CHAPTER 236: CHAPTER 236: OFF-TRACK, BUT NOT COMPLETELY

Tsunade’s Office.

At the moment, the room was filled with debris. Strangely, although the desk was shattered, the documents on it remained perfectly intact.

Kyoichi glanced around and couldn’t help but slap the table in admiration—well, what was left of it.

"My lady, your monster strength technique is amazing. You actually controlled it so well that the paperwork was untouched? Just on brute strength alone, you’re definitely the strongest!"

"Of course I—wait a sec, don’t try to flatter your way out of this. My bonsai!"

Tsunade pointed furiously at the plant behind her. What had once been a lovely ornamental tree had grown several times larger, crawling across the entire room.

Kyoichi fell silent for a few seconds before finally saying, "Bonsai room. I think it looks kinda nice?"

"Come over here so I can kill you!"

Tsunade’s blood pressure spiked.

Damn it...

Infuriating!

She took a deep breath and gradually calmed down—until a crucial realization struck her.

"Wait a minute, just now...?"

She scanned the room again, her expression turning to one of shock.

That level of Wood Release...

While still not on par with her grandfather’s legendary Wood Release, it was far beyond what Yamato or Kazamatsuri Toshiki could manage. It was the strongest Wood Release technique she’d seen since Hashirama’s death.

"Senjutsu Chakra amplification?"

"But... you didn’t have any Sage markings on you. My grandmother told me that after entering Sage Mode, the body goes through distinct changes. Everyone experiences it. Even I... cough, cough!"

Tsunade cleared her throat.

Her knowledge of Sage Mode came from Uzumaki Mito, which was why she’d always held a certain resistance toward the concept. And yet...

Kyoichi’s body showed no outward signs at all.

Instantly intrigued!

"Because I sealed it into the Yin Seal. I only let a little bit leak out when I use it—more than enough. If I go all out, I’ll enter full Sage Mode."

Kyoichi lowered his voice as he explained.

Tsunade was completely hooked now.

Sage Mode was that powerful? Just a little bit of Senjutsu Chakra had amplified Wood Release to this level. And on top of that...

She thought of the Strength of a Hundred Seal.

"You mean it can work with the Strength of a Hundred Technique?"

"Of course."

As Kyoichi spoke, he closed his eyes and began undoing the seal.

The next moment...

The markings of the Yin Seal slowly diffused, and under them, strange patterns began to emerge.

Sage Transformation!

Kyoichi’s entire body began entering Sage Mode—but shortly afterward, the markings faded again.

"Senjutsu Chakra’s a precious resource. Can’t waste it. A quick demo is enough. So, what do you think? Interested?"

"Mm-hmm-hmm!!"

"You wanna learn?"

"Stop talking nonsense! Spill it already! I got dragged off to eat that awful nutrient meal by the old man today, and I haven’t even given you a piece of my mind yet. Consider this compensation in advance. Hurry up!"

Tsunade raised her hand, about to smack the table—but then remembered the table was already in splinters and settled for putting her hands on her hips.

Kyoichi looked around the ruined office.

Not the best place for a chat...

He extended his hand and slowly began withdrawing the chakra lingering in the oversized plant, deconstructing it. While Senjutsu Chakra couldn’t be recovered, he could at least break it down to hasten reabsorption.

Of course...

Restoring it to its original form was going to be difficult. After all, the bonsai had undergone wild growth—it would never look as nice as it once did.

Kyoichi was silent for two seconds.

Tsunade, however, simply tossed it aside and said heartily, "It’s just a bonsai. Come on, I’ll treat you to a meal. It’s been ages since we’ve had a good chat."

"...Uh." Hiding in the shadows, Oriri didn’t even know how to respond.

"Just" a bonsai?

What about that demolished desk?!

Tsunade grabbed Kyoichi and dragged him out. Oriri silently appeared, cleaned up the debris, and pulled a replacement desk from the downstairs storage.

Clearly, she’d done this before.

---

"Alright, out with it!"

"Hold on. No drinking just yet. How much do you actually know about Sage Mode?" Kyoichi asked seriously.

