Chapter 490: Genjo's Sage Mode

At that thought, Genjo smiled faintly and formed a hand seal.

In the next second, the branches and leaves of the tree behind him swayed gently, as though some invisible rhythm were resonating and flowing between the tree and the young monk.

Genjo's appearance also changed. His eyes instantly turned golden, vivid crimson markings spread around the corners of his eyes, and a dark red sword-shaped mark emerged at the center of his forehead, adding a solemn majesty to his already transcendent bearing.

He had entered Sage Mode in an instant.

Genjo's Sage Mode was based on the inheritance of Shikkotsu Forest, combined with the mysterious Sage Mode once used by the first Hokage, whose origins were unknown, while also incorporating some of the essence of the Fire Temple's methods of utilizing Nature energy.

The result was a Sage Mode uniquely his own.

As a result, its appearance differed from both the Slugs Sage Mode of Shikkotsu Forest and the distinctive facial markings of the first Hokage's Sage Mode. Even its internal chakra fluctuations were different, sparing him a great deal of unnecessary explanation and trouble.

The tree behind Genjo was one that Shinichi had cultivated over the past two months using Cultivation Lord, starting from several branches and leaves he had taken from the mysterious giant tree in Shikkotsu Forest.

During this period, Genjo had been conducting research together with the main body every day.

In the eyes of outsiders, the two had already become close confidants who could talk about anything.

Even if someone, or even the Damp Slug Sage herself one day, recognized the tree's origin, it could simply be explained that Shinichi had entrusted the batch of samples he brought back from Shikkotsu Forest to Genjo for research. It would be perfectly natural, with nothing worth making a fuss over.

Shinichi named this tree the Bodhi Tree and signed a Summoning Jutsu with it.

Yes, even a tree could enter into a Summoning Jutsu.

The scope of a Summoning Jutsu was far broader than most people imagined. Animals, plants, weapons, energy lifeforms, and even a door could become contract partners. Humans alone could not.

At present, the Bodhi Tree possesses four functions: absorbing, accelerating, storing, and transferring Nature energy.

It could absorb Nature energy on its own to nourish itself and continue growing stronger, while when Genjo remained near it, he could also use its power to accelerate his own absorption of Nature energy.

Moreover, excess Nature energy could be stored within the Bodhi Tree and transferred to Genjo whenever needed, allowing him to enter Sage Mode instantly.

It was worth mentioning that this energy transfer originally had a distance limit.

However, after Genjo signed the Summoning Jutsu with the Bodhi Tree, that limitation seemed to disappear.

Whenever Genjo needed it, the Nature energy transferred by the Bodhi Tree seemed to pass directly through the unique cross-distance spatial channel created by the Summoning Jutsu and act upon his body.

At first glance, this resembled how Naruto in the original timeline used Shadow Clones on Mount Myoboku to gather Nature energy before dispelling them on the battlefield to replenish his Senjutsu chakra and instantly enter Sage Mode, but the two methods were fundamentally different.

Naruto's Shadow Clones had to wait until the original body's Sage Mode ended before they could be dispelled and return their energy, whereas Genjo's Bodhi Tree required no such waiting. At any moment, it could remotely transmit its stored Nature energy through the contract channel.

This meant Genjo's Sage Mode could last much longer and, to some extent, truly realized the concept of continuously absorbing Nature energy even in actual combat.

"Then, let's depart."

As soon as he finished speaking, Genjo formed another hand seal. Vast Senjutsu chakra surged out from within him, spreading around him before rapidly twisting, combining, and condensing into the image of a Bodhisattva seated in the lotus position in midair.

The Bodhisattva's entire body was lustrous white, with features as graceful as a celestial maiden's while retaining an air of solemn tranquility.

A vertical eye adorned its forehead, its three eyes half-closed as though gazing compassionately upon all living beings. Its hair was arranged in a lofty topknot, and it wore jeweled ornaments and celestial robes. Each arm held a ritual implement, while atop its jeweled crown sat a manifested Buddha. Its posture was elegant yet dignified, and behind it shone a luminous full moon halo, pure and immaculate, beautiful beyond compare.

Immediately afterward, thick, gnarled vines sprouted once again around Genjo's body and surged into the radiant white figure like living creatures.

The vines climbed and spread throughout the Bodhisattva's torso and limbs, rapidly forming its chakra pathway system, nerves, blood vessels, and muscles. Layer by layer, they filled the once-illusory outline until it became as real as flesh and blood.

At the same time, the originally pale white figure gradually deepened in color until it transformed into an ancient, solemn gold. At first glance, it seemed cast entirely from pure gold, its radiance restrained within.

Seated majestically before the moon halo, the Bodhisattva Dharma form exuded both boundless compassion and an indestructible majesty, as though it would remain perfectly still unless moved, but once it moved, it would shatter every affliction and demonic obstacle.

The moment it fully took shape, the golden Bodhisattva Dharma form shot into the sky, carrying Genjo, who sat cross-legged within it, as it sped through the air toward Konoha.

Although the Fire Temple had lost much of its inheritance regarding Sage Mode itself, when it came to methods of combining chakra and Nature energy into various forms for offense and defense, it remained the foremost authority in the Shinobi World.

For example, the Fire Temple's Hidden Jutsu, Raigo: Thousand Hand Strike, condensed chakra and Nature energy into a thousand-armed Kannon behind the user, unleashing high-speed attacks with golden chakra fists.

There was also Wrathful Vajra, in which the thousand-armed Kannon instantly transformed into a wrathful guardian deity upon being attacked, continuously counterattacking enemies with crimson chakra fists.

After exchanging knowledge with the Fire Temple's abbot, Gyatso, Genjo had completely mastered the essential principles behind these Hidden Jutsus during this period.

However, he did not simply copy the Fire Temple's methods. Instead, he combined his own Sage Jutsu system inherited from Shikkotsu Forest and the first Hokage, using Wood Style as its bones, flesh, and blood, to create an entirely original Dharma body unique to himself, Vajra Prajna.

Genjo named this technique Vajra Prajna, drawing its name from the Prajna Bodhisattva of Buddhist scripture, whose wisdom is as indestructible as vajra and capable of cutting through all afflictions and ignorance.

Incidentally, she is also the wheel of true Dharma manifestation of Mahavairocana, his tranquil aspect.

To a certain extent, Vajra Prajna could be described as Genjo's personal Wood Style Sage Jutsu version of Susanoo.

In fact, Genjo, whose Sharingan had only just reached the one tomoe stage, had already decided what to call his future Mangekyō Sharingan's Susanoo; he would simply rename it.

No matter what it had been called before, and regardless of its original name, in Genjo's version, every Susanoo would henceforth be called Acala Vidyaraja.

(Note: Buddhism originated in ancient India and is predominantly practiced in Asia.)

After all, as a monk, it always felt somewhat awkward for his technique to continue bearing the name of a deity from Shinto.

Moreover, Acala Vidyaraja subdues evil and conquers the obstinate through overwhelming might, symbolism that matched Susanoo's devastating destructive power and imposing presence remarkably well.