bioinnovel Chapter 384 Sasuke Wants to Learn Sage Mode, Black Zetsu Tries to Deceive Him Again
Chapter 384 Sasuke Wants to Learn Sage Mode, Black Zetsu Tries to Deceive Him Again
Naruto's casual remark in the dream sent a jolt through Menma.
He stared incredulously at the dream version of Naruto.
That calm, infuriatingly composed face seemed to see through everything in Menma's eyes at that moment.
How dare he...
How could he...?
A sudden surge of panic, as if he had been seen through, welled up inside him, mixed with a bitterness he didn't even want to admit.
In an instant, countless painful memories of the past flashed through his mind.
Those lonely and agonizing years, those wounds and sorrows unknown to anyone...
He never showed weakness to anyone, nor did he need anyone's charity or pity.
However, I never imagined that this other Naruto, whom I hated the most, would say such a thing.
Seeing the momentary shock and crack in Menma's eyes, Naruto in his dream felt a slight pang in his heart, realizing that his words had pierced Menma's defenses.
He opened his mouth, wanting to strike while the iron was hot and say something more.
"Mianma, you..."
However, as soon as Naruto in his dream spoke, Menma's reaction was even more intense than he had expected.
The moment Naruto spoke in the dream, Menma recoiled as if burned, taking a half-step back.
The brief look of confusion and relaxation on his face vanished in an instant.
It was quickly filled with coldness and anger.
Seemingly ashamed and annoyed by his momentary lapse in composure, his voice, numb as ever, was cold and stiff.
"Stop acting like you know everything!"
"It's none of your business to judge my affairs!"
"And I don't need your fake sympathy!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Menma seemed unable to bear being stared at by those eyes any longer.
He turned his head away angrily, took a few steps back in a disheveled manner, bent down and picked up the three-eyed fox mask from the ground.
Menma abruptly put the mask back on his face, covering the face that looked exactly like Naruto's.
The moment the mask was put back in place, his wavering and panic were forcibly suppressed, replaced by a renewed sense of coldness and wariness.
He reverted to his unapproachable, stern face once again.
Seeing this, Naruto hurriedly tried to take a few steps forward, but was grabbed by the shoulder by the dream Naruto.
Without glancing at Naruto or the dream Naruto again, he stomped his foot, suddenly unleashing a surge of chakra, transforming into a blurry black shadow, and plunged into the depths of the dense forest without looking back.
In a few leaps and bounds, it vanished without a trace.
The man sped through the night without looking back.
His heart was still pounding, and Naruto's words from the dream echoed repeatedly in his mind like a demonic chant, making his breathing somewhat disordered.
Damn!
He gritted his teeth, desperately trying to banish that slight wavering from his mind.
"I don't need anyone's pity!"
A rage roared in his heart, his forehead veins throbbing.
The next instant, he suddenly accelerated, transforming into an even faster black shadow that rushed into the boundless night and disappeared without a trace.
Naruto hurriedly stretched out his hand and shouted, but it was too late.
His hand froze in mid-air as he watched the other person disappear, his face filled with disappointment and confusion: "Why did they run away again...?"
After a long pause, he dejectedly withdrew his hand, turned to look at the silent Dream Naruto beside him, and complained, "Why did you stop me just now? Maybe if we had persuaded him a little more, he would have..."
Naruto in his dream slowly shook his head, his gaze still fixed on the direction where Menma had disappeared, his eyes deep and complex.
He interrupted, "No, Naruto, now is not the time."
"As you saw, Menma reacted so strongly to the name Konoha. It wasn't just simple disgust; it was a deep-seated hatred. If we force him to go back now, it will only provoke a stronger backlash, and it might even completely destroy the relationship that has just eased up."
As Naruto spoke of this, a hint of helpless worry appeared between his brows.
How could he not wish to immediately resolve the hatred in Mianma's heart?
But he knew very well that acting too hastily now would only backfire.
