Shihouin Naraku carefully examined the transformations occurring within his body. The changes weren't merely superficial renewals—they extended to the cellular level, far beyond what the naked eye could perceive.
These revitalized cells had been permanently encoded with the genetic blueprint for extraordinary longevity.
Although Naraku hadn't yet achieved the legendary immortality he initially sought, a lifespan of five thousand years filled him with tremendous satisfaction.
With such an extensive timeframe ahead of him, Naraku refused to believe he couldn't eventually achieve true immortality.
Besides, even if the ninja world presented limited options for further advancement, with the system supporting him, Naraku remained confident in his ability to reach that ultimate goal.
Naraku deliberately channeled the chakra within his body, causing it to surge rapidly through his meridian network before gathering in his palms, where it manifested as a gentle, luminous glow.
"This is completely different from the Senjutsu chakra I created before," he observed with wonder. "The Senjutsu chakra I can produce now is absolutely overflowing with vital energy."
Watching Naraku experiment with his newfound abilities, the Slug Sage offered further explanation. "Now that little Naraku has successfully completed the training, you should have discovered the unique benefits of this particular form of Sage Mode."
"The combat methodology of Wet Bone Forest Sage Mode relies primarily on its overwhelming vitality and the ability to communicate directly with nature during battle."
"Most of the techniques are focused on support and healing Senjutsu. Only a few are designed for direct combat applications. Would little Naraku like to learn these sacred arts?"
"Absolutely," Naraku replied without hesitation. He had originally come here specifically to master Senjutsu, after all. "Please teach me the sacred arts of the Wet Bone Forest, Slug Sage!"
Over the following period, Shihouin Naraku began learning the ancient Senjutsu techniques directly from the Slug Sage.
Because Naraku had completely mastered Sage Mode and had truly reached the pinnacle of the training, he had become the very first person to successfully complete the Wet Bone Forest's Senjutsu curriculum in its entirety.
Additionally, Naraku's mental fortitude and spiritual power were extraordinarily developed, allowing him to master any technique with remarkable speed and precision.
With so many natural advantages working in his favor, it didn't take Naraku long to master the vast majority of the sacred arts.
Within approximately two days, he had completely absorbed all the Senjutsu knowledge that the Wet Bone Forest had to offer.
Such unprecedented learning speed once again astonished the Slug Sage, who had never witnessed anything comparable throughout her ancient existence.
"This rate of mastery is truly extraordinary," she mused internally. "Could it be that little Naraku is actually the reincarnation of the Sage of Six Paths himself?"
The Slug Sage found herself genuinely suspicious of this possibility. She simply couldn't explain Naraku's exceptional abilities through any other means.
His spiritual energy and learning capacity far exceeded those of ordinary humans—even the extensively knowledgeable Slug Sage had never encountered anything like it before.
"I'm deeply grateful for the Slug Sage's guidance throughout this entire period," Naraku declared formally. "I'm now ready to depart from the Wet Bone Forest."
Shihouin Naraku made his intentions clear to the ancient sage. Now that his training had reached completion, there was no compelling reason to continue residing in the Wet Bone Forest. As a high-ranking member of Konoha's leadership, remaining absent from the village for such an extended period could potentially create various complications.
Therefore, Naraku needed to return home immediately.
Furthermore, the timeline he had previously agreed upon with Black Zetsu was rapidly approaching, and he needed to prepare for his meeting with the ninja world's most devoted son.
The Slug Sage graciously accepted Naraku's gratitude. Throughout the training process, she had intervened at critical moments numerous times to protect his life during the most dangerous phases of his development.
Another significant factor was that if anyone else possessed knowledge of the secret to immortality, they would certainly never reveal such information to others, preferring instead to bury the secret deep underground where it could never be discovered.
However, the Slug Sage had proven remarkably generous, willingly sharing the sacred arts of the Wet Bone Forest with ninja who sought to learn them. The only limitation was that very few individuals could meet the stringent requirements for such training.
Overall, the Slug Sage truly deserved all the gratitude Naraku could offer.
"Little Naraku, although your Sage Mode training has concluded, the path toward becoming a true immortal has not yet ended," the Slug Sage advised solemnly. "I hope you will maintain this determination and continue moving forward on your journey."
"However, you must discover the way forward entirely through your own efforts from this point onward."
