Chapter 500: Perfect Sage Mode
After the Iwagakure high council meeting concluded, Ishiro sat alone in his office, playing with the small white ball for a while longer.
Even after all this time, he still couldn't put it down.
It would take some time for Ikura to form the research team. In the meantime, Ishiro didn't trust leaving the ball anywhere else, so he kept it with him.
After a long while, he finally managed to shake off his "nouveau riche" mentality.
He held the ball, thought for a moment, and began to seriously analyze whether this thing could be of any direct help to him right now.
He was currently in the preparatory stages of integrating Light Release into his body. This work had two parts: first, decomposing Light Release, and second, suppressing it and allowing his own chakra to adapt to it.
And as it happened, his Light Release was a fusion of Earth, Water, and Lightning. In this white ball, he could also find some structures where these three natures were intertwined.
So, he ignored the other parts and began to focus his analysis on these structures.
After a couple of days, he felt he had found some clues.
He put the white ball away and went to a training ground.
As before, he continued his practice of suppressing and decomposing Light Release. This went on for several more days.
A few days later, he was excited to find that the complex three-nature structures he had learned from the white ball had directly elevated his mastery of Light Release to a whole new level.
Setting aside the decomposition aspect, just in terms of suppression, the previous Ishiro could only suppress it inside his body for a short time. But after these few days of practice, that time had increased by at least several dozen times.
He had a feeling that this was almost his current limit. If he wanted to increase the time further, his senjutsu chakra would have to be able to completely suppress the Light Release chakra, preventing it from erupting inside him. To achieve that step, his understanding of Light Release was still lacking.
But he felt that once he could do that, it would mean his development of Light Release had entered the next phase: what he often called the "thoughtless training" phase.
From then on, even if he had no learning ability at all, as long as he continuously used his senjutsu chakra to suppress and familiarize himself with Light Release, sooner or later, his body would adapt to it and reach the point of fusion.
This was the autonomous learning ability of chakra—the thoughtless training method.
Unfortunately, Ishiro didn't have that much time.
After finishing his training, he decided to contact Ōnoki to discuss it. Perhaps they could spark some new ideas.
Since he didn't know how long he would be gone, he decided to take the three members of Squad 7 with him.
He first went to their training ground.
He had just arrived and hadn't even spoken when Kamizuru Tsuruhime ran over, her face flushed with excitement. "Teacher Ishiro! My bees have finished their cultivation! They all have ten abilities now!"
Ishiro was pleased. I was just about to take you out of the village. This is perfect. "That's great news! Congratulations! Come, let me see."
"Okay, okay!" She quickly released her small bees, showing them off to him.
In truth, Ishiro couldn't see any change in the bees' abilities, only that they seemed a bit faster than before. This was mainly because the new abilities were all basic ones. Although they had increased her combat power to some extent, it wasn't a qualitative change.
He didn't want to discourage the little girl. "Alright, since your bees are done, the three of you will come with me on a trip out of the village."
Hearing they could leave the village, Haku was especially happy and was the first to agree. Ishiro瞥见 that he first glanced around nervously, confirming that it was class time and his two "sisters" weren't there.
He then said quickly, "Teacher Ishiro, are we leaving right now?"
Ishiro found it amusing. "We can leave now. By the way, how has Kurama Yakumo been these past few days?"
At the mention of her name, Haku's face immediately turned the color of a bitter melon. Tsuruhime and Fujii Kaoru both snorted with laughter.
Ishiro was confused. I just asked about Yakumo. What's with Haku's expression?
Fujii Kaoru explained, "Sister Yakumo is living with Kurotsuchi now, but she's in the same class as Yi Mizunashi. Sister Yakumo has a good personality and doesn't pick fights. Because of her, the conflict between Kurotsuchi and Yi has actually eased up. Haku has also been taking good care of her."
"But then someone said that Sister Yakumo and Haku are getting too close, and maybe one day she'll become Kurotsuchi and Yi's sister-in-law."
