Time passed within Shikkotsu Forest.
Ten days had already passed while Chiya and Tsunade immersed themselves in Sage Jutsu training without any distractions.
With his powerful foundation and the extraordinary perception and control granted by the Rinnegan, Chiya's mastery of Sage Chakra continued to improve.
At first, he could barely maintain the balance.
Later, he was able to steadily release Sage Chakra while moving slowly, and he even began experimenting with incorporating the power of Sage Jutsu into simple ninjutsu.
Pale blue Sage Chakra wrapped around his fingertips.
With a casual wave, a wind blade infused with natural energy could easily slice through the hard bone rock in the distance, its power far exceeding that of ordinary Wind Release.
The blue white markings on both sides of his cheeks also became increasingly clear and stable.
They looked like natural markings, adding a hint of mystery and authority to his appearance.
Tsunade's training was considerably more difficult.
Although she was the granddaughter of Hashirama Senju, she was nowhere near the level of strength and ability that Hashirama possessed.
Even Hashirama's "passive regeneration" ability required her to develop special ninjutsu before she could match it.
After all, Hashirama Senju was the reincarnation of Asura's chakra and a "chosen" leader.
Apart from working hard herself, Tsunade had no other choice.
Fortunately, her control over medical ninjutsu was excellent, and she was also extremely skilled at manipulating chakra.
However, when it came to handling the extraordinarily special energy known as natural energy, she was still extremely clumsy.
During the first few days, she suffered repeated setbacks.
The natural energy was either difficult to absorb, or the moment it entered her body, it triggered violent rejection from her own chakra.
Several times, obvious signs of petrification appeared on her body.
If Chiya and Katsuyu had not stopped her in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
But Tsunade was still Tsunade.
The pride and tenacity belonging to one of the Legendary Sannin would never allow her to give up easily.
Especially with the title she carried...
"The granddaughter of Hashirama Senju, the God of Shinobi!"
After Chiya's success encouraged her, she cast aside her restlessness and the trace of hidden insecurity in her heart and truly calmed herself down.
She approached the process like the most precise medical operation, adjusting and adapting little by little.
Katsuyu's split body also provided tremendous assistance.
Using its gentle energy, it helped Tsunade sense that delicate point of balance.
Finally, after countless attempts, blue green chakra carrying the unique vitality of Shikkotsu Forest successfully condensed and circulated within her body.
"Success!"
Tsunade suddenly opened her eyes, her face filled with uncontrollable joy and excitement.
She felt the new, vibrant power within her body.
It was as though every cell in her body was cheering.
Blue green markings similar to Chiya's appeared on her forehead, although hers were softer and more elegant.
"Congratulations, Tsunade."
Chiya walked over to her and sincerely congratulated her.
He could feel that after successfully condensing Sage Chakra, Tsunade's entire aura had become deeper and more restrained while also overflowing with tremendous vitality.
"Hmph. I couldn't exactly let you leave me too far behind."
The corners of Tsunade's mouth lifted with a hint of pride, but her gaze toward Chiya was filled with gratitude and tenderness.
She knew that without Chiya's encouragement and companionship, she might not have crossed this hurdle so smoothly.
"Keep going! I want to become proficient at using natural energy!"
Tsunade was full of enthusiasm and immediately continued training.
Her initial success was only the beginning.
The two remained in Shikkotsu Forest, consolidating their cultivation, adapting to maintaining their Sage Jutsu state while moving, and beginning to explore the possibilities of using Sage Jutsu in actual combat.
Three days later.
On an enormous bone platform in Shikkotsu Forest, Tsunade and Chiya stood facing each other after successfully stabilizing their Sage Jutsu training.
The natural energy markings on both of their cheeks were clearly visible.
A harmonious aura that seemed to blend into the surrounding environment lingered around them, yet it contained tremendous power waiting to erupt.
"How do you feel?"
Chiya looked at Tsunade, who appeared more radiant than ever and whose aura was even more imposing than before, and asked with a smile.
He could sense that after successfully mastering Sage Jutsu, not only had Tsunade's strength increased, but the confidence and dominance inherited from the Senju Clan had also become even more pronounced.
"Better than ever!"
Tsunade clenched her fist, and her knuckles cracked sharply.
Feeling the powerful Sage Chakra within her body, her eyes flashed with excitement and anticipation.
"My whole body is overflowing with power. It feels like I could smash a mountain with one punch!"
"Chiya, how about we test it out? Let me see just how powerful my monstrous strength has become with Sage Jutsu!"
She had always been straightforward and bold by nature.
Now that she had mastered Sage Chakra, she could no longer suppress her urge to test it.
Chiya was also extremely interested.
