"You've woken up, kid. Tell me, do you want to join Ryuchi Cave?" the White Snake Sage immediately asked as soon as Natsuro woke up.
"Huh?"
Natsuro blinked, then instinctively looked toward the Great Toad Sage.
Although he wasn't exactly close with the Great Toad Sage, he was certainly more familiar with him than with the White Snake Sage or the Slug Sage.
"Natsuro, come with me to the main hall. I know you have many questions right now, and we'll explain everything in due time," said the Great Toad Sage, understanding Natsuro's confusion.
"Alright."
Natsuro felt a tightness in his chest and realized that the state he had just been in was definitely not the normal "Sage Mode." Moreover, that terrifying gaze he felt was no ordinary occurrence. He quickly agreed to follow.
The three Great Sages led Natsuro to the main hall, and this time, the Great Toad Sage stopped Fukasaku from entering.
It was clear that what Natsuro had just experienced was of such a sensitive nature that even Fukasaku was not allowed to know.
Soon, Natsuro arrived in the main hall with the three Great Sages. With the White Snake and Slug Sages present, the Great Toad Sage didn't return to its usual seat.
"Natsuro, do you know how chakra is formed?" the Great Toad Sage asked.
"Huh?" Natsuro was a bit surprised by the sudden question but answered based on what he knew, "Chakra is the energy formed by combining physical and spiritual energy through training."
"That's correct. But have you heard that, in the past, humans didn't have chakra?" the Great Toad Sage continued.
"Originally, there was no such thing as chakra in this world. The only energy that existed was natural energy. But one day, a tree known as the Divine Tree descended upon the world. It absorbed natural energy, and the fruit it produced gave rise to chakra."
From that point on, chakra became a force in this world. However, living beings still didn't possess chakra in their bodies. Only after someone ate the fruit of the Divine Tree did chakra appear in their body for the first time.
Later, the Sage of Six Paths, whom you've heard of, shared chakra with others. From that point onward, all living beings could generate chakra through the combination of physical and spiritual energy."
Natsuro listened with a look of 'shock,' though he wasn't genuinely surprised—he already knew that the one who ate the Divine Tree's fruit was Kaguya Otsutsuki.
At that moment, Natsuro had a sudden realization. Could it be that...?
The Great Toad Sage continued, unaware of Natsuro's inner thoughts, "Before chakra existed, creatures in this world had already been exploring how to harness natural energy. They had made some progress."
"Sage Mode?" Natsuro asked, thinking aloud.
The Great Toad Sage nodded but then shook its head. "Sage Mode is a technique that was developed after the appearance of chakra. It requires chakra to work, so it's not truly an independent system."
"Hmph. Kid, let me put it this way: the path back then wasn't called 'Sage Mode.' Once someone succeeded in mastering it, they became a true Sage—not just someone temporarily entering a mode," the White Snake Sage interjected.
"Then, are there any true Sages left? Is it still possible to become one?" Natsuro asked, thinking of the Sage of Six Paths.
The Great Toad Sage and the White Snake Sage exchanged glances, both sighing before the Great Toad Sage responded, "In truth, this world has never produced a true Sage. It's a level we've only speculated about. At least, before the Divine Tree descended, no one had ever reached that level."
"However, the three of us have glimpsed a bit of that power, and we're certain that such a level exists. Unfortunately, after the Divine Tree appeared, the path to that level was cut off."
"Why?" Natsuro asked, anxious to know. He suspected that his earlier state might have been a glimpse of the pre-chakra path. If that path was truly blocked...
"Because nearly all the natural energy in this world has been converted into chakra," the White Snake Sage replied with a cold laugh. "In today's world, there isn't enough natural energy left to support the birth of a true Sage."
Natsuro fell silent.
"By now, kid, you've probably figured out what was happening to you earlier, haven't you?" the White Snake Sage sneered.
"Yeah, it seems I accidentally stumbled upon the path to becoming a true Sage," Natsuro replied.
"Exactly," the Great Toad Sage confirmed. "Even we were shocked when we sensed that you had reached that point. Unlike before the Divine Tree, it's not just difficult to succeed on this path—it should be impossible to even begin it. As far as we know, you're the only one who's done it."
