"I've already created senjutsu chakra."
When the words left Yuzuru Uchiha's mouth, the small Katsuyu froze in place for several seconds.
Right after that, it spoke in a slightly hurried voice, "Eh? Lord Yuzuru, is that really true?"
"That's right."
After saying that, Yuzuru circulated the senjutsu chakra within his body. The dense aura of natural energy immediately spilled out.
Coupled with the faint shadow at the corners of his eyes, no matter how shocked Katsuyu was, it could only choose to believe him.
"Lord Yuzuru… you really are… a monster."
Katsuyu couldn't help but murmur.
Originally, it had thought that being able to sense natural energy in such a short time was already an incredible feat.
But it never expected that he would skip several steps entirely—not only sensing natural energy, but drawing it into his body in an extremely short time.
The most terrifying part was that when he absorbed natural energy into his body for the first time, there were no abnormal reactions at all. Instead, he smoothly fused it with his own chakra and successfully produced senjutsu chakra…
This kind of performance could only be described as monstrous.
Even Senju Hashirama back then hadn't reached this level!
The commotion between the two even attracted the attention of Katsuyu Sage's main body. It lowered its head and observed Yuzuru Uchiha for a moment before speaking in the same astonished tone.
"It really is senjutsu. I didn't expect you to master it in such a short time."
One had to know that Shikkotsu Forest's senjutsu wasn't perfectly suited for humans, so cultivating it was inherently difficult.
As for the most suitable methods for humans to cultivate natural energy, those lineages had already been severed after Ōtsutsuki Kaguya descended upon the ninja world and the Sage of Six Paths founded Ninshū.
Katsuyu Sage found it hard to imagine just how powerful Yuzuru Uchiha might become if those human cultivation traditions hadn't been lost.
After receiving Katsuyu Sage's confirmation, Yuzuru finally relaxed.
As long as nothing went wrong, that was fine.
He formed a water mirror and checked his current appearance. After seeing that there was only a faint shadow at the corners of his eyes, the corner of his mouth lifted into a slight smile.
Seeing this, Katsuyu Sage asked curiously, "Yuzuru, what are you looking at?"
Yuzuru casually explained, "I heard that when using senjutsu, the more compatible you are with it, the fewer changes your body undergoes."
"From the looks of it, my body is very suitable for senjutsu."
Hearing this, Katsuyu Sage nodded. "That statement has some truth to it, but it's not entirely accurate."
"When humans use Shikkotsu Forest's senjutsu, black markings appear on their bodies. When using Mount Myōboku's senjutsu, some toad-like traits appear."
"But Ryūchi Cave's senjutsu is the complete opposite—the more compatible you are, the greater the physical changes."
Recalling Yakushi Kabuto's appearance in the original story, Yuzuru nodded. Then, with curiosity, he asked, "Katsuyu Sage, you seem to know a lot about the senjutsu of the Three Great Sacred Lands. Could you explain them to me?"
"No problem." Katsuyu Sage let out a gentle chuckle and began explaining.
"The senjutsu of the Three Great Sacred Lands each has its own characteristics. Shikkotsu Forest's senjutsu allows senjutsu chakra to be produced very quickly. As long as there's enough natural energy around and sufficient talent, you don't need to worry about running out of senjutsu chakra."
"Mount Myōboku's senjutsu, on the other hand, allows senjutsu chakra to be created in advance and stored for long periods. Even in areas where natural energy is scarce, you can still fight using the senjutsu chakra you've stored beforehand."
"As for Ryūchi Cave's senjutsu… it grants the user certain strange abilities, such as invisibility, transformation, and item transmutation."
Hearing Katsuyu Sage's explanation, something stirred in Yuzuru Uchiha's heart.
If he remembered correctly, several transformed snake sages had appeared in Ryūchi Cave in the original story.
He wondered whether the ninja cat clan, which had signed summoning contracts with the Uchiha clan for generations, could cultivate Ryūchi Cave's senjutsu.
If they could successfully transform, he might even get to see a real-life "cat-eared girl."
Thinking of that, Yuzuru couldn't help but murmur, "Transformation is great… transformation must be learned."
"Yuzuru?"
Hearing Katsuyu Sage's voice, Yuzuru snapped back to his senses.
He raised his head and smiled. "Thank you, Katsuyu Sage. If there's nothing else, I'll be heading back."
"Wait a moment," Katsuyu Sage reminded him. "The natural energy outside is far less abundant than in Shikkotsu Forest. Sustained combat might be difficult. I suggest using some special ninja tools to seal away some of the natural energy here and carry it with you. That way, you can produce senjutsu chakra at any time during battle."
"That's also how Senju Hashirama did it after mastering senjutsu."
After saying that, it sighed with some emotion. "Ah… the ninja world in the past wasn't like it is now. Natural energy used to be extremely abundant."
Hearing this, Yuzuru waved his hand. "No need. I already have a solution."
Ryūmyaku veins were formed by massive concentrations of natural energy. As long as he sealed a Ryūmyaku vein into his body, he wouldn't need to worry about the shortage of natural energy in the ninja world at all.
At this thought, Yuzuru frowned slightly.
Perhaps thousands of years ago, the ninja world entered something like the end-of-dharma era described in cultivation novels, where natural energy became scarce—leaving it powerless to resist Ōtsutsuki Kaguya…
Or perhaps the God Tree planted by Ōtsutsuki Kaguya absorbed all the world's energy into itself…
He shook his head, tossing aside those unrealistic thoughts.
Right now, the most important thing was to obtain power capable of opposing the Ōtsutsuki clan. Thinking about anything else at this stage was pointless.
"Katsuyu Sage, thanks~"
After speaking, Yuzuru directly dispelled the Reverse Summoning Technique.
When he opened his eyes again, he was already back in his own courtyard.
"Yuzuru, why are you back so quickly?"
Tsunade looked at him, a trace of surprise flashing through her eyes. "Was senjutsu too difficult, so you gave up?"
"Giving up is fine too. Senjutsu can boost combat strength, but it's extremely dangerous. With your current power, there's no need to take that kind of risk."
Tsunade earnestly tried to persuade him.
She knew all too well the dangers of cultivating senjutsu, and she truly didn't want to experience the pain of losing a loved one ever again.
Seeing the worry on Tsunade's face, Yuzuru reached out and pulled her into his arms.
"Tsunade, don't worry. I've already succeeded."
"Eh?!"
Seeing Tsunade's stunned expression in his arms, Yuzuru smiled faintly. "You've been following me for so long, and you still haven't learned? Is this really worth being that shocked over?"
Tsunade couldn't help rolling her eyes. She lightly patted Yuzuru Uchiha's chest and snorted. "Of course I'm shocked! You're practically a monster!"
"Hahahahaha…" Yuzuru was in an excellent mood. He reached out and pinched Tsunade's chin. "No need to be shocked. Tonight, I'll really give you a big surprise."