'One who will eventually reach level of the Sage of Six Paths.'
Naruto latched onto the phrase. In the White Snake Sage's eyes, he wasn't at that level yet, which was a truth he could accept. The opponents he'd faced so far had been too weak to be a real measure of his strength. Across the entire shinobi world, there were few who could serve as a proper benchmark.
Perhaps Nagato in his prime might have qualified, but figures like the Two-Tails or the Fourth Raikage were only titans in the eyes of ordinary ninja. The Five Kage, the supposed pinnacle of power, would be little more than spectators on a battlefield where gods clashed.
He didn't know if the Sage had seen the full extent of his power or just a fraction of it, but one thing was clear: a being that had lived for over a thousand years was not to be underestimated. Strength was a vague concept at certain levels in this world. Debating who was stronger than whom was just talk, only a real fight could settle it.
Besides, the power scaling in the shinobi world was set to explode. The moment Madara entered the stage, the level of danger would skyrocket, and the "gods" of the early days would be reduced to cannon fodder.
Naruto had tried to gauge his own power, of course. He figured the destructive force of King Piccolo's full-power strike was probably on par with Madara's Tengai Shinsei, but that was just his own speculation. Comparing powers from different universes was a difficult business.
'The White Snake Sage may be a 'Sage,' but in the end, she's still a creature of this world,' Naruto thought as he and Sasuke followed her deeper into Ryuchi Cave. 'Even after a thousand years, her perspective is limited.'
They arrived in an open, cavernous area with a view of the sky above. Naruto's gaze drifted upward.
Beyond that sky was the universe. And in that universe, there was a race known as the Otsutsuki.
They reminded him of the Frieza Force from Dragon Ball's world, plundering one planet after another. The only difference was that Frieza sold planets, while the Otsutsuki drained them of their life force. A thousand years ago, they had nearly wiped out humanity on this world, turning the population into what were now the White Zetsu.
This was the source of the unease that had followed Naruto for years. The Otsutsuki would return to the shinobi world. It was only a matter of time. While everyone else was caught up in the conflicts of their world, his own vision had already expanded to the stars.
'I'll counterattack the Otsutsuki.' He set the small goal for himself. For any other resident of this world, it would have been an near impossible dream. But with Goku's power inside him, it felt achievable.
'Once I'm strong enough, I'll go to their home planet and crush them. The only question is whether this world has the technology to build a spaceship. It seems Ki alone isn't enough for interstellar travel.'
"To practice Senjutsu, one requires exceptional talent," the White Snake Sage's distinctive voice cut through his thoughts, beginning her explanation for him and Sasuke. "You might not find one such person in a million shinobi."
Orochimaru was exceptionally talented, wasn't he? Even the Third Hokage, hailed as the Professor, had acknowledged his brilliance. Yet Orochimaru could never learn Senjutsu, he simply didn't have the aptitude for it. That was why he'd developed the Cursed Seal instead. No one would settle for a flawed imitation if the real, complete power was within their reach.
"Sasuke-kun," Sage said, her eyes fixed on the mark hidden on his neck. "That was left by the boy, Orochimaru, wasn't it? A remarkable Fuinjutsu, but it cannot fool these old eyes. He truly is a genius, to have developed a Cursed Seal so similar to Senjutsu. It's a pity he lacked the talent to master the real thing. Otherwise, he might have walked the path of a Sage himself. Allow me to remove it for you."
As she spoke, she moved as if to erase the seal.
"No need," Sasuke said flatly. He wasn't one to accept help so easily.
He activated his Mangekyo Sharingan, and a hexagram pattern flared to life in his left eye. A stream of information flowed into his mind, an intuitive analysis that was as clear as spoken words.
'Analysis complete. Chakra-infused Cursed Seal. Decomposable.'
Sasuke commanded. 'Decompose it.'
A matching hexagram materialized over the Cursed Seal on his shoulder. It spun rapidly, and the intricate black marks broke down into countless particles of light, vanishing completely. The abilities of his Mangekyo Sharingan were twofold: his left eye, Okamuzumi-no-Mikoto, held the power of Analysis, while his right, Shuten, held the power of Decomposition. They were born from his deepest desire: to find answers and solve the problems that plagued him. They weren't overwhelmingly destructive, but they were exceptionally practical.
"As expected of Indra's reincarnation," the White Snake Sage said, her tone holding a rare note of praise. "Those eyes are as formidable as ever."
She then turned back to the lesson. Sage Mode required one to balance Natural Energy with their own Physical and Spiritual Energy in a perfect 1:1:1 ratio, coalescing them into Senjutsu Chakra. The most crucial part was mastering that balance. Physical Energy was akin to Yang Release, and Spiritual Energy to Yin Release, two forces Naruto had been training for a long time.
The only unfamiliar element was Natural Energy. He couldn't quite grasp what it was.
Seeing his confusion, the White Snake Sage offered no further explanation. Instead, she reached out and touched a single finger to his forehead. A thousand words were worth less than a single moment of direct experience.
As Naruto felt the energy she transmitted, he froze. It wasn't that he'd never encountered it before. On the contrary, it was intensely familiar.
'Ki?'
To be precise, it was Ki, but not entirely. It was a special kind of Ki, not the energy from his own body, but the energy of the natural world itself. He had seen Goku use this power before.
Genki. (For those who don't know Spirit Ball is also called Genki Dama.)
"Natural Energy is the most powerful force in this world," Sage explained patiently. "Everything depends on it. It is everywhere, yet it is invisible and intangible, a profoundly mysterious power. It took even me a great deal of time to learn to perceive it."
While she focused on Naruto, Sasuke's training was left to Tagitsuhime, whose teaching methods were far from gentle. They were crude and direct. Whenever Sasuke's focus wavered, she would crack her small whip against his back.
"Naruto, if you cannot sense the Natural Chakra right away, do not worry," Sage continued, her voice calm and instructive. "You simply need to find the feeling. Then, with the unique tools of our Ryuchi Cave, your perception can be greatly enhanced."
She was still speaking when she saw Naruto extend his right hand.
"Like this?" he asked.
A faint sphere of light was gathering in his palm. He had only learned the basics of the Spirit Bomb technique before Adult Goku left, enough to gather the Genki floating in the air but not enough to form it into an attack. Atleast not the kind Goku would use, that is useful against evil enemies. But it did help in create the technique he used to destroy Kusagakure.
Seeing the sphere of light, the White Snake Sage's eyes widened in disbelief.
'He's holding Natural Energy in his hand?!'
"So, what were you saying just now?" Naruto asked, having been too focused on gathering the energy to hear her.
She stared at him, the words caught in her throat. For a long moment, she was completely silent.
"What... what are you?"
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(E/N: Some readers are confused about Natural Energy and Senjutsu Chakra being same. Natural Energy is raw ingredient, while Senjutsu Chakra is output of 1:1:1 ratio of physical, spiritual and natural energy.)
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