The atmosphere in the training ground gradually quieted down, and the teenagers all closed their eyes, trying to resonate with the Nature Mark within their bodies.
The breeze rustled through the leaves, the sound intertwining with everyone's even breathing.
Not long after, a faint golden light suddenly shone from the crowd.
Everyone subconsciously opened their eyes, only to see Shion surrounded by a soft golden halo, her black hair shimmering with tiny flecks of light, and even the corners of her eyes tinged with a light gold. She looked like a fairy who had stepped out of a painting, a clear sign of the initial activation of Nature Mode.
"Wow! Shion, you're amazing!"
Sakura was the first to rush forward a half-step, then remembered that Shun had told them not to disturb her, so she quickly stopped, but her voice couldn't hide her excitement. "This golden light is so beautiful! It's even more dazzling than the fireworks at the festival."
Tenten nodded, her eyes fixed on Shion's halo. "If my ninja tools could be incorporated with this kind of energy, their power would definitely increase greatly."
Naruto's eyes widened even more, his mouth open wide enough to fit a fist, and his feet involuntarily shuffled towards Shion.
His mind was filled with "so amazing" and "so beautiful," and he couldn't help but want to reach out and touch that golden light. But after only two steps, his wrist was grabbed by a warm hand.
"Naruto, don't rush." Shun's voice sounded in his ear.
He raised an eyebrow, a hint of teasing in his eyes, but his fingers quietly tightened their grip. "Shion is still stabilizing her mode. Your rashness might disrupt her energy fluctuations."
He secretly muttered to himself, 'This little blond kid's eyes are practically glued to Shion. Could he be interested in my daughter? No, Shion is still so young, she can't be scared away by this kid's enthusiasm.'
Naruto was stunned for a moment before realizing his impropriety. He scratched his head and chuckled. "Sorry, Shun-sensei. I just thought Shion was too amazing, I couldn't help but want to get closer and see."
Saying that, he obediently retreated, but still couldn't help but secretly glance at Shion, his ears perked up high.
Shion's cheeks flushed slightly upon hearing everyone's praise, but she didn't get distracted. She simply nodded gently towards Sakura and Tenten, and the golden halo around her became even more solid.
She remembered the "Priestess Mode" that her mother, Miroku, had taught her. Following that familiar feeling, Natural Energy quickly integrated into her body.
Not long after, the second golden light appeared, this time from Shiryu.
The golden light around him was even more intense than Shion's, and it carried a unique Yang Chakra, making his entire aura several times more stable.
"As expected of Shiryu."
Neji couldn't help but exclaim, his eyes filled with approval, "Inheriting Shun-sensei's talent, he's truly different."
Lee was even more excited, waving his fist. "Shiryu! You're amazing. We definitely have to spar later so I can experience the power of Natural Energy."
Shiryu's lips curved slightly upwards, and he nodded towards Lee. "Alright, once everyone has mastered it, we can have a match."
He could clearly feel the surging energy within him, and he felt inexplicably motivated.
Immediately after, golden light appeared around Karin.
She opened her eyes and immediately raised her hand towards Hamamaru. "Nii-san! Look! I succeeded too!"
Hamamaru raised his chin at her, his voice still indifferent. "Hmm, that was fast."
However, his fingers secretly made a "thumbs up" gesture at his side.
He knew Karin had always worried that her strength wasn't as good as others, and now seeing her succeed, he also felt relieved.
Karin understood his gesture and smiled even more happily, even mouthing "Go, go!" towards Hamamaru.
Naruto watched as everyone around him succeeded one by one, but he couldn't even feel a trace of energy fluctuation.
He couldn't help but scratch his head and mutter, "What's going on? Is the Nine-Tails inside me messing things up? It's always causing trouble, it must have scared away the Natural Energy."
As he spoke, he patted his stomach, as if protesting to Nine-Tails.
No sooner had he finished speaking than a slight energy fluctuation came from beside him, and golden light shone around Neji.
He opened his eyes, feeling the energy within him. A trace of Chakra mixed with Natural Energy condensed in his palm.
Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!
With a gentle wave, he struck the ground nearby, leaving a large crater.
"No way? Neji learned it too?"
Naruto grew even more anxious, clenching his fists, sweat on his forehead. "Why do I still not feel anything? Am I dumber than Neji?"
"Naruto, don't worry."
Hinata spoke softly, her voice gentle, "You're just too impatient. Try to clear your mind, just like Shun-sensei said, and don't think too much."
As she spoke, she mimicked Shun, taking deep breaths to adjust her breathing, silently cheering herself on. 'I need to work hard too, I can't disappoint Shun-sensei.'
Next, Suigetsu was the one to succeed. The golden light around him carried a hint of water-attribute coolness, and he couldn't help but integrate the energy into water, condensing a small water ball at his fingertips.
"Haha, with this energy, I can stay in the water even longer."
Then came Hinata. Her golden light had a faint purple hue, complementing her Byakugan, making her appear even more gentle.
