69novels Chapter 171 Cultivating Immortal Mode
Chapter 171 Cultivating Immortal Mode
Chapter 171 Cultivating Immortal Mode
Deep within the Snow Village, a training ground lies quietly amidst the pristine white snow.
The cold wind, carrying ice crystals, howled past, but was blocked by the towering rock walls and reinforced barriers, creating a calm and focused atmosphere within the arena.
Takuno Minamoto, Jugo, and the quietly observing boy Shiro were all inside the barrier.
After everything in Konoha settled down, Gen Takuno's true form quietly returned to Yuki-nin.
For him, the subsequent affairs of Konoha were to be handled by his Konoha clones, and it was enough to simply carry out the plan.
His true focus, however, is now entirely on mastering Sage Mode.
This is a crucial part of Gen Takuno's plan. Unless a major event occurs in Konoha that cannot be resolved without his personal intervention, he will go into seclusion here until he fully comprehends the secrets of Sage Mode.
This power was of great significance to him, and was by no means merely an added bonus.
It symbolizes the final piece of the puzzle for Gen Takuno to step into the realm of "Super Shadow," representing a truly comprehensive leap in ability without any weaknesses.
Admittedly, with his current strength, he can already unleash combat power at the level of a Shadow, but in some subtle aspects, there are still minor flaws and shortcomings.
Once Sage Mode is mastered, these shortcomings will be completely eliminated, and his power level will be far beyond that of someone who has just begun to understand the path of the Super Shadow, much more than just a so-called "Super Shadow gatekeeper".
At the same time, he has also dispatched all his forces to search for the place where the Four-Tails Son Goku trained alone and the whereabouts of the Six-Tails Utakata after he left Kirigakure.
Once he has completed his Sage Mode training, if there is any clear information, he will directly take action to obtain the remaining few Tailed Beast chakra.
"My lord, I am ready."
Jugo's voice broke the silence in the room. He looked intently at Gen Takuno, his tone carrying a hint of solemnity and expectation.
Three years of refinement and polishing have been for this moment.
Yuan Tuoye nodded slightly, a hint of focus flashing in his deep eyes.
"Okay." The moment the words left his mouth, his hands had already completed the hand seal.
"Spiritualization Technique!"
An invisible spiritual fluctuation spread out like ripples.
Gen Takuya slowly leaned back on a comfortable rattan chair that had been created using Wood Release chakra, as if he had fallen into a deep sleep.
At the same time, his powerful and refined spiritual will had quietly detached from his body and steadily connected with and entered Jugo's body.
In the past, when using spiritification techniques, Gen Takuno would usually directly control the other person's body.
But this time it was completely different. The initiative was completely handed over to Jugo himself. He would use his own will to manipulate chakra and guide the entire process of training Sage Mode.
Takuno Minamoto's spirit is like that of a most focused observer and learner, closely connected with Jugo's five senses, deeply perceiving the subtle proportions of each strand of chakra and natural energy attracting and merging with each other, and the exquisite transformation process.
Jugo took a deep breath, the crisp air filling his lungs and dispelling the last trace of distraction, leaving only a steadfast determination in his eyes.
Three years passed in the blink of an eye, and he finally transformed this unstable talent into a controllable power.
More than a year ago, he was already able to draw upon natural energy to enter the Sage Mode, but at that time, his state was too crude, both for him and for Lord Gen Takuno.
Even though Lord Gen didn't say it, Jugo himself could clearly sense the flaws and hidden dangers lurking in that state.
He was unwilling to offer up this power, which carried his gratitude and faith, in a half-finished form.
In order to achieve perfection and to completely tame that violence, he devoted all his energy to refining and perfecting it in the years that followed.
Today, he no longer needs to rely on that specially made barrier to isolate the surging natural energy.
Even though the natural energy would still flow uncontrollably into his body, Jugo was able to calmly guide and harmonize it, condensing it into a truly perfect Sage Chakra.
This level of control is the most precious culmination of his three years of arduous training.
However, the barrier that isolates natural energy was still activated today. It wasn't that Jugo was unwilling to teach Genji Takuno the deeper levels of Sage Mode, but rather that as a beginner, it was best for Genji Takuno to start by learning the simplest techniques.
Jugo's thoughts became clearer the moment he sensed the arrival of Genjiro Takuno's spirit.
He understood that this was not only a demonstration of strength, but also a way of conveying trust and responsibility.
He slowly mobilized the familiar power within his body, which stemmed from his special physique, deliberately slowing down his pace and clearly "presenting" every minute step to the invisible observational eye within his body.
