Chapter 186: The X-Deer That Represents Life
Just as mentioned before, because the ninja world lacks any kind of systematic inheritance, a very strange phenomenon has appeared.
Discovering new techniques now relies entirely on archaeology.
The method of hijacking Madara's Rinnegan was considered "archaeology."
And now, after several days of exploration, the theoretical method for treating special illnesses has once again been dug up through "archaeology."
Based on the ancient stories Shiromo and Black Zetsu had talked about, there were two parts that involved "healing."
One was when the Sage of Six Paths, Ōtsutsuki Hagoromo, stabbed his younger brother Ōtsutsuki Hamura straight through with a Chidori (ancient youth edition).
When his brother was on the verge of death, he took out the Sage talisman given to him by Gamamaru and successfully extended Hamura's life, instantly restoring him completely.
Orochimaru went to Ryūchi Cave to ask about that Sage talisman from Mount Myōboku.
It really was a "rare item," containing pure and massive natural energy.
It was likely made before the Ōtsutsuki clan descended, back when chakra hadn't even appeared yet.
And there was an extremely high chance it was already extinct, with only that single one left.
Otherwise, not giving Jiraiya one when he died would have been unbelievably heartless.
Even if they didn't give one to Jiraiya, when the Ōtsutsuki later invaded, why didn't they give Naruto and Sasuke a few Sage talismans to use as Hokage-version "Senzu Beans"?
With that thing, would Sasuke still have to be chronically chakra-depleted every day?
So the Sage talisman definitely no longer existed.
But Orochimaru could still speculate about its underlying principle.
After all, they had Shiromo here, a natural energy wielder even purer than the three great sage regions.
Aside from healing through natural energy, there was also the later recovery through the Sage of Six Paths' [Six Paths: Yang Power].
This [Six Paths: Yang Power] was worlds apart from the ordinary "Yang power" used in standard Yin–Yang Release.
The Sage of Six Paths could slap an old man's butt once and the old man's back would be cured.
During the Fourth Great Ninja War, when he temporarily passed it to Naruto, Guy had opened the Eight Gates to the death gate, his entire body was burned black, with only his last breath left, just seconds from dying, and he was brought back.
If Naruto hadn't rushed off to fight Madara and instead pinched Guy's leg back into shape like he did with Kakashi's eyeball, Guy wouldn't even have lost that leg.
If someone could be restored after being completely charred and recover fully except for a severed limb, what kind of concept was that?
If that plane crash guy had Naruto with Six Paths Yang Power or the Sage of Six Paths present, he could've been revived instantly.
Even a soft-boiled egg, if the inside wasn't fully cooked and still a bit runny, it could be restored and re-incubated into a chick.
In Shiromo's previous life, there was a type of pesticide said to "give you time to regret, but not a chance to undo it."
Its effect was like turning your organs into hard-boiled eggs, completely irreversible.
But Six Paths Yang Power was different.
It could truly reverse a cooked egg back to its raw state.
So where did Six Paths Yang Power come from?
From Kaguya?
Essentially, it came from the chakra fruit.
Thinking about it that way, the recovery from Six Paths Yang Power and the recovery from the Sage talisman actually reached the same destination by different paths.
At their core, both were the restoration granted by the land that had nurtured all life in the ninja world.
So after proposing these theories, Orochimaru and Senju Tobirama were just about to bring Shiromo in to explore how to convert natural energy into life energy, achieving Six Paths Yang Power–level restoration.
And right at that moment, Tsunade sent a message saying she had discovered the true ability she gained after "evolving."
Since Tsunade had previously promised to come and teach a few classes at the Rain Village school, and also because she wanted to bait Danzō, she handed her already minimal workload over to Shizune and the Third Hokage and came to the Amegakure Village.
Inside the laboratory.
Tsunade took out the stone that had been made into a pendant and began to "evolve."
As for her original First Hokage necklace worth several mountains?
She casually stuffed it into the Hokage's desk.
Wearing two at the same time was uncomfortable.
Like Uchiha Hikari's, hers had also been turned into a pendant and provided targeted enhancements.
Hikari's enhanced the Mangekyō Sharingan and Susanoo.
Tsunade's enhanced the Strength of a Hundred Seal and the Creation Rebirth technique.
So Tsunade activated the Strength of a Hundred simultaneously, golden patterns spreading across her entire body.
This gold wasn't just plain gold or yellow, it was the color of sunlight.
So when Tsunade took a deep breath and restrained some of the power, the gold on her body faintly shimmered with flowing colors, as if it had become rainbow-like.
After all, sunlight naturally contains seven colors.
"I haven't fully mastered it yet. Let me heal the two of them first, once they're cured, we'll talk."
Tsunade walked up to Kimimaro and Ringo Ameyuri, placing one hand on each of them.
A surge of power poured out.
Green grass and red flowers even sprouted out of thin air beneath their feet.
This was inside a laboratory, with tiled floors.
"This isn't Wood Release. This is life energy."
"Mm."
Orochimaru and the Second Hokage exchanged a glance.
With their eyesight, there was no way they'd mistake this for Wood Release.
This was exactly the life energy they were about to search for.
"Alright, that should be enough."
Tsunade withdrew her hands. In the next second, she exited the Strength of a Hundred state, the stone returning to her neck and reverting to its original appearance.
It was clear she hadn't lied, she really hadn't fully mastered it.
She dropped out immediately after healing, which obviously wasn't a voluntary exit.
"I want to know how long I can live now."
After finishing the treatment, Tsunade walked straight up to Shiromo and asked with a complicated expression.
"What do you mean?"
Ringo Ameyuri hadn't even had time to celebrate her recovery before hearing this. She immediately frowned.
"Does this treatment consume the caster's life?"
If that was the case, she'd feel extremely guilty.
"Tsunade, you…?"
Senju Tobirama frowned as well.
"Yes, you guessed right. This technique is essentially life bestowal, it does consume the user's life. But that's not what I meant by my question."
After confirming it, Tsunade's gaze returned to Shiromo.
She wanted an exact answer from him.
Originally, she thought the stone Shiromo gave her merely allowed her to go from maintaining her appearance through the Yin Seal to true rejuvenation, and from being able to regenerate lost arms and legs to now being able to recover from decapitation or a pierced heart.
But recently, she discovered that wasn't all.
As a medical ninja, and someone who had once researched and confirmed that Creation Rebirth shortened lifespan by accelerating cell division, she examined her own cells again.
And she discovered something horrifying.
No matter how much lifespan she consumed, as long as she used the stone Shiromo gave her, it would all be replenished.
After that, she realized she could transfer life energy.
Yes, it consumed her own life and lifespan, but what if her life and lifespan were ∞?
"Hmm… hearing you describe it like that, I think I roughly understand."
Shiromo sized Tsunade up, recalling the form of her Strength of a Hundred technique just now.
Those lines and patterns really did match the "X" symbol.
And besides, when people saw Tsunade, many of them thought of a "deer," which was perfectly reasonable.
(End of this chapter)