Exploring Sage Mode (2)

Inside Konoha Camp at the Tsunade camp.

Taiichi looked at Tsunade sitting upright on the Tsunade of the bed and couldn't reconcile the current Tsunade with the one from 10 minutes ago.

Sure enough, a woman looks completely different before and after dressing up. Fortunately, Tsunade didn't spend much time getting ready, only about 10 minutes.

Sensing that Taiichi seemed distracted and didn't even answer her question, Tsunade raised an eyebrow and said in a strange tone, "..."

"Hey kid, are you thinking about something rude?"

"Huh?" Taiichi aback, then quickly shook his head in denial, "No, no, teacher, why would you think that about me?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Taiichi realized something was wrong. He had been the one questioning and accusing others, but now the situation had reversed.

Alas, women really can't be reasoned with, even if this woman is a top-notch ninja.

Seeing Taiichi's expression, Tsunade knew to stop immediately and got back to the main topic.

"Alright, tell me what brings you here?"

Taiichi immediately became serious as well.

"Does the teacher know anything about Sage Mode?"

Tsunade's smile vanished, replaced by a serious expression. Sage Mode —this was no safe path of cultivation.

Throughout history, countless brilliant figures have perished on the path of cultivating Sage Mode.

"Where did you learn about Sage Mode? Did the Katsuyu tell you?"

"I once read about it in an ancient book, but recently I've had some insights into cultivation and can sense an energy in the air that I've never seen before. Upon comparison, I realized it should be Natural Energy."

"What!"

Tsunade widened, and she suddenly stood up, scrutinizing Taiichi from head to toe. She couldn't figure out what kind of three heads and six arms this kid had, or how he had managed to do this without any help.

"No, you're not being honest. Tell me! How far have things progressed?"

Tsunade, like a female bandit, grabbed Taiichi by the collar and pulled Taiichi right in front of her. If Taiichi hadn't been quite tall, she would have lifted him up.

Taiichi awkward smile and kept slapping Tsunade's hand that was gripping him.

"Teacher, calm down, calm down, let's talk about this slowly."

Tsunade realized that she had been a little agitated, so she released her grip on Taiichi's collar and kindly straightened his wrinkled clothes.

"You silly child, you don't even tidy your clothes before going out. If someone sees you like this, you'll embarrass your teacher!"

Taiichi his eyes. This shameless woman really was Tsunade, the one who used Transformation Technique to turn into a little girl to deceive her Tsunade.

"Okay, go ahead and tell me, but make sure it's the truth, or the teacher will get angry."

Tsunade patted Taiichi on the shoulder and spoke gently, but to Taiichi it sounded like an ultimatum.

"Ah~ haha, I was trying to keep a secret, but I didn't expect you to find out, teacher."

Taiichi scratched his head, looking embarrassed that he had been seen through.

"I have tried Sage Mode, but I'm not proficient at it yet and need some time to prepare."

Tsunade was genuinely shocked. She had only been bluffing, since Taiichi always liked to hold back. She never expected to actually trick him into revealing such a shocking secret.

While sensing Natural Energy is difficult, there are shortcuts, such as the Toad Oil from Mount Myoboku and the Spring of Life in Shikkotsu Forest.

In Ryūchi Cave, you don't even need to feel it; the snake fangs are injected directly—these are all shortcuts.

To cultivate into Sage Mode is not something that can be achieved through shortcuts; it requires genuine ability, and the slightest mistake will result in a tragic death.

"You little brat."

"You little brat----"

You little brat!

Three consecutive "you brat"s, each with a different tone, still couldn't express Tsunade's feelings at that moment.

"Walk!"

She simply grabbed Taiichi's arm and dragged him out of the tent.

"Teacher, slow down, slow down, where are you taking me?!"

Taiichi was caught up in the chase, and quickly quickened his pace to catch up with Tsunade, asking her about Tsunade purpose as he did so.

"Stop being so slow! Come out here and demonstrate your Sage Mode to me right now, we'll talk about the rest later!"

The two traveled in a flurry of activity, attracting the attention of many ninjas along the way.

What are these two putting on now? They were just going in and out of the tent, and now they look so anxious and flustered.

Tsunade also noticed the gazes of the surrounding ninjas, and after traveling this far, she gradually calmed down.

She slapped her forehead, looking annoyed, and said to Taiichi, "Use Flying Thunder God and find a quiet place."

Then she instructed the nearest ninja, "Tell Nara Kaoru that Taichi and I Taiichi going out on business and will be back soon."

Taiichi, grabbed Tsunade's arm with his right hand, and the two of them disappeared from the spot, leaving behind a large group of ninjas staring at each other in disbelief.

