Sage Mode of Shikkotsu Forest
Shikkotsu Forest.
Tōma's main body had been here for several days now, carrying samples of Hashirama's cells.
During that time, he ran experiment after experiment according to his own ideas. If possible, he really didn't want to transplant Hashirama cells into himself. That path always came with hidden risks and long-term consequences.
But if experimentation failed, he wouldn't have much choice.
After all, he didn't have the luxury of spending years slowly feeling his way toward Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Mode.
Results came faster than expected.
When Tōma injected Shikkotsu Forest's natural energy into the Hashirama cells directly, nothing happened. As expected. Hashirama cells couldn't generate chakra on their own, let alone balance it with natural energy.
Even when he injected his own base chakra, it still failed. The missing piece was mental energy.
In the end, it seemed transplantation was unavoidable.
While thinking this through, Tōma glanced at the Slug Sage. A sudden idea flashed through his mind, and his eyes lit up.
One final experiment.
He asked the Slug Sage to separate a small clone and completely sever its consciousness, leaving behind an empty shell. Then Tōma transplanted a portion of Hashirama cells into that slug body. Finally, he used the Spirit Transformation Technique to enter it.
Slug clones were special. They weren't illusions but true physical split bodies. Only something like this could even accept Hashirama cells.
With its consciousness cut off, the clone became a perfect vessel. Once Tōma entered it, he had full control.
At first, he worried about compatibility. But the result surprised him.
Hashirama cells adapted almost flawlessly.
Their compatibility really was absurd. As long as the user could suppress and control them, they could fuse with nearly anything. Otherwise, the cells simply devoured the host.
Tōma suppressed his own chakra completely and let the Hashirama cells consume the slug tissue. Once the process finished, he began drawing chakra from the cells and absorbing Shikkotsu Forest's natural energy.
There should have been risk. This wasn't his real body, and his control over chakra generated by Hashirama cells wasn't perfect.
But strangely, the danger never appeared.
The chakra produced by the Hashirama cells had an unusually strong affinity with natural energy. Even without fully grasping Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Mode balance, the process remained stable.
That realization made Tōma fall silent.
No wonder Senju Hashirama had reached such heights without any teacher. His talent had been maxed out in every possible direction.
Using only Hashirama's cells, Tōma was already reaching this level. The original must have been monstrous.
With no risk involved, he continued experimenting calmly.
The process took time. The chakra wasn't his own, the body wasn't his own, and he had no prior experience with Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Mode. Everything had to be explored step by step.
After a day or two, Tōma withdrew his spirit and returned to his real body.
For a moment, being human again felt… awkward. The difference between a slug body and a human one was bigger than he'd expected.
Note to self: don't stay in non-human bodies too long.
He hadn't stopped because the experiment was finished. He was stuck at the final step. And he suspected the reason was simple.
It wasn't his body.
So he began the last experiment with his real self.
He was confident. Even if it failed, nothing serious would happen.
And in truth, it worked. Just not perfectly.
After a long while, dark markings appeared around Tōma's eyes. He opened them slowly. His pupils were still pitch black, unchanged.
"Did it work?" the Slug Sage asked, surprised.
"You could say that," Tōma replied.
He was in Sage Mode. Shikkotsu Forest Sage Mode.
It wasn't as refined as Naruto's. He was missing the final layer of polish. But that last step could be completed through training. He no longer needed Hashirama cells.
The goal was achieved.
The Slug Sage simply nodded and fell silent. Compared to what Tōma had done before, this barely counted as shocking.
Tōma focused inward, comparing this Sage Mode to Mount Myōboku's.
If Mount Myōboku Sage Mode was a balanced, all-around enhancement, then Shikkotsu Forest Sage Mode specialized heavily in vitality and physical resilience.
Other attributes were still boosted, just not as dramatically.
But in terms of life force…
Tōma cut his arm.
No medical ninjutsu. He just watched.
The wound closed at a visible speed.
This was Shikkotsu Sage Mode combined with Yang Release. His Yang Release wasn't even particularly deep yet. If it grew stronger…
As long as his soul wasn't destroyed or his body reduced to ashes, he might recover from almost anything.
He let a drop of blood fall into his palm. Even without nutrients, it showed no immediate sign of dying.
A ridiculous thought crossed his mind.
Blood-based regeneration?
He shook his head and laughed softly. That was probably too far.
Still, this confirmed something important. His cells, under Shikkotsu Sage Mode, were already comparable to Hashirama cells. In terms of affinity with natural energy, they might even surpass them.
Add stronger Yang Release in the future, and his cells themselves might become a priceless resource.
Funny.
Not long ago, he'd been debating whether to transplant Hashirama cells.
Now the situation had completely reversed.
Tōma exhaled and looked out into the forest.
This path was working.