The Path Ahead

"Facing two regular Jonin, and they're injured too. We were basically three against two, and we still ended up severely wounded? Main body, you might as well just kill yourself to atone!"

"Five cards' worth of Chakra, abnormal recovery speed, and all those advanced ninjutsu you know – are you kidding me?"

Sitting by the Chakra flame, Senba of the Forest, who had woken up three days prior, glared at his main body opposite him, disappointment etched all over his face.

When he saw Tsuki and Iruka leaping down from the branches, Senba's taut nerves finally relaxed. He could no longer resist the weakness brought on by excessive blood loss, his head lolled to the side, and he fainted amidst Tsuki's anxious calls.

Emerging from the darkness, Senba heard his clone's sharp, stinging words.

"There's no helping it, all I can use are Wind Release and Earth Release," Senba said, sitting cross-legged on the ground. He placed his right hand on the Chakra flame and gazed at the blue flames dancing at his fingertips.

"Without the ability to protect myself, I won't reveal my full capabilities. Besides, with the little Slug here, my injuries are within expectations."

"I hope one day, this pile of flames will turn into a sky-high pillar of fire. By then, we won't have to grovel at anyone's feet anymore."

Senba looked at the Chakra flame, which had doubled in size, a look of obsession flashing in his eyes. No one could take this power away from him.

Unfortunately, the Senba of the Forest next to him was best at pouring cold water on things. He looked at the fine cracks on the main body's torso, proof of his arrival in this world.

"You only have the Senju bloodline within you. If you ever have the chance to obtain Uchiha, perhaps there's a sliver of possibility. Otherwise, you'll always be suppressed by Six Paths power."

Senba didn't say anything in response to the Senba of the Forest's words, merely staring at the Chakra flame in his hand, lost in thought.

In the world of Naruto, the power system is broadly divided into the Chakra system and Sage Mode, which utilizes natural energy.

The Chakra system holds an absolute dominant position. Konoha's Senju, Uchiha, Hyuga, Kirigakure's Taketori Clan, and others are all branches of this system.

For instance, the moment Kaguya Otsutsuki's "All-Killing Ash Bones" was unleashed indirectly proved how high the theoretical growth ceiling for the Taketori Clan could be.

Then there's Madara Uchiha absorbing Hashirama Senju's cells in his later years, awakening the Rinnegan, and finally absorbing the Ten-Tails to become an Otsutsuki at the end of the story.

However, speaking frankly, the fact that he physically took Hashirama Senju to heart was something Senba could never have imagined, and the art style was indeed a bit bizarre.

Although Madara Uchiha becoming an Otsutsuki seemed simple, Senba hadn't forgotten that his true identity was the reincarnation of Indra, plus he absorbed his younger brother Asura's reincarnation, Hashirama Senju.

If the power of the Six Paths was involved, the success rate for ordinary people would be virtually zero, at most resulting in a half-baked product like Obito.

Therefore, Senba didn't have much confidence in becoming an Otsutsuki himself, especially with the filial Black Zetsu around. If he were to be manipulated into becoming a vessel for Kaguya Otsutsuki's resurrection, it would be a tragedy.

As for Sage Mode, which utilizes natural energy, if stated plainly, it's an amplifier. Upon entering Sage Mode, the power of ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu will experience explosive growth.

Furthermore, natural energy and the Chakra system are incompatible. This can be seen from the fact that Truth-Seeking Orbs cannot absorb ninjutsu that uses natural energy.

The origin of natural energy lies in the three great Sagebos, powers that existed before the Otsutsuki descended upon this world. Indigenous powers and the invading Otsutsuki are inherently opposed.

Looking at it this way, the Great Toad Sage helping the Sage of Six Paths and his brother seal their mother, Kaguya Otsutsuki, wasn't entirely for the sake of all beings in the Shinobi World.

However, the ultimate limit of Sage Mode cannot compare to the ultimate limit of the Chakra system. Hashirama Senju and Yakushi Kabuto are already at the peak of this path, yet they are still far from the Six Paths level.

In fact, what Senba worried about most regarding natural energy was the danger of cultivating it. The original work didn't explain the method for practicing Sage Mode in Shikkotsu Forest, but referencing Mount Myōboku and Ryūchi Cave, the danger should be roughly the same.

Despite the danger, Senba had no choice but to practice it. Given that natural energy and Chakra are incompatible, he had to. Senba never put all his eggs in one basket.

While Senba was brainstorming, the figure of the Senba of the Forest suddenly appeared before him, his eyes fixed on him.

With their minds connected, Senba naturally understood the other's thoughts, but his father's idea was simply impossible.

"Stop messing around," Senba shook his head, directly rejecting the idea. "Are Uchiha Shisui's eyes that easy to obtain? Even with all my trump cards out, I might not be able to defeat him in a direct fight. Right now, I'm in the stage of building a good relationship with him."

"Main body, don't say I didn't warn you," the Senba of the Forest snorted, looking directly into Senba's eyes, his tone filled with meaning. "Although they're all Sharingan, there are still differences in quality."

"Uchiha Shisui's eyes are undoubtedly of a very high grade and relatively easy to obtain. The rest will be difficult. Of course, if your strength is sufficient in the future, you could directly dig out Obito's or Itachi's eyes."

Senba had considered what the Senba of the Forest said, but he also had a backup plan in mind that might allow him to obtain a pair of Sharingan for himself.

However, that was a matter for later. Currently, he was ostensibly just a young genius of Konoha. Especially after this incident, Uchiha Shisui would definitely report his performance to the Third Hokage.

Someone with outstanding talent like him, without a power like Wood Release that breaks conventional balance, would undoubtedly be the most reassuring to the Third Hokage.

Senba could already imagine that upon his return, the Third Hokage would likely use the "Will of Fire," an "S" rank genjutsu, on him.

Just look at Uchiha Shisui, who was unconscious beside Senba. How twisted was his life under the brainwashing of the Will of Fire?

To put it jokingly, the appearance of "Kotoamatsukami" might have been the result of the Third Hokage's Will of Fire deeply ingrained in his mind.

Of course, few Uchiha clan members weren't twisted. Just look at their clan head – he wanted to integrate into the village but couldn't let go of his pride; he wanted to lead the clan to seize power through force but feared the consequences of failure leading to annihilation.

In this conflicted struggle, the Uchiha clan met a laughable end at the hands of their own people, a joke in itself.

To put it bluntly, during the Fourth Great Ninja War, a single White Zetsu died with more value than the entire Uchiha clan. At least it died on the front lines of battle.

Thinking of this, Senba's eyes slowly opened. Intense light from outside the window struck him, making him squint. He turned his head and saw Tsuki sitting beside him, her small head nodding with sleepiness, causing Senba's lips to curl into a smile.

His joyful laughter, in turn, woke the sleeping Uchiha Tsuki.