Which of the three Sage Mode should Uya choose is the question before her.
Although Uya currently only possesses the Senjutsu cultivation methods from the Ryūchi Cave, it wouldn't be difficult for Uya to obtain the other two.
Getting Tsunade's help to obtain the Sage Mode training method from Shikkotsu Forest from the Katsuyu was incredibly simple. As for Mount Myōboku... Uya himself already knew how to train there.
Uya felt that the Sage Mode of Mount Myōboku, Ryūchi Cave, and Shikkotsu Forest were all different, and the path Uya himself wanted to take was the one most suitable for him, the path that belonged to him alone.
If we could draw inspiration from the three Sage Mode and create Sage Mode that best suits him and is uniquely his own, that would undoubtedly be the best outcome.
Putting aside the cultivation methods for Sage Mode for the time being, Uya continued to look through the scrolls on strengthening the soul.
This seems much more difficult to understand because it's something not mentioned in the original work; it's all Orochimaru's research findings, Uya needs to figure it out herself.
For several days in a row, Uya studied it.
Finally, Uya finished organizing it and began to try cultivating.
The initial results were excellent. Uya could clearly feel the enhancement of her soul, and the most direct sensory benefit of this enhancement was a stronger control over Chakra!
It wasn't just Chakra that became stronger; even his control over his own body and the Power of Tremors became more robust.
However, this effect gradually faded after half a month and eventually could no longer be improved, clearly indicating that it could not be improved indefinitely.
At this point, Uya's soul had been strengthened by at least one-third!
It didn't seem like much, but it was already beyond Uya's expectations. Uya originally thought that even a tenth increase would be a lot.
This one-third enhancement of his soul made Uya's control over Chakra much stronger, and even his Shockwave Sensing became stronger and more subtle.
To cultivate Sage Mode, one must possess a large amount of Chakra, Uya's current Peak Kage Level Chakra reserves are already sufficient.
Secondly, one must have extremely strong control to achieve a balance between Natural Energy and one's own Chakra; otherwise, one will Petrification.
Practicing the Mount Myōboku Senjutsu would likely turn one into a Petrification frog, while practicing the Ryūchi Cave Senjutsu would likely turn one into a Petrification snake.
Uya cannot cultivate under someone's guidance; he must figure everything out on his own. Therefore, he needs to be well-prepared.
Knowing the Senjutsu Techniques of Mount Myōboku and the Senjutsu Techniques of Ryūchi Cave, and lacking only the Senjutsu of Shikkotsu Forest, Uya went directly to Tsunade.
Tsunade happened to be in the village. She hadn't been gambling or anything like that during this time, or rather, she must have lost too much money gambling and returned to Konoha to lay low.
Tsunade was quite happy to see Uya arrive. Although Uya was in Konoha, he spent most of his time training and busy with his own affairs. Tsunade didn't want to bother Uya and rarely took the initiative to look for Uya.
After a brief greeting, Uya went straight to the point about why he had come.
" Sage Mode?"
Tsunade looked at Uya with some surprise, pondered for a moment, and said thoughtfully, "I seem to have heard Katsuyu mention this before, but it seems I'm not suited to cultivating Sage Mode, so I didn't bring it up again."
To be honest, Sage Mode is suitable for some people and not for others.
In the original work, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, could also use it, but he said that Senjutsu was what he was least proficient in, as it was extremely inefficient, so it seems that he must have barely managed to master it.
"Just as I suspected, the Shikkotsu Forest also possesses unique Senjutsu."
Seeing Tsunade's reaction, Uya revealed an expression that said, "I knew it."
Tsunade looked at Uya and said with utmost seriousness, "You need the method to cultivate Senjutsu? But I once heard Katsuyu say that cultivating it is very dangerous. Why don't you just go to Shikkotsu Forest and see Katsuyu's true form?"
"See the Katsuyu in its true form?"
Uya looked at Tsunade with some surprise.
There is only one Katsuyu in Shikkotsu Forest, and even the Katsuyu summoned by Tsunade is just a small clone of it; Uya knows this.
However, Uya was surprised that if she asked the Katsuyu for the Sage Mode training method without going through Tsunade, would it give it to her?
Tsunade seemed to understand Uya's concerns, and patted Uya on the shoulder with a smile, saying, "Don't worry, Katsuyu are the gentlest creatures, and it's very easy to communicate with them. Even if you don't sign a contract with them, they'll still be willing to talk to you."
"Besides, even if it doesn't work out, I'm still here, aren't I?"
Tsunade looked at Uya with a very older sisterly expression, causing Uya's lips to twitch slightly. It seemed that Tsunade's brother complex had become even more pronounced since Nawaki died.
The methods for Shikkotsu Forest are completely different from those for visiting Mount Myōboku.
The Toad of Mount Myōboku possess Reverse Summoning Technique, and Mount Myōboku is also known as the Labyrinth Mountain, making it extremely difficult to enter.
Regardless of whether the Katsuyu of Shikkotsu Forest can perform Reverse Summoning Technique, Uya did not sign a contract with the Katsuyu, so he could not perform Reverse Summoning.
So, Uya temporarily left Konoha with Tsunade and walked to Shikkotsu Forest, the location of which Shikkotsu Forest, Tsunade course, knew.
Shikkotsu Forest is much closer than Mount Myōboku, and Uya and Tsunade are extremely fast, both being Taijutsu -type ninjas, so they arrived there in just a few days.
The environment here is underground.
An extremely vast underground space, seemingly a strange cavern beneath the surface, as if this place had once been a massive volcano.
The surrounding area is filled with towering or inverted stalactites, a natural wonder that is in no way inferior to Mount Myōboku.
"We've arrived. Lady Katsuyu is over there."
Tsunade looked around, nodded, and then pointed in a direction.
The little Katsuyu she summons calls her Lady Tsunade, while she refers to the Katsuyu's true form as Lady Katsuyu.
Shikkotsu Forest, along with Mount Myōboku Ryūchi Cave, are considered the Three Great Sage Lands. The Katsuyu is similar in age to the Snake Sage and the Great Toad Sage; they are all ancient beings who have lived for an unknown period of time.
Walking through the Shikkotsu Forest, you can often see Katsuyu of various sizes wriggling around; these are all clones of the Katsuyu itself.
When these little Katsuyu saw Tsunade, they all Teuchi.
Soon, Uya and Tsunade saw the Katsuyu's true form, which was indeed enormous, leaving Uya somewhat shocked. Imagination can never compare to the shock of seeing it with your own eyes.
Even from a great distance, you can see a huge silhouette stretching across the Shikkotsu Forest.
Even the giant Katsuyu that Tsunade and Sakura summoned together in the original work was only one-tenth the size of the Katsuyu's original form, which gives you an idea of how enormous it was.
"I was just as shocked when I first met Lady Katsuyu."
Standing in front of the giant Katsuyu, Tsunade smiled slightly as she looked at Uya's shocked expression.
Although the Katsuyu was large, it was also very agile. After wriggling a couple of times, it turned its head to look at Tsunade and Uya.
"Oh, it's Tsunade. What brings you here?"
Although this Katsuyu was enormous, its voice was no different from that of a small Katsuyu —extremely gentle, completely unlike the ferocious Manda or the rough, gruff Toad.
At this moment, Uya had gradually suppressed the shock in his heart. Although the Katsuyu's enormous size was indeed awe-inspiring, Uya's mindset was now quite detached.
Tsunade about her purpose, Katsuyu casually and directly stated it.
"It's like this, I'd like to learn about Senjutsu techniques." (To be continued.)