Chapter 306: The System's "Blind Spot" in Sage Jutsu Training; Is Sage Jutsu Not "Native" to This World? [HN]

Late at night, the lights in the Hokage’s office were still burning.

Chiya finished reviewing the final budget approval for the reconstruction of the border outposts and rubbed his slightly aching temples.

“Now that I’m Hokage, I’ve actually become a heartless paperwork machine!”

Chiya could not help thinking that.

After a while, Chiya stood up and looked out at the village.

‘How peaceful and harmonious.’

Behind all of this, Chiya clearly understood one thing.

Not just Konoha, but the entire shinobi world, was ultimately a world where everything was written by strength.

‘Strength…’

A thought crossed Chiya’s mind.

“System, bring up my character interface!”

[Name: Uchiha Chiya]

[Age: 27]

[Chakra: 221 cards]

[Special Abilities: Rinnegan, Uzumaki Clan Bloodline, Senju Clan Physique, Sharingan (Eternal Mangekyō), Storm Release, Ice Release, Lava Release, Lava Style, Steel Release, Dark Release, Boil Release, Dust Release (Kekkei Tota)]

[Skills: Divine Art: Fleeting Splendor (Rinnegan Exclusive), Kagatsuchi]

[Rinnegan: Shinra Tensei, Super Shinra Tensei, Banshō Ten’in, Chibaku Tensei, Puppet Technique, Chakra Absorption, and other basic abilities.]

[Mangekyō Sharingan Techniques: The Far Shore of the Yellow Springs, Cycle of Cause and Effect, Tsukuyomi, Amaterasu, Kotoamatsukami, Blaze Release: Kagutsuchi, Kamui]

[Forbidden Techniques: Izanagi, Izanami]

[Secret Techniques: Hydrification Technique, Mind Transfer Puppet Curse Seal Technique]

[Mastery of Sealing Jutsu, Kenjutsu, Susano’o, Medical Ninjutsu, Fire Release, Genjutsu, Ninja Tools, High Speed Body Flicker Technique, Shadow Clone Jutsu, Three Bodies Technique, and more.]

After reading through his character interface, Chiya then looked at his missions.

A series of missions was clearly listed, all revolving around the core concept of taking opportunities from others.

The rewards were also quite generous.

There were all kinds of Kekkei Genkai and clan secret techniques.

These rewards had indeed allowed Chiya’s strength to improve by leaps and bounds in a short period of time, establishing his absolute position in Konoha and even the entire shinobi world.

However, Chiya’s attention passed over these tempting rewards and landed on the limits of the system’s abilities.

‘There is no Sage Jutsu…’

He muttered quietly, his brows slightly furrowed.

The power system provided by the system seemed to be firmly locked into conventional ninjutsu, Kekkei Genkai, and various chakra based abilities.

Yet Sage Jutsu, which surpassed ordinary chakra and required the drawing in of natural energy, had never appeared.

Chiya knew the value of Sage Jutsu very well.

Based on what he knew from the original story, Sage Jutsu was one of the key powers capable of confronting Six Paths level strength.

It could greatly increase the power of ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, while also allowing one to inflict effective damage on Ten Tails Jinchūriki and even members of the Ōtsutsuki Clan.

This was a height that the pure chakra system could hardly reach.

“I can’t rely on the system forever.”

Chiya’s gaze became firm.

The system was his greatest support and trump card, but it could never become his only path.

A true powerhouse had to explore and understand the source of power for himself, including aspects that even the system could not cover.

Sage Jutsu was the crucial step he had to take on his own.

With that thought, he no longer hesitated.

If the system could not provide it, he would learn it himself!

He stood up without disturbing anyone, his figure quietly blending into the night as he headed toward Tsunade’s residence.

When he arrived at Tsunade’s secluded courtyard, the light in the bedroom was still on.

Chiya gently knocked on the door.

“Who is it?”

Tsunade’s slightly wary voice came from inside.

“It’s me, Chiya.”

The door was immediately pulled open.

Tsunade’s coat had been placed on a chair farther inside, clearly having just been taken off.

At this moment, Tsunade was wearing a silk nightgown, her long blond hair falling loosely over her shoulders. She had lost some of her daytime dominance and gained a softer, more feminine charm.

When she saw Chiya, a flash of pleasant surprise appeared on her face.

She immediately threw herself into his arms.