"So now, the relationship between Haku, Kurotsuchi, Yi, and Yakumo is very delicate. It's quite a show every time they meet."
Kamizuru Tsuruhime added, "Yeah, yeah! And with Karin and Sakura, the training ground is like a stage for a big drama every day. It's so much fun to watch!"
Ishiro said with a look of regret, "A pity I missed it. Should we wait a day and leave tomorrow? We could have Haku's two sisters compete again. It's been a while."
Hearing this, Haku's face darkened. He quickly spoke up to dispel Ishiro's terrible sense of humor.
Afterward, they each went home to pack their gear, and Ishiro led the three of them out of Iwagakure.
Ōnoki, Rōshi, and Shinya Matsutani were traveling the world together. They were currently in the Land of the Moon.
Ishiro first confirmed their exact location through their guards, then set off with his three disciples.
When he found them, they were fishing by a lake. Shinya's ninken, Kohana, was also lying beside him. She was much thinner than before, and judging by her aura, her strength had also increased significantly.
The three men and one cat looked so leisurely that anyone would have thought they were three retired old men.
Standing beside Ishiro, his three disciples looked at the scene and felt an urge not to disturb them.
Ishiro also felt an inexplicable sense of peace. He told his disciples to go and train, then sat down next to Shinya and basked in the sun.
Only when he got to the lakeside did he realize there were no hooks on their fishing lines. The fish in the lake were happily playing around the three lines.
Feeling something, Ishiro relaxed his body and lay down on the ground.
He was not in Sage Mode, but he still felt a strange affinity with his surroundings. He emptied his mind, using his ears to listen to the sounds of nature, his nose to smell its scent. He set aside his Mind's Eye, which he usually used as his eyes, and instead experienced nature like an ordinary person.
Shinya sensed Ishiro's state. He tilted his head, thinking for a moment, and subconsciously reached out to pet Kohana. The next moment, he closed his eyes and began to absorb natural energy.
His speed was extremely fast. In the blink of an eye, he had entered Sage Mode.
Pulled by Shinya's aura, the nearby Ishiro also reacted subconsciously. He began to absorb natural energy almost by instinct.
A few seconds later, he suddenly opened his eyes.
"This is...?" He was surprised. He had entered Sage Mode, and so quickly!
He felt the process. It had been incredibly smooth, without the slightest hindrance. The speed of absorption was astonishingly fast, and the fusion of natural energy with his own physical and spiritual energy was very natural. It was as if everything had fallen into place. He didn't even need to control it; the natural energy just became senjutsu chakra.
He blinked and turned to Shinya. "Is this... Perfect Sage Mode?"
Shinya yawned, nodded, and mumbled, "Yes."
Ishiro was dumbfounded. He hadn't come here to train in senjutsu; he was here to discuss Kekkei Tōta with Ōnoki. How had he suddenly learned Perfect Sage Mode?
He could only attribute it to the wonders of senjutsu.
He had deliberately trained in it before, and although his body was constantly adapting, his mindset was still somewhat at odds with natural energy. But this time, unintentionally drawn in by Shinya, he had relaxed, and his mindset had suddenly aligned with nature. Unknowingly, his senjutsu had advanced, and with such a qualitative leap.
Of course, this didn't mean his countless hours of practice had been meaningless. On the contrary, it was because he had persisted in maintaining Sage Mode for all these years that his body's adaptability was so high. His instincts had seized the opportunity and given him a push.
Ōnoki, on the other hand, although he had also learned senjutsu, had not been practicing for long, and his body was not as adapted as Ishiro's. He had no reaction in this environment.
Ishiro couldn't help but sigh. "Truly, the flower you intentionally plant may not bloom, while the willow branch you unintentionally stick in the ground grows into a shady tree. The training of senjutsu really requires this state of selflessness."
After sighing, he didn't immediately get up to test his new ability as he usually would. Instead, he yawned and fell asleep.
