Chapter 181: The Plan
Outside the Ghost Howl Cave, deep underground, in a wooden chamber lit by dim light, Baishi sat cross-legged, his eyes closed, breathing slow and steady. A serene aura enveloped him, as though he were asleep.
Suddenly, a faint breeze stirred the air around him. The wind carried traces of natural energy, which seeped into Baishi's body, forming a small vortex inside him. For a few moments, the vortex swirled steadily before abruptly halting. Then, with startling speed, it expanded outward, ejecting the absorbed natural energy from his body.
But not all of it escaped.
Baishi's eyes snapped open. His right hand turned into a blade, infused with Wind Release chakra, and he swung it toward his left arm. With a sharp sound, his left arm was severed cleanly, falling to the ground with a dull thud. There was no blood.
On closer inspection, his detached arm had turned to stone. This was how Baishi resolved the issue. If he couldn't expel the natural energy, he concentrated it into one spot and severed the affected limb.
Crude but effective.
Lacking external aids like toad oil, which Naruto had relied on in his training, Baishi was forced to adopt this extreme method to survive. Unlike Naruto, who had assistance from the two toad sages of Mount Myoboku during his second-phase training, Baishi was essentially attempting that same phase without safeguards.
Thus, drastic measures were necessary. Fortunately, Baishi's unique [Regeneration] ability allowed him to regrow lost limbs effortlessly. As the cells at the stump of his arm began to wriggle and regenerate, a brand-new arm formed within seconds.
Baishi flexed his fingers experimentally and sighed. "It's still not working..."
Nearly half a month had passed since Baishi began training near the Ghost Howl Cave. Thanks to the area's abundant natural energy, Baishi had quickly reached a basic understanding of how to sense and absorb it using his [Mind's Eye] ability.
However, his progress hit a bottleneck. He initially believed that, with his massive chakra reserves, he could absorb natural energy cautiously and gradually to find the balance required for Sage Mode.
But he underestimated the innate affinity between natural energy and the human body. It wasn't just a matter of sensitivity; humans seemed naturally attuned to natural energy, as though designed to harmonize with it. The real challenge lay in controlling this overwhelming force.
For example, individuals like Jugo had a naturally high sensitivity to natural energy, which led to involuntary Sage transformations in energy-dense environments. Even the experimental subjects of Orochimaru's cursed seal program provided insights. The seals amplified the subjects' natural energy sensitivity, unlocking latent potential and granting them abilities similar to Sage Mode.
Baishi concluded that nearly everyone in the ninja world had the potential to learn Sage Mode; the challenge was unlocking that potential.
However, Baishi's unique circumstances presented additional challenges. His immense chakra reserves—a key advantage—also created greater risks. Since Sage Mode required a balance of natural energy, physical energy, and spiritual energy, the sheer size of his reserves demanded far more natural energy than usual.
This made the balancing act exponentially harder. Baishi realized that without external support, mastering Sage Mode on his own would be a slow and dangerous process.
'What I need,' Baishi thought, 'is finer control over the amount of natural energy I absorb.'
He opened his Status Panel, reviewing his progress.
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Status Panel
Host: Baishi
Age: 16 / 310 ↑
Base Attributes:
Strength: 302 → 330 ↑
Agility: 305 → 332 ↑
Constitution: 290 → 317 ↑
Intelligence: 360 → 393 ↑
Chakra: 2052 → 2190 ↑
Special Enhancements:
Regeneration: Cellular (0.1%)
Energy Absorption: I (44.2% → 70.8% ↑)
Mental Fortress: I (43.5% → 70% ↑)
Super Vision: Dynamic Vision (33.2% → 62.7% ↑)
Mind's Eye: I (34.1% → 61.5% ↑)
Spatial Awareness: I (25.4% → 50.2% ↑)
Iron Skin: I (0.1%) ↑
Cellular Adaptability: IX (10.1%) ↑
Wood Release: IX (0.1%)
Natural Energy Affinity: V (30.2%) ↑
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Baishi's Natural Energy Affinity had been unlocked when he first absorbed natural energy. Although starting at level V was impressive, it wasn't sufficient to solve his immediate problem.
'If I can improve [Energy Absorption], I'll gain precise control over how much natural energy I absorb,' Baishi reasoned.
Over the next few months, he planned to prioritize enhancing three key abilities: Energy Absorption to regulate natural energy intake, Mind's Eye to improve his sensitivity to natural energy, and Cellular Adaptability to bolster his resistance to natural energy's corrosive effects.
By focusing on these, he hoped to accelerate his progress while minimizing risks.
Over the past two weeks, Baishi had also sensed an occasional, faint gaze watching him. Despite his best efforts, he couldn't locate the source. The only explanation was Ryuchi Cave's invisibility technique, which allowed its users to evade all forms of detection.
'If they're already observing me, I don't have much time,' Baishi thought grimly.
He decided to leave the underground chamber immediately, wary of drawing further attention.
Shortly after Baishi departed, a white-clad girl appeared in the chamber. Her youthful face twisted in frustration as she scanned the empty room. After a moment, she vanished into thin air, her presence erased as if she had never been there.
Baishi reappeared in the familiar courtyard he had visited before. Although nearly a month had passed since he'd last been there, the place still felt like a sanctuary.
But he didn't linger in sentimentality. He quickly immersed himself in rigorous training. Mornings were dedicated to physical conditioning to improve his base attributes. Afternoons focused on advancing [Energy Absorption], [Mind's Eye], and [Cellular Adaptability]. Evenings were spent analyzing Orochimaru's research notes and studying the characteristics of natural energy.
Days passed, and Baishi's progress was slow but steady.
He remained vigilant, fully aware that time was not on his side.
(End of Chapter)
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