"Please rest assured, Slug Sage!" Shihouin Naraku bowed deeply and respectfully to the ancient being, then turned and departed from the Wet Bone Forest.
The Slug Sage remained within her sacred grove, watching Naraku's retreating figure until he completely disappeared beyond the range of her extraordinary perception.
"How strange," she wondered aloud. "Why didn't little Naraku use the Summoning Technique to return directly to Konoha?"
The distance between the Wet Bone Forest and Konoha Village was quite substantial. Without considering alternative methods of travel, it would require at least four days to return at the normal traveling speed of most ninja.
Of course, given Naraku's exceptional capabilities, his journey wouldn't be nearly that slow.
But when the convenient and instantaneous method of Summoning and Reverse Summoning was readily available, why would anyone choose to endure such a lengthy and arduous journey?
No one could provide answers to the Slug Sage's puzzling questions.
Shihouin Naraku had now successfully emerged from the vast expanse of the Wet Bone Forest and re-entered the normal natural environment that most humans found comfortable.
The Wet Bone Forest was completely saturated with concentrated natural energy. While this made it an ideal location for someone practicing Sage Mode, it remained fundamentally the domain where the Slug Sage made her home.
The perpetually humid and misty environment was particularly unbearable for Naraku, who much preferred drier climates.
After leaving the Wet Bone Forest behind and experiencing the more arid environment outside once again, Naraku couldn't help but take a deep, satisfying breath of the crisp air.
"Now this is a climate suitable for human habitation!" he declared with obvious relief.
The damp and shadowy environment that the Slug Sage naturally preferred simply wasn't something that humans could comfortably endure for extended periods.
Confirming that he had moved completely beyond the Slug Sage's perception range, Naraku launched himself skyward using his flight abilities. Within moments, he had ascended to an altitude of ten thousand meters and disappeared into the vast sea of clouds that stretched endlessly across the sky.
Fierce winds howled at this tremendous height, causing the cloud formations to surge and flow like ocean tides across the boundless heavens.
Suddenly, Shihouin Naraku's figure emerged from the pristine white clouds, moving with graceful precision through the turbulent air currents.
"Although this might seem like overkill, who knows what kind of unexpected situations might arise next," he reasoned. "It's definitely safer to maintain concealment at these extreme altitudes."
Naraku found the situation somewhat frustrating. With his power having increased so dramatically, even the slightest movement on his part would create tremendous disturbances that could easily be detected by others.
While Naraku's current strength meant he had no fear of being discovered by potential enemies, he also preferred to keep his capabilities and movements private. After all, Naraku himself harbored numerous secrets that he had no intention of revealing.
Without further delay, Naraku settled into a cross-legged meditation position atop a stable cloud formation, preparing to activate Sage Mode.
However, after remaining motionless for several minutes, Naraku finally realized his mistake with considerable embarrassment. How could he possibly hope to absorb natural energy at such an extreme altitude?
Ten thousand meters above the earth's surface, there was nothing but white clouds and howling winds. What sources of natural energy could possibly exist in such an environment?
"I clearly haven't thought this through properly," Naraku admitted with a rueful shake of his head.
Deactivating his flight technique, Naraku allowed his body to plummet rapidly toward the ground below.
"High altitudes are obviously impractical. I'll simply find some isolated valley instead. There shouldn't be any signs of human activity in such remote locations, so there's nothing to be concerned about. Besides, with my enhanced perception abilities, I'm not genuinely worried about being observed by others."
As he descended, Naraku easily located an uninhabited ravine and descended directly into its sheltered depths.
His Observation Haki immediately expanded outward, sweeping across an area covering several miles in every direction.
"Perfect—completely deserted," he confirmed with satisfaction.
Settling into a cross-legged meditation posture once again, Naraku began absorbing the abundant natural energy present in this secluded location. This time, the Sage Mode of the Wet Bone Forest activated successfully and instantaneously.
"The first step is complete. Now for the second phase," he declared with determination.
Without deactivating his current Wet Bone Forest Sage Mode, Naraku boldly attempted to activate the Ryūchi Cave Sage Mode that he had acquired through the system's lottery function.
Two completely different types of Senjutsu chakra manifested simultaneously within his body and immediately began conflicting violently in ways that defied all understanding of chakra theory.
"Ugh!" A mouthful of blood erupted from Naraku's lips as the conflicting energies wreaked havoc within his system.
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