Some wounds can only be healed by time, and some knots in one's heart can only be untied by the person involved.
Upon hearing this, Naruto couldn't help but shudder as he recalled Menma's extremely gloomy expression from earlier.
The words he wanted to say stuck in his throat, and he could only mutter softly, "But... but if he doesn't go back to Konoha, where can he go? He's always been this kind of person..."
"At least, through today's exploration, we have come to a very useful conclusion."
In the dream world, Naruto raised his hand and gently patted Naruto's shoulder.
"We now know that he is indeed alive and kicking, and he is not seriously injured. Moreover, his strength... is definitely enough to protect himself in this world, and it can even be said that he is very strong. If an ordinary ninja encounters him, it is others who should run for their lives."
"Although today's farce went a bit too far, the outcome was good, which is already a very good development."
"Naruto, some things can't be rushed. If a wound is frozen solid, pouring boiling water on it will only scald the flesh and cause it to fester."
"We need to give him time, and we also need to give ourselves time. We need to thoroughly understand why he has become the way he is today, and figure out where his inner conflicts lie. Only by finding the root of the problem can we find the right solution."
Although Naruto still felt somewhat depressed, the sense of defeat—watching "himself" all alone and helpless—made him feel terrible.
But he wasn't stupid; he could understand the logic in Naruto's words in the dream.
Naruto recalled the disgust in Menma's eyes when he mentioned Konoha, and could only lower his head and mumble a "hmm," like a defeated golden retriever.
After calming Naruto down, the dream Naruto himself wasn't as relaxed as he appeared.
He turned slightly, his brows furrowing imperceptibly as he fell into self-doubt.
He raised his hand, looking at his fist that had just clashed with Menma's.
Something's not right...
In his dream, Naruto frantically replayed everything that had just happened in his mind.
"I'm not feeling right today."
Given his usual method of planning before acting, he would never adopt such a head-on, radical strategy when faced with such an extremely obsessive target as Ma.
What would he normally do?
He would first show weakness, use language to pull the other party along, and try to use more roundabout and gentle communication methods to slowly lower the other party's defenses. He would even be willing to temporarily back down in order to gain the other party's trust.
Just like he did when he first faced Naruto.
But what about today?
Today, facing Ma's seemingly clumsy provocations face-to-face, I actually got carried away?!
Not only was his competitive spirit aroused, but he even activated Sage Mode. What's even more outrageous is that he actually managed to conjure a spiral shuriken!
What are they doing?
This feeling... was too unfamiliar and too unusual for him.
Naruto in his dream touched his chin, his eyes becoming somewhat strange.
Could it be that... the world is subtly influencing my emotions and behavioral patterns?
He looked thoughtful, unable to find a definite answer for a moment.
But behind this, there are definitely some deeper secrets that he has not yet seen through.
……
The next day.
The land of grass, underground caves.
Sasuke suddenly opened his eyes.
The breathtaking scenes from his dream continued to replay wildly in his mind.
"Sage Mode..."
Sasuke lay on the stone bed, still savoring the terrifying power Naruto displayed in his dream last night.
That immense chakra that blends seamlessly with nature, that extreme speed that even the Sharingan struggles to fully capture.
So, what that underachiever was pursuing on Mount Myoboku was this kind of power that transcends common sense?
However, before he could turn this sense of urgency into motivation for his spiritual practice...
Something's not right!
Sasuke frowned sharply.
A nauseating, sticky, and cold sensation was coming from the surface of his skin.
What terrified him even more was the sensation... it seemed to be alive! It was slowly wriggling on his skin!
Sasuke felt a sudden alarm bell ring in his mind, and his sleepiness was instantly dispelled.
He suddenly lowered his head, his gaze sweeping over his own body.
The terrifying sight that came into view caused Sasuke's pupils to shrink to two tiny pinpoints!
His body, from his chest to his limbs, was covered with bruises and bloodstains from yesterday's hellish training. Now, it was covered with a layer of pale white, bizarre tissue that resembled some kind of spore plant or alien flesh!