The advancement had temporarily quelled the excitement he had felt from the white ball.
Then, his three disciples saw another person join the scene they hadn't wanted to disturb.
Fujii Kaoru was a little confused. She was more perceptive. On the way here, although Ishiro hadn't said anything, she could vaguely sense his urgency. Now that they had arrived, why was he sleeping?
She whispered to her teammates, "Tsuruhime, Haku, did you also feel that Teacher Ishiro was in a hurry? But I don't feel that anymore."
Kamizuru Tsuruhime hadn't noticed. "Really? I didn't feel it. Haku, did you?"
Haku thought for a moment. "I felt the same. After we got here, Teacher's mindset seems to have changed. He feels a little unreal now, a bit illusory."
Haku's talent was indeed good. Although he didn't understand the principle, he had keenly sensed the subtle change in Ishiro's aura.
On the other side, the Four-Tails Son Gokū, inside Rōshi, glanced at Ishiro. He was surprised. Ishiro had suddenly learned Perfect Sage Mode. This was the level of the Sage of Six Paths. He had already found it incredible that Shinya could achieve it. But after spending time with him, he found that Shinya's desireless personality was indeed very suitable for practicing senjutsu.
He had never expected that even a deep schemer like Ishiro could reach this level. This somewhat subverted his understanding.
He wanted to go out and examine Ishiro's state, but considering their special relationship, he gave up the idea. The small version of himself that he had split off had, without consulting him, given control of its power to Ishiro. This made the proud Son Gokū not know how to face him.
Should he find a way to take back the clone, or, like the clone, directly hand over control of his main body's power? He was very conflicted.
And Ishiro, as if he had forgotten the matter, had never brought it up.
Son Gokū felt that Ishiro was putting on the Tsuchikage's airs, waiting for him to speak first. So, he stubbornly ignored him.
In truth, Ishiro had completely forgotten about it. Little Son Gokū giving him its power had been completely unexpected. He rarely used it. Only during the battle with the Suna army, when he was almost killed by his own jutsu, had he used it once. He usually didn't even remember its existence.
Ishiro slept soundly. When he woke up, it was already dark. Shinya and the others were sitting around a fire, eating grilled fish.
He sat up, stretched, and yawned as he walked over.
Haku quickly handed him a fish.
He took it and sat down. He waved his hand, stopping the Anbu who were about to salute.
He took a bite. "I haven't slept so soundly in a long time. It feels great."
Ōnoki had already finished eating. "Ishiro, what did you come here for?"
"I came to discuss Kekkei Tōta with you. My Light Release has improved again, and I need to talk it over with someone to broaden my thinking. I never expected to master Perfect Sage Mode before making any progress on Light Release."
He turned to Shinya. "Thank you, Shinya."
Ōnoki was surprised. He hadn't known. He hadn't noticed during the day, and Shinya was too lazy to say anything.
After hearing the brief explanation, Ōnoki was also happy for him. "Good, good, good! You've finally mastered Perfect Sage Mode! From now on, you can use senjutsu anytime, anywhere. You won't have to worry about sudden situations or sneak attacks."
Ishiro nodded. "Yes. I no longer need to prepare in advance. I can treat Sage Mode as my normal state."
After he finished his fish, Ōnoki said, "Tell me about your gains with Light Release. I'm also very curious how you've made progress again so quickly."
Ishiro looked around. "Let's talk in the tent."
Ōnoki was puzzled but went with him.
Ishiro told him about the white ball and his discoveries. After seeing it, Ōnoki also sighed in amazement. "It's really hard to imagine there's such a miraculous thing in the world."
But Ishiro had told him not to ask about its origin, so with great effort, he held back.
He followed Ishiro's instructions and observed the structures related to Fire, Wind, and Earth. He also looked over the Wood Release notes Ishiro had gotten from Obito. Then, the two of them began to analyze Dust Release and Light Release together.
