow.
After the summoning formula—
An extremely large, muscular black-and-white panda sat down heavily in front of him, holding a thick stalk of bamboo in its hand.
"You should be able to understand me, right?"
The panda glanced at him silently.
Masahiko sensed the other's emotional fluctuations through the Mind Body Transmission Technique, and he vaguely had an answer in his heart.
"Does your clan know how to use natural energy? Like the method used in Mount Myōboku."
The panda turned its head.
It stared at Masahiko for a few seconds before raising its paw.
Under the moonlight, its fur took on a special color, and a powerful, unique Chakra condensed on its claws.
But.
Through his perception, Masahiko could feel—
The Chakra on its body was somewhat special, and most of it covered its body surface and muscles.
Masahiko hadn't seen the toads, but he had seen Orochimaru's summoned snakes and had briefly studied their Chakra.
The two seemed quite different.
He pondered for a long time, then took out a Kunai and handed it over.
The panda took it.
Crunch!
It bit through it in one mouthful.
Afterward, it chewed and said, "I can, but not entirely."
?
Masahiko was speechless and said, "You can talk?"
"You never asked."
It chewed on the iron tool, its internal Chakra circulating in a special way, and then its fur seemed to become even glossier.
"Only the Three Great Sage Regions can proficiently master and fully pass down the techniques. We don't have complete methods; we can only rely on practice and learning."
As it spoke, it stood up, its fur transforming. The panda's paws became as black as iron, and the entire panda seemed to be wearing a layer of iron armor, even the bamboo in its hand turned deep black.
The next second—
Boom!
It smashed the bamboo down, creating a deep crater.
The ground split to both sides, plants were overturned, and everything was a mess, even Masahiko's campfire was knocked over.
Although it wasn't aimed at Masahiko, he could still feel this powerful force.
"It's roughly like this. Our clan can eat iron and absorb the natural energy hidden within the earth to strengthen ourselves, but it requires long-term cultivation. Being too eager for success can easily lead to ironification or petrification."
Afterward, it lay on the ground, munching on bamboo while lamenting, "I heard the toad clan can use oil to assist their cultivation, and they even have specialized tools and Sage Arts to disperse natural energy—that is a true Sage Region!"
Hearing this, Masahiko couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.
He asked unwillingly, "Are there no advantages at all?"
"Advantages... does a low level of danger count? I haven't tried anything else, so I'm not sure."
The panda thought for a moment and shook its head. "We rarely interact with the outside world. You are the first contractor—though we don't know how you did it either."
It patted its belly.
"I'm hungry. Is there anything else?"
Masahiko handed over a few Kunai.
The panda took them, a smile-like expression appearing on its face as it crunched away. "My name is Iron Palm. Your Kunai manufacturing process is a bit poor. It's not as chewy as those made by blacksmiths; it has too many impurities and the texture is quite mediocre."
Masahiko's mouth twitched slightly.
He was actually critiquing the texture.
However.
He quickly asked, "From what you're saying, do you live in the Land of Iron?"
"I'm not sure what it's called, but there's plenty to eat anyway."
Iron Palm shook his head.
Masahiko gave up on further questioning.
It was clear—
The pandas of the Iron-Eating Beast clan really didn't care about the outside world. He had only summoned them because of the lucky draw; otherwise, they wouldn't have bothered with him.
They chatted for a while longer. The other party was unwilling to demonstrate more, but through the conversation, Masahiko gained a rough understanding of their clan's situation.
Their heritage wasn't as complete as the Three Great Sage Regions, and their application of natural energy was stuck at the level of basic taijutsu. Moreover, their personalities were lazy and they disliked moving around.
If he wanted to cultivate their clan's Sage Mode—
He would probably have to work hard for a while.
However.
While they couldn't compare to the Three Great Sage Regions, and it was unclear how they fared against the Enma Clan, they were more than sufficient compared to those below.
At least they still understood some Senjutsu Chakra applications.
Masahiko asked for more advice until the summoning time was up, and only then did the other party reluctantly leave.
As he left, Iron Palm was still staring at his blade with a greedy, mouth-watering expression.
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