---
The massive, razor-sharp fangs of the White Snake Sage pierced into Sasuke's body, and he could immediately feel an unfamiliar energy coursing through him. This energy was wild and chaotic, wreaking havoc within Sasuke's system.
The pain was indescribable, an agony that spread from his core to every inch of his being. Sasuke fell to the ground, fighting desperately against the violent energy that threatened to overwhelm him.
Matatabi's voice echoed in his mind, "Sasuke, do you need me to take over? I can transform into the tailed beast to help you."
Sasuke gritted his teeth and shook his head. "No... I can handle this."
As time passed, Sasuke began to feel his body gradually adapting to the energy. A faint purple aura started to form around him, like a mist condensing on his skin.
Sasuke's eyes snapped open, and his pupils had transformed into vertical slits, reminiscent of a serpent's. But as soon as he activated his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, the snake-like pupils were masked by the eternal tomoe.
Despite this, the purple energy within him did not wane. In fact, his body began to grow a layer of armor-like scales, which, instead of appearing repulsive, looked powerful and intimidating.
With a mere thought, the purple armor shifted and formed into a shape resembling Susanoo.
This was perfect Sage Mode.
Sasuke's compatibility with natural energy was absolute, a direct result of being the reincarnation of Indra.
He had always known that mastering Sage Mode was inevitable, especially with Matatabi's power augmenting his strength and mitigating the negative effects. With the Two-Tails' chakra bolstering him, he had little fear of the White Snake Sage's venom.
Rising to his feet, Sasuke waved his hand, causing the purple energy to disperse into shimmering fragments. He turned to the White Snake Sage and said, "Thank you, elder."
The White Snake Sage regarded Sasuke with a mixture of disbelief and awe. In Sasuke, the sage saw a shadow of Indra—someone the White Snake Sage had met countless ages ago, when the world was young, and Indra was still alive.
Indra, the son of the Sage of Six Paths, had left a deep impression on the White Snake Sage, an impression that time had not erased. Now, here stood Sasuke, embodying the same powerful aura.
The White Snake Sage spoke, her voice filled with reminiscence, "Long ago, the Great Toad Sage at Mount Myōboku had a prophecy—'A blue-eyed boy who plays with the tailed beasts will bring peace to the ninja world.' But to me, that prophecy is nothing but nonsense."
Blowing a cloud of smoke from the pipe, the sage continued, "The one who will truly bring peace to this world... is you, Uchiha Sasuke."
The White Snake Sage's massive form began to shrink, transforming into that of an elderly woman. The pipe in her hand also reduced in size.
"Go, young one," the sage said kindly. "Leave Ryūchi Cave. The battlefield outside is where you belong."
With those words, everything around Sasuke shattered like a broken mirror, leaving him standing in a familiar forest.
Was it all an illusion? Or reality?
Sasuke quickly activated his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan to decipher the truth, but the forest he saw was undeniably real.
Whether the White Snake Sage had used some sort of space-time ninjutsu to transport him here, or if it had all been a sophisticated illusion, it didn't matter. What mattered was the new power surging through him.
This energy was different from chakra—it was something more primal, something that could amplify chakra and enhance ninjutsu. This was Sage energy.
Sasuke pondered over this new power. If the "chakra" in this world was brought by the Ōtsutsuki clan, and most ninjutsu were ineffective against them, then could Sage energy be the original form of energy that existed in the world before the arrival of the Ōtsutsuki?
Perhaps natural energy was the original system of training in the ninja world, a power that was suppressed by the advent of chakra.
Just as Sasuke was lost in thought, he heard the sound of someone breaking through the forest around him. He turned and saw a man in blue fleeing through the trees, pursued by a group of five or six ninjas.
Sasuke quickly assessed the situation. The man was a Jinchūriki—he could sense the chaotic chakra of a tailed beast within him.
It was Utakata, the Jinchūriki of the Six-Tails from Kirigakure.
But how had Sasuke ended up in Kirigakure territory?
"Stop running! You can't escape!" one of the Kirigakure ninjas shouted at Utakata.
Utakata's face was filled with panic. He had just killed his master, a man he had seen as a father figure.
But the man had betrayed him, trying to steal the Six-Tails from within him. In his rage, Utakata had gone berserk and ended the man's life.
Utakata couldn't forgive himself, even though he knew he was only defending his own life. The betrayal had shattered him. To be hunted down by his own village now was the final blow to his already crumbling spirit.
The Kirigakure ninjas were relentless. They had orders to capture Utakata, the "rampaging Jinchūriki," and bring him back to the village, ensuring that the tailed beast wouldn't fall into the hands of another nation.
Despite his turmoil, Utakata didn't want to kill anyone else. He stopped running, pulled out a bubble blower from his belt, and exhaled into it. Colorful bubbles appeared, trapping the pursuing ninjas inside or knocking them out.
"I'm sorry," Utakata whispered, as he created a large bubble and floated away, trying to escape.
Seeing this, Sasuke called out, "Hey, wait! Take me with you!"
Utakata, startled by the voice, saw Sasuke emerging from the trees. He hesitated but quickened his pace, trying to leave quickly.
"Wait, I'm not from Kirigakure!" Sasuke shouted after him.
Hearing this, Utakata slowed down and floated back toward Sasuke, cautiously. "You're not afraid of me, even though I'm a Jinchūriki?"
Sasuke smirked, dark flames flickering in his eyes. "Afraid? Who isn't one of us?"
---