Naruto: In the name of the Senju, he made the ninja world tremble.

Chapter 313 Corrosion

Deep in the dense forest, shrouded in thick fog, the moisture lingers year-round. Towering trees with intertwined roots and thick trunks are covered with slippery moss, and the dark sky is filled with an extremely damp atmosphere.

This is Shikhtsu Forest, one of the three sacred sites alongside Mount Myoboku and Yongchi Cave.

Unlike the sunny and vibrant Mount Myoboku, and unlike the bloody and chilling Ryuchi Cave, Shikkotsu Forest is shrouded in moisture, with a blue mountain range that stretches as far as the eye can see shrouded in mist, appearing and disappearing in the fog.

Occasionally, when the fog is blown away by the wind, the mountains beneath the white mist, whose height is not visible, can easily scare megalophobia sufferers to death.

"Is this Lord Slug's true form? Although I was mentally prepared, I still feel awe when he actually stands in front of me."

Chiyu stood on decaying leaves and soft earth, surrounded by slugs of all sizes wriggling freely, nibbling on branches and leaves, and playing with each other's acidic sap when they were bored.

Following my megalophobia earlier, if someone with trypophobia were here, they'd probably be driven to madness. And this acid that can corrode giant trees and solid rocks is just too terrifying.

Just then, Chiyu felt a weight on his right shoulder. A tiny slug landed on his shoulder from above, stood up, and affectionately touched his cheek.

"Chiyu, my true form is far too large and is also related to the stability of the Shikkotsu Forest, so I cannot move it lightly. Let me use this body to guide you."

Chiyu nodded repeatedly at the slug's words; he could have guessed the inconvenience without being reminded.

Imagine a body that blots out the sky, its head peeking out from the clouds. Even without speaking, its ordinary breathing sounds like a raging storm. That would be a bit too exaggerated.

In the middle of the woodland is a clean and flat bluestone platform, which has been the place where immortals have practiced magic in the Shigu Forest for generations.

With Chiba's current strength, he doesn't really care much about the amplification of Sage Chakra anymore, since the upper limit of Sage Mode is lower than that of the Otsutsuki bloodline.

However, you shouldn't put all your eggs in one basket.

The natural energy of Sage Mode and the Otsutsuki chakra descended from outer space are two different training systems.

Chiyu needed to leave herself a way out, in case something went wrong with Otsutsuki's Six Paths Mode and she had no way to fight back.

A small slug hopped from my shoulder onto the platform, its body swirling with pale blue natural energy. Qianyu sensed that the slug's aura had become one with the entire Wet Bone Forest.

"Qianyu, since you insist on cultivating the Immortal Mode of the Wet Bone Forest, I will remind you of the rules and dangers one last time. Be prepared."

Her voice, as gentle as ever, carried a heavy undertone. The little slug didn't really want Chiyu to learn Sage Mode, since the chances of failure were too high.

Otherwise, the native natural energy mode wouldn't have been so easily crushed by the chakra mode.

Natural energy has a high upper limit, but cultivating it is extremely dangerous; chakra mode, on the other hand, has both high upper and lower limits and rarely involves life-threatening risks. The compatibility between the two is obvious.

"Normally, I would introduce natural energy into your body, and then you would combine your chakra, spiritual energy, and the energy of heaven and earth. If you succeed, you will enter Sage Mode."

"However, the natural energy of Shikkub Forest is extremely unique. While it is soft and dense, it also contains extremely strong corrosive properties."

"Once the balance of the three is broken, the natural energy will run rampant in the body. At that time, your flesh, blood, meridians, and bones will be continuously reduced by the energy, and the whole person will gradually melt into a viscous liquid."

"This isn't just a serious injury; it's wiping you out of the world completely."

"Therefore, Chiyu, I hope you can try to sense whether you can perceive natural energy first. This will not only make it safer for you to absorb natural energy, but it will also improve the completion of your Sage Mode."