Then she deliberately pushed him away, pretending to be dissatisfied as she crossed her arms, making her impressive curves even more prominent.

“Why did you come running over this late? What do you want this time? Does the Hokage have some nighttime business that needs me to handle?”

Seeing her obviously insincere expression, Chiya smiled slightly and naturally walked into the room.

He wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her smooth forehead.

“No official business. Just something personal.”

Chiya looked down at her.

“I want to learn more about Sage Jutsu.”

“Sage Jutsu?”

Tsunade froze, and the laziness on her face instantly turned into surprise.

“Why are you suddenly interested in that? Training in it is extremely dangerous. The slightest mistake can cause something to go wrong.”

“I know the risks.”

Chiya’s expression was serious.

“But I need this power. Sage Jutsu is the next barrier I have to break through.”

Tsunade looked at the unshakable determination in his eyes and knew that he was not joking.

She understood Chiya. Once he decided to do something, he would definitely do it.

Deep down, she was proud of his constant drive to become stronger, but she also felt a trace of heartache for him.

“There’s really no way to deal with you…”

Tsunade sighed, her tone softening with concern.

“I don’t know much about Sage Jutsu. Of the three of us, only that idiot Jiraiya trained at Mount Myoboku. Orochimaru seems to have tried it too, but he went down the wrong path.”

“I inherited a contract with Shikkotsu Forest, but…”

“You also know that although my chakra control is precise, I’m not exactly the best at the kind of perception that requires absolute stillness and balance, so I’ve never gone deeply into Sage Jutsu.”

She paused and pulled Chiya down to sit with her on the tatami.

“Still, I know the basics. I can at least show you the way.”

She formed hand seals and pressed her hands against the floor.

“Summoning Jutsu!”

A cloud of white smoke flashed.

A slug about half a person’s height appeared in the room. Its entire body was crystal clear, resembling soft blue and white jade.

It radiated a gentle yet enormous life force.

It was a split body of the Slug Sage from Shikkotsu Forest.

“Good evening, Tsunade.”

The slug’s soft voice directly sounded in Chiya and Tsunade’s minds, carrying a reassuring power.

It curiously looked toward Chiya.

“You must be Lord Chiya, right? Tsunade often talks about you.”

“Katsuyu, Chiya wants to learn about Sage Jutsu. Can you explain it to him in detail?”

Tsunade went straight to the point.

“Sage Jutsu…”

Katsuyu’s voice carried a distant quality.

“Ever since I can remember, I have already been able to use natural energy! If humans want to train in it!~”

“The difficulty is still quite high. After all, it is a power different from ordinary chakra.”

It began explaining in a calm and clear voice.

“Sage Jutsu is a technique that uses the power of a sage. Put simply, it involves absorbing the natural energy around you into your body and then using it within your body to activate techniques.”

“We can absorb it directly. Humans cannot!~”

“Ordinary chakra is created by combining a ninja’s physical energy and spiritual energy in a balanced one to one ratio.”

“Sage chakra, however, is created by adding an equal amount of natural energy on top of that.”

“Natural energy exists everywhere. It is one of the fundamental energies that make up the world. It is vast and gentle, but it can also be extremely violent and difficult to control.”

“A practitioner must use their own body as a medium. While maintaining an absolute balance between physical energy and spiritual energy and keeping their mind completely calm, they must sense and absorb natural energy into their body, then perfectly combine the three types of energy in a one to one to one ratio.”

“Only then is there a chance of successfully training in Sage Jutsu.”

“Once the balance is disrupted and there is too much natural energy, the body will gradually mutate, and there is a high chance that the practitioner will become part of nature.”

“If there is too much of one’s own energy, then one’s own sage power cannot be condensed.”

Chiya listened carefully.

This basically matched what he already knew.

Katsuyu continued explaining.

“At present, the known systematic inheritances of Sage Jutsu in the shinobi world mainly come from the three great sacred lands: Mount Myoboku, Ryūchi Cave, and our Shikkotsu Forest.”

“The Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku is skilled in prophecy and Sage Jutsu. Its Sage Mode is famous for its powerful sensory abilities and enhancement.”

“The White Snake Sage of Ryūchi Cave focuses more on strange abilities, speed, and deadly attacks.”

“As for the Slug Sage of Shikkotsu Forest…”

Katsuyu’s voice carried a hint of pride.