The Great Toad Sage spoke earnestly. It was aware that there were still some unique powers left in the world, such as the distant priestesses, but those were remnants, completely unrelated to the path Natsuro had embarked on.
"Is that why all three of you Sages are here?" Natsuro asked, realizing the gravity of the situation.
"Hmph, of course. Otherwise, do you think any of us would care about a weakling like you?" the White Snake Sage huffed.
"And there's another reason as well," the Great Toad Sage added, much more gently.
"Is it related to that terrifying gaze I felt?" Natsuro asked, recalling the overwhelming presence that had focused on him.
At this, all three Sages froze, even the usually lethargic Slug Sage opening its sleepy eyes and staring at Natsuro until he grew uncomfortable.
The White Snake Sage finally muttered, "Perhaps that's the key to why he was able to walk this path."
The Great Toad Sage and the Slug Sage both nodded in agreement. To sense that gaze so early, before mastering Sage Mode, was unheard of. It explained why Natsuro had been able to force his way onto the path that had long been considered closed.
The Great Toad Sage spoke thoughtfully, "Yes, that's why the two of them came here. But you needn't worry—he won't harm you. He was likely just curious, as this might be the first time he's encountered someone walking this path."
Although the Great Toad Sage didn't mention the name, Natsuro had a strong suspicion that it was none other than the Sage of Six Paths, the son of Kaguya Otsutsuki and the one who distributed chakra to the world.
Realizing this, Natsuro felt a shudder run through him. He hadn't expected to be noticed by such a powerful figure this early. If the Sage of Six Paths had wanted him dead, he knew he wouldn't stand a chance.
It could even happen with just a glance... and then he'd be gone.
In truth, Natsuro had already suspected that there had to be a method of training that existed before chakra, considering that the Great Toad Sage had taught the Sage of Six Paths Sage Mode.
Natsuro didn't believe in stories where a teacher haphazardly creates a method and the student succeeds by chance. The only explanation was that the Great Toad Sage had already mastered some special form of power back then.
Now, it seemed likely that the Sage of Six Paths had combined the old ways of training with chakra to create his own version of Sage Mode, which in turn inspired the three Sage Lands to develop their own versions of Sage Mode.
"With that, the true path to becoming a Sage has disappeared, leaving only the path of Sage Mode."
Natsuro thought for a moment and brought up the changes he had noticed in his body after absorbing the natural energy, hoping for an explanation.
However, the three Great Sages exchanged glances before each shaking their heads. Finally, the Great Toad Sage spoke:
"While we don't know for sure, my guess is this: When living beings first accepted chakra, their bodies were already altered once. Now that you've started walking the old path, it's possible that your body is being reverted to its original state."
"But this is just a hypothesis. We can't say for certain. After all, we too switched to paths similar to Sage Mode long ago, and we can no longer experience what you're going through."
Natsuro nodded. This explanation made sense. At least the changes in his body seemed to be pushing him toward a more human form, rather than turning him into some other kind of creature.
"Kid, continue down this path. It might be a dead end, but the heights it can take you are far beyond what you can imagine. You know Hashirama Senju, don't you?" the White Snake Sage asked.
"Of course," Natsuro replied, a bit surprised.
"If you walk this path, even if you can't take the final step, it can push you to reach the same level as Hashirama. That should be enough for you, right?" The White Snake Sage's cold gaze bore into Natsuro as it spoke.
Natsuro fell silent for a moment, his eyes flickering with excitement. To be honest, even with all his plans, he had never imagined he could reach the level of the First Hokage. Now, the White Snake Sage was telling him that walking this path could make it possible...
How could he not be thrilled? He nodded, his eyes shining with newfound hope.
Seeing this, the White Snake Sage let out a cold laugh. "Humans are always like this, never willing to chase the prize until they see it. So short-sighted. Just Hashirama... well, to be fair, that guy was indeed strong."
"But still short-sighted. You haven't witnessed the true power beyond that..."
Check out the patreon and get 49 chapters in advance
Currently on Chapter 200 - Natsuro vs Akastuki: Betrayal? Tsukuyomi and Opportunity