Chapter 296: Wood Release and Sage Art are a Perfect Match!
Having successfully found the precise path to "permanent Sage-ification," Nara Keisuke was thrilled.
After he walked out of the wrecked training room, even a thick-skinned fellow like White Zetsu noticed his hyper state.
"Lord Nara, you're beaming with joy!"
White Zetsu, who had completely accepted his fate, greeted Nara Keisuke with a playful grin, and was then completely controlled by the Shadow Manipulation Technique, his consciousness temporarily going offline.
"The chakra in this White Zetsu's body is really 'scarce'."
Nara Keisuke sensed the Wood Release chakra inside White Zetsu and shook his head in disappointment.
"If it weren't for the fact that this is the only living White Zetsu I have on hand, I'd really like to make some... small modifications..."
This White Zetsu in Nara Keisuke's possession had the rough strength of a Jonin, and his chakra reserves were about the same as a typical Jonin.
In Nara Keisuke's eyes as a researcher, he wished this White Zetsu had endless chakra for him to squander.
A Jonin-level White Zetsu... was too weak.
"Forget it, it's good enough."
Nara-White Zetsu familiarized himself with the body and its chakra, then returned to the training room.
Without modifications, the previous White Zetsu would not have been able to "expand" its own chakra.
But now…
[Sage Mode]!
Nara-White Zetsu sat cross-legged, calming his mind, absorbing external natural energy, and perfectly fusing it with the Wood Release chakra in his body, creating an even more active "Wood Release - Sage Chakra."
"Using White Zetsu's body for Mount Myōboku's Senjutsu still causes 'toadification'."
Nara-White Zetsu, now sporting eyeshadow, a garlic-bulb nose, and sharp fangs, stood up and looked at the nearby mirror.
"But why is White Zetsu's 'toadification' less severe than the main body's? Is it because of its unique origin?
"If White Zetsu, which was made from the Divine Tree and Hashirama's cells, was supposed to react to [Sage Mode], it should be something like 'Big Pillar's' 'Patterned Sage Mode.'
"But look at me, I look just like an albino Sage Jiraiya."
"This only proves one thing: even if 'Big Pillar' used Mount Myōboku's [Sage Mode], it would still cause 'toadification'."
Nara Keisuke's voice sounded from the side, urging the White Zetsu clone.
"Stop focusing on a boring issue like 'face value.' It's not our body anyway. Test the amplification effect of Senjutsu on Wood Release.
"We've already tested the amplification effect of Sage Chakra on Kekkei Genkai and even Kekkei Tōta; its 'quality' far exceeds conventional chakra.
"But 'Big Pillar's' case is too special. The collision of Wood Release and Sage Art might produce a different kind of spark, even if it's the toads' Senjutsu."
"Hold on."
Nara-White Zetsu nodded, formed hand seals, and converted the Sage Chakra in his body into the unique Wood Release nature.
[Wood Release: Giant Wooden Pillar Technique]!
Thick, hard wooden pillars, as sturdy as roof beams, were released from Nara-White Zetsu's hands. Following his will, they spread across the training room floor, replacing the cratered stone with smooth, level wooden flooring.
Limited by chakra, Nara-White Zetsu almost never used high-level, high-cost A-Rank or S-Rank techniques when testing Wood Release.
The [Giant Wooden Pillar Technique] was merely a C-Rank ninjutsu, and its cost…
Let's just say that even Nara-White Zetsu could support using it multiple times, making it a common jutsu for testing.
However, in Nara Keisuke's memory, the [Giant Wooden Pillar Technique] used by the White Zetsu clone had never spread this quickly before.
"Is it because my proficiency increased?"
The clone, sharing its thoughts with the main body, shook its head.
"No, it's the Sage Chakra accelerating the Wood Release's activation speed."
Nara-White Zetsu silently sensed the Sage-Wood Release chakra in his body, then knelt and knocked on the wooden floor.
"Lower cost, faster speed, and... greater hardness.
"It's just as you said, Sage Art and Wood Release really are a perfect match."
"Don't just use Wood Release converted from pure chakra."
Nara Keisuke took a small bag of plant seeds from his ninja pouch and tossed it to the clone.
"Try the effect with these plant seeds, and finally, try it with White Zetsu's cells."
Nara-White Zetsu took a few seeds, infused Wood Release chakra into them, and caused them to rapidly swell and grow.
[Wood Release: Thorny Killing Technique]!
Another unremarkable C-Rank ninjutsu was released by Nara-White Zetsu. Slender wooden vines grew from the seeds, rapidly extending toward the main body's position.
Nara Keisuke didn't resist, allowing the vines to wrap around his legs.
"How does it feel?"
"The cost is just a little lower."
Nara-White Zetsu formed seals again.
But this time, he used his "own" White Zetsu cells as the "growth material" for the Wood Release.