He wanted to see for himself just how terrifying Tsunade's attacks could become after incorporating natural energy into her fighting style.
It was also the perfect opportunity to test the results of his own experiments with incorporating Sage Jutsu into conventional ninjutsu.
"All right. I'll help you loosen up a little."
Chiya nodded and drifted backward more than ten meters, creating some distance between them.
"Be careful. I won't hold back too much either."
"Bring it on!"
Tsunade shouted, and her golden ponytail fluttered despite the absence of wind.
She did not even form hand seals.
With a single thought, the blue green markings on her cheeks began to glow faintly, and Sage Chakra instantly condensed around her right fist.
Unlike the violent surge of chakra she had previously displayed when using monstrous strength, the Sage Chakra surrounding her fist was exceptionally condensed this time.
It radiated a deep blue green glow.
It was as though the vitality and power of an entire forest and ocean had been compressed into the space around her fist.
The air around her fist began to distort slightly, producing a low hum.
"Sage Art: Monstrous Strength!"
Tsunade shouted and suddenly drove her foot into the ground.
Boom!
The hard bone platform beneath her collapsed into a shallow crater centered around her toes, with cracks spreading outward like a spiderweb.
Her figure then transformed into a green afterimage and crossed the distance between them almost instantly.
The fist containing terrifying power shot straight toward Chiya.
Wherever the force of her punch passed, the air was violently compressed and formed a visible white shockwave accompanied by a piercing shriek.
The might of this punch far exceeded any attack she had unleashed before.
It truly seemed capable of shattering a mountain.
Facing this earth shattering punch, Chiya's eyes narrowed.
He did not use the power of the Rinnegan.
Instead, he wanted to test the effects of combining Sage Jutsu with conventional ninjutsu.
His hands moved rapidly through a sequence of seals.
The Sage Chakra within his body followed a specific circulation pattern and resonated with the dense natural energy surrounding him.
"Sage Art: Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame!"
He opened his mouth and exhaled.
This was no longer an ordinary mass of scorching flames.
Instead, a sea of red gold fire resembling a mixture of molten lava and radiant sunset erupted outward.
The range of the flames was not particularly enormous, but the energy contained within them had been compressed to an extreme degree.
As the flames rolled, faint natural energy runes flickered within them, radiating a terrifying heat capable of scorching mountains and boiling seas.
Wherever the flames passed, even the air itself ignited with crackling sounds, while the surface of the bone platform below was instantly scorched black.
The red gold sea of Sage Fire and Tsunade's blue green Sage Art punch collided like two meteors.
Boom!!
Instead of exploding outward with imagined torrents of energy, the two attacks, both containing tremendous amounts of natural energy, produced a deep and muffled sound the instant they collided.
It was as though a strange effect of "absorption" and "annihilation" had occurred.
A temporary vortex of energy formed where the fist and flames met.
Tsunade's punch was overwhelmingly powerful, forcibly carving a vacuum passage through the sea of fire as its violent force pierced through the flames and continued toward Chiya.
Meanwhile, Chiya's Sage Fire clung to the force of the punch like a parasite, wrapping around it and burning away the energy it contained.
The natural energy within the punch was gradually assimilated and worn down.
Eventually, after breaking through most of the sea of fire, the force of Tsunade's punch was exhausted and disappeared.
The remaining Sage Flames were completely dispersed by the final trace of her fist wind.
A powerful shockwave spread outward in a ring from the point of collision.
Several smaller Katsuyu split bodies on the platform were blown away, rolling across the ground, while the enormous bone forest in the distance trembled faintly.
The dust and residual energy slowly dispersed, revealing the two figures in the arena.
Tsunade maintained her punching stance and breathed slightly heavily, but her face was filled with intense excitement and disbelief.
She looked at her completely unharmed fist.
It even felt stronger after being nourished by Sage Chakra.
Then she looked at the bone platform ahead, where the residual force of her punch had carved a deep trench.
She also looked at the large blackened area where Chiya's flames had scorched the platform.
"Is this... the power of Sage Jutsu?"
Tsunade's voice trembled slightly.
It was not fear.
It was excitement.
"My monstrous strength has increased by at least fifty percent! No, possibly even more! The force is also much more concentrated, and the recoil seems to have been greatly reduced by the properties of Sage Chakra!"
She could clearly feel that the punch she had just thrown possessed astonishing destructive power.
The endless natural energy contained within her fist even gave her the sensation that she could continue erupting with power without tiring.
Chiya also dispersed the Sage Chakra surrounding his body, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.
He walked to the edge of the scorched area and crouched down to touch the surface of the bone rock burned by his Sage Fire.
It was crystal clear to the touch, as though the extreme heat had instantly turned the surface into glass.
