Naruto, my father's name is Uchiha Madara.

Page 159

Jiraiya's face flushed red under the gaze of his two apprentices, and he stubbornly argued, "What do you know! I didn't squander your money! It was..."

"That was to buy you essential cultivation supplies! It was an investment! A necessary sacrifice!"

Naruto and Sasuke said in unison, with absolute certainty: "I don't believe it!"

The two of them had expressions that said, "You're kidding me."

Just as this awkward standoff was beginning, a soft "poof" sound came from afar.

There was a toad, about the size of a palm, entirely green, with large, round eyes.

Carrying a sealed, earthen-yellow pottery jar several times its own size, it hopped and skipped over to the three of them.

The little toad seemed to ignore the strange atmosphere, raised its head, and said to Jiraiya in a clear voice, "Lord Jiraiya, the premium toad oil from Mount Myōboku that you ordered has been delivered by this little toad! Please sign for it!"

Toad oil? Mount Myoboku?

Naruto and Sasuke's attention was instantly drawn to it.

Naruto curiously squatted down and carefully took the heavy ceramic jar from the back of the little toad named Gamabun.

The earthenware jar feels warm to the touch, with strange runes engraved on its surface, and it exudes a faint, unique aroma that blends the fragrance of grass and trees with the scent of earth.

"What kind of oil is this? Is it for cooking? It smells strange."

Naruto leaned closer to the jar and sniffed it, looking puzzled.

Jiraiya finally found a topic to get rid of the awkwardness and immediately straightened his back.

He quickly took the pottery jar from the little toad's back, carefully held it in his arms, and nodded repeatedly to the little toad: "Thank you for your hard work! Please give my regards to Boss Shenzuo when you get back!"

"Croak! It's not hard work! Remember to give me a five-star review! Croak!" The little toad completed its task and hopped away into the bushes.

Jiraiya then cleared his throat: "Ignorant brat! This is toad oil, a specialty of Mount Myōboku! It's a top-tier cultivation resource specifically used to assist you in cultivating Sage Mode! Do you understand? It's priceless! It's invaluable!"

Chapter 179 Immortal Techniques? Not that difficult!

"Cultivation aid? Immortal arts?"

Sasuke keenly caught the key words, and a hint of inquiry flashed in his cool eyes.

"What is the use?"

He is interested in anything that can make him stronger.

"What's the use? Good question!"

Jiraiya perked up and carefully opened the seal on the earthenware jar.

A richer, more peculiar aura, seemingly imbued with the vitality of the earth, permeated the air, making the surrounding air appear thicker.

"Watch closely!" Jiraiya gestured for Naruto to extend his arm.

Although Naruto was still a little suspicious, he obediently stretched out his arm.

Jiraiya extended his index finger and dipped it into the jar of thick, amber-colored toad oil.

"I might have felt something, but I held it in."

As Jiraiya spoke, he gently applied the toad oil to Naruto's bare forearm.

The instant the toad oil touched his skin, Naruto felt an indescribable, icy yet scorching torrent, as if it came from the very heavens and earth.

It suddenly surged into his body from the application point!

This power is different from the gentle and controllable chakra; it is wild, vast, and full of primal vitality and a sense of destruction!

Naruto groaned, his body trembling violently!

He felt as if his blood was about to boil, and his muscles were swelling and contorting uncontrollably!

Even more terrifying, his cheeks swelled up at a visible speed, and his skin became rough.

It even developed bumps and lines resembling toad skin!

His nostrils flared slightly outwards, and his eyes also seemed to bulge outwards!

A powerful sense of bestiality and chaos assaulted his consciousness!

It felt as if my body was being forcibly transformed into another species by this foreign force!

Just when Naruto felt he was about to lose control and his head was about to completely turn into a toad's head—

A crisp slap landed hard on the back of Naruto's head!

The force was so great that Naruto saw stars and almost fell over!

However, this slap seemed to carry a peculiar rhythm.

It instantly interrupted the influx of that violent natural energy!

The turbulent feeling within Naruto's body receded like a receding tide.

The mutated toad-like features on his face and arms faded away as quickly as phantoms, returning to normal in the blink of an eye.

"Cough cough...I...I'm..."

Naruto clutched the burning back of his head, panting heavily, his eyes filled with confusion and lingering fear.

For a brief moment, he felt like he almost wasn't himself anymore!

Jiraiya withdrew his hand, a hint of seriousness barely perceptible on his face.

But that was quickly masked by that nonchalant smile: "How was it? How did it feel? This is the 'super ninjutsu' that I'm going to teach you next—no, to be precise, it has already transcended the scope of ordinary ninjutsu."

