Sage Transformation

As of now, Yuzuru feels that his absorption of Natural Energy is quite passive.

About twenty minutes later, Yuzuru felt that the Natural Energy within his body had basically reached saturation. At the same time, his body also underwent significant changes.

On the surface of Yuzuru's skin, centimeter-wide black stripes appeared. Yuzuru moved his arm and found that these were somewhat similar to the striped characteristics of the Yin Seal when it was activated, appearing above his major meridians.

"Is this a natural pathway for Natural Energy? Is it being naturally drawn by the Chakra within me?"

The stripes covered Yuzuru's body, extending all the way to his fingertips on his arms.

Yuzuru channeled Chakra to flow within his body, simultaneously drawing in the Natural Energy. Then, he gently swung his arm, and his entire arm easily pierced into the trunk of a nearby tree.

"A bit too violent..."

Feeling the immense boost from the Natural Energy, Yuzuru couldn't help but grin.

"Forget colored contacts and makeup, I've definitely experienced the tattoo version. Although this tattoo version is quite basic... a tattoo is still a tattoo."

Of course, with Yuzuru's current mindset, he valued the defensive boost from this state more than the offensive increase. Killing enemies? What was that? All he thought about was "staying alive is paramount."

In the original work, after Jugo's "Sage Transformation," his combat ability was quite considerable. His offense, damage output, and durability would all rise to the top level in the Shinobi World... well, the top level excluding true anomalies.

But unfortunately, as Jugo fully entered "Sage Transformation," his mind would also go wild, gradually losing his sanity.

His body was amplified, but he lost his mind, fighting almost purely on instinct. Therefore, while Jugo's actual combat performance had some astonishing aspects, he never achieved any overwhelming victories.

If nothing else, if Jugo's physical stats were grafted onto a ninja like Kakashi, who fought with his brain, the situation would definitely be very different.

"And a ninja who can do sit-ups is a good ninja."

Yuzuru remembered that Jugo seemed to possess some special self-healing or regenerative ability, which was also something worth researching.

"Besides physical enhancement, mixing Natural Energy into Ninjutsu can also strengthen its power. Although this combination can't compare to Sage Art, it's easy to master... Natural Energy is external and can be considered inexhaustible."

"The good news is that I don't need to remain still to absorb Natural Energy like in Mount Myōboku."

Ryūchi Cave is different from Mount Myōboku. When using Natural Energy, Ryūchi Cave doesn't care about risk control at all... but regardless, the White Snake Sage has greatly helped Yuzuru.

"Snake Transformation, huh? Snake Transformation it is. Poor people can only rely on mutation."

Yuzuru was very worried if there would be any changes the next time he entered a dungeon, but he didn't regret his previous experience.

"My Chakra quantity has greatly increased, and by chance, I've also mastered Natural Energy... I feel like I've finally gained the right to breathe freely since coming to this world."

After reviewing his gains, Yuzuru gave a rather emotional and accurate summary.

This feeling was very real. Originally, Yuzuru, as a powerless civilian ninja, always felt like he was on the verge of falling into an abyss. But after this dungeon trip, he felt like he could finally catch his breath.

"Sage Chakra... let's give it a try."

Next, Yuzuru even attempted to synthesize Sage Chakra. As expected, he failed and couldn't even grasp the feeling—the so-called combination of spiritual energy, physical energy, and Natural Energy sounds simple, but how do you grasp the "proportions"? Yuzuru had no concept of it.

These concepts were too abstract.

Sage Chakra was like this, let alone Sage Mode... To enter Sage Mode, one needs to synthesize a large amount of Sage Chakra in a short period.

Yuzuru's gains were already exaggerated enough; he shouldn't expect things to happen overnight.

"It's not like Sage Mode where you get stronger the more you fight. Absorbing so much Natural Energy brings a sense of heaviness. Although it's much better than Jugo's berserk state, this is still not a state that can be maintained at all times... However, 'Sage Transformation' doesn't need to be used unless absolutely necessary."

In Yuzuru's case, the "Sage Transformation" brought on by absorbing a large amount of Natural Energy was more controllable. He was actually different from Jugo and even the Curse Mark. However, even so, this power still needed to be used cautiously.

Treating Sage Transformation as a normal state? Even Jugo, who was naturally a "Sage Body," couldn't do that.

Afterward, Yuzuru dispersed a considerable portion of the Natural Energy from his body, and the special patterns on his body disappeared... He found that retaining half the amount of Natural Energy needed for Sage Transformation within his body generally brought positive gains; any more than that was questionable.

This means that it takes him about ten minutes to go from a normal state to Sage Transformation. This timeframe is acceptable, as he doesn't need to remain motionless during the process.

There are still many aspects of Yuzuru's changes that are worth researching, even containing some doubts. However, for him now, practical application is more important than theoretical research. He will temporarily maintain a state of not seeking to understand everything.

After sorting through his experiences in Ryūchi Cave, Yuzuru took out a scroll and began to record the things he obtained from Orochimaru's laboratory... Compared to what he gained from Ryūchi Cave, the things from Orochimaru's place were less important.

Yuzuru's most valued Body Modification Technique, he had indeed seen it. However, after seeing it, he realized that things were not that simple.

Since Body Modification includes the word "modification," it implies that one needs to operate on oneself, requiring a professional laboratory and a certain level of medical technology support... Simply put, this is not a simple Ninjutsu, but more like a combination of technology and ruthless execution.

Yuzuru did not have the conditions to modify himself.

The good news is that by this point, Yuzuru no longer needs this technique as much... After mastering "Sage Transformation," Yuzuru's physique has been significantly strengthened. He is no longer at the level where a single brush would kill him.

"Body Modification? It seems unnecessary for now. Orochimaru didn't help much; instead, Ryūchi Cave behind Orochimaru brought immense help... It's like reaching the same destination through different paths."

At this moment, Yuzuru actually had some doubts. His "Chakra Spiritual Body" had already been eroded. If he were to undergo further physical modifications, he worried if he would become a complete monster.