Hey guys, here is the new chapter hope you will liked and read thru everything.
Don't forget to leave your power stones along with your comment if you have any ideas or opinions that could help me, as well as a review to continue showing your support.
Enjoy the chapter!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The last three hundred steps were nothing more than blocks of polished stone worn down by the wind and the passage of centuries, but for Kimimaro, every single step represented a triumph of his will.
When his foot finally crossed the threshold of the upper courtyard and stepped onto the firm stone of the summit, Kimimaro came to a halt.
He did not fall to his knees, nor did he show signs of collapse; his posture remained upright, his back straight, and his face serene, even as sweat dripped down his forehead and his breath carried the heat of extreme exertion.
Climbing thousands of steps without the aid of chakra—enduring the crushing pressure of the valley's gravity and dodging unpredictable traps and physical obstacles—would have broken the bones of any shinobi who lacked exceptional physical conditioning.
In the center of the vast clearing stood a massive stone glowing with a brilliant green light, and in front of it waited a single elephant in quiet composure: the imposing figure of Matangi, mother to Iron and Zoyu, and the current leader of the elephant clan.
Unlike her sons, her attire was far more comfortable, wearing something akin to an elegant, relaxed yukata. Her golden eyes, weighted with the experience of countless eras, shifted to observe the white-haired youth with a blend of curiosity and gravity.
Kimimaro walked forward with steady strides until he stood a few paces from the leader, bowing formally and flawlessly, bending at the waist with the impeccable discipline that always defined him.
"I have completed the trial, Matangi-sama," Kimimaro announced in a calm voice, devoid of any arrogance or fatigue.
Matangi let out a low snort of satisfaction that stirred a small cloud of dust around her, gently swirling the dirt across the courtyard floor.
"I must admit that your physical endurance and composure are extraordinary, Kimimaro," the matriarca spoke in her deep, resonant voice, heavy yet wrapped in an undeniable maternal warmth.
"Many ninjas who attempt that climb without relying on chakra collapse halfway through from muscle exhaustion, or give in to the unpredictable traps I set to shatter their focus. But you... I can see that Daigo hasn't taken his duties as Kazekage lightly and has trained you exceptionally well."
Kimimaro listened in silence, keeping his gaze fixed ahead with his characteristic serene expression.
Matangi took a slow step forward, appearing even more imposing beneath the morning sunlight as she evaluated his physical capabilities.
"Your father, Daigo-san, spoke to me in detail about your abilities before you arrived in our lands," Matangi continued, pausing to look at the marks left on the stone path.
"I know what you are capable of. Your control over the Kaguya clan's bloodline limit is simply flawless: you can densify your bones to the level of tempered steel in a fraction of a second, shape your bone structure with millimeter precision, and regenerate tissue without losing focus for even a second. To that, you add mastery over the Seven Heavens Breathing—a technique that multiplies your impact force and speed to levels that turn any close-quarters fight into absolute suicide for your enemies."
The great leader stopped directly in front of Kimimaro, narrowing her wise golden eyes toward him.
"In terms of pure combat, physical training, and face-to-face lethality, you stand on a level far superior to most youths of your generation—or even Jonin, I dare say. You have no major tactical flaws in your taijutsu to fix, nor posture mistakes that a master needs to polish."
Kimimaro narrowed his eyes slightly, picking up on the deliberate pause in the leader's speech.
"But there is a 'however', isn't there, Matangi-sama?" Kimimaro asked with quiet solemnity.
"Indeed there is," Matangi confirmed firmly. "Your body is a strong temple, but your chakra source... the total volume of chakra you hold in your reserves... does not match the scale of your abilities. Your most advanced bone techniques, rapid cellular regeneration, and the higher activations of the Breathing consume chakra at a terrifying rate. If you face an enemy in prolonged combat, a large-scale battle, or a war of attrition, the limit of your reserves will become your downfall."
Kimimaro lightly clenched his fists at his sides. Matangi's observation hit the exact mark. He knew full well that although the Seven Heavens Breathing optimized oxygen flow and accelerated his metabolism, constant bone creation and densification drained his reserves at an alarming pace if a battle dragged on.
He had realized this especially during his battle against Gaara.
