The light gate at the entrance to Shikkotsu Forest fluctuated violently three times before finally stabilizing.
Hyuga Xiao knelt on one knee on the damp moss, his chest heaving violently. The Tenseigan Chakra Mode had already been released, and his azure eyes had returned to their ordinary Byakugan state, though a faint, almost imperceptible starlight seemed to linger deep within them. Sweat mingled with blood as it ran down from his brow, dripping onto the bluestone and spreading into dark red stains.
"One incense stick's worth of time has passed."
The Slug Sage's voice came from all directions. The massive slug slowly wriggled, splitting off a palm-sized clone that slid down the stone wall to Xiao's side.
Tsunade strode forward and placed her fingers on Xiao's wrist. Her brows first drew tight, then her expression turned incredulous. "Your chakra pathways... are repairing themselves? An impact of that magnitude should have required at least three months of rest to recover from."
"A gift from the Bloodline Corridor." Xiao's voice was somewhat hoarse. He braced himself against his knee and rose to his feet. Though his movements were slow, they were remarkably steady. "After that manifestation was devoured in the backlash, its energy fused into my body. My cellular activity has increased roughly threefold."
The Slug Sage's main body slowly spoke, its voice carrying an ancient echo. "Hyuga Xiao, you have passed the trial. In a thousand years, you are the second human to walk out of the Bloodline Corridor alive."
"The first was Lord Hashirama Senju?" Tsunade pressed.
"Indeed." The Slug Sage's feelers swayed lightly. "But your circumstances are different. When Hashirama entered the corridor, the concentration of Ōtsutsuki Bloodline within him was less than one-tenth of yours. The manifestation he faced was nowhere near as... complete as the one you