She opened her eyes and met Shun's encouraging gaze, her cheeks instantly flushing. She quickly lowered her head, and quietly adjusted her energy fluctuations to be more stable. The images from her dream resurfaced, and she was afraid that if she lost focus, the energy would dissipate.
"Hinata, you succeeded!"
Sakura immediately leaned over and whispered her congratulations, "Your halo matches your temperament so well."
Hinata nodded gently, her voice extremely soft. "Thank you... it's all because Shun-sensei taught me well."
Seishin and two others also successively mastered it, and the golden lights in the training ground became more and more numerous.
Finally, as the ninth person, a strong golden light suddenly erupted around Naruto. He had finally succeeded.
"Yay! I did it!"
Naruto instantly jumped up, excitedly waving at Sasuke, his voice loud enough for the entire training ground to hear.
"Sasuke! Look! I learned it too! And I was faster than you. You used to call me an idiot, but now you know how amazing I am, right?"
Sasuke glanced at him, saying nothing, but quietly sped up his comprehension.
However, he felt a bit unconvinced: He just got it a little earlier than me, what's there to be proud of? Once I master it, I'll definitely use it better than him.
A little while later, golden light shone around Sasuke, placing him twelfth.
He opened his eyes, feeling the energy within him, and raised an eyebrow in Naruto's direction. "You've only just begun to master it, what's there to be proud of? I'll still beat you when we spar later."
"Tch. Who's afraid of who?"
Naruto immediately retorted, rolling up his sleeves, ready to spar, but Shun placed a hand on his shoulder.
At this point, only Ino, Tenten, Lee, and Yakumo had yet to master it in the training ground.
Tenten frowned, repeatedly injecting and withdrawing energy into her ninja tools, but she couldn't find the resonance point.
Lee's forehead was covered in sweat, his clothes soaked, but he kept taking deep breaths, muttering, "I can do it."
Yakumo closed her eyes, her Mental Energy almost depleted, her face filled with distress.
Seeing this, Ino opened her eyes, quickly ran to Shun's side, reached out and tugged on his sleeve, shaking it. "Shun-sensei, I can't learn it no matter what. Is there some trick? Please teach me."
Her eyes were full of anticipation, and her fingers secretly brushed against Shun's arm, savoring the warm sensation from their previous touch, her mind filled with little thoughts of "get a little closer."
"Ino, don't rush."
Shun smiled helplessly, reaching out and gently patting the back of her hand.
"Ino, you have too many distracting thoughts in your mind. The more anxious you are, the harder it will be to succeed."
He pointed to the peach blossom forest ahead and said, "Look, when the wind blows through the leaves, the leaves don't rush, they just move with the wind. Try to clear your mind, relax as if you're basking in the sun, feel the temperature of the wind on your skin, listen to the sound of the leaves, and Natural Energy will actively come to you."
Ino listened, nodded thoughtfully, and stared at the peach trees for a while.
"I understand. I'll try again. I'm sure I'll succeed this time."
Saying that, she quickly ran back to her spot, closed her eyes, and tried hard to suppress the thought of "wanting to get close to Shun-sensei," focusing only on feeling the breath of the wind.
Not long after, golden light shone around Ino. She excitedly opened her eyes and gave Shun a brilliant smile.
Shun looked at her retreating figure, then at Yakumo, Tenten, and Lee, who were still working hard.
Logically, Yakumo's Mental/Spiritual Energy was very strong, so she should have found it easier to sense Natural Energy, but the reality was quite the opposite.
Yakumo's Mental Energy had been over-expended, and she looked a bit shaky. Shun quickly stepped forward, and a wisp of Chakra slowly flowed into her body.
"Yakumo, open your heart, don't try to capture it with Mental Energy. Use your heart to sense the rhythm of nature."
Hearing Shun's voice, Yakumo seemed to find salvation. She took a deep breath and refocused her mind.
Finally, she also activated Nature Mode, and a soft red glow enveloped her.
Shun then walked to Lee's side and gently patted his shoulder. "Lee, don't be so tense. Relax, empty your mind, let your heart be like a calm lake. Stillness can observe the subtle. Collect your thoughts and focus your mind, rein in your strength, and try to befriend it."
Hearing this sudden voice, Lee's body trembled slightly, clearly surprised. But he quickly recovered, took a deep breath, and tried to make his breathing steady.
Shun then walked to Tenten's side. Tenten had her eyes tightly closed, and her brows slightly furrowed, seemingly struggling against some force.
"Tenten, don't think about anything. There's no need to make yourself so tired. Let go of those distracting thoughts and accept your ordinariness. Only by accepting your ordinariness can you see your extraordinary qualities."
The confusion in Tenten's eyes gradually gave way to clarity. Then, she closed her eyes again, continuing to try and feel that power, to establish a connection with it.
Time passed by second by second, and the atmosphere in the training ground was exceptionally solemn.
Just when everyone thought Tenten and Lee might fail, a miracle happened.