The moonlight was cool and clear, gently spilling over the windowsill like a silver pond.
Shin'yu stretched languidly, sitting up from the soft bedding. Night had fallen, but he felt no sleepiness, his bright eyes shining with vitality.
"What's wrong?" a gentle voice came from the bed.
Uchiha Hikari also propped herself up, her graceful curves visible beneath the loose nightgown, her fragrant shoulders partially exposed, and her dark hair cascading down like a waterfall.
Her skin was as white as snow, her features as beautiful as a painting, her delicate face naturally carrying a sense of aloofness. The purple mark on her forehead resembled a plum blossom on snow, adding to her beauty.
She still looked to be in her twenties, young and beautiful, with time seemingly leaving no trace on her face.
In reality, when it came to true age, even Uchiha Madara wouldn't dare to act presumptuously in front of her. However, decades of imprisonment had locked her time, and only after breaking free did the stagnant time begin to flow again.
Relying on the low output and fine-tuning of the Yin Seal, she had maintained her body in its best condition for many years, thus mastering the art of preserving her youth. After completely fusing with the Yang Release power of Hashirama cells, nourished by the vast life force, it was impossible to judge her age by ordinary standards.
Shin'yu looked down at her, gazing at the delicate face that bloomed with a radiant glow in the moonlight, and couldn't help but gently caress it.
"Well, there are some questions weighing on my mind. I can't sleep soundly until I figure them out."
Light actively leaned towards him, nuzzling her head upwards, her smooth, soft cheek gently bumping against his palm.
"Tell me, what is it?"
She knew that two years ago, Shin'yu had taken Orochimaru to Ryuchi Cave to train, and he had only completed his training today. Since his return, he had been slightly frowning.
Her eyes flickered slightly, and she had some guesses in her mind.
"Is it about Sage Art?" she asked proactively.
Shin'yu smiled softly, "Yes, as expected, nothing can be hidden from you."
"What's so distracting about that?" Light tilted her head. "Could it be that you're also interested in Ryuchi Cave's Sage Art, but can't master it?"
"How is that possible?" Shin'yu was somewhat stunned, and only after a moment did he realize the cunning in her eyes, realizing that she was completely teasing him.
"Light, how did you become so mischievous?"
"Where am I mischievous?"
"Tsk tsk, you wouldn't have joked with me like this before."
"It's called 'one who stays near vermilion gets stained red, and one who stays near ink gets blackened.' Staying with you for too long, I inevitably become like you." Light pouted her small mouth. "It's all your fault..."
Shin'yu grinned, "Hey, I haven't seen your Susanoo turn black, have I?"
"Such a cold joke." Light shivered symbolically.
Shin'yu said seriously, "Alright, no more jokes. I am interested in Sage Mode, but after seeing the power that Orochimaru displayed, I suddenly didn't want to learn it."
"Why not learn it?" Light asked doubtfully, "Doesn't Sage Mode instantly amplify a person's strength a lot?"
"Do you think I need it?" Shin'yu asked expressionlessly.
"Oh, right, such power is a bit of a waste for you." She seemed to have thought of something. "But, after mastering Sage Art and Natural Energy, you can gain a long life, why not learn it?"
Shin'yu spread his hands, and a scarlet hue instantly spread in his dark eyes, the gorgeous patterns gently swirling, "Do you think I need it?"
"Oh, right."
Shin'yu sighed, "I just feel that the true Sage Mode, or rather, the Sage Art truly suitable for humans to cultivate, shouldn't be like that, but no matter how much I've scoured the ancient classics, I haven't been able to find any information."
Uchiha Hikari thought seriously for a moment, then said softly, "I remember Lord Madara once said that Hashirama Senju's Sage Art could make him instantly stronger dozens of times, and the series of Sage Art derived from Wooden Style were also incredibly powerful. That kind of oppressive feeling is simply not comparable to the Sage Art of the Three Great Sage Locations. Could it be that what he cultivated was the true Sage Art suitable for humans?"
Shin'yu stroked his chin, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
Of course, he knew about Hashirama's Sage Art, and not only knew about it, but had also personally experienced its power. That overwhelming force had directly broken through his Sea God Body back then.
The value of the Sea God Body is self-evident.
