Seeing that Chuanfeng didn't seem bothered, Tsunade spoke up.
"It sounds simple, doesn't it?"
"But I never told you about the danger behind it."
This wasn't the first time Tsunade had heard the Slug Sage speak about Sage Arts.
The Slug Sage was pleased that Tsunade joined the conversation and stopped speaking for a moment.
Seeing Tsunade's serious expression, Chuanfeng also became serious.
In the original story, when Naruto trained in Senjutsu at Mount Myōboku, he turned into a frog or got petrified. On top of that, two toads had to whack him with sticks to fix those problems.
At first, he thought the Slug Immortal's "no one survives" warning was just an exaggeration.
But judging from Tsunade's expression now… the truth might be far worse than he expected.
"Say it. I'm listening."
"Training in the Sage Art of Shikkotsu Forest is irreversible. Once you fail to transform your chakra pathways…"
"You end up melting into pus."
Tsunade's face went pale as she spoke—perhaps she had witnessed such a thing before.
At this moment, Chuanfeng could no longer remain calm. This was truly gambling with his life.
No wonder Hashirama Senju was called a god in the ninja world.
Seeing Chuanfeng silent for a long time, the Slug Sage continued explaining.
"Though the Shikkotsu Forest Sage Art is extremely dangerous, its power is undeniable."
"The Senjutsu of Mount Myōboku doesn't last long and requires a long preparation time."
"The Ryuchi Cave Sage Art causes snake-like features to appear on the user."
"But my Shikkotsu Forest Sage Art is not only perfectly stable, it only leaves behind a few curse markings."
"It can greatly enhance your chakra, your physical regeneration, and allows you to absorb natural energy as a supplement."
"In simple terms, as long as you absorb natural energy fast enough, you can remain in Sage Mode indefinitely."
The Slug Sage spoke with clear pride, and anyone listening could hear it.
If not for the extremely dangerous style of this Sage training, he would've simply said: "All other Sage Arts are trash."
Listening to the Slug Sage, Chuanfeng finally understood why Hashirama's Sage Mode was so overwhelmingly strong. Combined with Wood Release, he was simply absurdly powerful.
"Is there any assistance method?"
Chuanfeng meant: was there a life-saving backup, like the toads with their sticks?
"There is."
The Slug Immortal answered without hesitation.
"What kind of assistance?"
A bright smile appeared on Chuanfeng's face. As long as he didn't die, he could practice as he pleased.
"I can use my clones to further enhance your sensitivity to natural energy."
"If you fail, the clones will melt quickly."
"So you'll suffer less."
The Slug Sage spoke calmly, as though the matter was trivial.
"…"
Chuanfeng was speechless.
Melt faster? You're an immortal—how can you say something like that so casually?
Tsunade couldn't take it anymore.
"Why don't we just forget about this?"
"Even without Sage Arts, you're already very strong."
From the side, Tsunade tried to pull Chuanfeng back.
"I won't give up without trying."
Chuanfeng knew that later in the timeline, without a special power, he would be nothing more than cannon fodder. Sage Arts was just the beginning.
Without great power, he couldn't protect himself, let alone his entire family now.
"Then think carefully. If you insist on dying, you're dying in front of me."
Tsunade's eyes turned red as she clutched his sleeve tightly.
"Trust me. With you here, I'll definitely succeed."
Chuanfeng patted Tsunade's head gently, still smiling.
"Slug Immortal, how do we begin?"
Once he had made up his mind, he hesitated no longer. He feared if he thought too long, he would lose his courage.
"You can begin anytime."
"Follow my instructions."
The Slug Immortal's voice echoed in the cavern.
"Sit cross-legged. Hands on your knees, palms upward."
"…Are you teaching me meditation now?"
Chuanfeng complained.
"Don't talk. Calm yourself first."
"Take a deep breath… and exhale."
If this weren't the real Slug Sage, Chuanfeng would've suspected some quack qigong master was tricking him.
Once he calmed down, the Slug Immortal gave the next instruction.
Tsunade watched nervously from the side, fear written all over her face.
"Unite your physical and mental energies."
"Slowly feel the natural energy in the air."
"Try to connect them, fuse them, and let the three energies reach balance."
As Chuanfeng entered the meditative state, countless small slugs slid off the Sage's body.
They slowly crawled toward him and enveloped him completely.
Tsunade could no longer see Chuanfeng at all—only a mass of slugs.
Chuanfeng tried to touch natural energy, and suddenly felt a chilling sensation all over his body.
It was sticky—that was the Slug Immortal's doing.
The natural energy he could normally sense was now far stronger.
The fusion process accelerated dramatically.
The first beam of energy gathered successfully, then the second, then the third…
Just as Chuanfeng felt triumphant, something horrifying happened.
A sharp, burning pain engulfed his entire body, and his skin began to corrode.
Slug clones slid off wherever he decayed.
All Tsunade could see were ghastly wounds.
She covered her mouth in terror, tears streaming down her face.
But she couldn't intervene—even touching him would destabilize his chakra and cause him to melt faster.
Chuanfeng was terrified. The fusion of natural energy accelerated, but so did the agony.
He wanted to scream, but no sound came out.
Just as he reached despair—prepared to die—
His thoughts filled with Tsunade.He hadn't eaten dinner yet.He still hadn't met Kakashi.Shuuma hadn't even gotten mad at him yet.
Perhaps not wanting to lose him, his cells suddenly surged with vitality, fighting back against the invasive natural energy.
Repairing while burning—one healing, one corroding.
Tsunade noticed the external wounds beginning to slow in their deterioration, and lighter wounds began healing.
She wiped away her tears, praying silently, staring without blinking.
She wished only that he would quickly recover—and that in the next moment, he would stand healthy before her.
Chuanfeng felt the vitality from his cells, and the natural energy fusion continued.
He had almost reached a balanced state.
The Slug Immortal was startled. For normal people, the corrosion from such an intense natural energy fusion was absolutely irreversible.
Yet Chuanfeng melted and regenerated at the same time—his self-healing was nearly matching the side effects of natural energy.
If this continued, he might truly become the second person ever to master the Shikkotsu Forest Sage Art.
As time passed, Chuanfeng's body was full of holes from alternating restoration and corrosion.
His handsome face was almost unrecognizable.
Slowly, red curse markings formed around his eyes.
He had succeeded—the natural energy backlash had ended.
I did it.
Chuanfeng opened his eyes—his pupils now golden—and his voice was hoarse.
Seeing Tsunade holding him, he smiled faintly… then collapsed.
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All the fanfiction is 30-chapter ahead but this "Naruto: Tsunade the Fugitive Healer" is 30 chapters ahead there