*Ding! The system is processing your reward. Please wait…*
At that moment, Riku had completely forgotten the exhaustion from practicing the Rasengan. His joy was written all over his face, prompting Guy and Kakashi to tease him.
"Creating your own A-rank ninjutsu… you're really something else."
"I'm going to create an A-rank ninjutsu just as powerful someday."
Though Kakashi's words held a hint of jealousy, Riku had absolute faith that Kakashi could create his own A-rank jutsu-even more faith than Kakashi had in himself.
"A powerful ninjutsu born from the burning flames of youth! How exciting!"
Guy, that monster of youth, was as passionate as ever.
Riku told the two to continue their training, using the opportunity to get some space.
"Open the gift pack!"
As soon as he spoke, the system's indifferent voice sounded.
*Congratulations, Host, on successfully completing the novice period. You are now being issued your graduation reward: Simplified Sage Mode.*
Riku stared at the reward, a little bewildered. As a long-time Naruto fan, he certainly knew what Sage Mode was, but the system's so-called "Simplified Sage Mode" left him scratching his head.
Before he could give it much thought, a sharp pain erupted in his abdomen.
The intensity was like having a Rasengan pressed right into his stomach!
"Why does every reward have to be so painful!"
At first, Riku could still manage a complaint, but soon he didn't even have the strength to speak.
As the pain gradually subsided, Riku finally perceived a new change in his body-or rather, a new change in the world around him!
He could now clearly sense the energy floating in his surroundings.
"Considering this is Sage Mode, this floating energy must be natural energy."
"It's like I used to have a thick barrier around my body, sealing the natural energy out."
"But now, I can absorb natural energy freely. This means I truly have the foundation to train in Sage Mode!"
Riku slowly recalled the training method for Sage Mode.
"If chakra is the perfect blend of physical and spiritual energy, then sage chakra adds natural energy to the mix, achieving a perfect 1:1:1 balance."
"But practicing Sage Mode requires a massive amount of chakra as a base. Otherwise, recklessly drawing in natural energy will only lead to being consumed by it."
Just then, the system, which had been quiet for a short while, spoke again.
*This reward, Simplified Sage Mode, has the advantages of quick activation and minor side effects. Correspondingly, its power is greatly reduced, and its duration is shorter than true Sage Mode.*
Hearing this, Riku understood. This "Simplified Sage Mode" was essentially a harmless version of the Cursed Seal. The only difference was that the Cursed Seal passively absorbed natural energy to enhance the user's abilities, making it much harder to control.
After understanding the pros and cons of the system's reward, Riku finally relaxed.
"In the original story, Naruto used Sage Mode to destroy five of the Six Paths of Pain, pushing Nagato, who possessed the Rinnegan, to the brink."
"I wonder how much of a power boost my 'Simplified Sage Mode' will give me."
With that thought, Riku sat down cross-legged, his body expertly absorbing the natural energy from his surroundings.
Thanks to his shadow-level chakra control, achieving the 1:1:1 energy ratio was a piece of cake for him.
"Touching the Third Hokage's head was so worth it. Anyone who uses this ability knows how good it is."
Slowly, Riku felt the chakra in his body gradually merge with the natural energy, forming a new kind of energy that was both incredibly potent and destructive-Sage Chakra!
From the outside, it was as if Riku had completely merged with nature. His presence could no longer be detected by his aura.
With a low shout from Riku, "Sage Mode, activate!"
The surrounding trees began to sway without any wind, as if an invisible force had swept through the area.
Riku stood up, carefully sensing the changes in his body.
"System, will entering Sage Mode give me eye markings?"
*Simplified Sage Mode will not, but the Host can configure them manually. Complete Sage Mode will always produce eye markings, which the Host cannot configure.*
"No markings, then. If I get eye markings, anyone would know I've entered a second form. The best way is to power up in secret."
Riku clenched his fist.
"My physical abilities have increased by about thirty percent. Not only that, but the addition of Sage Chakra will greatly enhance the power of my ninjutsu."
"Let's test my sensory abilities. In the original story, Naruto located Nagato from thousands of miles away using the black receivers. That shows how much Sage Mode boosts sensory perception!"
