Konoha's Genius is a bit Ordinary?

Natsuro understood that he hadn't achieved true immortality, but being able to live for hundreds or even thousands of years was essentially a form of longevity.

The Great Toad Sage, observing Natsuro, sighed. Perhaps this was the fickle nature of fate.

Accustomed to foreseeing the future through prophecies, the Great Toad Sage found itself unable to discern Natsuro's destiny. From the moment they met, the Sage had lost sight of the fate of the Shinobi world.

The Sage had thought that the imminent crises would remain unchanged. After all, the natural energy of this world was far too scarce. For Natsuro to rely on such a thin supply to complete his accumulation would have required centuries of effort.

Yet Natsuro had given it an astonishing surprise. It had only been a few short years, but he had already completed the process.

The Great Toad Sage looked at him with a glimmer of hope. Perhaps he could bring some change to a world bound by predestination.

Natsuro calmed himself after the shock of realizing his newfound longevity and asked, "Is there anything I need to be cautious of when I start my transformation?"

"Kid, even if we were to place you in the pre-chakra era, you'd still be the first to reach this level. So, no one can give you an answer to that question," the White Snake Sage replied.

"If no one has ever reached this level, how are you so sure it even exists?" Natsuro suddenly felt like he'd been set up. Was he some kind of experiment?

"I'll explain," the Great Toad Sage interjected, cutting off the White Snake Sage before it could lose its temper.

In the distant past, before chakra was systematized, cultivation practices were still in their infancy, with many different methods being explored. It was unsurprising that no one had reached this level.

Among all groups, the Three Great Sacred Lands were at the forefront of exploration. Yet even they encountered numerous challenges. Given a few more centuries, they believed they could have reached this level themselves.

But the arrival of the God Tree changed everything. It drained the world's natural energy, forcing them to shift to the chakra-based system.

Though the chakra system also required some trial and error, the guidance of the Sage of Six Paths accelerated the process. Once they reached their current level, looking back at their original path made it clear it wasn't a dead end, they simply hadn't reached its full potential.

Thus, Natsuro wasn't a mere experiment. They were confident this path could produce individuals on par with the First Hokage.

"Natsuro, during your training, did you encounter any significant difficulties?" the Great Toad Sage asked after finishing its explanation.

"Difficulties? Not really," Natsuro replied, confused. He had been navigating his training without a guide, yet he hadn't encountered any real obstacles.

The three Sages exchanged glances, their silence heavy with disbelief. Their gazes turned to Natsuro, as if he were some sort of priceless treasure. The attention made him feel a little uneasy.

"Well… should I begin?" Natsuro asked.

"You may. We'll watch over you," the Sages assured him.

Natsuro sat cross-legged on the ground and released all his internal restraints. In that instant, the three Sages felt a tremor in their hearts.

It was as if they were witnessing the emergence of a true god.

The three exchanged another glance before springing into action. The White Snake Sage and Great Toad Sage erected barriers, while the Slug Sage used its massive body to envelop the entire Shikkotsu Forest.

At the center of it all, Natsuro's consciousness entered an extraordinary state. Every part of his body seemed to sing with joy.

Although Natsuro hadn't been certain what this transformation entailed, he now understood. His instincts told him this was an evolution, a leap in the very essence of life.

He was transitioning from a mere human to a True Sage in the purest sense of the word.

The transformation lasted a long time. Days passed, turning into weeks.

Finally, Natsuro, who had remained still and silent, slowly opened his eyes. Despite sitting for so long, not a speck of dust marred his body.

On his forehead was a new mark, the same one he had once glimpsed on his soul. But now, it was no longer confined to his spirit; it had manifested physically on his forehead.

Aside from the mark, Natsuro seemed unchanged. His eyes were the same, and his body appeared as it always had.

But he knew the transformation was far more profound than a simple mark on his forehead.

The three Sages approached him once more, their gazes fixed on the mark. Their expressions carried an air of awe and deep contemplation.

They were also visibly shaken. In their perception, while Natsuro's current power might not rival certain legendary figures, his life essence had reached an entirely different plane.