Tsunade thought about it, then shook her head. "Not much. Just a little my grandmother told me. And since my grandfather’s physiology was different, his knowledge wasn’t exactly transferable."

"Then I’ll explain in detail. Sage Mode, at its core, is the use of natural energy. The Shikkotsu Forest style starts by acclimating to natural energy, and only then developing Senjutsu Chakra and the transformation itself."

"No wonder you kept sneaking out at night. I thought you were picking up bad habits from Jiraiya!"

Tsunade suddenly understood. So that’s where he kept going—off into the deep forest to train?

A genius like him, working harder than anyone else...

Amazing!

She hadn’t trained seriously in years. Compared to that, she felt genuinely a bit ashamed.

Kyoichi began explaining everything carefully.

Tsunade listened with full focus. After a while, she sank into deep thought.

This isn’t even that hard!

"Well?"

"I got it! I’m going to try right now—this is totally doable!"

Full of vigor, Tsunade headed out with Kyoichi. The two of them entered the Forest of Death under the cover of night. After sitting for a while, the only sound left was Tsunade’s soft, rhythmic breathing.

Fell asleep?

Kyoichi blinked, at a loss for words.

Seriously?

"...Well, I guess I should’ve expected this. Who doesn’t fall asleep their first night?"

Sure, he had sensed natural energy on his first try—but he’d had the benefit of prior knowledge and training in Mount Myōboku Sage Mode.

Not to mention...

Tsunade had probably drunk a bottle of sake before coming out here.

Sensing natural energy after that? Yeah, not happening.

How had he even believed her when she said she "understood everything"?

Kyoichi closed his eyes and began drawing in natural energy himself.

There wasn’t much gain.

Tsunade, despite being excellent overall, was too distracting when she was actually relaxed. Her breathing was gentle, even sweet-sounding, and she kept mumbling in her sleep—which made it hard for him to focus.

Luckily, his willpower was strong enough.

Despite the disturbance, he still completed the daily training the Slug Sage had prescribed.

---

The next morning...

Tsunade woke up, clearly embarrassed.

She’d said she was going to train—only to fall asleep. Her neck and back even ached a little now.

Worst of all...

She’d totally lost face in front of Kyoichi.

Damn it!

"Tomorrow. Tomorrow I’ll definitely get it!"

"Sage Mode isn’t that complicated, really. It’s all about consistency. Don’t rush—once your body adapts, it’ll come naturally."

Kyoichi offered a few comforting words.

And he wasn’t just being nice.

Compared to Mount Myōboku’s Sage Mode, the Shikkotsu Forest version was practically zen—the Slug Sage’s philosophy was all about patience and steady growth. Honestly, Kyoichi didn’t think there were many people who couldn’t learn it if they just stuck with it.

Besides...

The version he taught Tsunade was even more simplified and human-friendly.

As long as one could sense natural energy, entering the basics of Sage Mode would be easy.

That first step was the hardest.

If all else failed, he could just bring her directly to Shikkotsu Forest or Tenbin Village to let her feel it firsthand. If that didn’t work...

Then she really wasn’t cut out for it.

But...

Tsunade paused, thinking. The real reason she fell asleep was probably a lack of focus and calm. The biggest difference between her and Kyoichi was precisely that.

Kyoichi, despite studying so many things, was always fully devoted to each one. No wonder he progressed so quickly. Meanwhile, she hadn’t truly immersed herself in training since that year.

Still, even if she did fall asleep...

It wasn’t bad!

"Mental focus and endurance are essential qualities for a ninja! Actually... this kind of meditation training should be added as a new subject for students."

Tsunade declared.

Seated meditation!

This kind of practice needed to start young.

Her own self-discipline was lacking, her mind too jumpy—that’s why she’d fallen asleep mid-training.

A lesson learned!

"Uh... my original plan was to pick a few suitable candidates to try it first and have Orochimaru research it on the side... but your suggestion isn’t bad."

Kyoichi blinked.

Then he received a notification.

["Composure" Training Completed]

[Evaluation: Good]

[Reward: Wood Release – Wood Clone]

...Huh?

Kyoichi didn’t know what to say.

So this was...

Off-track—but not completely off-track.

***************************

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