"I know, I know! A higher level of chakra refers to special ones like our Uchiha's kekkei chakra, right?"
"Congratulations, you're quick to answer! But... wrong!"
Watching the two banter, Uchiha Ashikaga covered her mouth with a soft laugh.
"Rokuro, the Sage Chakra you mentioned earlier—does that count as a higher-level chakra?"
"As expected of Mom. That's right. Beyond the seven basic chakra attributes lies the Sage Chakra.
As for kekkei genkai chakra, though stronger in power, it still doesn't transcend the seven attributes."
Tahara Rokuro wrote "Wood Release" and "Dust Release" on the small blackboard.
"The legendary Wood Release, used only by the First Hokage, is essentially a fusion of Water, Earth, and Yang chakra.
Meanwhile, the Dust Release of Iwagakure's Tsuchikage is also a blend of three attributes, classified as a kekkei tōta—a bloodline elimination."
"Besides those, there's the Uchiha's Sharingan, the Kaguya clan's Shikotsumyaku, the Hōzuki clan's Hydrification Technique, and so on.
Though they seem flashy, all still fall within the domain of the seven attributes. Their strength comes merely from pushing a specific field to its utmost limit."
Rokuro paused briefly.
"When we say 'Kage-level,' in my understanding, it refers to someone who has mastered one or several chakra nature and form transformations to perfection.
A prime example would be Sunagakure's Kazekage—some manipulate magnetism, others sand."
"In my eyes, those who've reached the limit within a single domain are among the weaker of the Kage-level. They're too easily countered.
As for the stronger ones... Kei, do you know who that might be?"
Uchiha Kei thought for a moment.
"The Third Hokage, perhaps? I've heard that Lord Third mastered all five chakra transformations and once used the most powerful ninjutsu—Five-Style Great Continuous Bullet?"
Kei turned to Uchiha Ashikaga, who gave a small confirming nod.
"The Third Hokage was from the era of true shinobi titans. His use of the five chakra natures shone brilliantly on the battlefield—he could counter an opponent's technique with its elemental opposite."
"A shinobi like Sarutobi Hiruzen, who mastered all five attributes, stands among the elite even within Kage-level ranks."
"But ultimately, no matter how skilled one becomes, they're still spinning within the circle of the basic attributes. They haven't ascended to a higher realm."
With that, Rokuro took out a small vial containing a Byakugan.
"The chakra within this Byakugan, however, exists on a higher plane—what we call Sage Chakra.
Sage Chakra is formed by blending physical energy, spiritual energy, and natural energy in a perfect 1:1:1 ratio."
"As for its power, you've just seen it.
If that little white mouse had known how to wield it properly, defeating it wouldn't have been so easy for me."
Staring at the pearly, jade-like Byakugan within the bottle, a faint fanatic gleam flickered in Rokuro's eyes.
"Sage Chakra represents a higher tier of power. When infused into any ninjutsu, it drastically amplifies its might—sometimes even nullifying inherent drawbacks.
For instance, certain forbidden techniques that harm the user as well as the enemy—if fueled by Sage Chakra, that self-destructive side effect could be completely eliminated!"
"Sage Chakra brings immense benefits, but synthesizing it is perilously dangerous.
First, the user must possess vast chakra reserves. Those born with small chakra pools, once they begin absorbing natural energy, will find their chakra instantly suppressed, failing to maintain the 1:1:1 balance."
"Second, it requires extraordinary chakra control. Without it, the ratio becomes unstable—resulting in petrification or worse.
I suspect that white mouse's cellular collapse occurred precisely because the ratio was off.
After all, it's just a mouse—its chakra control is practically nonexistent."
After talking for so long, Rokuro felt a little thirsty and reached for the cup on the table.
At this moment, Ashikaga asked a question.
"Having immense chakra reserves and perfect control—if one meets these two conditions, can they refine Sage Chakra?
It sounds demanding, but surely there are shinobi capable of it. So why haven't we heard of anyone actually using it?"
Rokuro drank his water, then set the cup back down.
"Good catch, Mom—you've spotted the blind spot.
Indeed, enormous chakra and supreme control may be rare for ordinary shinobi, but not impossible for masters like Sarutobi Hiruzen.
So why didn't he learn Sage Mode? After all, the most famous sources of Sage training are the Three Great Sage Lands, and their legacies are connected to Konoha itself. The Three Legendary Sannin are their contract holders."
"The Three Sannin? Lord Orochimaru, Lady Tsunade, and Lord Jiraiya?"
At that time, Konoha's shinobi were well aware of the Sannin—unlike Naruto's generation, where defection and exile had turned them into distant legends.
"Exactly.
Each of them forged pacts with one of the Three Great Sage Lands—Ryūchi Cave, Shikkotsu Forest, and Mount Myōboku—all of which possess Sage Arts lineages.
Yet among the three, only Jiraiya managed to learn Sage Mode—and even then, only partially. The other two failed. The reasons? Twofold."
Rokuro raised one finger.
"First, physical limitations. Take Tsunade for example—after witnessing her lover's death, she developed a crippling hemophobia. She collapses at the sight of blood and lost her will to fight, so she had no motivation to pursue Sage Arts."
"Second, the sheer inconvenience of using Sage Chakra.
Since it must be synthesized by absorbing natural energy in exact proportions, it can't be generated instantly like normal chakra.
In real combat, no enemy would just stand there and let you calmly refine Sage Chakra."
"This limitation means its immense power remains theoretical—impractical for most real battles."
Then Rokuro turned to Kei again.
"Kei, can you guess what I'm planning next?"
Kei, quick-witted as ever, immediately understood.
"You're going to use a ninja tool to analyze Sage Chakra—break down its chakra molecular structure!
Once you decode it, we can refine Sage Chakra quickly and safely for battle use. That would solve both the risk and the impracticality!"
Rokuro smiled faintly.
Just as he had once used ninja tools to analyze Uchiha chakra and awaken his Sharingan, he now intended to synthesize Sage Chakra through similar means.
And if they succeeded—if Sage Chakra could be weaponized and controlled at will—every ninjutsu they knew could multiply in power severalfold.
The thought alone made Kei almost eager enough to beg Rokuro to start the experiment immediately.
END OF CHAPTER
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