"Sage Jutsu provides an equally tremendous enhancement to ninjutsu."
Chiya analyzed the results.
"The increase isn't merely in the amount of chakra. More importantly, it causes a qualitative transformation."
"Natural energy changes the fundamental properties of the flames, giving them higher temperatures, stronger adhesion and greater penetration. It also gives them additional destructive effects against chakra-based defenses."
He had been able to sense it clearly during the clash with Tsunade's monstrous strength.
His Sage Fire was not merely competing with her attack on the level of raw energy.
It was also continuously eroding and dismantling the chakra structure contained within her fist.
"That's incredible!"
Tsunade hurried over to Chiya and grabbed his arm, her eyes shining as though she had discovered an entirely new world.
"Chiya, we really did it!"
"Sage Jutsu... this is completely a new world!"
"I have absolute confidence now. If I can successfully incorporate Sage Chakra into the Yin Seal and develop a Sage Jutsu version of the Hundred Healings Technique, its power will definitely exceed our imagination!"
Seeing Tsunade's excitement, which made her look like a little girl who had just discovered something amazing, Chiya could not help smiling.
He held her hand in return and felt the slight warmth in her palm caused by her excitement.
"That's right. This is only the beginning."
"The mysteries of Sage Jutsu go far beyond this. Whether for individual strength or the future development of Konoha, its value is immeasurable."
The two looked at each other and smiled, both able to see their anticipation and confidence for the future in each other's eyes.
"Let's go. We've spent enough time here. It's time to return to Konoha."
Chiya raised his head and looked toward the light from the outside world shining through the gaps between the enormous bones above them.
"There are still many things waiting for us to do."
"Mm!"
Tsunade nodded firmly and linked her arm with Chiya's, a bright and confident smile on her face.
The next moment, the light of Reverse Summoning Jutsu appeared once again, and the two figures slowly disappeared from Shikkotsu Forest, filled with ancientness and vitality.
The light of Reverse Summoning Jutsu flashed, and Chiya and Tsunade reappeared in Tsunade's room.
The sun was shining brightly outside the window.
It was already afternoon.
"We're finally back."
Tsunade stretched and felt the power surging through her body, her confidence increasing dramatically.
"Mm. The village still feels peaceful."
Chiya sensed his surroundings and found nothing unusual.
He also noticed that natural energy was pitifully scarce in Konoha.
'Could the Three Great Sacred Lands each be independent small worlds?'
After tidying themselves up, the two left the residence together and headed toward the Hokage Building.
As they passed through a street near a training ground, a heated argument filled with disdain reached their ears.
"Hey, Might Duy! Can you stop holding everyone back?"
"It's only a D Rank mission to clean trash from a river, and you still managed to fall into the muddy water three times!"
"Exactly! Even a taijutsu idiot has to have some limits! Your chakra control is bad enough, but can't you even maintain basic balance?"
"I really don't know why Lord Hokage still keeps an eternal genin like you in the village. You're simply wasting resources!"
"..."
Three shinobi wearing Chunin vests and displaying impatient expressions were surrounding a middle aged man dressed in a green jumpsuit.
His eyebrows were thick, and his hairstyle resembled a watermelon rind.
That man was Might Duy.
His entire body was covered in mud and water, making him look rather miserable.
Yet there was no resentment on his face.
Instead, he wore a sincere apologetic expression and his usual passionate smile.
"I'm sorry, everyone! I'm just too clumsy! But I'll definitely work harder!"
"This is only a small setback on the road of youth! I promise I won't make the same mistake next time! Please give me another chance..."
However, his apology did not earn him any understanding.
Instead, it brought even more ridicule.
"Next time? Forget it! I'm definitely not teaming up with you again for the next mission!"
"Youth, youth, youth. What's the use of shouting slogans? Strength is what really matters!"
"..."
Chiya and Tsunade stopped walking.
Tsunade frowned.
She was deeply disgusted by this kind of bullying.
But she also knew that in the shinobi world, being ostracized for lacking strength was commonplace.
Chiya's gaze fell on Might Duy.
The man who, in the original timeline, would burn away his youth to protect Might Guy and use the Eight Gates Formation to beat the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist so badly that they would later become the "Lucky Seven."
The man who would eventually shine with a light comparable to that of a god.
Because of the butterfly effect caused by the end of the war, Chiya had prevented the situation in which children were sent onto the battlefield.
As a result, Might Duy had never received his moment of glory.
Now, he was still the "eternal genin" looked down upon by everyone.
Chiya slowly walked over.
"That's not right."
His appearance immediately caused the expressions of the three Chunin to change.
They hurriedly straightened up and respectfully bowed.
"Lord Hokage! Lady Tsunade!"
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