The Fourth Great Ninja War was over, yet the life simulation continued.
Yuta froze for a moment, puzzled, before the realization struck him. His previous simulations had always concluded with his death. Since Matsu Takame had survived the war, the simulation was compelled to continue, charting the course of a life that had extended into an unforeseen future.
[Although peace was achieved, Orochimaru remained skeptical of its permanence. The shinobi world, in his view, was merely resting between cycles of conflict.]
[Amidst his relentless experiments and technological innovations, he identified lingering imperfections in your mastery of Sage Mode.]
[He sent you back to Ryūchi Cave, tasking you with achieving true perfection.]
[You meditated deeply on the physiological changes you had observed in Kabuto, cross-referencing them with your own arduous journey. Through this synthesis of knowledge and experience, you finally refined your technique, smoothing the last rough edges from your Sage Mode.]
[Not long after your return, Orochimaru unveiled his magnum opus: the artificial humans, Log and Mitsuki.]
[His feelings for you were a complex blend of mentor and father figure, but for these two creations, he poured out a purer, more paternal affection, treating them as his true sons.]
[However, Log betrayed that trust, stealing Orochimaru's confidential data. His treachery was discovered, and the ensuing confrontation triggered Mitsuki's own awakening of Sage Mode.]
[You and Mitsuki worked in tandem to apprehend the rogue android. It was during this operation that you truly grasped the extent of your own power. Your Sage Transformation physique—a near-perfect replica of Jūgo's—combined with your flawless Ryūchi Cave Sage Mode, has elevated you into a force of nature.]
[Yet, the enemies lurking on the horizon were of a caliber you could not hope to match.]
[You remained blissfully unaware of this fact. Even Orochimaru, the omniscient and omnipotent figure of your devotion, failed to perceive the threat.]
[They were already here, moving in the shadows.]
[For a time, you lived your ideal life, spending your days conducting research alongside Orochimaru or engaged in deep, philosophical conversation. You had never felt more fulfilled.]
[But this idyllic existence was not to last. Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki, Ōtsutsuki Urashiki, and Ōtsutsuki Kinshiki descended upon the shinobi world, their arrival as casual as it was catastrophic. They inadvertently obliterated one of Orochimaru's remote laboratories—a facility you happened to be occupying at the time.]
[Driven by loyalty, you rose to defend your master's work.]
[You died at the hands of Ōtsutsuki Momoshiki.]
[You died at the age of 60.]
[This life simulation has ended.]
[This life simulation's evaluation: S.]
[Rewards obtained: Large amount of Chakra, Orochimaru intimacy MAX, Sage Transformation physique (Cursed Seal), Ryūchi Cave Sage Mode (perfect), Sage Art: White Rage, Sage Art: Inorganic Reanimation, Water Release Chakra, Innate Water Release mastery talent, scientific experimentation proficiency MAX.]
"???"
'You have got to be kidding me,' Yuta thought, staring in disbelief at the conclusion.
'After surviving the apocalyptic Fourth Great Ninja War, after achieving a perfect Ryūchi Cave Sage Art, Matsu Takame gets stomped by a trio of Ōtsutsuki like a nuisance? Was this some kind of cruel, O. Henry-style twist?'
On reflection, however, the ending held a grim logic. In the power-scaled madness of the Boruto era, even a perfected Ryūchi Cave Sage Mode was hopelessly outclassed by alien invaders.
Still, it was frustrating. After decades at Orochimaru's side, hadn't Matsu picked up a single contingency plan, one ultimate life-saving trick?
He didn't need to achieve Orochimaru's level of near-immortality, but a little more durability would have been appreciated.
His initial dissatisfaction with the simulation's end began to fade as he scanned the list of rewards. The haul was, by any measure, spectacular.
'Orochimaru intimacy MAX…' he mused, a wry smile touching his lips. 'What am I supposed to do with this? We're already on good terms! Is this reward just to turn me into an Orochimaru-specific charmer?'
The thought was absurd. If Orochimaru were a delicate girl, he might have reluctantly accepted the idea... but no. Actually, Orochimaru could become a delicate girl. The mental image sent an involuntary shiver down Yuta's spine.
'Let's just... move on from that.'
Setting aside that particular abstract reward, the rest of the bounty was generous.
The perfect Ryūchi Cave Sage Art and the two powerful senjutsu Kabuto had wielded were game-changing.
But a new, chilling realization dawned on him. He had already mastered an imperfect version of the Shikkotsu Forest Sage Mode. What would happen when two distinct, potent systems of Sage Modes coexisted within one body?
The answer came not as a thought, but as a physical sensation. Yuta's expression shifted from triumph to alarm.
Before integrating the Ryūchi Cave Sage Art, the Shikkotsu Forest Sage Art had accelerated his cell division, but at a manageable, sustainable rate.
Now, the process was running rampant, a wildfire of cellular replication that far outstripped his body's capacity to sustain it. He was, quite literally, burning through his lifespan at an alarming speed.
Worse, he could feel the natural energy inside him churning in chaos, a turbulent storm placing immense strain on his mind and body.
The delicate equilibrium was shattered. The collision of two different Sage Modes was producing a catastrophic result he could never have anticipated.
The joy he'd felt moments ago curdled into dread. The cheat code had deposited its rewards, but it was his responsibility to manage the consequences.
The account was credited; whether it got banned was now his problem.
He had to find a solution, and fast.
A desperate plan formed in his mind: he had to attempt a fusion. He needed to merge the two Sage Modes into something entirely new, something unprecedented.
The underlying principle of all Sage Modes was the same: absorb natural energy and fuse it with physical and spiritual energy to create senjutsu chakra.
The Three Great Sage Regions merely applied this fundamental practice in different ways. Fusing two perfect Sage Arts would be a Herculean, likely impossible task. But the fact that his Shikkotsu Forest Sage Mode was imperfect created a vulnerability, a point of entry he could potentially exploit.
Success was far from guaranteed. It was a gamble with his very life at stake.
But he had no other choice. While he could withstand this imbalanced state for a short time, it was a temporary reprieve. Left unchecked, it would undoubtedly kill him.
He was treating a terminal illness, but he had to try.
Taking a deep breath, Yuta sat down in a meditative posture, cross-legged on the floor. He closed his eyes, turning his focus inward, and began the painstaking work of perceiving and guiding the chaotic streams of natural energy raging within him.
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