“Our Sage Jutsu focuses more on the fusion and healing of life. Sage chakra contains extremely powerful vitality and adaptability, and it has remarkable effects on activating and restoring the body.”

“Of course, it is also extremely terrifying when used for attacks.”

It looked at Tsunade.

“Every time Tsunade summons me, it is only a split body of the Slug Sage.”

“All of our split bodies share the same consciousness. Essentially, we are all parts of the Slug Sage.”

“The greater the summoner’s chakra, the larger the slug they can summon, and the stronger the Sage Jutsu power they can borrow.”

Chiya nodded and looked at Katsuyu with burning interest.

“Then can I sign a contract with Shikkotsu Forest and train in Sage Jutsu there?”

Katsuyu seemed to move slightly, as if carefully sensing Chiya.

“Lord Chiya, your chakra is vast, your spiritual power is resilient, and your physique is far beyond that of an ordinary person.”

“Your foundation is the deepest I have ever seen among humans.”

“In theory, you have exceptional aptitude for training in Sage Jutsu.”

“However, the core of Sage Jutsu training lies in balance and calmness. It has no direct relationship with the amount of chakra one possesses.”

“In fact, having an excessively large amount of chakra can sometimes make maintaining balance more difficult and requires even greater control.”

“Do you truly understand the risks involved?”

“I understand.”

Chiya’s tone was calm, but his determination was unshakable.

“Risk and opportunity exist together. I have made my decision.”

Tsunade watched from the side. She opened her mouth, but in the end, she did not try to persuade him.

She knew that this was the path Chiya had chosen for himself.

Katsuyu fell silent for a moment, seemingly communicating with the main body consciousness in distant Shikkotsu Forest through the network shared by its split bodies.

After a moment, it spoke softly.

“The Slug Sage agrees. You are qualified to receive the recognition of Shikkotsu Forest.”

A scroll emitting a gentle white light slowly emerged from Katsuyu’s body and floated in front of Chiya.

“Please leave your blood seal on this scroll to sign the summoning contract.”

“After that, you can use the Reverse Summoning Jutsu to travel to Shikkotsu Forest and begin training in Sage Jutsu.”

“However, I must remind you again. Training in Sage Jutsu is by no means easy. It requires tremendous patience and talent, and even… luck.”

Chiya did not hesitate at all.

He bit his thumb and skillfully wrote his name on the scroll.

Uchiha Chiya.

His blood merged into the scroll.

After putting away the contract scroll, Chiya looked at Tsunade and Katsuyu.

“There’s no time to waste. I want to go to Shikkotsu Forest and take a look right now.”

Seeing how decisive he was, Tsunade smiled helplessly yet supportively.

“Go, but be careful. I’ll keep an eye on things here in the village.”

Katsuyu said,

“Please stand beside me, Lord Chiya. I will guide you through your first Reverse Summoning.”

Chiya stood beside Katsuyu and gave Tsunade a reassuring look.

A powerful white light radiated from Katsuyu’s body as space began to distort.

“Reverse Summoning Jutsu!”

Bang!

White smoke flashed, and Chiya and that split body of Katsuyu disappeared from the room at the same time.

Tsunade looked at the empty room and sighed softly, a complicated expression of concern and anticipation appearing in her eyes.

“You have to succeed, Chiya…”

Meanwhile, in the distant Shikkotsu Forest, a strange hidden realm filled with dense natural energy appeared to be formed from enormous bones and damp moss.

Chiya’s figure quietly appeared there amid a cloud of white smoke.

“Lord Chiya, can you sense the natural energy?”

Another cloud of white smoke appeared beside Chiya, and Katsuyu turned toward him.

Chiya closed his eyes and silently sensed it for a while.

After a long time, he opened his eyes with confidence at the corners of his mouth.

“I can!”

“By the way!~”

“Can you tell me more about the history of using natural energy?”

“History?”

Katsuyu muttered softly.

Then it shook its head.

“I’m afraid you’ll have to find the Great Toad Sage to learn about that!~ I don’t know much about it!~”

“Oh?”

Chiya was stunned.

‘The use of natural energy and the Sage Jutsu practiced by summoning beasts…’

‘Wasn’t it something that originated from this world?’

‘Then why does she say she doesn’t know about it?’

‘Forget it! I’ll train first and worry about the rest later!’

“Katsuyu, let’s begin training in Sage Jutsu!”