Chapter 166: Quest for Freedom

Under the Ryūchi Cave's Transformation Sage Mode, Naruto attempted to enter the Shikkotsu Forest's Silent Sage Mode.

Swish! Swish!

The moment it activated, the sage snakes and horns disappeared!

It wasn't that the power itself vanished, but rather became more subtle and restrained!

Naruto mused, "I see, under the Transformation Sage Mode, the restless emotions are countered by the Silent Sage Mode, creating a new balance between physical and spiritual energy."

Orochimaru commented, "The sage arts of Mount Myōboku, also known as the Harmonization Sage Arts, as the name suggests, build a new balance between physical and spiritual energy with external natural energy. The stronger these two are, the more natural energy is absorbed. Lord Hashirama's Freedom Sage Arts were strong precisely because of this."

Naruto closed his eyes and activated the Harmonization Sage Arts of Mount Myōboku, allowing the vast natural energy to flood into his body!

Orochimaru asked, "How does it feel?"

With golden eye shadows appearing, Naruto opened his eyes and said, "It's powerful, but it's just a compatibility of the three sage arts, not an innovation. I'm sure this isn't the Freedom Sage Arts."

Orochimaru rubbed his chin, "It's said that when the Natural Sage Arts succeed, a unique mask different from the three sage arts appears."

Naruto pondered, "Is that a brand new sage art? I've been too focused on the traces of the three sage arts. From now on, I need to let go of these and explore a new path."

The White Snake Sage, observing the scene through a crystal ball, couldn't help but sigh, "He has already realized that forgetting oneself is the key to mastering the Freedom Sage Arts. He is just one step away from comprehending the Freedom Sage Arts."

Late into the night.

Kabuto Yakushi returned to his base in the Land of Grass. In the battle at Konoha, he lost almost all his Edo Tensei pawns, but knowing the vulnerability of Edo Tensei being actively undone, he wasn't very keen on it anymore. Thus, losing those pawns didn't bother him much.

As long as Sasuke was safe.

Upon waking, Sasuke stared at the ceiling silently.

He had experienced defeat once again, and this time at the hands of the most unexpected person.

Kabuto comforted him, "Sasuke-kun, you must believe in your strength. You are among the top in the ninja world; you just keep picking the wrong opponents each time."

Boom!!!

Sasuke angrily punched the bed: "Don't tell me such comforting words meant for children!!!"

After several minutes of silence.

Sasuke suddenly shed tears of helplessness, "Kabuto, do you think I'm really useless, unable to even seek revenge, unable to defeat Hinata!"

Ah, still just a child.

After sighing inwardly, Kabuto comforted, "Sasuke-kun, I understand your feelings. This time, it was my lack of intelligence gathering. I didn't know Konoha had prepared so well, nor did I know that girl named Hinata had such powerful strength."

Sasuke replied, "It's not your fault. It was my sudden decision to attack Konoha!"

Seeing that Sasuke could reflect, Kabuto felt a surge of warmth inside!

What is happening to me? After witnessing the defiance of Sasuke-kun, he suddenly understands reason, and I feel an urge to cry!?

He quickly masked his emotions, adjusting his glasses, and said seriously, "No worries, no worries. From now on, we'll think carefully and not fight unprepared battles, alright?"

Sasuke wiped his tears: "I'll listen to you. I'm hungry and want something to eat."

Kabuto stood up: "Alright, I'll prepare food for you!"

After eating, Sasuke noticed that the wounds he suffered during the battle at Konoha had healed, and the skin at the injury sites had turned white!

He asked, "Kabuto, what did you do to my wounds?"

Kabuto explained, "I transplanted Hashirama's cells onto your wounds."

Sasuke asked, "Can they only be transplanted when injured?"

Kabuto replied seriously, "When wounds heal on their own, they release a large number of white blood cells to kill bacteria. White blood cells can inhibit the side effects of Hashirama's cells to a certain extent."

Kabuto thought to himself: Who makes Sasuke-kun not part of the Uzumaki clan? To obtain Hashirama's power relatively harmlessly, this is the only way.

Sasuke then asked, "By the way, who is Shin Uchiha?"

Kabuto explained truthfully.

Sasuke said, "That guy's cells seem to have anti-rejection capabilities, right? Did you use his cells in Danzo's modifications?"

Hearing Sasuke's apparent interest, Kabuto replied, "Anti-rejection is Shin's only strength, allowing him to accept various powers and become a jack-of-all-trades. But a jack-of-all-trades never excels; he can't unleash true power."

Kabuto thought: To put it bluntly, Shin Uchiha is just a degraded product of the Uzumaki bloodline. To pursue higher-level power, his cells will eventually become a burden.

Sasuke looked at the wound where Hashirama's cells were transplanted and asked, "Once I adapt to these cells, can I awaken the Rinnegan?"

Regarding this...

Kabuto, using a hypothesis he and Orochimaru had established, deduced that the evolution direction of the Sharingan is the Rinnegan. He also learned that Madara Uchiha awakened the Rinnegan before his death by obtaining Hashirama's power.

But previously, Kabuto was unsure whether Madara's awakening of the Rinnegan was an exception or a rule.

Until the journey to Ryūchi Cave, from the White Snake Sage, he learned that Sasuke is the reincarnation of Indra, finally deducing the true condition for awakening!

The power of Indra, combined with the power of Asura, is the key to awakening the Rinnegan!

Hashirama is the previous Asura, Madara is the previous Indra. The power of the previous Asura is effective for the previous Indra, but it cannot be asserted whether it is effective for the current Indra, or if effective, whether it will be discounted?

For Sasuke-kun's future, even if Hashirama's cells are truly effective, it cannot be rushed!

He solemnly said, "To be cautious, the Hashirama cells I transplanted for you are only in small amounts, probably insufficient to catalyze the Rinnegan. But it should allow you to initially master the power of Wood Release."

Sasuke felt lost: "Then when will I finally transform and become strong?"

Kabuto said, "Don't rush; great achievements come late. Your future accomplishments will surpass Naruto!"

He thought: The urgent task is to determine who is the reincarnation of Asura. Both Indra reincarnations are from the Uchiha, so the two Asura reincarnations should be from the Senju, right?

But the surviving members of the Senju are few.

Could it be Tsunade's brother, Nawaki, who is already dead?

Or...

Kabuto suddenly realized.

Wait, the son of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, seems never to have been recorded in any archives, and his cause of death is a mystery!

Wait, could it be that Hashirama's son left other Senju descendants, and this generation's Asura reincarnation exists among those unidentified descendants?

Back at Ryūchi Cave, the rear mountains!

On the forehead, a red circle adorned the center!

Red arrows pointed towards the eyes, resembling the same mask of the Freedom Sage as Hashirama!

But not entirely identical, from Naruto's eyes, each arrow extended towards his arms, pointing to the Rinnegan in Naruto's palms!

Boom!!!

A storm arose, pushing Orochimaru back a hundred meters, covering his face with his hands, awestruck: "This, this is!"

Finally...

Naruto Uzumaki has mastered the Freedom Sage Arts!

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