The Wood Release Clone near Shikkotsu Forest easily sensed a spiritual resonance. Clearly, after all these years, the original soul had never left this place. Intense cultivation must have taken place here. He wondered whether the body's seal had been lifted. Following the soul's resonance, the clone stepped into the thick, toxic haze ahead.
Anya's physical body remained under the Acidic Rain. Something that once pierced flesh effortlessly now left only minor burns—quickly fading ones at that.
Although Anya's body had long grown accustomed to the natural energy of Shikkotsu Forest, without resolving the detachment between flesh and soul, his strength would stagnate. Facing someone like Hashirama, he'd be completely helpless. This was unacceptable to Anya.
Inside the Spiritual Realm, the situation was completely opposite from what the clone had expected. Four soul forms were enthusiastically playing a game—in more precise terms, gambling.
"Haha, I won!"
Soul Form Hashirama laughed heartily, pushing forward the Mahjong tiles as he shouted loudly, "The Fourth, you played well. No wonder you inherited the will of the Hokage—my worthy successor!"
"You inherit the Hokage's will just because someone lets you win? Come on, Hashirama, don't exaggerate," Anya retorted sarcastically.
Minato turned to Anya and said, "Is it appropriate to address the First by name directly?"
"Just a name; it doesn't matter anyway. Ugh, I haven't won a single round! These human gambling games are no fun at all," Sage Slug commented. Her soul, having transformed into a human-like appearance, had joined them in the spiritual space. Left alone in Shikkotsu Forest for so long, she got corrupted rather easily.
Her luck, though, was on par with Tsunade's.
Hashirama scratched his head thoughtfully, saying, "The Fourth, Sage Slug makes a fair point. Formalities aren't necessary—we've grown bored of playing Mahjong nonstop. Anya, do you know any other fun gambling games? Let's switch things up."
Anya rolled his eyes briefly, struggling momentarily to think of anything suitable. They had already tried everything from dice rolling and poker to Zha Jin Hua—basically every popular gambling game from his past life.
"How about Five Nations Kill?" Minato suddenly suggested.
"What is it? How do we play?" Hashirama perked up immediately.
After Minato thoroughly explained the rules, Hashirama's eyes lit up joyfully. He exclaimed, "Anya, you're a genius! This looks great. Quick, conjure up a deck of cards. Let me see if I can draw myself!"
Katsuyu muttered discontentedly beside him, "Anya, since you included so many ninja and jutsu in this game, why not add summoned creatures too?"
Anya agreed, "That's actually a great idea. Back then, I rushed to launch this game and hadn't fully considered everything. So tell me—who among the summoned creatures did you have in mind? I'll work on integrating them now."
"Great! This adds much more meaning than regular gameplay," Hashirama became even more enthusiastic.
Minato caught on too. "Count me in."
"I..."
Just as Sage Slug uttered one word, her expression shifted slightly. Anya sensed something too and couldn't help but smile faintly.
"That's my Shadow Clone. It seems the external mission has been completed. You can continue your discussion in my spiritual realm while I'll be back shortly."
Anya's Dark Soul emerged from her body and quickly arrived at where the Shadow Clone was located. As the two origin-linked soul forces merged, all the experiences of the clone surfaced clearly in her mind.
Miss Mikoto had successfully been rescued, obtained two Mangekyō Sharingan, and mastered the Sage Mode of Ryuchi Cave. The outcome exceeded expectations by far.
In this way, I now possess all three types of Sage Mode.
The Sage Mode of Ryuchi Cave could receive feedback from the surrounding environment, granting life-like properties to inanimate objects through a process akin to inorganic rebirth—it was truly amazing.
Suddenly, a brilliant idea flashed through Anya's mind, an entirely new concept that took root and refused to leave.