This pale white tissue, like a living leech, wriggled rhythmically, clinging tightly to his skin. He could even feel it channeling some kind of cold energy into his body through his pores.
"What the hell is that?!"
Sasuke's muscles tensed instantly, and his lightning chakra instinctively wanted to burst through his body, attempting to use Chidori Stream to forcibly electrocute and peel off these disgusting attachments.
"Kid, don't move, or you'll die."
Just as he was about to launch an attack, a hoarse voice suddenly came from the shadows at the head of his stone bed.
Sasuke froze, turned his head sharply, and activated his Sharingan instantly, staring intently at the source of the sound.
A strange figure stood quietly beside his stone bed.
The figure's body was cleaved in two by a perfect straight line, one half pitch black and the other deathly white.
The head, encased in a giant pitcher plant-like leaf, was looking down at him.
Absolutely brilliant!
What horrified Sasuke even more was that the pale tissue slowly writhing over his body originated from that half of his white body.
They act like an umbilical cord, connecting Zetsu's body to Sasuke's skin.
"You monster... what are you doing to me?!"
Sasuke's voice was filled with surprise and doubt, the tomoe in his Sharingan spinning wildly as he stared intently at Zetsu.
Although Madara Uchiha once casually mentioned that this monster was his right-hand man, specializing in intelligence and logistics.
But this bizarre, even somewhat cult-like scene was beyond the comprehension of a twelve-year-old boy.
"Tsk tsk tsk, this is a good thing. I'm helping you with your treatment, what else do you think you're doing? Applying a face mask?"
"With your pampered little body, these past few days Lord Madara has subjected you to all sorts of inhumane and extreme training, like squeezing rubber... With your pathetic recovery ability, your bones would have fallen apart a hundred times over!"
"Do you really think you're some monster with the Thousand Hands Clan's constitution? That you can just sleep and be fully recovered and jumping around again? Don't dream about it!"
Upon hearing this, Sasuke first blinked angrily, then froze.
Only then did he belatedly realize a blind spot he had long overlooked.
Ever since Madara Uchiha began training him, every night when he lay on the stone bed with his half-dead body, he felt as if his whole body was in excruciating pain, with not a drop of blood left.
The wounds all over my body felt like thousands of ants were biting me, burning with pain, and I felt like I could die at any moment in this dark cave.
However, each time he woke up from a drowsy sleep, although he was still mentally exhausted, the fatal injuries and damage to his body would always recover almost completely without him realizing it.
Sasuke always proudly believed that this was because he was a genius of the Uchiha clan, and that his willpower and extraordinary talent were creating miracles.
He never imagined that behind all of this was the half-human, half-plant monster in front of him, secretly repairing his broken body every night in this chilling way!
"Hehehe... Lord Madara, you really went all out this time, showing no mercy to your junior."
He continued in a sarcastic tone:
"Every time I torment you until you're barely breathing, and you don't stop until you've almost stepped into the Pure Land. Tsk tsk tsk, especially yesterday. What did Madara take? He beat you to death! I worked two extra shifts yesterday and used every ounce of my strength. Even now, I've only barely managed to get your broken body back to the point where you can walk."
"Honestly, they don't even know how to cherish such a promising junior."
Sasuke lowered his head, staring intently at the slowly writhing white tissue on his body.
He had to admit that his life, or rather, his body that wasn't completely ruined, was indeed thanks to this monster.
Sasuke looked away, no longer glancing at the disgusting white tissue or Zetsu's eerie face, and said somewhat stiffly, "...Thank you."
White Zetsu seemed completely unconcerned about Sasuke's attitude, and even laughed more heartily.
"Oh dear, don't worry about it, don't worry about it. It's just part of my job."
"After all, we're all under the same command as Lord Madara now. We eat from the same pot and live under the same roof, so it's only right that we help each other, right? Hehehe."