Riku closed his eyes and activated the Mind Body Transmission Technique's sensory ability.
"Guy and Kakashi are training. Not just that, I can even clearly sense every blade of grass and every tree around me!"
"Huh? What's with this cold, sinister chakra?"
Suddenly, within Riku's sensory world, a pair of emotionless snake eyes appeared! Their uniquely chilling chakra sent a shiver down his spine.
The next second, Riku was forced out of Sage Mode and collapsed to the ground. In a daze, he saw a brownish-yellow python slithering away.
"Did I imagine that?"
A moment later, Guy and Kakashi hurried over.
"Riku, what's wrong? Weren't you practicing ninjutsu? What happened?"
Riku didn't tell them the whole truth. After all, sometimes knowing more just puts you in more danger.
Afterward, Guy and Kakashi helped Riku home. As they were parting ways, Kakashi said to him:
"I want to test the results of this past month of training. Once you've recovered, want to have a match?"
"I'd be happy to!"
Early the next morning, Kakashi woke Riku up.
"What's up, so early…"
"Didn't we agree to a match?"
"But it doesn't have to be this early!"
"Hurry up. We still have to train after our match. Uncle Duy finishes his mission today, so Guy probably won't be free this afternoon."
"So where are we fighting?"
"My place."
"Oh, wait! Your place? Is Uncle Sakumo there?"
"Of course my dad is at my house. Are you an idiot?"
Hearing that he would get to meet the legendary White Fang of the Leaf, Riku shot out of bed like a rocket, quickly dressing and washing up.
To make a good impression on his senior, he even put on a black Uchiha training uniform, which made him look particularly sharp and handsome (at least one-third as handsome as you, my esteemed readers).
"Let's go!"
"You're going the wrong way!"
"I'm going to the ninja tool shop to buy some sword oil for your uncle. It's our first meeting, I can't show up empty-handed."
…
"That will be 100,000 yen! Please come again, handsome!"
Amidst the enthusiastic farewell from the beautiful shop assistant, Riku walked out of the store with a pained expression.
Although he had saved up a small fortune from touching heads, this purchase was a major expense for him.
"You really didn't have to buy such an expensive gift."
"Hey, you don't get it. This sword oil I bought is high-quality and comes in a large bottle. One bottle lasts three generations. The person's gone, but the oil remains."
"So I'm the one who doesn't understand swords, huh?"
The two joked around as they made their way to the Hatake ancestral home. Perhaps due to the decline of their family, the Hatake clan didn't have a lavish compound like the Uchiha, but rather a single, elegant ancestral house.
Upon entering, Riku saw the legendary White Fang of the Leaf. When he had first transmigrated, Riku had seen the White Fang before, and at the time, he only felt like he was looking at a sheathed sword-he felt an inexplicable sense of awe.
After more than a month of training, Riku had a much better understanding of this world's power system, and he was even more aware of the White Fang's strength.
Riku knew he could still gauge Kakashi's strength, but Sakumo's was completely unfathomable!
It was like playing a video game and seeing an enemy whose level and health bar were both "???". Tell me you wouldn't be terrified.
But right now, Sakumo was completely different from Riku's previous impression. He was wearing an apron and holding a spatula in one hand.
"Kakashi, you're back. This must be your good friend, Riku. Come on in, I'm almost done cooking the fish."
Riku, of course, couldn't be impolite. He quickly said:
"Hello, Uncle. I'm Riku, Kakashi's friend. I've long heard of your strength, and seeing you now, you truly are extraordinary. I brought a small gift, I hope you'll accept it."
Kakashi pouted. "Suck-up."
The three exchanged pleasantries. Riku could clearly sense that this elder had no airs about him at all; on the contrary, he was very kind. In the end, Sakumo accepted the sword oil and promised to guide Riku in his training.
Afterward, Sakumo treated Riku to the fish he had personally cooked. It was delicious, earning endless praise from Riku.
Once they were lightly full, Riku and Kakashi consciously put down their chopsticks. After all, a full stomach isn't conducive to performing at your best.
The two stood in the Hatake family's backyard, taking their stances. The battle was about to begin