The natural energy of Mount Myoboku could strengthen the physical body; the power of Shikkotsu Forest granted the body incredible regenerative capabilities; Ryuchi Cave bestowed vitality upon the body itself. If these three forces could successfully fuse, the resulting new Sage Chakra would be powerful enough to break free from the bonds of life and achieve rebirth.
All along, Anya had never given up on studying Sage Arts. Even with the help of disciples from both Shikkotsu Forest and Mount Myoboku, something always felt missing—until now when the clone returned, completing the puzzle like the final piece of a jigsaw.
Realizing this, Anya no longer bothered with studying the Five Nations Kill game. She immediately activated her Ryuchi Cave Sage Mode and shot off like a rainbow toward her main body's location.
Sage Slug, the ruler of Shikkotsu Forest, was the first to sense the presence of Ryuchi Cave chakra and blocked the entrance with her immense body.
Anya stopped and said, "It's me."
"I know, but… how did you learn the Ryuchi Cave Sage Art?" The slug's voice overflowed with shock.
"It's a long story. I have urgent matters to attend to," Anya replied without further explanation before using a Shunshin to enter Shikkotsu Forest.
Inspiration rarely comes easily. Arriving at her spiritual realm, she hurriedly addressed the three soul forms still discussing the game: "I'm about to cultivate a brand-new Sage Art. My soul will definitely experience turbulence soon, so I'll send you all out first."
Once completely alone, Anya leapt directly from the stone platform into the depths of Shikkotsu Forest.
When she first arrived here years ago, even a few seconds without chakra protection nearly cost her life. But now, as she descended once more, the pool below boiled violently like boiling water, sending out thick steam.
Even though her physical body had improved dramatically since then, her flesh still slowly dissolved under the intense corrosion.
Her tolerance for pain had long surpassed what ordinary people could endure. Remaining calm and emotionless, she gathered all three types of Sage Chakra within her body.
The pond water swirled like a whirlpool centered around Anya, releasing enormous amounts of life energy. While her body continuously perished, it simultaneously regenerated anew.
At the moment Anya fully understood and absorbed all three types of Sage Natural Energy, a brand-new form of Sage Art emerged. Performing this technique allowed Anya to feel the flow of all living things, elevating her understanding of the very structure of reality itself to an entirely new level. It felt just like when she first crossed into this world—her primordial mental chaos was finally deciphered, releasing its true potential.
Minato, who had initially grasped the Spirit Transformation Technique, watched the spectacle unfold and asked, "First Hokage, what exactly is happening to Anya?"
Hashirama's face darkened with concern. "This is an unprecedented Sage Art. Once mastered, its power will be extraordinary—perhaps even rivaling the legendary Sage of Six Paths."
Sage Slug added, "He's playing with fire. Controlling just one type of Sage Art energy is difficult enough. He's absorbing three types at once and attempting to fuse them. Even the smallest misstep would mean death."
"I suspect that's exactly his intention," Hashirama realized. "Using Sage Arts to achieve rebirth through death."
"Dangerous," Minato muttered.
No sooner had Minato spoken than Anya's vitality began to visibly fade before their very eyes, almost disappearing entirely.
Hashirama's eyes widened in alarm. "Sage Slug, only you can help him now."
"Ahh, I suppose there's no talking sense into him." With a resigned sigh, the giant slug's body fragmented into numerous smaller clones diving into the pool below, forming what looked like a massive cocoon encasing Anya.
At the same time, Anya's Wood Release Clone entered Sage Mode after training at Ryuchi Cave, diving into the depths with determination, like a moth irresistibly drawn to its flame.
Inside this "cocoon," countless beams of light flickered in and out of existence—a clear sign that a completely new physical form was being shaped within.
Minato asked cautiously, "Has Anya succeeded?"
Shaking his head, Hashirama replied, "Not yet. Even a normal child takes ten months to develop properly. He wants to use Sage Arts to forge a completely new physical form perfectly attuned to his soul. My estimate? This process will require at least ten years."
Minato murmured, "Ten years… That really is a long time."
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