Chapter 294: The Terrifying 'Toadification'!
"It's a success! The [Senjutsu Mask]!"
Nara Keisuke gripped the blood-red mask in his hand, a flash of joy on his face.
As for the numerous, trivial warning prompts on the panel regarding the [Senjutsu Mask], he wasn't particularly concerned.
He was very clear on the pros and cons of [Sage Mode: Mount Myōboku]. The Sage Chakra refined through this true S-Rank Senjutsu, which originated from the toads, would naturally not be free of its innate negative effects.
The three generations of Mount Myōboku users—Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze, or the true "Child of Prophecy," Naruto Uzumaki—all suffered varying degrees of physical 'toadification' effects after entering [Sage Mode]. The only difference was the severity.
Jiraiya's [Sage Mode] had the most severe 'toadification'—eyeshadow, sharp fangs, a garlic-bulb nose, warty spots... In short, it was extremely ugly.
Minato Namikaze claimed to have no talent for Senjutsu, but he was stronger than his teacher in a few ways: not only could he enter [Sage Mode] on his own, but his 'toadification' was also very low, limited to his eyes.
Of course, Master Minato's "speed" was also well-known. His maintenance of [Sage Mode] was also unbelievably short. His "Sage-ification" could likely only be measured in "seconds," and the number probably wouldn't exceed two digits.
As for Naruto Uzumaki, who inherited Master Minato's bloodline (among other chaotic bloodlines, statuses, and chakras), he possessed extremely strong talent in [Sage Mode], and the 'toadification' he suffered was also low.
Like Minato Namikaze, Naruto also only had "eyeshadow" as his 'toadification' when entering the Sage state.
But strictly speaking, the "eyeshadow" wasn't the core 'toadification' of Mount Myōboku's [Sage Mode]; its most central feature was the "pupils."
After entering [Sage Mode], Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze, and Naruto Uzumaki's pupils all turned into the toad-like "bar pupils."
This "bar pupil" feature ran through all of Naruto's various Sage forms.
From [Sage Mode: Mount Myōboku] (Sage Naruto) during the Pain Invasion;
To the [Sage: Kurama Mode] (Sage Fox) after reconciling with the Nine-Tails, possessing both Nine-Tails chakra and Sage Chakra;
And even the [Six Paths Sage Mode] inherited from the Sage of Six Paths…
In all these different states, Sage Naruto possessed "bar pupils" or the "cross-pupils" (a fusion of toad eyes and Nine-Tails eyes) derived from them.
This meant the physical 'toadification' from [Sage Mode: Mount Myōboku] could not be completely erased, even after ascending to the Six Paths-level.
Nara Keisuke didn't think he could erase the 'toadification' effects of [Sage Mode: Mount Myōboku].
The only question now was, how severe would the 'toadification' be on his real body!
Now that he had finally obtained Mount Myōboku's [Sage Mode] inheritance, Nara Keisuke certainly wouldn't just shelve it.
Using [Sage Mode: Mount Myōboku] as a transitional form until he researched his own exclusive Sage state was undoubtedly the clear path forward.
"Successfully creating the [Senjutsu Mask] proves I can smoothly create Sage Chakra."
Nara Keisuke studied the blood-red mask in his hand, sinking into deep thought.
"However, the use of the [Senjutsu Mask] must be handled with extreme caution. It's not something my normal state can play around with.
"The Sage Chakra in this mask has completely stabilized. I cannot add another wisp of chakra or natural energy.
"That is to say, the Sage Chakra in the [Senjutsu Mask] cannot be directly fused with ninjutsu or the body.
"To put it in an easier-to-understand way… it's a 'Sage Tool' that only Sages can use!"
Nara Keisuke took the [Senjutsu Mask] to a training room within the underground research institute.
Shadow Clone Jutsu!
A Shadow Clone made of conventional chakra appeared in front of Nara Keisuke.
"I knew it…"
The moment the Shadow Clone appeared in the training room, it sighed and slapped its forehead.
"You were worried about turning into a toad, so you sent a clone.
"Clones are people too!"
"Relax. If the [Sage Mode] 'toadification' is too severe, I won't make a clone do this again."
Nara Keisuke said casually, arms crossed.
"After all, the clone is me, and you'll just send the memory back…
"So if it's really bad, I'll have the Shadow Creatures take on the Sage Mode work. After all, the forms created by the Shadow Transformation Technique can be changed at will."
"You'd better remember that!"
The Shadow Clone grumbled, annoyed.
He then sat cross-legged on the floor of the training room, closed his eyes, and, following the key points of [Sage Mode], silently absorbed the natural energy from the surrounding air.
Training in [Sage Mode] required an enormous chakra base.
But this didn't mean that shinobi with insufficient chakra couldn't train in [Sage Mode].
Rather, only those born with vast chakra reserves could resist the impact of the endless natural energy during [Sage Mode] training.
If a person's chakra was insufficient, they would be overwhelmed by the excessive natural energy the moment they sensed, contacted, and absorbed it. The risk of dying on the spot approached one hundred percent.