"What is the plan to overcome this limit, Matangi-sama?" Kimimaro asked, ready to undergo any process without hesitation.
Matangi let out a slight smile filled with martial pride, tilting her head up subtly.
"To expand your chakra capacity," Matangi declared authoritatively.
"To force your chakra pathways to dilate and your cells to generate an infinitely greater amount of energy. And this step is crucial, Kimimaro, because out of the three siblings training in our valley, you possess the highest stability, physical discipline, and compatibility required. Your body is the only one currently capable of acting as a flawless vessel for the next step."
Kimimaro raised an eyebrow with subtle curiosity.
"The next step?"
"The Elephant Sage Mode," Matangi revealed, letting her words echo across the clearing like a sacred decree.
"Currently, only two beings in this world are capable of mastering and sustaining the senjutsu chakra of our clan: your father, Daigo, and myself. Zoyu is far too impulsive, carried away by the thrill of battle; Iron is focused entirely on the pure structure of Yang chakra. But you... you possess the inner calm and strength to assimilate natural energy without letting it overpower you."
Matangi walked toward the center of the area, where the glowing stone stood bathed in light.
"Sage Mode demands a strong body and massive reserves," the matriarch continued, stopping next to the stone.
"If you attempt to absorb nature energy without proportional chakra reserves to balance it alongside your physical and spiritual energy, senjutsu will consume you instantly. That is why, before teaching you to feel the earth, we must double or triple the amount of chakra your cells can produce and store."
Kimimaro observed the stone block. He could sense an invisible force emanating from it, noticing how Matangi kept her eyes on it.
"Chakra is not a static energy that simply exists for no reason," Matangi explained, placing one of her front feet onto the stone slab.
"It is the result of the perfect unification of physical energy and spiritual energy. Your physical energy is immense thanks to the Shikotsumyaku, but your mind, out of self-preservation, has placed a cap on your chakra pathways to keep you from draining yourself. You've been using only a fraction of what your true body can contain."
The seal formulas etched into the black stone slab began to glow with a vivid green light.
A vertical pillar of light shot up toward the sky, forming a localized field of intense gravity and spiritual pressure right over the surface of the platform.
"During this training, we will break through that protective barrier in your mind," Matangi announced in a stern tone.
"You will undergo a continuous process of compression and expansion. You will meditate on this slab while gravity and the natural chakra of this area attempt to crush your chakra network. To keep your system from collapsing under external pressure, you will be forced to push your body to produce chakra en masse, widening your internal pathways and turning your modest reserve into an ocean."
Kimimaro looked into the center of the glowing circle. The energy vibrating there was enough to make a Jonin-level ninja stumble within seconds. Yet, not a trace of doubt or fear appeared on the young man's face.
"I understand the trial," Kimimaro said, taking a firm step forward.
"If my destiny is to wield the power of Sage Mode and stand as the pillar my family and village need, no pressure can break me."
Kimimaro stepped forward without hesitation, placing his feet at the center of the stone slab.
The moment his feet touched the light, the gravitational force inside the slab multiplied exponentially.
The air was knocked out of his lungs instantly, and his knees buckled slightly under the invisible weight of the pressure. His internal chakra pathways groaned, contracting painfully against the force of the containment field.
"Do not use your bloodline limit—use only your chakra to reinforce yourself and expend it!" Matangi commanded sternly from the perimeter.
Kimimaro closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. He ignored the muscle pain and focused inward on his chakra network.
He searched deep within his core, right where his chakra origin lay. With sheer mental willpower, he forced his system to mold chakra at an unprecedented rate. A dense, bluish aura surged from his pores, slamming directly against the pressure of the stone.
BOOM!
An invisible shockwave swept across the clearing, making the ground tremble. Kimimaro's energy fought fiercely to carve out space, expanding his chakra pathways millimeter by millimeter under Matangi's watchful eye.
Matangi watched the scene with deep satisfaction shining in her golden eyes. The young man was not merely enduring the crushing trial—his chakra pathways were beginning to yield, adapting and expanding to accommodate a surge of chakra like he had never produced before.
Thus began the first step toward achieving Sage Mode.
The afternoon sun moved toward its peak, bathing the mountain summit in pure golden light. The air on the peak remained crisp, but at the center of the stone clearing, the temperature had risen drastically from the friction of conflicting energies.