The ninja who had been given orders by Tsunade looked completely innocent. He pointed at himself, looked left and right, and had no idea what to do.

It was a kind-hearted Jonin noticed his predicament and stepped forward to help, saying, "Let's go, I'll go with you to find Nara Advisor, as a witness."

Ignoring the mess left by Tsunade, the two reappeared on the other side, at the seaside, the very place where Taiichi had tested Sage Mode the day before.

As soon as Tsunade appeared, she scanned her surroundings and noticed the numerous traces left by Ninjutsu.

The glass-like sand, the thick and tall Earth Wall, and the crisscrossing Wind Style cutting marks on the Earth Wall all demonstrate the effects of the previous Ninjutsu.

Tsunade gave Taiichi a meaningful look, but instead of exposing him, she calmly said, "Come on, Sage Taiichi, let me see your Sage Mode."

Taiichi wasn't embarrassed at all. Since it had already been said, this discovery didn't matter. Hearing Tsunade's urging, he nodded and sat cross-legged on a Dodai.

"Preparation will take a while, so don't rush!" he added.

"Get ready, stop nagging!"

Taiichi closed his eyes, held his breath, and focused his mind. Natural Energy reappeared in his perception. Practice makes perfect, and now Taiichi's body is his home. He has become quite accustomed to the arrival of Natural Energy.

Tsunade looked at Taiichi, who was meditating with his eyes closed, and guessed that he was absorbing Natural Energy and gathering Senjutsu Chakra, so she didn't dare to disturb him.

Unable to sense any Natural Energy, all she can do now is wait here.

Fortunately, she didn't have to wait too long. In less than four minutes, Taiichi opened his eyes, jumped off the Dodai, and walked to Tsunade's side.

He spread his arms wide to show himself off, and even spun around so Tsunade more clearly.

"You... this is Sage Mode?" Tsunade asked incredulously, her forehead furrowed with brows, feeling utterly humiliated.

Sage Mode?

As for your changes, if not physically, then surely you should have the Sage Markings, right? She has seen her grandfather, Senju Hashirama Sage Mode, and he still had the Sage Markings around his eyes.

Seemingly sensing Tsunade's confusion, Taiichi didn't keep her in suspense any longer. He leaned closer to his face, pointed to his eyes, and boasted to Tsunade, "Look, look, my eyes, my eyes."

Tsunade then noticed that Taiichi's eyes were indeed different from usual, as if golden light was emanating from the depths of his pupils, dyeing his entire eyes a faint gold.

Tsunade was shocked. "It really is Sage Mode, but the appearance is so subtle!"

Tsunade jumped back a few steps, creating some distance, and beckoned to Taiichi with Taiichi hand outstretched.

"Come on! Charge in and let me see just how powerful Sage Mode really is!"

Taiichi was also eager to try. He hadn't fought anyone yet after mastering Sage Mode, and testing himself alone lacked a comparison. Now that Tsunade, a top-tier ninja, was here, it would be a good opportunity to test his abilities.

"Then you'd better be careful, teacher. I've tested it, and the Sage Mode boost is huge."

After saying that, he vanished from the spot in a flash.

"So fast!"

Tsunade didn't even realize how Taiichi disappeared; she only felt a gust of wind coming from her left, and she quickly raised her arm to defend herself.

"Bang!"

Taiichi's kick was blocked, but Tsunade was sent flying 10 meters away.

However, she managed to stabilize herself using her formidable Taijutsu.

"Okay, let's do it again!"

Taiichi cheered, then moved in Body Flicker, delivering a straight punch to Tsunade's left shoulder.

Only then, with her eyes completely focused, did Tsunade manage to catch a glimpse of Taiichi.

Facing this direct punch, she too was ignited with a fighting spirit.

Chakra gathers, granting Chakra Enhanced Strength.

He met Taiichi's fist with a punch of his own.

"Boom"

A spherical shockwave rippled out from where their fists met, sending dust and stones flying everywhere.

One punch, two punches, three punches.

With just three punches, Tsunade's stance was broken by Taiichi. She could no longer defend against the fourth punch and was hit in the right arm by Taiichi's punch, sending her flying again.

This time she wasn't as lucky as last time. She was already in so much pain in the air that her whole body stiffened, and she didn't have the strength to adjust her posture. As a result, she rolled solidly on the ground more than ten times before she finally stopped.

"Ah— Teacher Tsunade, are you alright?"

Taiichi stopped his pursuit and looked at Tsunade, who was struggling to get up not far away, and asked her apologetically.

"Pah, pah."