Even Mount Myōboku, a Sage land with a long history, could not guarantee every practitioner would succeed. They could only use other methods to reduce the risks of training.
Restricting the entry threshold for Senjutsu practitioners was one such method.
However, the risks during [Sage Mode] training were extremely high.
But if one successfully mastered the power of [Sage Mode] and precisely grasped the ratio of Sage Chakra, they could still enter the Sage state even if they didn't have much chakra.
The most important thing for [Sage Mode] was balance.
As long as chakra and natural energy remained balanced and equal, it didn't matter if the amount of chakra was large or small; it wouldn't affect the activation or maintenance of [Sage Mode].
Of course, if the chakra amount was too small, the synthesized Sage Chakra would also be small, which would inevitably affect the power of [Sage Mode]… This was unavoidable.
But for Nara Keisuke, this was just a test of the 'toadification' level of [Sage Mode: Mount Myōboku]. He didn't need the clone to carry out some "Konoha Crush" plan.
The clone didn't need too much chakra. Just enough was fine.
Nara Keisuke sensed the natural energy in the training room surge toward the Shadow Clone and get absorbed into its body.
As the Shadow Clone continued to absorb natural energy, its appearance, especially its face, began to change subtly.
Finally, the unnatural flow of natural energy in the training room stopped.
The Shadow Clone slowly opened its eyes. Toad-like bar pupils, no different from a frog's, had replaced his original round ones.
"I've converted all the chakra into Sage Chakra. Conventional chakra and Sage Chakra can't coexist in the body in [Sage Mode]… though there's no need for them to."
The Shadow Clone shrugged and looked at its silent main body.
"Your expression is… interesting. What do I look like now?"
"I truly never imagined that these facial features could grow on my face…"
Nara Keisuke closed his eyes in pain.
"I really don't get along with those Mount Myōboku toads!"
Seeing his main body's reaction, the Shadow Clone had a bad feeling. He didn't wait for the main body to make any more heart-stabbing comments, but stood up from the floor and found a full-length mirror in the training room.
The next moment.
"Ahhh—"
The Shadow Clone let out a pained scream, the echo of which reverberated for three days.
"There's a garlic-head toad in the mirror!!"
In the bright mirror, a pale green, flat, pancake-like face was reflected. Dark spots covered the surface, and a large nose like a small mountain sat at the center.
As the Shadow Clone screamed, his dark red eyeshadow narrowed, covering his bar-pupiled eyes, but the sharp fangs growing from his widened, elongated mouth were exposed to the air.
"You have the presence of mind to call yourself a garlic-head toad. Looks like you haven't completely broken down."
Nara Keisuke slowly walked over. He had intended to pat the clone's shoulder, but he just couldn't bring himself to do it.
However, as he withdrew his hand, Nara Keisuke glanced down.
"Well... your face may have turned into a toad face, but at least your hands didn't turn into toad webbings."
"If you don't know how to talk, shut up!"
The Shadow Clone snapped its eyes open, baring its actual sharp fangs at its main body.
"Are you trying to get me to take you down with me? This is probably the easiest moment in my entire existence to do it!"
As everyone knows, as long as it wasn't depleted of chakra, when a Shadow Clone dispersed, it would return its memories and remaining chakra to the main body.
But this Shadow Clone had entered [Sage Mode], and its body was flowing with genuine Sage Chakra.
If the Shadow Clone canceled the jutsu, it would send Sage Chakra back to Nara Keisuke.
The problem was, Nara Keisuke's body already contained a certain amount of conventional chakra.
Without any preparation, if the Shadow Clone's refined Sage Chakra was transferred directly into Nara Keisuke's body, it wouldn't cause his own chakra to convert.
On the contrary, the returning Sage Chakra would immediately go berserk due to the imbalance in the chakra-to-natural-energy ratio!
If the Sage Chakra, natural energy, and conventional chakra went berserk inside Nara Keisuke's body, he could, just like the famous 'Lord Kars,' the ultimate being, "stop thinking"…
"Sorry!"
A wise man knows when to yield. Nara Keisuke decisively raised his hands in apology.
"That was too reckless of me!"
The Shadow Clone snorted coldly, showing disdain for its main body's submission, but then turned its gaze back to the mirror and closed its eyes in pain again.
"This level of 'toadification' is even more terrifying than Jiraiya's!"
The Shadow Clone snapped irritably.
"Main body, if you don't want us to perish together, you'd better remember your promise."
"Of course. I won't let a Shadow Clone or a Shadow Doppelganger use Mount Myōboku's [Sage Mode] again."
Nara Keisuke promised.
"I will have the Shadow Creatures bear this heavy burden!"
"You'd better!"
The Shadow Clone clenched its fists, emitting a sharp crackle of joints.
"Now, come and help me test the power of [Sage Mode]!
"You know how fragile clones are…
"Main body, you don't want to turn into a petrified garlic-head toad, do you?"
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