It had to be said, Ōnoki's decades of experience with Dust Release were not for nothing. During their discussion, he provided far more suggestions and ideas than Ishiro.
In fact, during his travels, the thing Ōnoki had thought about most was Dust Release. He had come up with many new ideas, but he hadn't had Ishiro's miraculous encounter with the white ball, so his progress hadn't been as obvious. But the various wild ideas he provided were a real eye-opener for Ishiro.
With his help, Ishiro's mastery of Light Release also began to take a leap.
Half a month later, Ishiro was overjoyed to find that his senjutsu chakra could completely suppress Light Release. From this moment on, even if the chakra was inside his body, he could completely suppress it. This meant that his own chakra was beginning to adapt to Light Release.
From now on, he could slowly wait, through patient, persistent effort. Once his chakra had fully adapted, it would be time for Light Release to begin fusing with his body. The process would be time-consuming, but stable. He didn't need to spend extra effort on research. Perhaps one day, like his Sage Mode, it would just naturally succeed.
Ishiro had made great progress, but Ōnoki's was even greater. With the help of the white ball, his mastery of Dust Release was now no less than Ishiro's. He also just needed time for his senjutsu chakra to adapt.
After they were finished, Ishiro prepared to return to the village. Although he had been in contact with the village, he wasn't clear on the details of the situation in Konoha. He needed to go back and find out.
But Ōnoki stopped him. He pointed to the lake where they had been fishing. "Have you noticed that the terrain of the Land of the Moon is a bit abnormal?"
Ishiro looked at the very regular-shaped lake and nodded. "When I flew over before, I noticed a similar problem. Combined with the repulsive force jutsu I know, Shinra Tensei, I think these lakes were caused by a great battle a long time ago. The combatants were terrifyingly strong, capable of destroying the world at a whim. One of them had a skill similar to Shinra Tensei. In the course of their battle, they unintentionally shaped the land like this."
Ōnoki was surprised. "So you also noticed. I found it by chance in an old notebook. When the First Tsuchikage founded the village, he had once considered the Land of the Moon. But he later gave it up because he felt its strategic position was not as good as the current Land of Earth's. I didn't understand his reasoning before, but now I do. He probably wanted to study these craters caused by the repulsive force. I estimate that he already knew about the special ninjutsu recorded in the village's scrolls. He had the same guess we do."
Ishiro nodded. "Could the First have thought he could learn Shinra Tensei just from these craters?"
Ōnoki shook his head. "Of course not. After my research during this time, I suspect he was interested in the earth at the bottom of these craters."
"Earth?" Ishiro was confused. What was so special about it? The Land of Earth had no shortage of earth and rock.
Ōnoki took out a rock and handed it to him.
Curious, Ishiro took it and let out a sound of surprise.
"It's so heavy." The rock was much heavier than normal earth or stone. He sensed it but didn't find any other components.
Ōnoki explained, "There's nothing else in it. It's just an ordinary rock from the bottom of the lake. The reason it was formed is simple: compression. Countless years ago, someone used a powerful ninjutsu similar to Shinra Tensei on this crater. The power was immense, and the repulsive force was incredibly fast. With one blow, the original earth and rock were compressed together, forming this type of stone. So, it's originally ordinary stone, but because it was compressed by immense force, its density and hardness are extremely high."
Ishiro slowly nodded, understanding. "What is this stone used for?"
"The simplest use is like Suna's sand manipulation. Carry some of it with you and use it in battle. The second method is to practice Earth Release here. If the earth you practice with is this stone, then over time, your Earth Release will also improve."
Ishiro nodded. "The second method is indeed a good way to improve the village's overall combat power. No wonder the First was interested in this place. Third, do you have any good ideas on how to use these stones? This lake is too big. Draining it and digging up the bottom would cause too much of a stir. And if we break it up to take it back, the effect won't be as good as if it were whole."
He frowned, looking at the vast lake. It was larger than the entire village of Iwagakure.
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