Chapter 46: Sage Arts
Uchiha Douhuan found himself surrounded by enemies on the battlefield, outnumbered dozens of times over. In this seemingly inevitable death trap, his will to survive awakened a unique ocular jutsu—Yasakani no Magatama. This technique allowed him to seize the one-in-a-million chance to survive, even in a situation where death seemed certain. When learning Sage Mode, which relies heavily on luck and precision, this ability became his ultimate cheat code.
Even if there was a 99% chance of failure, as long as there was a 1% chance of success, Uchiha Douhuan would grasp it with 100% certainty!
"To master Sage Mode so perfectly right from the start—your talent even astonishes this old one," the Great White Snake Sage remarked. "Since you've already grasped Sage Mode, what's left is to continuously practice and accelerate the condensation of Sage Chakra."
The trace of natural energy infused by the White Snake Sage was soon depleted, and Uchiha Douhuan exited Sage Mode.
"Thank you for your guidance, Great White Snake Sage." Having achieved his goal, Uchiha Douhuan smiled.
"No need for formalities. Ryūchi Cave offers equal opportunities to all fated individuals who come here. The fact that you seized this chance is your own ability," the Great White Snake Sage replied. "Now, I must return to my slumber. If you have further matters, you may seek out Tashin Kamihime and the others. Hopefully, the world will have changed in your hands by the time I awaken again."
Since the Great White Snake Sage had made its intentions clear, Uchiha Douhuan gave a slight bow and left the cave.
Outside the cave, the Three Sages of Ryūchi Cave were still waiting for him.
"It seems that Mr. Douhuan has successfully passed the final trial," Tashin Kamihime said with a smile. "Please follow us. Now that you have mastered Sage Mode, some of Ryūchi Cave's sage techniques will be open to you."
Uchiha Douhuan nodded and followed the three to another cavern.
"This is where Ryūchi Cave has preserved its collection of sage techniques throughout the years. You may select and transcribe any scrolls you wish to learn," Tashin Kamihime explained.
"No teachers to guide me?" Uchiha Douhuan raised an eyebrow. The three merely smiled and remained silent, making it clear that Ryūchi Cave's teaching method was more hands-off compared to Mount Myōboku's comprehensive training. Here, they simply provided techniques and left the learning entirely up to the individual.
Entering the cave, Uchiha Douhuan randomly picked up a few scrolls and started reading.
The sage techniques varied greatly. After spending some time browsing, he chose two techniques. The first was an auxiliary type that enhanced the perception of natural energy fluctuations while in Sage Mode, significantly expanding his sensory range. This filled a critical gap in his combat abilities.
The second technique was unique to Ryūchi Cave—Yamata no Orochi Style, which utilized Sage Chakra to manipulate the planet's natural energy for offensive purposes, similar to the Frog Kata from Mount Myōboku.
As for the sage techniques used by Kabuto in the original timeline and others that possessed significant power, Uchiha Douhuan dismissed them. His combat system was already well-developed, and those techniques either required cooperation with Ryūchi Cave's snakes or bodily modifications—neither of which aligned with his fighting style. With the addition of Sage Chakra, his existing Lightning Release techniques had already achieved an immense boost in power, making further adjustments unnecessary.
After making his choices, Uchiha Douhuan dismissed the Reverse Summoning and left Ryūchi Cave.
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Naruto had been staying at Kakashi's place for two days now, and the two had grown more familiar with each other. When Naruto first moved in, he was a bit reserved, but after spending some time with Kakashi, his mischievous nature started to resurface. His latest obsession? Finding a way to pull down Kakashi's mask and finally see his face.
Having prepared thoroughly, Naruto waited for Kakashi to return from running errands. As Kakashi opened the door and called out, "I'm back," a bucket of water fell from above.
Of course, as a seasoned elite Jonin who had survived countless battles, Kakashi easily sidestepped the falling bucket despite holding a bag of takeout. He sighed, "Naruto, don't waste your energy on these childish tricks."
Just then, Naruto charged out from the storage room, armed with a water gun and aimed directly at Kakashi—only to freeze in shock. Kakashi wasn't wearing his mask!
"Who... who are you?" Naruto stammered, pointing accusingly at him.
Kakashi shot him an exasperated look. "Who else would I be? Clean up the mess and eat your dinner."
"Don't try to trick me! There's no way you're Kakashi! The real Kakashi never takes off his mask, not even when bathing!"
With a dark expression, Kakashi delivered a light smack to Naruto's forehead, enough to teach him a lesson.
Later, while sitting at the dinner table with a lump on his forehead, Naruto kept sneaking glances at Kakashi, who was lounging on the sofa and reading.
"Hey, Kakashi-sensei, why did you take off your mask all of a sudden?" Naruto couldn't help but ask.
"No particular reason. Just didn't feel like wearing it today," Kakashi replied casually, not even looking up from his book.
"After dinner, clean up the mess at the entrance and get to bed early. Tomorrow's a day off from the academy, right? I'll take you out to buy some things."
"Got it!" Naruto answered eagerly between bites.
---
The sun was already high in the sky by the time they woke up. Grumbling about oversleeping, the two finally left the house and made their way to the village's commercial street. However, as they walked, Kakashi couldn't help but notice something strange—the atmosphere felt off.
People were giving them odd looks and deliberately keeping their distance, almost as if they were carrying something contagious.