Mokuton Phantom in Naruto

The wind howled through the forest, stirring the dry leaves that blanketed the ground.

Ryuusei had been sitting there for hours, beneath a tree, eyes closed, trying to sense the energy around him.

He had tried everything.

Meditation near the meteorite.

The same method he used in the cave.

Now, he was attempting to absorb the energy directly from the surrounding nature.

But it wasn't working.

It was slow.

So slow that it made no real difference.

He could feel the energy in the environment, like a faint vibration in the air… but pulling it into himself was another story.

Even after remaining perfectly still for hours, he absorbed only minuscule amounts.

"This isn't going to work like this."

If he relied solely on this method, it would take years for his body to fully adapt.

He didn't have that kind of time.

He needed a shortcut.

In the end, the obvious became clear.

"If I really want to progress…"

"I need help."

It was a hard thought to accept.

For months, he had kept everything to himself, believing he could figure it out alone.

But the truth was undeniable, he was getting nowhere.

He had no choice left.

That night, he told them everything.

Seated around the dinner table, Aiko, Tadashi, and Keiko listened in silence.

Ryuusei spoke about the cave.

The crystals.

The energy, so similar to the Star's power.

And how he had been trying to absorb it in a stable way.

Aiko was the first to break the silence.

"You exposed yourself to that energy for so long without telling anyone?"

Ryuusei scratched the back of his neck, avoiding her gaze.

"I… needed to understand it before saying anything."

She took a deep breath, clearly worried but not angry.

Tadashi crossed his arms.

"And now you want to create a fuuinjutsu that allows you to absorb this energy continuously?"

Ryuusei nodded.

"If I can't do that, all the time I spent trying to understand this energy will have been wasted."

The old man fell silent for a moment.

Then, he smiled.

"Well, boy… now I understand why you practically abandoned training with me."

Ryuusei had no response to that.

Keiko, who had been quietly listening, finally spoke up.

"You want to use the cave crystals as catalysts, right?"

Ryuusei nodded.

"Exactly. If I can carry an object infused with that energy, I'll be able to absorb it constantly, using the crystal as support until my body fully adjusts."

Tadashi stroked his chin, deep in thought.

"That… isn't impossible."

Aiko turned to him, surprised.

"You think it can be done?"

"Not alone." The old man gave a sly smile. "But with the four of us working together… I think we can create something quite impressive."

In the days that followed, Ryuusei worked alongside his family to create the perfect seal.

Tadashi and Keiko sketched the initial patterns, aiming for a fuuinjutsu that could adapt to continuous absorption.

Aiko, a specialist in defensive seals, stabilized the energy flow, ensuring there would be no overload.

And Ryuusei…

He tested everything.

Every version. Every modification.

He could feel the energy flowing, but something was always off.

Either the absorption was unstable…

Or the seal failed to maintain a consistent flow.

But they didn't give up.

Until, finally…

They reached the final version.

The seal was applied to a pendant, crafted from resilient, flexible metal threads.

And at its center.

A crystal from the cave.

The final piece.

Now…

It was time to test it.

The next morning, Ryuusei slipped the pendant around his neck.

The seal reacted instantly as he circulated his chakra.

A warm sensation spread through his body.

But it wasn't suffocating like before.

This time, the energy flowed naturally.

A small amount, but constant.

He smiled.

It worked.

Now, he had his shortcut.

He could finally return to his normal routine.

The seal worked by using his chakra to create a suction force within the crystal, based on the same principles used to seal Bijū while still allowing access to their chakra.

The mechanism was simple but effective.

The seal would continuously draw energy. From both the Star and the environment. Filtering it through Ryuusei's chakra flow before storing it in the crystal.

This ensured a gradual intake, helping his body adapt without the harmful side effects of extreme exposure.

But there was something else.

His grandparents explained something crucial.

The energy he had been trying to master. It was known as Natural Energy, the foundation of Senjutsu.

The very same technique wielded by the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama.

Ryuusei sat in stunned silence after hearing that.

He had never imagined he was dealing with something so rare and powerful.

But knowing the truth only fueled his determination.

Now that he had the means to continue down this path…

Nothing would stop him.

Misaki had been watching everything closely.

From the start, she had suspected Ryuusei was hiding something.

Now that she knew the truth, she wanted to try as well.

"If this can make you stronger… it can make me stronger too, right?"

Tadashi fell quiet for a moment.

Then, he smiled.

"Of course. But you know it won't be easy, don't you?"

"When has anything in the shinobi life ever been easy?" Misaki replied, her gaze firm.

With everyone's help, a second pendant was crafted for her.

She placed the cord around her neck and immediately felt the energy flow. Subtle, yet constant.

"Interesting…" she murmured, fingers tightening around the crystal.

Now, they shared the same path.

But Aiko, Tadashi, and Keiko refused the idea of using the seal themselves.

"We're too old," Keiko said with a light laugh. "Our bodies couldn't adapt to this energy with a simple pendant."

Aiko nodded.

"It would just waste chakra."

Tadashi crossed his arms, agreeing.

"This is for you two. Our role is to teach, not to chase after something we can no longer master."

Ryuusei accepted their decision.

Natural Energy wouldn't be easy to control…

But now, they had the means to try.

And this was only the beginning.