Spitting out the dust she had swallowed, Tsunade laboriously raised her right hand and waved it at Taiichi to indicate that she was alright.

She could sense the speed and power; Taiichi hadn't used Chakra Enhanced Strength at all, just a simple Chakra boost to his fist, yet it possessed such power.

"I'm not playing anymore. The gap is too big; I can't keep up."

Taiichi felt embarrassed. Had he been too excited and used too much force? He had only thrown five punches before stopping, which meant he hadn't gotten his hopes up for nothing.

"Teacher Tsunade, how about we try Ninjutsu again?"

Taiichi still wanted to try his best, after all, there weren't many ninjas with such strength, and even fewer who could train with him.

Tsunade's face immediately darkened. Without saying a word, she rolled up her sleeves, stormed Earth Flow Taiichi, and, to Taiichi's utter bewilderment, punched him on the head.

"You brat, are you trying to make a fool of yourself? Try your Ninjutsu!"

Now, Taiichi finally realized what mistake he had made. Tsunade's Taijutsu was indeed top-notch, but her Ninjutsu was only barely above average.

Taiichi's decision to have her test her Ninjutsu was practically a veiled mockery of her.

Taiichi, having figured it out, was speechless. It was all his fault for being too careless. He would definitely be more careful next time. You can't mess with a tiger's backside, and you can't touch a woman's weaknesses either!

After the farce ended, the two sat facing the sea on a raised Earth Wall and finally started talking about Sage Mode.

"Sage Mode, huh? Well, how should I put it? I don't know much about it myself. All I know is some information I've heard from my First Hokage."

Tsunade gazed at the vast ocean before her, her eyes gradually becoming unfocused, as if lost in memories, and she began to murmur something to herself.

Taiichi remained silent, sitting beside her and listening quietly to Tsunade's words.

"My First Hokage's Senjutsu was originally learned from Shikkotsu Forest, but he soon discovered that Shikkotsu Forest's Senjutsu was not suitable for human cultivation, and he could not fully unleash his power."

So, the First Hokage improved upon the existing Shikkotsu Forest Senjutsu, developing a unique Sage Mode tailored to him.

Taiichi eyebrow. It turned out that he wasn't the only one who discovered that the Senjutsu of the Three Great Sage Regions were unsuitable for humans; at least Senju Hashirama was one of them.

"Actually, I also thought about learning Sage Mode. There's no reason Jiraiya could learn it, but I just couldn't."

Tsunade said this, probably because Jiraiya used to tease her about it quite a bit.

"Unfortunately, of the three of us, only Jiraiya mastered Sage Mode through his own abilities. Neither Orochimaru nor I met the requirements to learn Senjutsu. Isn't that infuriating?"

At this point, Tsunade finally snapped out of her reverie. She turned to Taiichi, who was listening intently, and asked, "What else do you want to know?"

"Didn't Lord Hashirama leave behind a method for cultivating Senjutsu? Shouldn't the method he modified be more suitable for human cultivation?"

Tsunade shook her head, denying Taiichi's statement. "First Hokage's Sage Mode has too much personal imprint; it was specially modified to complement Wood Style. Besides, the foundation he learned was the Sage Mode of Shikkotsu Forest, which is not suitable for ordinary people to cultivate."

Taiichi, now he understood why Konoha, apart from Jiraiya's lineage, didn't have a single Sage Mode practitioner.

It turns out that Hashirama's Sage Mode also belongs to the category of the Three Great Sage Regions, and one must sign Summoning Contract to be qualified to cultivate it.

"Does the teacher know that the Sage Mode of the Three Great Sage Regions has any negative effects on those who cultivate it?"

Taiichi asked the question he most wanted to ask.

"The downsides..." Tsunade frantically searched her mind, trying to find an answer, but unfortunately, since she didn't know Senjutsu, her understanding of Sage Mode was indeed limited.

In the end, she shook her head helplessly, "Let's ask the Katsuyu!"

However, she noticed Taiichi's hesitation and explained, "Compared to Toad and snakes, Katsuyu are much more believable; First Hokage once said that too."

Taiichi this. After all, Senju Hashirama was the God of Shinobi, and his confirmation undoubtedly increased the credibility of the Katsuyu. Moreover, based on Taiichi's own long-term contact with the Katsuyu, he undoubtedly agreed with this point as well.

Taiichi glanced at Tsunade, but quickly gave in to her death stare, muttering, "I'll do it then."

Extend your right hand, bite your thumb, smear the blood on your palm, and begin Hand Seals. The whole sequence of movements is fluid and graceful.

Summoning Technique.

White smoke rose, and Katsuyu half a meter long appeared on the Earth Wall.