Turning into something neither human nor beast—no matter how powerful this Sage Mode was, Takuya wanted no part of it.
After a long period of training, Takuya had become adept at absorbing natural energy and refining Sage Chakra. However, this was the first time he had entered Sage Mode.
Following Snowy's instructions, Takuya absorbed natural energy and refined it into Sage Chakra. With Snowy's guidance, he entered Nine-Tails Sage Mode.
It felt like his senses had heightened significantly.
Not only his perception, but his body also felt more agile.
As for the changes in his appearance, that was still a mystery.
Takuya pulled out a mirror he had prepared beforehand and took a look.
"..."
I guess this Sage Mode is just for show!!
Looking at himself in the mirror, there didn't seem to be any noticeable changes.
There were no distinctive markings on his face, and his body looked the same.
No extra tails or anything.
"Snowy, are you sure I'm in Sage Mode right now?"
"Of course," Snowy said confidently, raising her head.
"With my guidance, you succeeded on your first try and have already reached the perfect Snowy Sage Mode."
Snowy didn't like the name Nine-Tails Sage Mode. Since Takuya had named her Snowy, she decided that this Sage Mode would be called Snowy Sage Mode.
"..."
Are you serious?
This name for Sage Mode is ridiculous.
Takuya twitched slightly and asked, "When you enter Sage Mode, isn't your body supposed to undergo some sort of transformation?"
"There's a change, Master," Snowy replied, her tail wagging as she poked Takuya's head. It was then that Takuya noticed something odd about his hair.
Because he hadn't gotten a haircut in a while, his hair had grown quite long. To keep it out of the way, he would usually tie it back in a ponytail while training.
Now, though, there were two tufts of hair sticking out, resembling a pair of white fox ears.
"Uh..."
Takuya reached up and touched them, breathing a sigh of relief when he realized they were just strands of hair, not actual fox ears.
That was a relief.
Takuya had no desire to enter Sage Mode and walk around with fox ears on his head.
When Jiraiya entered Sage Mode, his face took on a toad-like appearance.
Naruto's eyes and eye sockets changed shape, and Hashirama Senju had markings on his forehead and eye area.
Kabuto, on the other hand, looked like a snake, with lines still visible on his face.
But with Takuya? Nothing.
Except for his hair sticking up like fox ears, there were no other changes...
"Master, once you've perfected Sage Mode, you won't have any obvious physical changes. At least, with the perfect Snowy Sage Mode, there are none," Snowy reassured him.
Perfect?
So, the Sage Modes from the three great sacred lands were flawed, which is why their bodies changed, and their faces had markings.
Comparing the two, Takuya was glad he didn't have any markings on his face. At least he didn't look like some weird alternative fashion disaster.
Thinking about all the ninjas in the Naruto world who entered special modes and ended up looking like monsters, Takuya thought the Snowy Sage Mode was perfect, even if the fox-ear-like hair was a little strange.
Whatever, it's not a big deal, Takuya thought. At most, people might think his hair was just messy.
The first time he entered Nine-Tails Sage Mode, Takuya managed to maintain it for three minutes before his Sage Chakra was depleted.
For a first attempt, Takuya's performance was already exceptional, especially compared to Jiraiya and Naruto.
Besides, as long as Takuya could enter Sage Mode, he didn't need to worry about maintaining it—Snowy would handle the chakra supply.
Once he entered both Sage Mode and the Nine-Tails Chakra Mode, Snowy would become his personal massive chakra battery.
"Now that I've mastered Sage Mode, I can start incorporating Nine-Tails Chakra Mode into my routine."
With his plan in place, Takuya promptly went home to sleep. The nightly routine of absorbing natural energy and refining Sage Chakra had left him exhausted.
At last, Takuya felt a sense of relief.
Compared to Sage Mode, mastering Nine-Tails Chakra Mode seemed much easier.
As he raised his hand and looked at the Nine-Tails Chakra enveloping it, Takuya couldn't help but laugh.
"I wonder when Kushina will finally earn the Nine-Tails' approval and enter Nine-Tails Chakra Mode."
"Hmph! Snowy can give Master pure tailed beast chakra and help you enter Nine-Tails Chakra Mode in no time. But Kushina? No way! That stinky fox inside her hates her."
The Nine-Tails resented and even loathed Kushina.
For her to gain the Nine-Tails' approval, fully open her heart, and have the chakra willingly granted to her, Kushina still had a long road ahead.
At this point, the relationship between Kushina and the Nine-Tails was at a stalemate—Kushina didn't torment the Nine-Tails in its sealed space, and the Nine-Tails didn't interfere with her training by using its chakra.
To move forward, they would both have to make a lot more effort.
Unfortunately, neither of them seemed to care about the other. Kushina didn't take the Nine-Tails seriously, and the Nine-Tails couldn't be bothered with her.
Who knew when they would finally open up to each other?
"Snowy, starting tomorrow, we'll continue training. Besides mastering Sage Mode, we also need to work on Nine-Tails Chakra Mode."
"Understood, Master! Snowy will assist you!"
Snowy excitedly rubbed against Takuya's face.
Helping Takuya grow stronger always made Snowy the happiest.
"Alright, alright, Snowy is the best."
Takuya knew the best way to handle his little fox was to shower her with praise. It always made her day.
As expected, Snowy was overjoyed after Takuya's compliment, chattering non-stop all the way home.
"Wake up."
In the middle of his nap, Nawaki was shaken awake. Groggy, he opened his eyes and saw Minato cleaning his kunai.
"I'm going back to sleep. I'm an injured man. Stop bothering me," Nawaki groaned.
"We've got a mission today. Come on, a little scratch doesn't make you an invalid."
Minato wasn't having it. He grabbed Nawaki and dragged him out of bed.
With his hair sticking up in all directions and his face pale, Nawaki complained, "Another mission? Where are Orochimaru and Jiraiya?"
"They've just left us here to fend for ourselves?"
"And that idiot Takuya? It's been a whole month, and he's still nowhere to be seen."
At that moment, Nawaki longed for the days when he went on missions with Takuya.
Back then, he didn't have to worry about anything. He could just follow along, train with Takuya, and feel his strength grow noticeably.
Unlike now, where he was constantly tired, with no peace or rest.
Today it was a skirmish here, tomorrow enemies would appear over there—it was a never-ending fight that kept his nerves on edge.
It couldn't compare to being with Takuya. If there was ever any danger, Takuya would sense it in advance or take care of it himself.