As soon as he finished speaking, the white tissue quickly detached from Sasuke's skin and shrank back into the White Zetsu's body.
Sasuke did not respond to the attempt to get closer to him.
He closed his eyes, focused his mind on his body, and carefully felt his physical condition.
A tingling, slightly stinging sensation was spreading from deep within my body.
That's the broken muscle fibers reconnecting, the damaged meridians being forcibly cleared by the life force.
The healing process is happening at an incredible speed to every hidden injury on Sasuke's body.
However, amidst this tingling sensation, a persistent thought crept into Sasuke's mind.
I am here enduring all this inhuman torture, suffering this parasitic humiliation... Is it really worth it?
He thought of Naruto.
That bottom-of-the-barrel student should be peacefully resting in the legendary sacred site of spiritual communication—Mount Myoboku, right now?
What would cultivation be like there?
Although Sasuke didn't know the specifics of Naruto's training process, he could guess it with a grain of salt.
If Naruto were there, his situation would definitely not be as miserable as it is now!
He would never be like me, locked up in an underground cave that never sees the light of day!
He didn't need to be tortured and beaten half to death by an old monster who had lived for over a hundred years using near-masochistic physical techniques!
He no longer needs to be beaten to the point of near death every day, then stitched up like a broken rag doll by a monster, just so he can continue to be beaten the next day!
Naruto is probably enjoying a hot meal right now, sleeping in a soft bed, surrounded by a group of strange-looking but kind-hearted toad sages who are patiently and meticulously guiding him and teaching him the ultimate techniques.
What made Sasuke feel even more resentful and driven to the brink of madness by jealousy was...
The shocking scene in my dream last night!
The power of Sage Mode is obvious.
And what about yourself?
Aside from being beaten and enduring pain, and being told to trust the power of his eyes, he never received any guidance from Madara on advanced ninjutsu, especially not something as transformative as Sage Mode!
Madara was simply pushing his Sharingan to its limits.
But can he really catch up with or even surpass Naruto who has mastered Sage Mode with just these Sharingan eyes?
If he's taken the wrong path, wouldn't all the suffering he's enduring now be a huge joke?!
Sasuke suddenly opened his eyes and tentatively said:
"Hey, that's awesome."
"Did Madara Uchiha... never really intend to teach me anything substantial?"
Jue, who was about to dive underground, suddenly paused upon hearing this.
On that half-black, half-white face, a rare and surprisingly human-like expression of surprise appeared.
Black Zetsu sneered inwardly.
I just casually made a sarcastic remark, why is this kid reacting so strongly?
Did he really listen to that?
This Uchiha clan genius, the reincarnation of Indra, has such an easily breached psychological defense!
Are they so easily fooled and swayed?
However, if we were to answer this question seriously...
From Zetsu's objective perspective, Madara Uchiha's training of Sasuke was undoubtedly a tremendous effort, and could even be considered a model for countless generations of descendants to succeed.
Of course, this is on the premise that you don't consider the appalling brutality of the training process.
Every day, Lord Ban personally goes down to the field, condescending to be the sparring partner for this brat who hasn't even grown his hair yet.
They meticulously refined this descendant of the Uchiha clan, pushing his chakra, physical strength, ocular power, and even his mental will to the brink of collapse every day, and then rebuilding him from the ruins.
Such artistic sculpting of life and death is something that, apart from Madara, who else in the ninja world could achieve?
Isn't this serious?
Do we really want to be like those greenhouse instructors in Konoha, teaching them how to form hand seals, how to walk on water, and how to throw shuriken, and then just leave them there to practice all day?
However... telling the truth is not in Zetsu's usual style.
Since this kid has started to have doubts, let's give him a little push.
"Hehehe..."
Bai Jue let out a few high-pitched, eerie laughs.
"Lord Ban's thoughts are as deep as an abyss; how could we, his subordinates, possibly fathom them?"
