Jiraiya settled into Shikkotsu Forest, but it didn't affect Sakura's training.
For some time, she still went to the lake daily for cell adaptation exercises with natural energy.
Activating the Strength of a Hundred Technique to its fullest to heal herself, Sakura immersed her whole body in the lake.
She let the wild Natural Energy damage her body, then had the technique repair it.
Continuous destruction followed by regeneration.
This cycle repeated until the day when all her cells transformed into special cells capable of containing Natural Energy.
"Ssss, is this how Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Mode is trained?" Jiraiya, who had come to observe his disciple's training, sucked in a cold breath.
He had just witnessed Sakura's body dissolving under the lake's effect, revealing red, tender muscles and blood vessels, only to rapidly regenerate under the vibrant, S-Rank Medical Ninjutsu.
If not for knowing the Katsuyu Sage wouldn't harm Sakura, Jiraiya would have almost thought he'd entered a crime scene for body disposal.
"Is Mount Myoboku's training different?"
The Katsuyu Sage, who had just crawled over to deliver Sakura's lunch, heard Jiraiya's murmur and turned to ask.
"If Mount Myoboku's Sage Mode was like this, I probably wouldn't have lived to this age..."
Jiraiya's eye twitched a few times, taking a small step back.
"Interesting. Could you tell me how the toads do it?"
The Katsuyu Sage stopped beside Jiraiya, its eyes full of interest as it looked at him.
"Introduce Natural Energy into the body, then maintain a ratio of 1:1:1 for the three energies to form Senjutsu Chakra."
Faced with the great sage's inquiry, Jiraiya sat cross-legged, fully explaining Mount Myoboku's training method.
"Such Sage Mode deviates from our original intent in creating it." Katsuyu's voice was gentle. "You're merely using Senjutsu Chakra, not truly achieving Sage transformation!"
"Therefore, your Sage Mode cannot reach perfection. It has flaws like depleting Senjutsu Chakra and not extending lifespan."
"That's true. Fukasaku-sama also said it was a shortcut, a heretical path."
Jiraiya scratched his head. "But Mount Myoboku's complete Sage Mode requires hundreds of years of training. With a human lifespan, it's simply impossible. Being able to use Senjutsu Chakra to enhance combat power and survive is already quite an achievement."
As he spoke, he somewhat emotionally supported his severed arm with his hand.
Katsuyu nodded, offering no further response to Jiraiya's words.
After all, everyone had the freedom to choose their own way of life. Even as a Holy Land's master, it couldn't comment on others' choices.
At the lake's edge, a naked pink-haired girl rose from the water. Her loose pink hair cascaded like a waterfall with her movement, covering her slightly developed chest.
"Sakura-chan, take a break first. I prepared something delicious for you!"
Katsuyu came to the shore with a small basket, waving at Sakura in the water.
"Hah... coming!"
Sakura, whose vocal cords had just regenerated, answered hoarsely, her voice still leaky.
Then, enduring the terrifying dissolution by natural energy, she walked step by step back to shore, picking up a robe from the ground and putting it on.
"Ta-da! Today, I have specially prepared grilled slugs for you~ Come, try some!"
Sitting on the open ground, with a new guest today, the Katsuyu Sage made bold, innovative breakthroughs in its slug cuisine.
After removing most of the mucus and moisture, it preserved part of the slug's original flavor.
"Um..."
Even Jiraiya, accustomed to eating insects in Mount Myoboku, couldn't help but had his throat constricting upon seeing the uniformly prepared slugs.
While the Katsuyu Sage enthusiastically arranged the plates, he quietly leaned close to Sakura and whispered, "You eat this normally?"
"To be honest, I've almost forgotten what outside food tastes like."
The girl turned to Jiraiya expressionlessly. Her placid face seemed to produce the illusion of two clear streams of tears.
"You've had it rough."
Jiraiya's eyelids twitched wildly. His remaining arm patted his disciple's shoulder.
"What are you two whispering about? Come eat!"
Katsuyu took out the utensils, already urging them. "Oh, and Jiraiya-chan, you can't eat too much. Your body hasn't fully recovered and can't withstand this energy's impact."
"No problem, no problem!"
Hearing this, the smile on Jiraiya's face became uncontrollable. He nodded repeatedly.
After lunch, Sakura sat cross-legged on the ground, using Life Return to digest the massive nutrients in the slug cuisine. Jiraiya went to the lakeside, tentatively touching the water with his pinky.
Instantly, heart-wrenching pain erupted from his fingertip, spreading throughout his body.
"Mmm..."
Jiraiya gritted his teeth hard, preventing himself from crying out.
'I only touched such a tiny bit and hurt this much, yet Sakura could endure full-body dissolution without batting an eye. If I cried out now, wouldn't I lose my honor in front of my disciple later?'
"You can cry out if you want. I'm not entirely relying on willpower either. I just temporarily severed the pain nerves with Medical Ninjutsu." Sensing Jiraiya's thoughts with Observation Haki, Sakura opened her eyes to explain.
"Ouch, ouch, ouch! Help me treat this!" Jiraiya immediately wailed, running to Sakura with his hand raised.
Sakura grabbed his finger. The Strength of a Hundred patterns directly expanded from her arm onto Jiraiya's body. Yang Release Chakra slowly repaired his dissolved flesh.
"!!!"
Seeing her use of this S-Rank Ninjutsu, Jiraiya's pupils constricted. "You didn't open the Yin Seal?"
"Mhm. This technique itself is a pseudo-Sage Mode. After fusing with Katsuyu's flesh and partially transforming my cells through Sage Mode, I don't rely much on the Chakra stored in the Yin Seal to use it." Sakura nodded.
All those slug meals and mucus soaks weren't for nothing. Sage Mode training had indeed pushed her further down the path of becoming non-human.
But Sakura's own body was already a mishmash of various components, so much so that she was becoming somewhat accustomed to it.
"So, you can already exhibit some Sage Mode's abilities." Jiraiya withdrew his hand, stroking his chin. "In that case, regarding your Sage Mode, I have an idea. Want to give it a try?"
Jiraiya had seen quite a few Sage Mode's practitioners, but his disciple was the closest to success in Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Mode in thousands of years. He was genuinely curious about her Sage Mode.
So, on a whim, Jiraiya wanted Sakura to try Mount Myoboku's method to enter Sage Mode prematurely, thus making the suggestion to her.
Sensing Jiraiya's eagerness, Sakura's interest was piqued too. "Let's do it!"
Master and disciple were in perfect agreement. Tiptoeing, they sneaked away from the Katsuyu Sage to the inner part of Shikkotsu Forest.
The night grew deeper. The Katsuyu Sage, sleeping soundly, was dreaming of preparing a brand-new type of slug cuisine for Sakura. Drool dripped from its mouth as it chuckled in its sleep, murmuring for Sakura not to run away.
However, the next moment, sudden lightning abruptly filled the entire Shikkotsu Forest, with high-pitched thunderclaps echoing endlessly!
Boom—!