Chapter 81 Practice And Master Sage Mode!

"In other words, my punishment is the cancellation of my Jōnin appointment and a one-year suspension?"

Simu asked lazily while sitting on the chair.

The Third Hokage looked at him and sighed helplessly. "That's right."

Simu sat up straight, a serious expression on his face.

"Well, the Jōnin title doesn't really matter."

"The suspension is fine too, but... is there at least a basic salary for this year?"

The Third Hokage finally lost his patience.

"No!"

"Get this guy out of here!"

In order to keep Simu in the village, he had paid an entire tea mining business as compensation. And now, this guy was negotiating about subsidies for his suspension?

Simu muttered under his breath, "No need to get so worked up, old man. You're scary, Hokage."

Then, with a flash of light, he disappeared.

Simu appeared at a training ground near the Forest of Death in the blink of an eye.

"Moshi moshi! Looks like everyone's here."

Kushina, Rei, and Minato had gathered, waiting for news from Simu.

"Simu-sensei, how did it go?" Rei asked with concern.

Simu waved his hand dismissively. "No big deal. My Jōnin status got revoked, and I'm suspended for a year."

"Which means I won't be able to go on missions with you guys for the next six months."

Simu didn't care much. The Jōnin title meant little to him, and a year-long suspension was just like getting a vacation.

Kushina frowned. "If you're gone, what happens to our team?"

Before Kushina could continue, Jiraiya arrived at the training ground.

"Yo! Everyone's here."

Without wasting time, he announced, "Since Simu is suspended and Minato has been promoted to Jōnin, our team is officially disbanded."

Typically, a Jōnin-led team lasted about two years, and they had reached that point.

Now that both Minato and Simu had passed the Jōnin exam, keeping them in a team under Jiraiya would be a waste of resources.

With their current strength, both were capable of leading their own teams. The only issue was their age.

Looking at the three young ninjas before him, Jiraiya felt nostalgic.

It reminded him of when he was in a team under Lord Third.

He continued, "Starting today, Minato will be joining Anbu and operating independently."

"As for Simu, since you're suspended, I suggest you use this time to train in Sage Mode at the Shikkotsu Forest."

Last time, Simu had failed to master Sage Mode because his body lacked the chakra reserves needed to balance the absorbed natural energy.

But things were different now.

With his mastery of Life Return, his physical endurance had improved significantly. His chakra reserves had also increased—almost doubling compared to before.

Now was the perfect time to attempt Sage Mode again.

Jiraiya then turned to Kushina.

"As for you, Kushina, since you're a Jinchūriki, you're also prohibited from taking missions until Simu's suspension is lifted."

"Use this time to focus on training with the Adamantine Sealing Chains and gradually control the power of the Nine-Tails."

Though disappointed at not being able to take on missions, Kushina knew this training was necessary.

After all, during the Jōnin Exam, she had witnessed the terrifying power of other Jinchūrikis when they fully utilized their tailed beasts.

If she could master the Nine-Tails' power, she could better support Simu.

Her gaze drifted toward Simu's back, where the word "Justice" was written.

Jiraiya then looked at Rei.

"As for you, Rei, your situation is special. There's no specific mission assignment for now, so you'll train with Kushina for the time being."

"No matter what, improving your strength is never a bad thing."

Rei nodded seriously. "Yes, Master Jiraiya."

Jiraiya clapped his hands together. "Alright then! To celebrate, I'll treat you all to a feast tonight!"

Jiraiya had made his promise, but he soon regretted it.

Simu and Rei's appetites were far beyond his expectations.

By the time they were done, the barbecue restaurant had run out of stock!

In the end, Jiraiya managed to leave only by promising to pay later, using his Konoha Sannin title as credit.

After the meal, Simu accompanied Rei and Kushina home.

Just as they reached Kushina's door, she suddenly turned around and declared,

"From today onward, Rei is living with me! You better not even think about taking her away!"

Rei hid behind Kushina, avoiding Simu's gaze.

Scratching his head, Simu asked cautiously, "Uh, Kushina… is there a chance that maybe… the three of us could live together?"

"Not a chance, you pervert!"

With that, Kushina slammed the door shut, leaving Simu outside.

Standing at the doorstep, Simu groaned in frustration.

He had been looking forward to this year-long break, imagining carefree days spent with Rei on his left and Kushina on his right.

But Kushina had completely ruined his plans.

Behind the door, Rei hesitantly asked, "Kushina… do you think Simu will be mad at us for treating him like this?"

Kushina snorted. "That guy thinks he can have everything his way. We can't let him have it so easily!"

"Listen to me, Rei. If we give in too soon, he won't know how to cherish us."

"At the very least, we have to make him wait a month!"

Rei nodded thoughtfully. "Okay… I'll listen to you."

Rejected by Kushina, Simu had no choice but to return to Shikkotsu Forest to resume his Sage Mode training.

"Lord Katsuyu, I'm ready," he said.

The Great Katsuyu looked at Simu and nodded.

"Very well, Simu-kun. Let us begin."

Simu casually took off his shirt, revealing his well-toned muscles.

Over the past few days, he had grown taller, now reaching about 1.8 meters.

Seeing Simu's growing confidence, the Great Katsuyu no longer asked any further questions.

A small clone of Katsuyu split off and landed on Simu's back.

Simu's absorption of natural energy was incredibly fast.

For now, only one clone was needed to regulate the flow.

If he could maintain stability, they could gradually increase the number of clones.

As Katsuyu's slime spread over him, Simu activated Observation Haki, quickly extending his perception.