"The natural energy here far exceeds that of the outside world. I remember you sensed it once when you were outside, so you should be able to do it this time too."

After she finished speaking, the little slug saw that Qianyu had not backed down at all and knew that the other party had made up her mind, so she gave up the middle position on the platform.

"Sage Mode... it's said that the fewer colored patches appear on your face, the more successful your cultivation. I'm really looking forward to it!"

To what stage of cultivation have you reached?

After trying to reassure herself with a feigned sense of ease, Qianyu stepped onto the smooth bluestone platform, sat cross-legged, formed a meditation mudra with her hands, and slowly closed her eyes.

Following the method taught by the little slug, he emptied his mind of all distractions, stopped circulating his chakra, and instead tried to unleash all his senses.

As time passed, Qianyu gradually came to perceive the previously invisible energy around him. Moisture was abundant in the Damp Bone Forest, and wisps of pale blue air drifted through the forest, entwining the tree trunks, vines, and even himself.

However, in his spiritual perception, this energy made him feel a sense of crisis, a sense of crisis that could harm his life.

Therefore, Qianyu had no intention of absorbing it; she simply wanted to temporarily exit this state and try to absorb it later.

However, it seems that these natural energies have discovered that they are being spied on, and they have begun to spontaneously break away from their original objects and slowly wrap around Qianyu's body.

"It's already starting to absorb natural energy?"

The little slug originally thought it would take at least a while for Qianyu to sense it, but it didn't expect it to be so quick, so it quickly climbed onto his lap to prevent any accidents.

In Qianyu's perception, something strange slowly emerged. The natural energy became sticky, like fine, wet mud adhering to the skin and gradually penetrating through the pores.

Like warm water slowly soaking his skin, the sense of crisis in his heart had disappeared, and Qianyu felt an unprecedented sense of ease in his body. The feeling of ease made him feel as if he were floating on a cloud.

The natural energy of Shikkotsu Forest is so comfortable. If I could stay in immortal mode forever, wouldn't I be able to stay at my peak forever?

"Awake!"

A resounding, majestic voice echoed in his mind, and the figure of Ōtsutsuki Chiyu appeared, her Tenseigan eyes emerging, her immense energy scattering the natural energy within her body.

Suddenly opening his eyes, Qianyu gasped for breath, his hands braced against the ground. At the same time, a burning sensation appeared on his arms, where his once fair skin had been corroded, revealing bright red flesh.

The little slug that was about to wake up Qianyu was taken aback, not expecting that Qianyu would wake up from the natural energy on her own.

With the help of the little slug, the scars on her arms quickly disappeared. Rubbing her arms, which had recovered completely, Qianyu felt a lingering fear.

I originally thought that natural energy was the kind that violently tears things apart, but it turns out to be this kind of subtle, erosive force that is hard to guard against.

"Lord Slug, I'm starting to absorb natural energy again. Please continue to watch over me."

Thus, in this land shrouded in moisture, cries of pain could be heard intermittently, and at the same time, the natural energy within the small area of ​​the Wet Bone Forest also...

It gets chaotic from time to time.

In the misty rain of Amegakure, Mori no Chiba sat on a drainpipe, her hands forming a mudra. The ground in front of her was broken, and a small, lush green sapling was growing vigorously.

However, the hand seal in his hand quickly changed, and the sapling in front of him immediately began to grow towards the sky as if it had taken a tonic, covering the surrounding buildings.

However, there was no smile in Mori no Chiba's eyes, because he felt that the giant tree in front of him seemed to have lost control and that something strange had happened inside.

Sure enough, the next second, the originally thick and ancient tree trunk began to soften and liquefy. The highly corrosive liquid spread in all directions, quickly destroying the surrounding drainage pipes. A huge flow of water carrying the corrosive liquid flowed towards the lake outside the village.

"In the end, it's still not enough; cultivating natural energy isn't so easy."

After he finished speaking, Sen no Chiba looked up and saw an orange figure standing on top of the steel tower, watching him.