"A special kind of power?"
Deilu frowned. "Why do you ask that?"
"Because before chakra existed," Yagyu Souma explained, "the Sage Talent must have descended from older spiritual arts—likely mixed with another form of energy."
Another system of power…
Deilu fell silent.
He had never once considered such things.
His entire life, he had only wondered whether one could learn the Sage Talent… never why it worked.
"Master Deilu?"
"I thought about it just now," Deilu admitted. "I believe I've sensed something faint before. Extremely faint. If I didn't meditate and sit for long periods, I would never have noticed anything."
Souma nodded, then continued guiding him:
"Then would the environment affect meditation? Would different locations yield different results?"
"Kyoto's effects aren't as good as the Fire Temple," Deilu said. "As for other places… I'm not sure."
"And…"
Souma continued asking questions.
Yes—
he was leading Deilu step by step toward the truth:
The Sage Talent was simply a mutated form of Sage Chakra.
The monks hadn't created a full Sage Mode.
They had only modified an ancient demon-banishing technique—
and may not have realized they were dealing with natural energy at all.
As Deilu answered question after question, confusion and dawning realization flickered across his face.
These were things he had never once thought to question.
Souma summarized:
"So, it's a special type of energy… and it fluctuates depending on the location."
He pulled out a sheet of paper and quickly wrote three places around Konoha:
– Hokage Building
– Residential District
– Forest of Death
"Master Deilu, could you meditate at these three locations? Compare the results."
"No problem."
Deilu's expression grew serious.
If he didn't understand what Souma was doing by now, he would truly be an idiot.
And if Souma was correct—
The Fire Temple might finally solve a mystery that had plagued them for generations.
More monks might gain the chance to awaken the Sage Talent!
"Once we test this, we can test other aspects too."
"There's… more?"
Deilu tried to stay calm, but inwardly he was stunned.
"The special power alone isn't enough for technique activation," Souma continued. "Otherwise, those ancient arts wouldn't have vanished. Most likely, your predecessors refined it by combining that ancient energy with chakra."
Deilu felt chills run down his spine.
So that was the truth behind the Sage Talent…
"Incredible."
"Yes," Souma nodded. "Your temple's ancestors were remarkable in achieving this, adapting an ancient system into something compatible with the modern era's chakra."
Time changed, but geniuses always emerged to meet the new world.
The Fire Temple's founder had simply been one such person.
Deilu silently nodded, though inside he thought:
Child… I was talking about people like you.
What was genius?
Not talent alone.
A genius noticed what others ignored.
A genius questioned what others accepted.
A genius connected dots others didn't even see.
Then added a little talent—
And became a monster.
"Well then, Master Deilu, the testing is in your hands. I need to return and complete the redesign for the Iron-Wall Seal."
"Very well."
Deilu watched Souma leave.
Once the boy was gone, Asuma's voice sounded behind him.
"Well? How did it go?"
"Asuma… do you know what I was thinking just now?" Deilu sighed. "I was thinking—perhaps Hashirama and Madara were no different from him at this age."
"That high of an evaluation?" Asuma was stunned.
He had only heard the latter half of their conversation and still didn't fully grasp what happened.
"Sage Talent," Deilu said slowly. "He understood its essence after hearing only a rough explanation. I didn't believe him at first. But eventually… I was convinced."
"He sees things normal people don't," Asuma murmured, smoking lightly.
"That is precisely his greatest gift."
"Are we heading to my place next?" Asuma asked.
"No. I want to test the Sage Talent first. You should join me—two perspectives will give us more accurate results."
"…You came all the way here for this; I can't refuse even if I want to."
Asuma agreed.
Only then did he learn Souma's theory.
Do different environments alter meditation results?
No wonder Deilu was so excited.
If this were true, the Fire Temple would never again fear the decline of their technique.
They immediately headed toward the Forest of Death.
Meanwhile—
Souma returned home and began drawing the redesigned barrier schematics.
With the diagrams Deilu had provided—showing the Fire Temple's barrier distribution—Souma could modify and strengthen them accordingly.
But certain elements still required testing.
It was a large-scale project.
Two days was not generous.
The next day, Deilu and Asuma returned, faces glowing with excitement.
They hadn't slept.
From yesterday until now, they had been meditating at different spots—
And their conclusion was clear:
The Forest of Death had the strongest effect.
Even within the forest, different positions produced different intensities.
Souma's hypothesis was correct.
Meditation—and thus Sage Talent awakening—was affected by the environment.
"Incredible!" Deilu's hands trembled.
"The Fire Temple's century-old puzzle… solved by a twelve-year-old boy."
He saw hope.
Real, impossible hope.
"Asuma… I regret it!"
"Regret what?"
"I should have come earlier!" Deilu slapped his thigh. "I wasted two or three months! If I had made this trip back then, the temple might already have two or three more monks capable of Thousand-Hand Execution!"
"…Not necessarily," Asuma chuckled.
Even the Fire Temple had its politics.
Approving the external sharing of a foundational technique took time.
When Deilu secretly taught Asuma years ago, he'd been punished heavily upon returning.
"Hmm?"
Deilu suddenly froze.
"Where's Souma?"
Asuma sighed. "Not that he's not home… but he might be a bit busy at the moment."
Deilu looked ahead.
In front of Souma's house stood a middle-aged man in gray robes—aristocratic in bearing.
When the man turned, his eyes were unmistakable.
"Hyūga clan?" Deilu frowned. "What business do they have with Souma?"
"Likely the Soft Fist variations," Asuma answered.
Deilu's expression twisted.
The Hyūga clan…
The last thing he needed was a bunch of nobles slowing down his research progress.
Hiashi narrowed his eyes slightly and waited calmly at the door.
When he saw Souma finally emerge, he stepped forward.
"Apologies for coming unannounced, Souma. I hope I haven't kept you waiting."
"Is it convenient to speak inside?"
"To be honest," Souma said with a polite bow, "not right now. I've been collaborating with the Fire Temple lately—my house is full of documents."
Hiashi chuckled lightly.
"That's fine. I know you're busy. I only came to say a few words as I was passing by."
"I'm honored. Please, go ahead."
"The Hyūga clan," Hiashi said slowly, "is very interested in cooperating with you."
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