"Huh?!"
Naruko suddenly jumped to her feet.
"Grandpa Fukasaku, didn't you say this was really difficult?! Dad mastered it in just five minutes! You totally lied to me!"
"Idiot. Do you think everyone can be compared to Ryoma-sama?"
Fukasaku rubbed his temples helplessly. Every time he recalled Ryoma's absurd learning speed back then, he felt the same frustration—people really were better off dead sometimes. That man's talent and perception were so terrifying that even the Great Toad Sage had been astonished.
"Enough. Keep cultivating, Naruko. Don't let yourself get distracted."
Clearly unwilling to dwell on the subject, Fukasaku's expression hardened again.
"You are the disciple personally entrusted to us by Ryoma-sama and his wife. We will absolutely make sure you master Sage Mode properly. Now focus, and enlighten yourself!"
"Fukasaku, stop frightening the child all the time."
Shima scolded him lightly, then turned to Naruko with a gentle smile.
"Don't worry, little Naruko. Tonight I'll make you a nice insect dish to help you recover."
"You're the scariest one here!"
Naruko shuddered from head to toe. Unfortunately, the toad oil beneath her feet suddenly slipped—
Splash!
She lost her balance and fell straight into the bubbling pool of oil.
At the same time, far away in Ryūchi Cave.
On the stone platform within the temple, Sako sat cross-legged. Half of her body was already covered in white snake scales.
She was cultivating the Sage Mode of Ryūchi Cave.
Under the guidance of the White Snake Sage, natural energy continuously poured into her body. Sako had to carefully control the balance—chakra and natural energy needed to be maintained at a precise ratio to refine true senjutsu chakra.
Each time senjutsu chakra was successfully formed, the white scales on her body would slowly recede.
When every scale disappeared completely, that would mark the completion of Sage Mode.
The White Snake Sage sat silently nearby, observing.
At first, it watched with cautious focus. But as the days passed, it became increasingly aware—Sako's progress was astonishingly fast.
Today marked the fifteenth day.
The White Snake Sage already knew she had grasped the essence of senjutsu refinement. Now, all that remained was patience.
The white scales on Sako's body began to fade at a visible pace, until only those covering half of her face remained.
At this point, she could already produce senjutsu chakra freely. However, true mastery—absolute control—still required one final breakthrough.
An hour passed.
The last scales faded at an agonizingly slow speed, as though all remaining resistance had gathered into this final moment. It was no longer simple refinement, but a battle of will and endurance.
"I won't lose to you!"
Sako's eyes burned with fierce resolve. She fought the surging senjutsu chakra within her body, wrestling it into submission.
Two more hours later—
The final scale on her face vanished.
At that instant, purple markings spread across Sako's cheeks.
"Excellent."
The White Snake Sage couldn't help but clap its hands, its eyes filled with admiration.
"As expected… truly his daughter."
Sako could now clearly sense the natural energy saturating the surroundings.
"So this is natural energy… it fills the entire space."
What was once intangible now appeared vividly before her eyes—white, mist-like masses of power drifting through the air. It felt as though she could grasp and use them simply by reaching out.
This profound, mysterious sensation was something she had never experienced before.
After activating Ryūchi Cave Sage Mode, Sako felt overwhelming power coursing through her body. Her perception had sharpened dramatically, and her recovery ability had risen to an entirely new level.
Even so, she knew this was not the end.
She still needed to train in controlling senjutsu chakra, accelerating natural energy absorption, and mastering senjutsu techniques.
At her current level, Sako could enter Sage Mode in just two minutes.
"Sako," the White Snake Sage said calmly,
"come here."
The White Snake Sage beckoned to Sako.
"Next, I will teach you Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation."
"Sage Art… Inorganic Reincarnation…"
Sako repeated the name softly, committing it to memory.
"That's right," the White Snake Sage said calmly.
"This is the strongest senjutsu technique of Ryūchi Cave."
Leading Sako into a stone cavern on the right, the White Snake Sage continued,
"The purpose of this technique is to grant life force to inorganic matter—and control it at will."
As it spoke, the White Snake Sage reverted to its original form. Its massive snake head swayed gently, long orange hair fluttering lightly in the air.
The next moment—
The stone walls and ground around them moved.
What had once been solid rock rippled like liquid, undulating as if alive. In an instant, the ground surged upward, transforming into countless stone spikes. The entire cavern became a killing field, resembling a scene of ten thousand arrows piercing the heart.
The instant the terrain shifted, Sako sensed it.
Now that she had mastered Sage Mode, she could clearly perceive the natural energy flowing everywhere. For the first time, her senjutsu chakra responded instinctively to the changes around her.
"This is completely different from ordinary chakra control…"
Sako's eyes lit up with realization.
Soon after, the White Snake Sage passed the technique on to her in full.
Standing within the vast stone cavern, Sako began training Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation.
The principle itself was not complicated.
Using senjutsu chakra as a medium—a bridge—she would communicate with inorganic matter, infusing it with vitality and forcing it to reshape itself according to her will.
Simple in theory.
Extremely difficult in practice.
Seven days later—
Sako stood quietly inside an enormous stone cave. Before her was Manda, completely immobilized. Massive rocks wrapped around his colossal body, binding him to the ground like countless interlocking chains.
This was Sako's result.
After seven days of relentless training, she had fully grasped the power of Sage Art: Inorganic Reincarnation.
"Release."
With a single thought, the stone restraints shattered and withdrew. Manda was freed.
Sako dispelled her Sage Mode, and the markings on her face slowly faded away.
Meanwhile, atop Needle Mountain on Mount Myōboku—
Naruko sat cross-legged on a narrow plank balanced against the tip of a needle. Her breathing was calm and even, her eyes closed.
After an unknown amount of time, she slowly exhaled.
A stream of white breath escaped her lips, and faint orange pigmentation gradually appeared around her eyes.
"…She actually succeeded."
Below her, Fukasaku watched with deep emotion. Naruko herself might not yet fully understand her condition, but Fukasaku knew very well—
She had entered Sage Mode.
Although Naruko couldn't master senjutsu in mere minutes like her father, Ryoma, her progress was still astonishing. In less than a month, she had succeeded.
Just one month ago, she had barely relied on the Transformation Technique and Shadow Clones. And now, she had stepped into the realm of Sage Arts.
"If the father is extraordinary, the daughter won't be ordinary either…"
Both Fukasaku and Shima couldn't help but think the same thing.
This level of inherited talent was simply terrifying.
(End of Chapter)
💎 150 P.S = +1 Bonus Chapter
🦊 Pa-treon-com/LordMerlin (+30 Chaps)
😊 Thank You For Your Support!