The first Wood Release ninjutsu Nara Keisuke had obtained—[Wood Release: Wood Dragon Technique]—had mentioned that one could use cells or plant seeds to amplify the power of Wood Release.
Nara Keisuke rarely used this technique of fusing cells into Wood Release in his previous tests.
The reason was the same: the preciousness of the living White Zetsu.
Exhausting White Zetsu's cells would only make it weaker, and it might just keel over in the underground lab one day.
A dead White Zetsu couldn't be used as recyclable experimental material for Wood Release.
But it was fine to conduct small experiments occasionally.
After all, Nara Keisuke already suspected that 'Big Pillar's' Wood Release was not the same product as the one used by his "successors."
Considering there was a Kekkei Mōra technique in the shinobi world called "Sage Art Wood Release: True Several Thousand Hands"...
Nara Keisuke had reason to speculate that Hashirama Senju's Wood Release was not the Kekkei Genkai formed by fusing Water and Earth, as Yamato claimed, but a Kekkei Tōta fused from Water, Earth, and Yang Release!
As for Kekkei Mōra…
Nara Keisuke truly didn't think 'Big Pillar's' Wood Release was a Kekkei Mōra.
'Big Pillar's' strength was monstrous.
But it probably wasn't that monstrous.
Kekkei Mōra was the standard ability of Six Paths-level powerhouses.
Hashirama Senju, while alive, was strong, but definitely not Six Paths-level.
As for Hashirama Senju after death… he wasn't even as strong as when he was alive!
Using White Zetsu cells as a raw material for Wood Release was, of course, not a Kekkei Tōta.
If Wood Release were truly a Kekkei Tōta, it would require a perfect fusion of Yang, Earth, and Water.
Having White Zetsu cells participate in the Wood Release ninjutsu was, at best, a prototype of a Kekkei Tōta.
In previous tests, Nara Keisuke had confirmed that Wood Release based on White Zetsu cells was indeed more active and possessed more vitality than conventional Wood Release.
And now…
Under Nara Keisuke's gaze, the White Zetsu clone used its cells as a base, infused them with Sage-Wood Release chakra, and once again unleashed a ninjutsu.
[Wood Release: Violent Tree Spear]!
A deep brown, wooden vine shot out from Nara-White Zetsu's right leg, sinking its roots deep into the training room floor. It grew rapidly, forming a lush, towering tree in the blink of an eye.
Nara-White Zetsu "pulled" his right leg out of the tree, dodged to the side, and observed the tree seriously.
"This tree is alive! Main body."
Nara-White Zetsu took a deep breath.
"I mean, it's no longer just a chakra construct. As long as it doesn't suffer any accidental damage, it can continue to grow like a normal tree."
"I've already noticed."
A trace of astonishment flashed in Nara Keisuke's eyes.
"If you sense the flow of natural energy right now, you'll discover that this tree is slowly absorbing it!
"After the Sage-Wood Release chakra in its body is depleted, it can sustain its life by absorbing natural energy.
"'Big Pillar's' Wood Release… really must be a fusion of Water, Earth, and Yang!
"Or rather, it is at least a product of Water, Earth, and Yang! No wonder he was so strong!"
"Based on the intelligence we've gathered, there are still many trees in the Land of Fire that Hashirama Senju left behind."
Nara-White Zetsu nodded seriously.
"From the current situation, 'Big Pillar' definitely used his own cells as the raw material for his Wood Release, and at the same time fused it with a certain amount of natural energy. That's what gave the wood true 'life.'
"But main body, do you think 'Big Pillar' knew his Wood Release was a Kekkei Tōta?"
"I don't know…"
Nara Keisuke shook his head.
"But judging from the Wood Release ninjutsu scrolls Tsunade left behind, Hashirama Senju probably didn't know this either. I think 'Big Pillar' might not even have known his Wood Release was a product of Water and Earth!
"Besides the researchers who came later, what shinobi born with a Kekkei Genkai actually cares about its true origin? As long as it works, right!
"We're just reverse-engineering 'Big Pillar's' Wood Release based on the data we have, and only then did we confirm which nature transformations it's made of.
"Maybe 'Big Pillar' back then just... stumbled upon the fact that his own cells could be fused into his Wood Release to increase its power, and just used it that way...
"But 'Big Pillar' didn't know he was Asura's reincarnate, born with Asura's chakra. He just accidentally stumbled upon it, fused Yang Release into his Wood Release, and upgraded it from a Kekkei Genkai to a Kekkei Tōta…"
Nara-White Zetsu stroked his chin.
"I really want to ridicule that theory, but... 'Big Pillar' really doesn't seem that smart…"
The so-called "God of Shinobi" was just a "golden label" slapped on Hashirama Senju by later generations.
That guy was actually just a naive, soft-hearted, gambling-addicted fool!
"Whether 'Big Pillar' was a fool or not, his Wood Release is truly amazing!"
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