The blue chakra aura surging from Kimimaro's body whipped around like a fierce fire, pushing continuously against the gravitational barrier generated by Matangi's stone.
Beads of sweat falling from Kimimaro's face evaporated before ever reaching the ground. His muscles quivered slightly from the relentless exertion, yet his face remained impasible, a mask of total concentration.
Matangi, resting on her hind legs a few paces away, observed every micro-change in the youth's chakra flow. With her superior sensory perception, she could see Kimimaro's normally slim chakra network beginning to undergo clear changes—it would take time, but progress was undeniable.
Realizing he had pushed far enough for the day, Matangi walked to the edge of the plateau, overlooking the entirety of the Elephant Valley: the winding rivers, the bamboo forests where Daiku trained, and the towering waterfalls where Sunae refined her impact power.
"Your father, Daigo-san, understood long ago that true mastery isn't about possessing the most destructive technique, but becoming wise and vast enough to hold any power without losing your balance," Matangi continued, gazing out at the horizon.
"He came to these lands seeking to refine his Crystal Release, and it was here that he learned to weave nature energy into his own chakra to attain Sage Mode. When I look at you, I see that same potential, only forged into a unique martial form."
Kimimaro walked over to stand beside the matriarch, taking in the vast landscape stretching below them.
"My father has always been my ideal of what it means to be a complete shinobi," Kimimaro said in a soft, respectful voice.
"Knowing he walked these same grounds and trained under your guidance gives me absolute certainty that I am on the right path. Yet, at times, I wonder if I am enough for him, since I have nothing that directly connects me to Dad."
"I can understand why you'd feel that way, but listen to me, Kimimaro," Matangi said, meeting his gaze as he nodded quietly.
"Not having Crystal Release or Scorch Release or any trait that Daigo and the others possess doesn't make you any less his son. On the contrary—if Daigo chose you to be his eldest son, it's because he knows what you are capable of, and he loves you every bit as much as the others. You have no reason to feel left out."
"I know, Matangi-sensei... these are just thoughts that cross my mind sometimes. Thank you for those words. Now, with Sage Mode, I'll have something shared with him, so I must be ready," Kimimaro said, his energy visibly renewed.
"You are ready," Matangi affirmed firmly.
"But do not strive to be a carbon copy of Daigo. Your path lies in your bloodline limit, your impenetrable defense, and your absolute calm. Over the next three years under my tutelage in our home, we will not only expand your chakra capacity until your reserves rival those of a powerhouse, but I will also teach you the secrets of senjutsu meditation. You will learn to feel the natural energy of the air, the stone, and the wind, fusing it with your Shikotsumyaku and the Seven Heavens Breathing."
The clan leader's words settled into Kimimaro's mind with the weight of a solemn promise. The prospect of combining nature energy with the density of his bones and the pulmonary acceleration of the Seven Heavens opened up tactical possibilities far beyond anything he had previously imagined.
"When do we begin the next phase of training, Matangi-sama?" Kimimaro asked, his golden eyes burning with unwavering resolve.
Matangi let out a low chuckle.
"The next phase has already begun, Kimimaro," the matriarch answered, pointing back toward the center of the clearing, where the stone slab's seal formulas ignited once more with an even brighter glow.
"Starting today, you will meditate on that stone for six hours every morning, resisting double the gravity while maintaining the First Activation of the Breathing. In the afternoons, you will practice the pure form of your combat dances, expending as much chakra as possible until you are nearly depleted—that exhaustion will force your reserves to expand even further."
Kimimaro looked at the vibrating platform and nodded calmly. There was no complaint, no doubt, and no hesitation in his spirit.
"Understood, Matangi-sama. I will give everything I have in every session."
"I know you will," Matangi concluded warmly.
"Now, back onto the platform. The path to becoming a Sage Mode user and the unyielding pillar of your generation requires every second to count."
Without another word, Kimimaro turned and walked back toward the black stone with firm steps.
The mountain wind ruffled his white hair as he positioned himself once again over the glowing seal.
Taking a deep breath with a completely peaceful mind, he closed his eyes and allowed the overwhelming pressure of the mountain to envelop him once more, ready to forge, step by step, the vast vessel that would carry his legacy.