Thinking back to what Yuto-sama had just said, Zabuza's eyes lit up. Was Yuto-sama planning to teach them the same power-spiking method Ranmaru used?
Not just Zabuza—everyone's eyes shone.
Off to the side, Ameyuri's gaze flickered with hesitation.
She'd heard of the method Yuto-sama mentioned back in the Mizukage's office, but the way it altered one's appearance made it hard for her to accept.
Now, though, faced with choosing between overwhelming strength and appearance, Ameyuri couldn't help wavering.
"Ranmaru's way of boosting power—I call it Juin-ka (Curse Mark Transformation). While it raises strength, it also alters some of your traits. You've all seen how Ranmaru's body changes, so I don't need to demo it," Yuto said.
"The other power is Sennin Mōdo (Sage Mode). It's stronger than Juin-ka, but also harder to master—and it carries some risk."
As he finished, Yuto's body gave a slight jolt. A thumb-sized black circle bloomed on his otherwise bare forehead.
At the same time, his entire presence shifted. A heart-stopping pressure rolled off him in waves.
Zabuza and the others felt that force crash into them; in an instant, the backs of their shirts were soaked.
A heartbeat later, Yuto canceled the transformation, expression flat as he looked at the group.
"Two powers. Have you decided which one?"
The calm question snapped everyone out of the shock from moments earlier.
They'd guessed as much—but a guess was only a guess. Now they had a clear answer.
Two mighty paths, and they could choose. Even laid-back Chojuro couldn't keep the excitement off his face.
Sage Mode!
Every one of them chose the stronger Sennin Mōdo (Sage Mode), even though it was far riskier than Juin-ka (Curse Mark Transformation).
Seeing their choice, Yuto wasn't surprised.
If Ranmaru's body didn't have certain flaws, Yuto would have had all Seven Swordsmen learn Sage Mode.
Still—a "Seven" with six in Sennin Mōdo and one in Juin-ka would be terrifying enough.
What came next was simple. Yuto infused each of them with a set amount of Sennin chakra (sage chakra).
That let them feel the power of Sennin chakra while also preventing accidents during the process.
The rest would come down to their own understanding.
Of course, insight alone wasn't enough. The most critical factor was environment.
All Three Great Sage Lands had places rich in natural energy. Training Sennin Mōdo there would yield twice the results for half the effort.
Unfortunately, Yuto wasn't contracted with any of the three and didn't know their locations.
That's where Three-Tails came in!
First, Yuto used Kekkai Ninjutsu (Barrier Technique) to seal off a small clearing, preventing large leaks of natural chakra.
Next, by continuously drawing on Isobu's chakra and converting it into natural chakra, he saturated the barrier with nature-aligned energy.
It took Yuto a little over two days to barely blanket the space with a layer of natural energy.
And that was thanks to Three-Tails' vast chakra reserves—otherwise, he couldn't have done it even if he wrung himself dry.
It still couldn't compare to a Sage Land, but Yuto's goal wasn't to have them gulp down natural energy yet.
The Sennin chakra he'd left in each of them let them more quickly sense the natural energy in the air.
As long as they could perceive the flow of nature-aligned chakra in the air, they'd cleared the first threshold. After that, it was about storing chakra within themselves and getting used to the cycle.
Yuto's Sennin Mōdo came from Hashirama's system, so the side effect was that the body took on a wooden aspect.
But Zabuza and the rest didn't need to worry. Even if that happened, Yuto could pull the excess away and return their bodies to normal.
Under Yuto's personal instruction and within the barrier's environment, the Seven and the others could train without fear, and their grasp of Senninka (Sage Transformation) advanced visibly by the hour.
The nature-aligned chakra was swiftly processed, absorbed, and gradually mastered.
None of those present were lacking in talent.
So, in just two days, the first person who could sense and draw nature chakra from the air without Yuto's help appeared.
Chojuro!
That's right—the most easygoing of them all.
Maybe, besides talent, temperament mattered for sensing natural chakra.
Once he learned it, Yuto literally kicked Chojuro out of the barrier to train outside.
After all, the barrier's only purpose was to help them quickly learn to sense the natural energy in the air.
Chojuro's bashful, embarrassed look landed in everyone's eyes like a catalyst.
Everyone doubled down, especially Zabuza, a veteran Swordsman.
Ranmaru was one thing—he had Juin-ka backing him, so losing to him wasn't shameful.
But now there was a stronger path. Zabuza had no intention of letting the others surpass him.
Soon after Chojuro learned to sense it, Haku became the second.
Then, as if a gate had opened, Kimimaro was third, Ameyuri fourth, and Zabuza and Suigetsu grasped it together.
Zabuza shot a sour look at the beaming Suigetsu. He figured he'd find time to spar that one-on-one.
For now, they could only absorb small amounts of natural energy and still couldn't enter full Sennin Mōdo—but from here, it was just a matter of time.
Only now did they realize: the power they'd relied on before didn't even compare to this.
——
Meanwhile, as Yuto taught the Swordsmen Senninka, a message arrived from Orochimaru in secret.
Glancing through the dossier, Yuto's lips curled. With a flick of his wrist, the papers turned to ash and drifted away.
Orochimaru had moved faster than he expected.
"What a waste. A Wind Kage felled by a sneak attack—and it seems Suna has outright abandoned Rasa."
Yuto shook his head and sighed.
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