Starting with Hyuga, traversing countless heavens

"Yes, Hoshino, this acid can help you sense natural energy. Sage Mode is a special state that you can enter by absorbing natural energy and achieving a 1:1:1 ratio of natural energy, physical energy, and spiritual energy. My clone will help you absorb the excess natural energy."

Hinata Hoshino swallowed hard. This acidic liquid, if thrown in, would be enough to leave only bones.

"Slug Sage, what happens if you absorb too much natural energy?"

"I don't know. Usually, my clones will absorb excess natural energy in time."

In other words, there is no danger.

"However, Hoshino, the Sage Mode in our Shikkotsu Forest is very painful to cultivate."

"System, copy."

[Congratulations, host! You have acquired four natural energy affinity talents and ten years of experience in manipulating natural energy. Would you like to integrate them?]

"Fusion."

The system panel displays the Immortal Clan's Chakra, Immortal Arts Talent, Natural Energy Perception Talent, Ten Years of Natural Energy Manipulation Experience, and Natural Energy Affinity Talent.

A brand new talent emerged: the talent for manipulating natural energy. Hyuga Hoshino sensed that he could seemingly manipulate the natural energy around him with ease.

The Slug Sage noticed that the natural energy around Hinata Hoshino was becoming active, as if welcoming Hinata Hoshino's arrival.

"Hoshino, you have great talent. You'll probably learn Sage Mode very soon."

Chapter 48 Wet Bone Forest Immortal Mode

"Thank you for the compliment, Slug Immortal. When can I begin my cultivation?"

"Hoshino, don't rush. You need to greet Tsunade first. Also, there's no food for you in Shikkotsu Forest, so you'll need to prepare some extra."

Aside from praising the Slug Sage's thoughtfulness, Hyuga Hoshino was speechless. Just think of the toads of Mount Myōboku—they completely disregarded their contractors. What living person would want to eat a living, breathing worm?

"I'll go back and say hello, and thank the Slug Immortal for the reminder."

"Ah."

Hyuga Hoshino, with a sullen face, appeared beside Tsunade. Tsunade thought the Slug Sage hadn't accepted him.

"Boy, did you not gain the approval of the Slug Immortal?"

Hinata Hoshino's expression changed, and he made a Versailles-style statement.

"No way! The Slug Sage said I can cultivate Sage Mode. Unlike that old lady, who can't meet the standards for cultivation."

"Auntie? Kid, you're asking for it."

Tsunade threw a punch in anger, veins throbbing on her forehead, but Hyuga Hoshino used a gentle force to neutralize the power of Tsunade's punch.

"Hey, little Ganggang, don't forget, you haven't finished paying off your gambling debts yet. Are you trying to add to your debts?"

Tsunade then realized that this was still an inn, and if she really fought with Hyuga Hoshino, who knew how much stuff would be destroyed.

"Boss, two bottles of wine, please."

"Drinking so early in the morning? Little Gang, what an interest."

"None of your business. Who are you?"

"That's right. Just saying hello. I'll be starting my Sage Mode training this afternoon. Don't come looking for me unless it's absolutely necessary. Goodbye."

Hinata Hoshino tossed two gold coins to the innkeeper, saying, "I'll cover this fat sheep's food and lodging. I'll make up for it if needed."

"Alright, please make yourself at home."

Reverse Spirit Summoning Technique

This time, on our way to Shikkutsu Forest, we found ourselves directly at the edge of the acidic pool.

"Hoshino, are you ready?"

“I’m ready, slug boss.”

The Slug Sage ignored Hinata Hoshino's SpongeBob-like remarks.

"Then take off your clothes."

"Okay, huh?"

"The acid will corrode the clothes."

Hinata Hoshino: Corrosion won't affect me, right?

Hinata Hoshino still took off all her clothes, and the Slug Sage split into a small slug, which perched on Hinata Hoshino's shoulder.

"Cough, hey, tui."

The Slug Sage sucked up some acid and spat it all over Hyuga Hoshino. "Hiss!" Hyuga Hoshino gasped. Ouch!

"Hoshino, quickly calm down and feel the energy of nature."

With his talent for manipulating natural energy, Hyuga Hoshino easily sensed the natural energy around him and attempted to absorb a portion of it into his body.

Hinata Hoshino sensed something was wrong; his body swelled up as he absorbed too much energy. The small slug on his shoulder began to absorb the excess natural energy for him.

Hinata Hoshino felt a sense of relief as natural energy, physical energy, and spiritual energy began to merge.

Oh no! The ratio of the three energies is off; the three energies within Hyuga Hoshino's body are starting to run rampant.

The small slug absorbed natural energy again, and the chaos within Hyuga Hoshino's body returned to normal.

"Little Hoshino, you did very well, but you were a bit too eager for quick success. The training of Sage Mode requires a gradual approach."

The next ten days were very fulfilling. I spent my days practicing Sage Mode in Shikkotsu Forest and my nights absorbing the energy of the stars.