As a powerful physique evolved to adapt to the deep sea of ten thousand meters, its most proud feature was its defensive ability, but even so, he was injured when facing this God of Shinobi who was about to run out of fuel.
Could it be that Hashirama really cultivated an unknown human Sage Art?
Shin'yu's brows furrowed even deeper.
No, that's not right.
He still remembers that battle to this day. After all, it was his most thrilling battle so far.
Back then, when facing the Sage Art Chakra burning fiercely on Hashirama Senju's body, he could certainly feel the majestic Natural Energy, but the aura was a bit off.
Compared to today's battle with Orochimaru, Orochimaru in Perfect Sage Transformation had a strange, cold aura, as if facing a venomous snake spitting out its tongue.
But when facing Hashirama Senju, Shin'yu didn't feel the aura of a God of the Shinobi World releasing a max-level human. That kind of subtle aura of continuous life and freedom was more like facing a huge, towering tree.
He vaguely had a feeling that Hashirama's Sage Art came from Asura's Chakra, and Asura's power was more directly linked to the God Tree's inheritance.
The God Tree is rooted in the earth, and after absorbing a considerable amount of Natural Energy, it has undergone earth-shattering changes. This change is deeply embedded in the God Tree's DNA sequence, so it can give birth to that crucial Chakra Fruit, and Asura's Wooden Style and Sage Art naturally also come from the God Tree.
In short, Hashirama's Sage Art is definitely not a Sage Art truly suitable for humans in the Shinobi World to cultivate, but rather a Sage Art inherent to the God Tree.
Thinking of this, Shin'yu looked at Uchiha Hikari's bright eyes, "I have an idea. Since the Shinobi World can't find a Sage Art suitable for humans, then I'll develop one myself!"
"What are you going to do?" Uchiha Hikari asked softly.
"Standing on the shoulders of giants, you can see farther." Shin'yu pondered, "After observing the complete cultivation process of Ryuchi Cave's Sage Art, I have indeed gained some insights, but if I want to go further, relying on this little bit is not enough."
He took a deep breath, his eyes firm, "I'm going to draw on the strengths of others and extract the advantages of all Sage Arts."
As he spoke, Shin'yu took out a Scroll and handed it to Uchiha Hikari.
"This is Bochi's Sage Art. You can try cultivating it first."
Uchiha Hikari said in surprise, "Bochi of the Cat House? How did you get it?"
A hint of hidden heartache flashed across Shin'yu's face, but he didn't say much, pretending to be calm and nodding, "You know, we have a good relationship."
Uchiha Hikari took the Scroll, squinted and smiled, "Why give it to me? Wouldn't it be more rewarding for you to experience it yourself?"
"The bystander sees more than the player, when cultivation goes deep, it's like being trapped in a quagmire, and it's difficult to pull out." Shin'yu shook his head, "After I develop a Sage Art that is truly suitable for Ninja, I will guide you out."
"I agree." Uchiha Hikari nodded, then put away the Scroll and yawned lazily.
After all, in her heart, there was nothing that Shin'yu couldn't do.
Subduing the Nine-Tails, cooperating with Madara to blitz the Hidden Leaf Village, attacking the Five Kage Summit, killing the First Hokage, killing the Second Hokage, secretly manipulating the Hidden Cloud Village, planning the Allied Shinobi Forces, plotting the Eternal Mangekyo, cultivating a team, killing Otsutsuki Urashiki, resolving the Karma seal threat, perfectly extracting Hashirama cells, subduing the Uzumaki clan, deterring the Five Great Shinobi Villages...
She had long been accustomed to all of this.
For her, nothing was more comfortable right now than a good night's sleep.
Of course, with Shin'yu.
She slightly opened the blanket, raised her delicate eyebrows at Shin'yu, and with the help of the faint moonlight, her jade body was faintly visible under the outline of her silk pajamas, as if bathed in a hazy white mist, full of temptation.
"Are you still going to sleep?"
-----------
This high quality machine translation is powered by: https:// randomtranslator.com/
To read the full translation, as well as more than 555+ fanfic and original translations or request new translations, check out: https:// randomtranslator.com/
You can also join the RandomTranslator community on Discord to connect with other readers: https:// discord.gg/NSWvfN7vua
-----------