His body gaining strength and agility at an impressive rate, Jiraiya devoted every free moment he had away from tribal duties and training to the most vital "research": understanding and adapting the energy of this world to his ninja techniques. He found secluded spots in the jungle, small hidden caves, or remote clearings where he could experiment without being observed by the Olwatu, who, while respectful, would likely be alarmed by his attempts to manipulate invisible forces.
Sitting cross-legged beneath the canopy pulsing with life and energy, he would close his eyes and concentrate. He felt the flow of wild energy around him, vast and powerful, like a primordial ocean compared to the rivers of chakra he had known. Within himself, he felt that energy latent in his own native body, flowing through channels similar to those of chakra but with a different resonance, more closely tied to the earth and life itself.
He tried the basics. Remembering the exercise of attaching the leaf to his forehead using chakra, he took a giant leaf from a nearby plant and placed it on his forehead. He concentrated, trying to channel internal and external energy as if it were chakra to stick it. He failed. The leaf simply fell off. The energy of this world didn't respond to the same "command" as chakra. It was more reluctant, more chaotic.
He tried the water walking exercise. He found a small pond and stood on the shore, visualizing the energy gathering beneath his feet to repel the water, as it would with chakra. When he placed one foot on the surface, it immediately sank. He tried to concentrate more energy, pushing it downward. The water around his foot boiled slightly for a moment, but he continued to sink. The energy reacted, but not in the way he expected; it wasn't a cohesive, controllable force like chakra.
Frustration bubbled, but Jiraiya's experience with hermit training had taught him patience and perseverance. He remembered Naruto's first attempts with the Rasengan, the countless unstable coils and failures. This was just a new learning curve.
"Good," he murmured to himself, his youthful voice echoing in the clearing. "It's not chakra. It's something different. I need to understand its rules, its 'language.'"
He began experimenting in a more fundamental way. Instead of trying to replicate jutsus, he focused only on feeling and moving energy. He reached out toward a small rock and concentrated, trying to force the energy in his body and surroundings into the rock to move it. He felt the energy respond, a palpable heat in his palm, and the rock vibrated, moved a few millimeters, and then abruptly stopped. Progress, albeit minimal.
He tried to mold the energy into simple shapes, like a sphere. He visualized the concept of the Rasengan, the concentration and rotation of pure energy. The energy pooled in his palm, glowing and pulsing, but it was unstable, crackling with wild energy that threatened to explode. It required immense concentration just to keep it contained for a few seconds. It was like trying to hold a lightning bolt with his bare hands.
The energy of this world seemed to be inherently linked to its environment. He noticed that it was easier to sense and manipulate in places with a high concentration of plant life, near unusual rock formations, or where he felt the "echo" of the Titans' power. This reinforced the idea that it was a telluric, primordial energy, linked to the planet's very biology and geology, perhaps originating in the Hollow Earth.
He decided to try elemental techniques. Remembering the Great Fireball jutsu, he concentrated energy in his chest and visualized the fire element, as he would chakra. When he tried to release the energy, he only produced a puff of hot air and a faint glow, followed by a cough. It failed. He tried concentrating energy in his feet for an earth jutsu, visualizing rocks rising up. The ground shook slightly, but nothing emerged.
However, he noticed something important. When attempting these jutsus, he felt the energy responded best when it connected with the surrounding natural elements. The fire jutsu attempt worked marginally better near volcanic rocks (which he still cautiously avoided). The earth jutsu attempt had a slight effect when his feet were firmly planted on the rocky ground.
He understood that it wasn't just about manipulating energy, but about resonating with the environment. His ninja techniques, designed to channel chakra through a specific body and energy system, had to be reinvented to channel this new energy through his native body in tune with the world around him.
Constant physical training and accelerated growth played a crucial role. A stronger body could withstand and channel greater amounts of this volatile energy. Its native energy channels widened, allowing for a more powerful flow.
He tried a different approach. Instead of replicating entire jutsus, he focused on the underlying principles: concentration, shape molding, elemental infusion. He practiced concentrating energy into his fists, giving them an extra punch. He could now make his punches emit a flash of energy or his kicks create a small shockwave upon impact with the ground. He practiced infusing energy into small objects, like stones, causing them to glow or vibrate.
It was a process of trial and error, filled with small successes and major failures. Sometimes, an experiment would go wrong, causing a small, uncontrolled burst of energy that burned nearby vegetation, forcing him to hide the evidence. Other times, he simply couldn't feel the energy respond at all, leaving him frustrated.
But every failure was a lesson. He learned that the energy of this world seemed to have a "will" of its own, less docile than chakra. It required respect, patience, and a deep understanding of the environment. He learned that he couldn't simply impose his will; he had to synchronize with the natural flow of energy.
As the months and years of his youth in this world passed, the gap between his memories of skills and his ability to execute them in his new body gradually narrowed. He was no longer just a child trying to use chakra; he was a young man with the knowledge of a Sannin adapting to an alien power system.
The Rasengan, the technique that symbolized the culmination of chakra shaping, became his trial by fire. He spent hours trying to form it, the unstable sphere of wild energy pulsing in his hand. He managed to hold it for longer periods, its shape becoming more defined, the heat less chaotic. He knew that mastering this technique on this world's terms would be a giant step on his path to regaining his power.
The journey to adapt his chakra to Hollow Earth was far from complete. He was still an apprentice in the handling of this wild energy. But every attempt, every failure, every small success brought him closer to unlocking the full potential of his native body and forging a power that was a fusion of two realities. The primordial jungle was his dojo, the Titans his distant teachers in the art of raw power, and the wild energy his new and indomitable companion. He was forging his power, preparing for the challenges he could not yet fully understand.
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