Although Tsunade still demanded to be released, her tone this time was noticeably softer.
It even gave Shigure the odd feeling that she was… acting obediently?
He quickly shook his head. Impossible. This was Tsunade — the Slug Princess, the fiery, strong-willed woman of the Sannin. The word "obedient" didn't exist in her vocabulary.
When she saw Shigure shake his head, Tsunade's heart tensed instantly.
She thought he was refusing again, and the idea of attacking him flashed through her mind on instinct—
—but the moment that killing intent took shape, the white mist-vines reappeared, coiling tightly around her limbs.
Shigure turned with a sigh.
"I told you — it's better not to think about attacking me. You'll only make it worse for yourself."
Tsunade was once again hanging in midair, glaring daggers at him.
"Let me down!"
"If you can stop thinking about killing or escaping, you'll be down soon enough," Shigure said simply before walking out.
His thoughts were elsewhere now — specifically, on how to deal with Tsunade's hemophobia and emotional trauma.
But that problem was almost unsolvable.
He wasn't a god. No one could just erase another person's deep-rooted psychological scar. If it were that easy, he'd be a world-class psychologist — and even then, not every wound of the heart could be healed.
He sighed deeply. Mei Terumī had been right. Tsunade was big trouble.
And he had brought this trouble home himself.
"Since I caused it," he muttered, "I'll solve it myself."
Still, thinking too hard about it wouldn't help. Maybe, if he got stronger, the answer would come naturally.
"Forget it," he decided. "I'll focus on developing my Sage Mode first."
If he couldn't fix the problem now, he would prepare himself for when he could. There was always a way forward.
Shigure arrived at the secluded training ground he had once shared with Haku.
It was his personal domain — off-limits to ordinary Kirigakure shinobi. Guards stood stationed far outside, ensuring no interruptions.
He sat cross-legged in the center pool, the mist swirling gently around him.
"Great Sage, begin. Initiate Sage Mode development protocol."
Activating Sage Mode wasn't easy — especially when creating his own unique variant.
According to the Great Sage, the fastest and most efficient way to develop a personalized Sage Mode required full control of Shigure's body.
While under control, the Great Sage would conduct analyses, run calculations, and attempt chakra harmonization in real time. If anything went wrong, it could instantly restore the body to its prior state.
Technically, the Great Sage could assist without full control — but that would slow the process drastically, taking at least a month… possibly years.
Naturally, Shigure knew which option to pick.
[Great Sage: Taking control of host body.]
[Sage Mode development calculations initiated.]
Once again, Shigure's vision shifted into the divine God's Eye perspective.
From this vantage point, he could observe his entire body — the flow of chakra through each pathway, the pulse of every cell.
It was the perfect opportunity to study himself in detail.
He focused on the Great Sage's movements — how it guided chakra flow, adjusted energy balance, and began absorbing the surrounding natural energy.
He could feel it — a strange, ancient power entering him.
Each wisp of natural energy merged into his body, meeting his physical vitality and spiritual strength head-on. The three forces collided, clashed, and then gradually reached harmony.
When they finally balanced — the fusion formed something entirely new.
That power…
Sage Chakra.
Sage Chakra was a mysterious power — and though all Sage Chakra was born from the harmony of physical energy, spiritual energy, and natural energy, it was not all the same.
Even among the three great sanctuaries — Mount Myōboku, Ryūchi Cave, and Shikkotsu Forest — the Sage Chakra they produced differed greatly.
For example, Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode focused on enhancing Ninjutsu through its serpentine precision and control, while Mount Myōboku's Sage Mode amplified Taijutsu and raw strength through toad-like resilience and balance.
Just a minor change during the refinement process could lead to a completely different Sage Mode.
That was why Shigure needed his own — a Sage Mode unlike any that had ever existed.
Even under the Great Sage's precise control, the process remained dangerous.
In Shigure's divine God's Eye perspective, he could see every change happening within him. His body began to react violently to the influx of natural energy.
His face started to harden — stone-like cracks forming as if it were turning to rock.
But under the Great Sage's control, the petrification immediately faded.
However, before relief could settle in, a new danger appeared — his right hand began to disintegrate into ash.
The Great Sage acted swiftly, reinforcing his chakra flow and stabilizing the energy balance. The hand reformed, the crisis narrowly avoided.
Power and danger went hand in hand. The greater the risk, the greater the reward.
And now, Shigure could feel it — the growing harmony between natural energy and his own chakra. The balance was aligning perfectly, step by step.
Even through the detached clarity of the God's Eye perspective, he could see his Sage Chakra evolving — its hue shifting until it matched his own chakra signature.
The mark of Sage Mode was always visible on the face — a symbol of perfect synchronization between man and nature.
Shigure's facial pattern shifted constantly as the Great Sage experimented, each new configuration forming and fading in moments.
Every single variation could have served as a valid Sage Mode on its own.
If he were to pass these incomplete modes to others, the Ninja World might see a new generation of Sage users rise.
But to Shigure, these were merely discarded prototypes — failed drafts in the creation of something greater.
As the natural energy continued to gather, even the Hidden Mist Village began to change.
The air grew heavier; the ever-present mist thickened and swirled unnaturally. The Kirigakure shinobi stationed nearby began to feel a strange stillness in the air — an invisible power pressing down on the village.
At the center of it all, Shigure sat motionless.
The chakra surging through him turned dark blue, radiating outward until it enveloped his body in a translucent aura — a cloak of Sage Chakra.
Then, faint markings appeared across his face — flowing blue lines extending from both temples, curling toward the center of his brow where they formed a hexagonal snowflake-like sigil.
It resembled the markings of Senju Hashirama, but sharper, colder — uniquely Shigure's.
[Great Sage: Calculation complete.]
[Congratulations, Host. You have obtained a new ability — Sage Mode: Shigure.]
It had taken only one afternoon.
The God's Eye view vanished, and Shigure's consciousness returned to his body.
The moment he felt the Sage Chakra flowing within, a thrill ran through him.
This power was far beyond ordinary chakra. Its density, its balance, its life — everything was different.
When he opened his senses, the entire Hidden Mist Village unfolded before him. He could feel every chakra signature, every presence, every heartbeat.
The enhanced perception startled even him.
[Sage Mode: Shigure]
– Greatly enhances close-range combat ability.
– Massively increases defensive durability via Sage Chakra reinforcement.
– Drastically amplifies all Ninjutsu power infused with Sage Chakra.
In short — an all-round enhancement with no weaknesses.
[Because the Host possesses a Sage Body, natural energy is absorbed and refined automatically. Sage Mode can be activated or sustained indefinitely.]
Shigure clenched his fist, feeling power surge through every muscle.
With the amplification of his new Sage Chakra, even his simplest Ninjutsu would now unleash more than ten times their original might.
And this was only the beginning.
...
TN:
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