"Perhaps in his eyes, you are far from qualified to touch those real powers. After all, Lord Madara's skills are all real skills honed in the Warring States period, fought in mountains of corpses and seas of blood. How can they be so easily passed on to others? You still have to slowly endure and slowly prove your capacity."
On the surface, this sounds like a neutral, objective assessment, or even an explanation for Ban.
But in reality, every word and sentence is full of Black Zetsu's style.
Many of the things he said to Madara Uchiha back then were also half true and half false, and he always talked about other things.
Normally, Sasuke might realize that Zetsu's words were full of loopholes, but now...
Not qualified enough?
We have to wait and see?!
How can I prove my magnanimity?
Am I just supposed to be a punching bag, here for him to beat and enjoy every day until he's satisfied?!
The sadness in Sasuke's eyes deepened, and his eyes, which were originally crimson from his Sharingan, were now shrouded in shadow.
He stopped speaking and just stared coldly at the nothingness in front of him.
Black Zetsu watched Sasuke's profile, which was filled with resentment and frustration, from the shadows, secretly feeling smug.
The reincarnation of Indra is still too young. He craves power but is too eager for quick success and is too easily swayed by momentary emotions.
While Madara's power and the Eye of the Moon Plan are undoubtedly the core of the current situation and the most important link in reviving his mother, Sasuke is, after all, the reincarnation of this generation's Indra. The fate and karma he carries are also a tremendous force that cannot be ignored.
"Although he's now firmly under Madara Uchiha's control,... leaving a few more variables on the chessboard, making a few more casual moves, and planting seeds of doubt in Sasuke's heart is never a bad thing for me."
Just as an eerie silence fell over the cave.
"Tap...tap...tap..."
A series of extremely imposing footsteps approached from afar.
Madara Uchiha's tall figure slowly appeared at the entrance of the stone chamber.
He stood against the light, his gaze sweeping mercilessly over Sasuke like a blade, confirming that the kid had woken up and seemed to be able to breathe.
Then, his gaze passed over Sasuke and turned to Zetsu.
"Hey, why isn't it done yet? You've slowed down."
Upon hearing this, Black Zetsu's previously sarcastic demeanor instantly vanished, replaced by utmost respect. He fawned over Sasuke, saying, "Lord Madara, please calm down. It's just that Sasuke's injuries yesterday were rather troublesome. Repairing some of the deeper meridians and internal organs in his body requires more precise, microscopic cellular chakra manipulation, which naturally takes longer. However, please rest assured, it's now basically complete and will absolutely not delay your plans."
Madara showed no extra expression, only letting out a cold snort, which could be considered a reluctant acceptance of Zetsu's explanation.
Then, Madara looked at Sasuke again.
"Now that you can breathe and move, get out here right now."
"Today's training is about to begin. Don't lie there like a piece of trash and waste time. I hope you can make me sweat a lot today."
However, something unexpected happened.
Unlike the previous two days, Sasuke did not grit his teeth upon hearing the order, nor did he struggle to get up immediately despite the excruciating pain, and obediently follow along step by step.
Sasuke lowered his head slightly, his messy black hair obscuring his eyes, making it impossible to see his expression.
Ban's brows furrowed slowly, and the temperature in the stone chamber dropped a few degrees.
"What's wrong? Are you pretending to be deaf and dumb? Is your leg broken or your heart dead?"
His voice remained calm, but it had taken on a dangerous undertone.
"Where has your once-proud Uchiha pride gone? You've backed down? You don't even have the courage to face me anymore?"
"Is your so-called revenge, your so-called magnanimity, really only this pathetic and laughable? If so, then you can get out now. I don't need trash."
Anyone else would probably have already knelt down and begged for mercy under such murderous intent.
But Sasuke raised his head with unusual determination!
"I'm not afraid, and I will never back down."
"But I've had enough of this pointless, one-sided game of being beaten!"
"I want to learn...the truly amazing things!"