He could feel that Lord Genji's spirit was like the most precise probe, capturing every rhythm of his chakra, every fluctuation of natural energy, and the entire process that occurred when the two collided and merged.
Even though Jugo deliberately slowed down the process so that Gen Takuno could feel the whole process more clearly, the process did not last long.
Black lines appeared on Jugo's face, and he officially entered Sage Mode!
This is what makes the Sage Body so special. Although Naruto Uzumaki learned it very quickly in the original story, he still needed to sense and absorb natural energy before he could use it and then adjust his Sage Chakra.
The entire process is indispensable, but the first two steps are where the real time is spent activating Sage Mode.
Once you master the correct proportions, the subsequent adjustment of Sage Chakra takes the least amount of time.
"My lord." As the pure Sage Chakra within his body was fully formed, Jugo respectfully called out in his heart, indicating that the demonstration was complete.
Yuan Tuoye's spirit conveyed an affirmative response.
Immediately afterwards, an indescribable and mysterious transformation occurred, and he smoothly took control of Jugo's body.
Without the slightest hesitation, Gen Takuno immediately mobilized the chakra within Jugo's body and began to reproduce that exquisite mixing process according to every detail that had been deeply imprinted through Jugo's five senses.
Although Shigeo's spirit took a backseat, he "saw" everything with unparalleled clarity from an outsider's perspective.
His surprise was like a pebble thrown into a lake, creating ripples.
The precision with which the adult operated the equipment, the depth of his understanding of the energy properties, and the grasp of the timing of mixing were exactly the same as the "perfect version" that he had spent three years refining!
The fusion of chakra and natural energy is underway, driven by the will of the adults.
Although the process was slow, it was successful because there were no mistakes whatsoever!
I believe that with repeated experiences, the speed at which chakra merges with natural energy will naturally increase.
Jugo was filled with awe and admiration: "As expected of the master! To grasp such a level of understanding with just one observation—"
""
He had originally intended to observe Gen Takuno's mistakes and then remind him afterward, but now it seemed unnecessary.
Yuan Tuoye's mind was completely immersed in the wonderful rhythm of the fusion of energy.
He clearly sensed the immense power and harmony brought about by the birth and flow of Sage Chakra within Jugo's body.
Takuno focused intently on sensing the surging new energy within Jugo's body, a hint of amazement flashing in his eyes: "Is this the power of Sage Chakra?"
He clearly felt the all-round improvement that Sage Chakra brought to Jugo. Whether it was basic physical qualities such as muscle explosiveness and reaction speed, or the total amount of chakra in his body, all of them were significantly increased.
This is the essence of Sage Mode: perfectly fusing ordinary chakra with ubiquitous natural energy to form a higher-level Sage Chakra. The enormous energy increment it contains largely stems from the powerful infusion of natural energy.
"My lord, shall we continue trying?" Jugo asked.
"Continue," Yuan Tuono answered decisively, taking out a specially made "soldier's ration pill" from his pocket and swallowing it without hesitation.
This is not an ordinary supply used by ordinary ninjas, but a secret medicine carefully crafted by the genius pharmacist Kabuto and infused with the essence of the rare treasure "Hero's Water".
Its effects far surpass those of regular soldier pills; even for a ninja like Minamoto no Takuya, who possesses a vast amount of chakra, it can instantly restore a considerable amount of chakra.
More importantly, this improved version of the soldier's ration pills perfectly avoids the terrifying aftereffects of Hero's Water, which is known for its extreme depletion of life force.
The creation of this miraculous drug stemmed from the task that Minamoto no Takuno initially assigned to Kabuto the medicine master: to develop a potion that could permanently increase the total amount of chakra using the Hero's Water.
Unfortunately, the goal of permanent enhancement was not achieved, but unexpectedly, this super ration pill with excellent effects and no risk of failure was obtained.
The solution to the side effects of the Hero's Water had stumped Kabuto, but a turning point came after Genji Takuno entrusted him with the "Greel Stone," which contained immense life energy, for research.
By utilizing the life-giving properties of Grell's Stone, the fatal flaw of Hero's Water, which consumes life force, was successfully neutralized.
However, this could not be achieved simply by physical mixing. Kabuto Yakushi went through countless rigorous and arduous experiments before finally overcoming the technical difficulties and successfully developing the finished product.
At the same time, this type of soldier ration pill also overcomes the side effects of ordinary soldier ration pills. Its principle is no longer that of ordinary soldier ration pills, which first replenish the body's energy and then extract chakra. Therefore, long-term use of soldier ration pills may lead to premature aging.
