"Forget it, whatever."
Naruto shook off the distracting thoughts about Skypiea. He hadn't even been to the Land of Lightning yet, so there was no point worrying about something so far ahead.
Whoosh!
Sensing the Flying Thunder God's mark, Naruto transformed into a streak of golden light and disappeared from the charred lightning zone.
When he appeared again, Naruto found himself in an unfamiliar place.
The surroundings were enclosed by solid stone walls, with a stone table bearing candles in the center. The room had a ventilation hole at the top, and only Orochimaru was sitting quietly inside.
'This seemed to be a temporary chamber Orochimaru had created.'
Other than Orochimaru entering through his dark portal, only Naruto could teleport in via the Flying Thunder God Technique.
"Where are the others?" Naruto asked directly.
Orochimaru explained, "They were deeply shaken and very disheartened, so none of them were in the mood to eat. I arranged accommodations for them."
"I see."
Naruto nodded slightly. He had been wondering why Orochimaru was waiting alone here. But he immediately understood.
"Naruto-kun, please have some tea."
Orochimaru left through his dark portal and returned with a pot of hot tea.
"Good tea!"
Just the aroma was refreshing. The taste carried a slight bitterness, but the sweetness that followed as it went down gave a feeling of enduring hardship and reaping sweetness.
After setting the teacup down, Naruto sat in a chair opposite Orochimaru and got straight to the point, "You mentioned wanting to become a Sage. Do you have a specific plan?"
Orochimaru pondered for a moment before replying, "Many aspire to live forever, but why do new generations always rise while the old ones fall? It's because older powerhouses inevitably pass away. The only eternal thing in this world is the world itself."
"Sages absorb Natural Energy. I want to use this method to gradually transform my body into pure Natural Energy. By then, I would share the same lifespan as the world itself. As long as the world exists, I won't die!"
"Interesting idea."
Naruto commented, raising an eyebrow. His thoughts, in fact, aligned with Orochimaru's.
In his previous life, Naruto had read cultivation novels where people absorbed the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, which is essentially the same as Natural Energy. Similarly, in many novels, the concept of merging with the Dao to achieve sainthood also resonated with this.
However, Naruto had always worried about ending up like the toads of Mount Myoboku. Absorbing too much Natural Energy could lead to becoming one with nature and turning into stone.
But now that he had acquired the Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit, it is only a matter of time before his body becomes elemental, so he doesn't need to worry about turning into a stone statue.
In summary, connecting with Natural Energy was both a feasible and necessary path for him.
"What about you, Naruto-kun?" Orochimaru asked. "You mentioned earlier that you wanted to become a Sage too. What's your perspective?"
Naruto thought for a moment before answering, "It's not a matter of perspective, as I've already embarked on this path."
As he said that, he suddenly turned still.
"Natural Energy?"
Orochimaru gasped in shock. He felt the Natural Energy converging towards Naruto.
In a moment, Naruto's eyes transformed into the horizontal pupils of the toad, and red markings appeared on his eyelids.
"Whew!"
Naruto exhaled deeply. This was one of the rewards he had received from signing in at Mount Myoboku, Sage Mode.
Although he had possessed this ability for a while, he had never used it before. This was his first attempt.
'As expected of a system reward, there was no need to worry about turning into stone… everything progressed naturally.'
"I followed Jiraiya to Mount Myoboku before and secretly studied Sage Mode."
Naruto explained.
Hearing this, Orochimaru was even more shocked, "As expected of Naruto-kun, you even know how to use Sage Mode. It seems I'll have to visit Ryūchi Cave and learn from the White Snake Sage in the future."
Naruto agreed, "That's a must. Only by mastering Sage Mode and understanding Natural Energy can you continue your research."
Orochimaru picked up on something and couldn't help but ask, "Continue my research? Isn't the Sage Mode already the pinnacle of being a Sage?"