With Katsuyu's assistance, Simu once again saw the unique scene he had witnessed before.

The world around him—every tree, insect, even the mountains and rocks—constantly emitted a faint, green energy.

These energies manifested as tiny, invisible particles floating in the air.

They were imperceptible to the naked eye.

Even the Byakugan couldn't detect them directly.

Only with the aid of special substances, such as toad oil or Katsuyu's slime, could one sense their presence.

Utilizing Katsuyu's slime as a conduit, Simu combined it with his Observation Haki to perceive the natural energy around him.

This was what made his approach to Sage Mode different from others.

The vast natural energy floating around him was instantly drawn in by Simu.

It rapidly gathered through Katsuyu's clone on his back and flowed into his dantian along his chakra pathways, much like rivers converging into the sea.

The dantian—the very core where his chakra was stored—became the site where these energies merged.

Like a river mixing with the ocean, the natural energy instantly fused with Simu's chakra.

Without hesitation, Simu manipulated his chakra, carefully separating and adjusting the balance between the two energies.

He experimented with various ratios.

5:5... 4:6... 3:7...

Until finally, he found the perfect equilibrium between natural energy and chakra.

During this process, his body underwent visible changes.

Because he was absorbing natural energy through Katsuyu, some sluggish characteristics began to appear.

Suddenly, two tentacles sprouted from his forehead.

His skin turned pale, and a thick layer of acidic mucus oozed from his body.

A sizzling sound echoed as the corrosive mucus burned his skin.

Within minutes, large patches of scorched flesh covered his body, making it look as if he had been doused in sulfuric acid.

The grotesque tentacles protruding from his forehead made him resemble an alien creature.

Yet, despite the excruciating pain, Simu did not waver.

Without a word, he increased his absorption of natural energy...

Seven Hours Later

Through relentless fine-tuning, he finally discovered the perfect ratio for his body.

Natural Energy: 3.14 – Chakra: 6.86!

As the energies stabilized within him, his body began its recovery.

The grotesque transformations gradually faded.

First, the tentacles on his forehead retracted.

Next, his skin ceased secreting mucus, returning to its normal color.

With his enhanced physique, the burnt and corroded areas of his skin healed at an astonishing rate.

Two Hours Later

As the first rays of sunlight bathed the training ground, Simu slowly opened his eyes.

A pair of deep red markings extended outward from his eyes.

The markings split at the corners, one streak flowing toward his cheeks, the other stretching to the bottom of his ears.

It closely resembled the Sage Mode markings of the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.

A red sun-like symbol emerged on his forehead.

Simu's golden pupils shimmered with an undeniable majestic presence.

"Is this... natural energy?"

Without using any additional power, Simu gathered natural energy into his hand.

He casually threw a punch.

But unlike before, where his raw strength alone caused an impact—

Now, it felt as if the world itself assisted him.

A cyclone formed around his fist, striking a distant boulder.

A deep depression instantly appeared on the rock's surface, mirroring the shape of Simu's punch.

This sensation reminded Simu of an ancient phrase—

"The heavens and the earth move as one."

"If I wish to strike, then the world will strike alongside me."

He smirked.

"So this is Sage Mode...

"To become one with nature and wield its power."

As he immersed himself in this newfound strength, Simu felt an unparalleled sense of tranquility.

"This is terrifying... Sage Mode is truly terrifying."

At that moment, another Katsuyu clone emerged from the shadows and spoke.

"Congratulations, Lord Kizaru. You have successfully mastered Sage Mode."

"Even Lord Hashirama wasn't much faster than you when he trained in Sage Mode."

Hearing this, Simu's interest was piqued.

After all, throughout history, only Hashirama and Simu had successfully mastered the Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Mode.

As for Tsunade's Ninja Art: Mitotic Regeneration - Creation Rebirth, while it created similar facial markings, it wasn't true Senjutsu.

It merely released stored Yin Chakra, temporarily granting limitless regeneration.

Essentially, it was a weaker substitute for Hashirama's Sage Mode.

Curious, Simu casually asked,

"How long did Lord Hashirama take to master Sage Mode?"

Katsuyu pondered for a moment.

"Hmm... about 5.8."

"Five point eight? Five hours and eight minutes?" Simu asked, slightly relieved.

Katsuyu shook its head.

"No. Five point eight minutes."

Simu's face twitched.

"Five... minutes?"

Katsuyu nodded.

"Once Lord Hashirama understood the concept of Sage Mode, he simply clapped his hands together and... it was done."

Simu's sense of accomplishment shattered instantly.

He could already imagine Hashirama's ridiculous training session.

Clap his hands—boom, Sage Mode activated.

"As expected of the so-called 'God of Shinobi'... that's truly terrifying."

Simu shook off these thoughts and focused on his newfound power.

His body felt overflowing with energy.

To test it further, he drew his Light Blade and made a small cut on his finger.

Within three seconds, the wound completely healed.

This was what set the Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Mode apart from others.

Katsuyu watched in admiration.

"I didn't expect you to control Sage Mode so smoothly, Lord Kizaru. There are no lingering Katsuyu traits."

Unlike Jiraiya, who exhibited toad-like features in Sage Mode, Simu's transformation was entirely controlled.

This was the difference between those who mastered natural energy and those who merely borrowed it.

For example, Orochimaru's disciple Kabuto developed snake-like scales and even grew a white snake tail.

Simu smirked, turning to Katsuyu.

"I'll be relying on you from now on, Katsuyu."

Katsuyu responded warmly.

"It is my pleasure to assist you, Lord Kizaru."

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