Thump!
Boruto tumbled backward.
Uchiha Sarada and the other two, seeing this, no longer hid their forms and all launched an attack on the man in the center of the field.
But their attacks, as if predicted, were all successfully dodged by the man with just a casual dip of his head or bend of his waist.
Facing the pouncing Kawaki, Naruto leaped up, his toes tapping Kawaki's back, and the youth instantly lost his ability to move.
With a slight shift of his rear, Sarada, Chidori in hand, uncontrollably rushed off in another direction.
Whoosh!
Naruto tilted his head slightly, and a shuriken grazed past his ear. He then abruptly pushed backward, colliding squarely with Mitsuki.
"Little Dad, how does it feel like you have mind-reading powers or something? You can always guess what we're going to do next," Boruto asked, rubbing his sore backside in confusion.
"Mind-reading?" Naruto shook his head. "I don't have that kind of ability. It's just that the wind told me your movements."
"The wind?"
"Feel carefully. The gentle breeze, the rustling of leaves, the subtle movements of resilient grass bending with the wind, the sound of your clothes fluttering."
The youngsters tried for a moment.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
"Apart from the sound of the wind, it's still just the sound of the wind," Kawaki said truthfully. The others nodded in agreement.
"Merge with nature, follow nature." Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed faintly. "It seems none of you..."
"I heard it," Mitsuki suddenly interrupted him.
"Ten meters away, that tree. What's on it?" Naruto asked with a smile.
"Probably a small animal, like a squirrel. I'm not sure specifically," Mitsuki said uncertainly.
"Very good. Can you feel things rising with the surge of the wind, dancing with the leaves?" Naruto continued to ask.
"...Are you referring to natural energy?" Mitsuki seemed to understand what they had been learning these past few days.
"Correct." Naruto nodded. "I've read your file. You can use Sage Mode, can't you? Your Sage Mode should be something your parent installed in your body, similar to Kawaki's scientific ninja tool right arm. But it seems different from normal Sage Mode; using it puts a burden on your body."
"Yes," Mitsuki nodded.
"In that case, why not try the normal Sage Mode training process? Perhaps it can help you better control your own Sage Mode," Naruto said, then turned his head to look at Boruto, Sarada, and Kawaki. "You've probably all guessed. What I'm going to teach you is Sage Mode."
Their inner speculations confirmed, Boruto and the other two were instantly thrilled. This was Sage Mode! In a sense, this technique was synonymous with being a powerhouse.
"Don't get too happy too soon," Naruto promptly threw cold water on their excitement. "I'll teach you the methods and techniques, but whether you can learn it is another matter entirely."
"I can definitely learn it!" Boruto declared confidently, hands on his hips.
After Sarada briefly explained to Kawaki what Sage Mode was, Kawaki's expression also became resolute.
Naruto observed the expressions of the three and nodded slightly. As he had just said, apart from Mitsuki, the other three might not necessarily be able to learn Sage Mode. But learning to sense nature, to merge with nature, would only benefit their fighting styles, with no drawbacks.
"Have you rested enough?"
"Enough!"
"Then let's continue," Naruto said. "Coincidentally, you just mentioned mind-reading. I'll also take this opportunity to explain what to do when your attacks and tactics are predicted by the enemy."
Rich combat experience and powerful dōjutsu users could, at times, produce an effect similar to "mind-reading." The shinobi world had no shortage of powerful dōjutsu ninja, and even more numerous were the cunning old veterans who could overwhelm opponents with sheer experience.
Cackle, cackle, cackle~
Code's expression was somewhat unsightly. After he had spoken those threatening words to Eida, he had bizarrely lost control of his body.
"Apologies, Code." Eida, who had been ignoring him from the beginning, suddenly spoke. "I wasn't ignoring you. After all, you know how long I've been asleep. It's inevitable that I have bad breath. Why don't you give me a moment to rinse my mouth?"
"Bagues, take me to the washroom," she ordered the trembling old man beside her.
"Yes!" Bagues kept his head bowed, not daring to look at her, as if terrified of something.
Outside the washroom.
Code recalled their earlier conversation and asked Bagues, "What do you think of that woman? Does she have feelings for me?"
Hearing this, Bagues couldn't help but scold, "Don't be foolish! Code! Haven't you realized yet that you've already fallen under that woman's jutsu?"
Code was taken aback, then said sheepishly, "It's not that exaggerated, is it..." Clearly, he himself had also noticed something was amiss. Since when did he develop feelings for a woman?
"You came here without even understanding her abilities?" Bagues couldn't help but ask.
"...I just wanted to ask her some things." The smile vanished from Code's face.
"That's the 'Senrigan' that even Lord Jigen feared! It can see and hear everything that has happened in the world from the moment that woman was born until now..." Bagues explained.
Clack!
The crisp sound of high heels clicking on the floor.
Eida walked out of the washroom. "It's not as convenient a thing as you imagine. For example, this." She pointed to a surveillance monitor in the corner. "I can just use all the surveillance equipment around the world at any time. It's not as powerful as you think, being able to perceive everything."
"...Is that so." Code nodded slightly. "Then, has anything happened recently?"
"Well..." Eida tapped her chin lightly with her index finger. "I wonder if Otsutsuki Isshiki's death and the Five Kage holding an online meeting counts?"
"Then did you foresee my arrival?" Code asked about her other ability.
"Just rumors spread by mistake. I don't have the ability to foresee the future," Eida said, covering her mouth with a light giggle. "But I guessed you would come looking for me."
"Explain in detail."
"A woman's intuition."
"A delightful answer." A slight smile touched Code's lips, as if he believed her.
"Because you want to know how to remove the [Power Restriction] placed on you," Eida said, looking at him with a smile.
"You really... see through everything, don't you." Code stared into her beautiful eyes. "Then what should I do?"
"Only Amado can remove the restriction. It requires dual authentication of his eye's iris and his voice. I am powerless to help," Eida shook her head.
"I see. That's not much of a problem. Just find a ninja who knows the Transformation Jutsu, and they can substitute for Amado for the biometric authentication," Code thought, feeling slightly relieved. Those ninja might be trash, but the jutsu they developed still had some value.
"You're oversimplifying things." Eida shook her head. "Don't be fooled by the weak and powerless appearance he always shows you all. His body has been modified with scientific ninja tools, including his eyes. Using the Transformation Jutsu to replicate such complex mechanical changes is simply out of the question."