Naruto waved his hand and said, "Sage Mode is temporary. Once the Natural Energy in your body is depleted, you return to your normal state. True Sage is maintaining Sage Mode indefinitely by enabling your body to produce Natural Energy on its own."
"That makes sense." Orochimaru admitted, "But how can a human body possibly generate Natural Energy?"
While Orochimaru agreed with the theory, it sounded unfeasible.
Naruto pondered aloud, "The world is made up of various elements, and Natural Energy is essentially a concentrated form of these elements. Becoming a Sage isn't an overnight process. At Mount Myoboku, I saw toads that absorbed too much Natural Energy and were assimilated into nature, turning to stone. Through my research, I've come to a safer conclusion, which is by mastering a specific element and transforming your body into that element, it's essentially another way to become one with nature. Of course, that's my method, and it's not applicable to you."
Orochimaru frowned and asked, "Why not applicable to me?"
"Well, this varies from person to person. I'm better suited for an elemental transformation route."
With the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, Naruto was inherently aligned with natural element transformation, making it unsuitable for Orochimaru.
But to keep Orochimaru motivated, Naruto added, "Actually, I do have a method that's better suited for you."
"What method?" Orochimaru's interest was immediately piqued.
Naruto explained, "As I mentioned, Natural Energy consists of various elements. You've already mastered all Chakra Natures and possess Yin-Yang Release, which allows you to create things from nothing. So, as long as you study Sage Mode and truly understand Natural Energy, your body can create the conditions necessary to become a Sage."
To be honest, Naruto envied Orochimaru's body. After all, it was a perfectly balanced all-rounder. With all attributes mastered, Orochimaru could approach any challenge with ease.
"As expected of Naruto-kun, your insights always inspire me," Orochimaru said with a glint of joy in his eyes.
He felt fortunate to have followed Naruto, gaining this perfect body, and even more grateful for Naruto's guidance, which made everything smoother.
Naruto waved his hand and smiled. In Naruto's opinion, Orochimaru deserved all he had achieved.
Naruto enjoyed talking with Orochimaru. Though the Shinobi World lacked Earth's advanced sciences, Orochimaru's intellect was unparalleled. Every time Naruto suggested an idea, even if it had flaws or logical gaps, Orochimaru would refine and perfect it.
This is the best thing about Orochimaru. Naruto needs a smart subordinate like this one, which saves him time, worry and effort.
"Alright, don't get too excited just yet." Seeing Orochimaru's growing enthusiasm Naruto cautioned, "This is all still theoretical. You'll need to visit Ryuchi Cave to learn Sage Mode first, and then study step by step."
However, when mentioning Ryuchi Cave's Sage Mode, Naruto couldn't help but think of another person.
"By the way, Orochimaru, take that Yakushi Kabuto with you when you go to Ryuchi Cave. That kid has the potential to learn Sage Mode and could assist you in your research."
Orochimaru frowned and said, "Since we abandoned the Konoha Crush Plan, I've kept Kabuto in the village as a sleeper agent. While I can bring him back, the kid has a rebellious streak. Couldn't he ruin things?"
"Pfft!"
Naruto immediately burst out laughing, "You're Orochimaru, and you're scared of a little brat? Excessive caution isn't caution, it's cowardice!"
Hearing this, Orochimaru also laughed: "A mere Kabuto isn't enough to make me cower. Very well, I'll take him to Ryuchi Cave as you suggested, Naruto-kun!"
Ever since he followed Naruto, Orochimaru had glimpsed a higher realm of power. The strength he had now made his former self seem laughably weak. If he wanted to, he could obliterate his past self with a single finger.
It was precisely because of this newfound strength that he unknowingly became overly cautious.
But Naruto's words opened his eyes.
To put it bluntly, who besides Naruto could possibly pose a threat to him now?
Caution was for the weak. With his current power, he had earned the right to be arrogant.
It was time to cast aside excessive caution and embrace his newfound confidence...