He shook the earthenware jar in his hand; the amber-colored toad oil gleamed mysteriously in the moonlight.

"It's called—Sage Mode!"

"Immortal...mode?"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head, muttering the unfamiliar word repeatedly, his eyes filled with shock and confusion.

Was that terrifying power that almost turned him into a toad just now a magical technique?

Sasuke's pupils also contracted slightly.

He had clearly seen the strange changes that had just occurred to Naruto and the chilling energy fluctuations.

A power beyond ninjutsu?

His gaze was fixed on the toad oil in Jiraiya's hand, and a huge wave of emotions surged within him.

Jiraiya looked at his two apprentices' shocked expressions, nodded in satisfaction, and smiled with a hint of mystery: "By using natural energy and perfectly fusing it with one's own chakra and spiritual power, one can open the door to a higher realm. This is—Sage Mode!"

Jiraiya's voice echoed through the silent forest.

Seeing that the two were somewhat stunned, Jiraiya became even more smug: "The power boost, enhanced perception, and recovery ability it brings are far beyond what ordinary ninjutsu can provide! Even the First Hokage used the powerful Sage Mode back then!"

Although the First Hokage didn't use the Sage Mode from the Myoboku lineage.

He paused, looking at Naruto's still somewhat bewildered face and the burning desire in Sasuke's eyes, and said seriously, "And that toad oil just now is the secret treasure of the toad clan of Mount Myōboku."

"It can greatly enhance the user's perception and affinity with natural energy, and is an indispensable aid for cultivating the Myoboku-ryu Sage Mode!"

"Of course, it is also extremely dangerous. As you just saw, if it is not controlled properly, it will be devoured by natural energy and turned into a stone toad!"

“There are many toad statues in Mount Myoboku. They are statues formed by absorbing too much natural energy.”

Naruto, clutching his head in fear, said, "So what are we supposed to do? I don't want to turn into a toad statue."

Jiraiya explained, "That's why I taught you the basic training before, because for Sage Mode—the 'stillness' technique is especially important!"

While Jiraiya was speaking outside, the two people and one beast inside the sealed space also expressed their opinions.

The ripples caused by the surge of violent natural energy had not yet completely subsided.

Madara slowly opened his crimson Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan.

Unlike Naruto's pain and loss of control, his face showed no discomfort, but rather a hint of reminiscence and...

A lingering sense of enjoyment.

He raised a hand made of chakra, his fingertips still seemingly retaining the tactile sensation of the energy that had surged in just a moment ago, like the pulse of heaven and earth.

"This is...natural energy?"

Ban's deep voice echoed within the sealed space, carrying a condescending scrutiny: "Hmph, it doesn't seem so elusive and uncontrollable when you try to sense it."

His tone was flat, as if he were commenting on an ordinary toy.

Rather than a forbidden power that deters countless ninjas and often backfires fatally.

That absolute confidence, stemming from his bloodline and strength, naturally made him look down on this "external force".

The phantom of Minato, who had already mastered Sage Mode, appeared beside him, and he felt the sense of control that Madara spoke of as a matter of course.

A genuine look of amazement appeared on his gentle face: "As expected of Madara-san. His keen perception of energy and innate talent for control are truly breathtaking."

Shuimen's voice carried genuine admiration.

"Back when I was at Mount Myōboku, I trained under the two sages, Fukasaku and Shima. It took me a long time just to get a basic understanding of natural energy and balance its ratio with my own chakra. I failed countless times during that time."

"Someone like you, who is only familiar with it for the first time, can instantly analyze its characteristics and assert that it is 'not difficult to master'. I'm afraid... there is no one like you before."

Minato recalled his embarrassing experiences of being "petrified" by toad oil and then being woken up by it, which contrasted sharply with Madara's calm and collected demeanor at the moment.

"Tch!" The Nine-Lama, who was lying prone, let out an annoyed snort, his huge beastly eyes glancing sideways at Ban.

It mumbled in a deep voice, its tone carrying a hint of fear that even it itself didn't realize: "Old Madara, you... you're even more of a monster than us tailed beasts!"

"You're so nonchalant...it's unbelievable!"

As an aggregate of natural energy, it is well aware of the ferocity and exclusivity of this power.

The spot's almost "immune" reaction made it feel slightly uncomfortable.

Madara's lips curled into a cold smile as his crimson Sharingan swept over Kurama.

With an air of arrogance that looked down on everything: "This only proves that you... are too weak."

His words were like cold, merciless blades.

"The so-called 'rage' and 'taboo' are nothing more than barriers that the weak set up for themselves."

He paused, his gaze seemingly piercing through the sealed space.