On the eleventh day, natural energy, physical energy, and spiritual energy merged within Hyuga Hoshino's body, reaching a perfect ratio of 1:1:1.

"boom"

Hyuga Hoshino synthesized Sage Chakra within his body, which suddenly erupted, causing a gust of wind. He had succeeded.

Hinata Hoshino summoned a ball of clear water, and when it shone on his face, black lines appeared on his face, somewhat like the patterns on Hashirama Senju's Sage Mode, only with more lines.

Hinata Hoshino nodded in satisfaction; there was nothing particularly unusual.

Standing still, quietly waiting for the Sage Chakra to run out, after about ten minutes, Hyuga Hoshino exited Sage Mode.

Ten minutes? That's barely acceptable, considering Naruto only managed to maintain it for five minutes after he first learned it.

"Little Hoshino, you are the fastest contractor I have ever seen to reach Sage Mode."

The Slug Sage said with a hint of surprise, and Hinata Hoshino scratched his head, "I'm not as good as you say."

After scratching his head, Hinata Hoshino asked the Slug Sage with a serious expression.

"Thank you for the guidance, Slug Sage, but how do I increase the speed at which I enter Sage Mode and the duration of Sage Mode?"

"With repeated use and gradual accumulation, you will improve. White Snake, Toad Maru, and I all use natural energy directly and have no experience using Sage Mode. You'll have to figure this out yourself."

The Slug Sage paused, remembering that Tsunade had a friend who seemed to have trained in the Sage Mode of Mount Myōboku.

"I remember that Tsunade has a friend who practices Sage Mode at Mount Myōboku. Many people at Mount Myōboku have successfully practiced Sage Mode. You could ask him to inquire about it."

"Thank you, Slug Fairy. I'll come to see you again sometime."

After several days of training in Sage Mode, Hyuga Hoshino's bloodline fusion progress is still increasing, but not as fast as the progress of the Kirin bloodline.

Since the first day of training in Sage Mode, the concentration of the Kirin bloodline has begun to increase. It is unknown what changes will occur after the increase, but the Kirin tattoo on Hyuga Hoshino's back is becoming more and more lifelike, as if it could come to life at any moment.

"Hey, look at Xiao Gang, he's gotten so lousy in just a few days."

Although she didn't understand what "pulled" meant, Tsunade felt that Hyuga Hoshino was definitely not saying anything nice.

"You little rascal, you've gotten even more annoying in just a few days, hiccup."

Tsunade, who was drinking at midday, seemed somewhat delirious. Just as she was about to erupt in anger, she strangely calmed down and hiccuped. The only difference was that her address changed from "kid" to "brat."

Hyuga Hoshino was a little hungry, so he walked to the table, sat down to Tsunade's left, picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of grilled meat, and stuffed it into his mouth. Tsunade looked at Hyuga Hoshino with a displeased expression.

"If you want to eat it, bake it yourself."

"I've been treating you to free food and drinks for several days, but you won't even eat a piece of grilled meat."

"Tch, you'll stuff yourself to death."

Hyuga Hoshino shook his head with a smile; Tsunade had drunk too much and was behaving inappropriately.

Tsunade, her eyes still slightly glazed with drunkenness, grabbed Hyuga Hoshino by the neck and shoved a bottle full of sake into his mouth.

"Come on, you big man, how can you not drink? Burp, drink."

"ton ton ton"

Hinata Hoshino finished the bottle in one gulp, and his expression changed. Although it was sake with a low alcohol content, drinking a whole bottle in one go still made Hinata Hoshino feel unwell.

"Hahaha, kid, you're such a kid, you can't even drink alcohol, hiccup, hiccup."

Tsunade probably doesn't know what a female brat is, let alone that there are male brats like Momonosuke.

Hinata Hoshino picked up an unopened bottle of liquor, took a big gulp, held it in his mouth, and then...

Tsunade felt Hyuga Hoshino's face getting closer. She was too drunk to resist and was forced to drink the beverage.

"Hmph, you naturally evil brat from the Hyuga clan, how dare you..."

Hyuga Hoshino shut Tsunade down, and Tsunade closed her eyes, seemingly resigned to her fate.

At night, Hinata Hoshino stretched and felt a strange sensation. Looking down, he saw that he had taken advantage of a big fat sheep. Hinata Hoshino carefully recalled what had happened at noon and thought, "Hiss," he had acted impulsively.

Chapter 49 Tsunade's Guidance, the Joy of a Younger Man

Hyuga Hoshino slapped his forehead, feeling his mind go blank. Didn't Tsunade have a boyfriend? Why? Could it be that the Yin Seal also has the effect of restoring this?

The joy Hashirama Senju experienced was truly unimaginable; the Uzumaki clan really knew how to have fun. No, wait, that's it! Good heavens!

"Now that things are like this, do you still want to run away?"

Tsunade woke up at some point and viciously strangled Hyuga Hoshino's neck. Forgetting her own condition, she aggravated her wounds and couldn't help but hiss.

"I will be responsible."

"Tch, who put a brat in charge?"

"I'll cover your gambling debts."