Standing before him, the Sages could clearly feel the pressure of his presence. It was an innate authority, emanating from his soul, a level of existence that commanded reverence.

"So this… is a True Sage?" the White Snake Sage murmured with a mix of envy and desire.

"No, it's merely the most basic sage constitution. It's not as powerful as you might imagine," Natsuro replied, his voice deeper and more resonant than before, carrying an almost timeless quality.

He now understood that while his transformed state might not initially surpass Sage Mode, it held unparalleled potential for growth and, most importantly, it was permanent.

That's right, Natsuro could now remain in this state indefinitely, no longer limited to the fleeting minutes of Sage Mode.

Moreover, he felt the immense vitality coursing through his body. It was clear the Sages hadn't been exaggerating. With this level of life force, living for a mere century was laughable. Natsuro had genuinely stepped onto the path of immortality.

Now, Natsuro felt that while his cellular vitality might not yet match that of the First Hokage, it was close. And as he continued to develop further, surpassing the First Hokage didn't seem impossible.

This transformation didn't elevate Natsuro to the level of fully transcending mortality and becoming akin to the Sage of Six Paths, but it was enough to leave him satisfied, especially since he clearly hadn't reached the limits of this level yet.

However, after completing the transformation, Natsuro instinctively understood one critical fact: this level was likely the highest he could currently achieve.

Not because higher levels didn't exist, but because… the natural energy in this world wasn't sufficient to support him reaching the next stage.

Natsuro's eyes glimmered as he conjured a powerful chakra in his hand, derived from converting natural energy. While this wasn't surprising, he had been able to do it before the transformation but it still felt significant.

The three Sages observed the chakra in Natsuro's hand. They nodded but also seemed slightly disappointed. While it was comparable to Sage Art chakra, they had hoped for more.

Then, something astonishing happened. The chakra began to change and it converted into a form of energy they were deeply familiar with…

"This is…" The three Sages widened their eyes in unison. The chakra had transformed into natural energy!

Even with their long lives, this was the first time they had witnessed chakra being converted into natural energy. The only other energy transformation they had seen was the God Tree's ability to absorb natural energy and produce chakra.

In other words, Natsuro now had the ability to perform the opposite process of the God Tree.

The Sages' gazes toward Natsuro changed. They had a feeling that this ability could hold the key to breaking the cycle.

If Natsuro could use this ability to restore the world to its original state, they believed they could once again walk the path of natural energy cultivation.

This time, however, it wouldn't be the same as before. They now had a trailblazer to guide the way.

But the question remained, how could all the chakra in the world be converted back into natural energy? It was a massive challenge. Much of the chakra was already bound within living beings, and an enormous portion resided within the tailed beasts.

Natsuro reabsorbed the natural energy and looked at the Sages, who were lost in thought. He interrupted them, asking, "Have you ever seen the mark on my forehead before?"

The question snapped the three Sages out of their contemplation, and they turned their attention to the mark on his forehead. After a moment of mutual glances, they each shook their heads.

"I see…" Natsuro frowned. Even after reaching this level and gaining clarity about many things, he still had no idea where this mark had come from.

It had first appeared on his soul, and now it had manifested physically on his forehead.

The only thing Natsuro was certain of was that it was connected to natural energy. Its appearance on his soul likely stemmed from his repeated breakthroughs in his Void State, while its physical manifestation was tied to this transformation.

Natsuro had a vague sense that the mark symbolized some sort of proof. But what it was meant to prove, he couldn't yet discern. Perhaps, when the time came, he would understand.

Suddenly, he recalled something: his initial transformation had taken seven days. But this time… how long had it taken?

A wave of worry washed over him. What if he had spent so long in transformation that the Fourth Great Ninja War had already ended by now?

Thankfully, the Sages' answer relieved him. This transformation had taken "only" six months. While Natsuro let out a breath of relief, he couldn't help but marvel at the passage of time.

Six months, just like that?! Time had flown by far too quickly.

So, was it now the 66th year of the Hidden Leaf?

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Currently on Chapter 245 - Shinnō