"Um?"
Madara seemed surprised that Sasuke dared to contradict him at this moment and make such an overstepping request, and even found it somewhat ridiculous.
He looked down at the arrogant brat in front of him and sized him up again.
"Something truly powerful? Kid, do you even know what strength is?"
"Pushing yourself to your limits on the brink of life and death, relentlessly squeezing every drop of chakra potential from your body, building a solid foundation... You haven't even learned to walk, yet you dream of flying? What will you use to master even more powerful techniques?!"
"Those fancy ninjutsu techniques are nothing but amusement in the face of absolute power!"
"No!"
Sasuke shook his head without hesitation, decisively interrupting Madara's sermon.
"This isn't fast enough, nor strong enough. What I need is a power that defies all logic, not this kind of minor improvement in physical skills!"
The scene from his dream resurfaced in his mind.
After Naruto activated Sage Mode in his dream world, his aura underwent a dramatic transformation.
That power is from a completely different dimension from the forging he is currently undergoing here.
Sasuke met Madara's increasingly cold and displeased gaze without any fear. He gritted his teeth and spoke out his deepest desires and goals without any concealment:
"I need greater power."
"I want to learn... Sage Mode!"
"As the legendary strongest Uchiha... do you know that technique?"
"..."
The entire stone chamber fell into a deathly silence the moment Sasuke finished speaking.
"Sage Mode?"
Madara Uchiha's lips moved slightly as he repeated those four words.
For the first time ever, his usually calm voice showed an ambiguous pause.
Sage Mode.
Ban's thoughts, traversing the river of time, were forcibly pulled back to the distant past.
It pulls us back to the Valley of the End, the battle that determined the fate of the ninja world.
They were pulled back to the man clad in layered red armor, standing atop a giant wooden figure, his hands clasped together, unleashing a power powerful enough to shake the heavens and dim the stars!
Hashirama Senju!
He was his lifelong best friend, and also his lifelong nemesis.
And that terrifying Buddha statue that stood tall and imposing, with thousands upon thousands of enormous wooden arms, each strike containing the devastating power of Sage Chakra.
The enormous wooden fists, waving wildly, rained down like a meteor shower...
Although, in Madara Uchiha's own grand narrative, he never felt that he had lost the battle at the Valley of the End.
He firmly believed that the seemingly failed battle and his "death" were merely part of his plan.
But no matter how arrogant or disdainful he was, he couldn't deny the fact that he was lying to himself.
The terrifying, inexhaustible power that Hashirama Senju displayed after activating Sage Mode, perfectly merging with natural energy, truly left an indelible impression on him.
It was a power that even his Susanoo at its peak struggled with, the only one he acknowledged as being able to rival the ultimate eye power of the Uchiha.
After a brief silence.
Jue shrank back in the shadows, sensing that the atmosphere was somewhat ominous.
Sasuke sat on the stone bed, his body tense, staring intently at Madara's cracked face.
He did indeed see a fleeting look of surprise and reminiscence in Ban's eyes.
But what followed was not the affirmation he had hoped for.
Instead, it was extreme disdain and contempt!
That look in his eyes was like looking at an earthworm trying to learn to fly.
"What's wrong?"
Seeing that Ban remained silent for a long time, his eagerness to succeed made him lose his usual composure, and he couldn't help but ask again.
"Could it be that even Madara Uchiha, who was renowned throughout the ninja world, didn't possess this power?"
"Hmph, utterly foolish."
Madara slowly raised his head and sneered:
"As a member of the noble Uchiha clan, you possess the ancient and noble bloodline of the ninja world."
"Within your eye sockets lies the absolute key to the ultimate, most extreme power in this world..."
"As long as you continuously develop your eyesight to its fullest potential, you will gain divine power and become the master of everything!"
"But now, possessing such a priceless treasure, you're ridiculously abandoning the essential for the trivial, pursuing some kind of 'immortal' mode of seeking externally from nature?!"