However, the source of these soldier pills is not like that. They are created by extracting the life force of Grell's Stone and then using the properties of Hero's Water. They are unrelated to the user's own body and therefore do not have the same side effects.
Although Gento was slightly disappointed that he could not achieve a permanent leap in chakra levels with the Hero's Water, obtaining such a highly efficient and side-effect-free top-tier replenishment was undoubtedly a pleasant surprise.
Even though his chakra reserves are already enormous and he won't lack chakra for normal training and research, these ration pills are still useful.
Since the Yin Seal is finally useful, he can use it to collect the chakra created by the soldier's ration pills and then release it when needed later.
The amount of chakra he sealed was far greater than the amount of chakra Tsunade could create by eating ordinary food, making it a useful trump card.
At that moment, the pill dissolved rapidly in his body, and a surging torrent of chakra instantly filled his limbs and bones.
Feeling the support of this powerful energy, Yuan Tuoye's spirits lifted, and he focused his mind again, immersing himself in the meticulous practice of Sage Chakra.
He knew that his initial success in Sage Mode with Jugo's assistance was just the beginning.
Currently, all he has mastered is the process of quantitatively adjusting Sage Chakra with natural energy.
The mark he developed using Orochimaru's cursed seal can continuously absorb natural energy from the outside world. Its effect is much worse than Jugo's Sage Body, but it should still be sufficient.
Therefore, he will need to break the barrier that isolates him from natural energy and begin the next stage of his cultivation.
He must repeatedly hone this process until he reaches a level of "proficiency" in the manipulation of Sage Chakra before he can confidently use his own body as a vessel to officially begin the challenge of independently training in Sage Mode.
Night fell.
He knew that his cultivation had reached its limit.
Although Jugo didn't mind him continuing to use his body as a research medium, Minamoto Takuno had decided to take a break.
Being impatient for quick success is not the right path; such subtle control requires a long time to mature and become familiar with.
"Let's go." Yuan Tuoye's voice broke the silence of the night.
Jugo and Shiro nodded silently, and the three of them disappeared into the night as they returned to the familiar orphanage.
Warm light shone through the window, dispelling the chill of the night.
As soon as she stepped into the open space in front of the house, Yakushi Nonou's gentle voice rang out: "You're back?"
She stood on the porch with a genuine smile on her face.
Having gone through her initial wariness and worries, her perception of Gen Takuno has long since changed, and she has even grown accustomed to life in this place far from Konoha.
Although her longing for her homeland Konoha occasionally lingered in her heart, especially her concern for the children who had relied on her in the orphanage, she also learned about the current situation in Konoha through various channels.
Knowing that the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, was diligent and wise, he also knew that as long as he remained law-abiding, those children would surely live peaceful lives in Konoha, grow up safely, and eventually establish themselves in society.
This certainty allowed her to stay here with peace of mind.
"We're back!" Shiro and Jugo responded in unison, their tone revealing their familiarity and closeness with Yakushi Nonou.
"The food is all prepared. Shall we eat now?" Yakushi Nonou asked, her gaze falling on Minamoto Takuno. She always kept the details in perfect order.
"Okay," Yuan Tuoye replied succinctly.
A day of cultivation had exhausted my energy, and the feeling of emptiness in my stomach was indeed urgent.
Seeing him nod, Yakushi Nonou's smile deepened.
With the help of Jugo and Shiro, a small square table was quickly filled with food.
Just as everyone was about to sit down, the door was pushed open, and Kabuto Yakushi appeared in the doorway.
Having just returned from the laboratory, he was visibly startled when he saw Yuan Tuoye, then bowed respectfully: "Sir, you're here too."
"Kabuto, you're back just in time," Yakushi Nonou's eyes shone even brighter when she saw him. "Go wash your hands and let's eat together."
"
"Yes, Sister." Kabuto obediently replied and quickly finished his personal hygiene.
A moment later, the five people sat around the table.
The small space felt especially warm and harmonious because of the gathering of people.
Haku and Jugo shared trivial matters from the training ground, Yakushi Nonou inquired about Kabuto's recent situation, while Minamoto Takuno quietly ate his meal.
The lights shone on everyone, creating a sense of tranquility almost like that of a home.
If one ignores the cold mask covering half of Gen Takuno's face, this scene strangely outlines a warm silhouette resembling a family of five.
After dinner, the children conscientiously began to clear the dishes and wipe the table.
Takuno Minamoto did not choose to leave, but instead went to rest in the room belonging to Nono Yakushi.
As night deepens, spring colors spread.