NOVEL NEXT Chapter 93: Sage Mode
Chiba wanted to return to Shikkotsu Forest to continue his training. After all, the absorption of natural energy there was much faster, allowing him to synthesize Sage Mode Chakra more efficiently and enhance his physical abilities at an accelerated rate.
However, he knew that Katsuyu would immediately sense his presence upon arrival, which made him reconsider.
"I'll just keep a low profile. It's still much faster than absorbing regular chakra anyway," Chiba sighed.
With that, he closed his eyes and began to slowly absorb natural energy. At the same time, he refined his chakra, merging it with the natural energy to form Sage Mode Chakra.
The moment he started absorbing it, Chiba immediately noticed the stark difference between Sage Mode Chakra and ordinary chakra. The effects of the former were nearly twice as potent.
Realizing this, Chiba divided his focus into two tasks: simultaneously absorbing natural energy while refining chakra to continuously synthesize Sage Mode Chakra.
Time passed slowly.
After sensing that his body was beginning to feel slightly fatigued, Chiba decided to stop. He stood up and clenched his fists tightly.
"It doesn't feel much different from before," he muttered, slightly disappointed.
However, he had already anticipated this outcome. While Sage Mode Chakra accelerated the process of strengthening his body, it did not provide an immediate boost in power unless he fully utilized it in Sage Mode.
Curious about the effects of Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Mode, Chiba sat down again.
As he absorbed the natural energy and synthesized Sage Mode Chakra, he refrained from absorbing it into his body and instead focused on sensing it.
To his surprise, besides the increase in physical strength, he did not feel any other significant changes.
Still, he refrained from dismissing Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Mode as ineffective.
Chiba then walked over to a nearby river, eager to see his Sage Mode reflection.
The most noticeable change was the appearance of two Katsuyu-like antennae between his eyebrows. Additionally, the corners of his eyes displayed dark cloud-shaped markings. However, his pupils remained unchanged.
Seeing this, Chiba couldn't help but wonder. "Could it be because Katsuyu doesn't have visible eyes? Maybe that's why the markings only appear on my face while my pupils remain the same."
Of course, this was just speculation. Regardless, apart from the antennae, his appearance hadn't drastically changed.
It was well known that the Sage Modes of the three great sanctuaries each had distinct features. For instance, Mount Myōboku's Sage Mode granted users toad-like traits. Jiraiya's transformation was more pronounced due to his incomplete mastery, while Naruto's was nearly perfect, with only his pupils resembling a toad's.
Similarly, Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode caused users to develop snake-like features. Kabuto, for instance, grew horns as part of his transformation.
In comparison, Chiba's Sage Mode appeared to be as perfected as Naruto's.
"Not bad. There are some changes, but nothing that affects my looks," Chiba smirked, admiring the markings on his face.
Two days later, Chiba returned to Shikkotsu Forest.
Without hesitation, he activated his Sage Mode.
Katsuyu was momentarily stunned. In just two days, Chiba had not only mastered Sage Mode but had perfected it.
Once the shock faded, Katsuyu's tone turned serious. "Chiba-kun, do you realize how dangerous this was? If you failed to control the absorption of natural energy properly and didn't maintain the correct balance with chakra at a 1:1 ratio, you could have turned to stone!"
Chiba had not expected such a strong reaction, but he understood that Katsuyu was only concerned for his safety. He quickly apologized.
"I'm sorry, Katsuyu-sama. I was just eager to master Sage Mode before the Chūnin Exams. I wanted to increase my strength and enter with more confidence."
Hearing this, Katsuyu's anger subsided slightly. Of course, what it didn't know was that with Chiba's current power, he was already strong enough to challenge even the Kage of various villages.
However, sometimes, a little white lie was necessary.
"Even if you wanted to master Sage Mode quickly, you should have asked Tsunade to supervise you instead of taking such risks," Katsuyu scolded.
"Please don't worry, Katsuyu-sama. I'm perfectly fine," Chiba reassured with a small laugh.
Katsuyu sighed. "Fine. Since you've already mastered Sage Mode, it's pointless to dwell on the past. In that case, I will now teach you how to use Sage Mode."
Hearing this, Chiba's eyes gleamed with interest.
"Our Sage Mode is different from that of Mount Myōboku and Ryūchi Cave. Their Sage Mode focuses on offensive power, while ours specializes in healing," Katsuyu explained.
"Once you master the Sage Mode of Shikkotsu Forest, a part of me will always reside within your body, allowing you to heal at all times."
For most people, this revelation would be exhilarating, and they would immediately want to test it out. However, Chiba remained indifferent.
To him, this Sage Mode simply enhanced the healing abilities of his innate talent, the 'Curse of the Shinigami.'
Nonetheless, he was eager to see just how much it could enhance his abilities.