Hiruzen persuaded me to die

Snap!

Hyuga Naraku's hands came together in a sharp seal!

At the same time, the natural energy surrounding him surged violently.

"This…"

Katsuyu's tone held a trace of shock.

In her perception, the natural energy in Naraku's chakra had already surpassed both physical and spiritual energy in proportion!

Even so, the Senjutsu chakra remained stable.

More than that…

The proportion of natural energy in his chakra was still rising!

"No surprise there…"

Naraku exhaled calmly, a hint of reflection in his voice.

Chakra's physical and spiritual components were merely primers—gateways.

If one's control was strong enough, then why not absorb more natural energy?

Back in ancient times, the Sage of Six Paths was able to battle Kaguya for months—likely thanks to Senjutsu's endurance.

Suddenly—

Naraku's brow twitched.

He directed a stream of natural energy outward.

A nearby wood clone instantly petrified into stone.

"So that's the normal limit…"

Naraku whispered, and then began forming a sequence of 267 hand seals without hesitation.

Buzz—!

A soft hum resonated as the light-blue Tenseigan Chakra flared and wrapped around his body in a glowing aura.

The unique Tenseigan chakra blended with the surrounding natural energy seamlessly.

"As expected… it can continue."

Naraku murmured with quiet satisfaction.

After activating Tenseigan Chakra Mode, his control over natural energy had increased again!

As Naraku kept absorbing more and more…

In that instant—

The entire Ryūchi Cave trembled.

Natural energy boiled over, rushing toward Naraku in torrents so thick they became visible to the naked eye!

Then, without warning—

Naraku, who had been seated cross-legged, suddenly lifted off the ground.

"…What the?"

Naraku furrowed his brow slightly.

He hadn't activated any of Tenseigan's gravitational powers.

But he was still floating.

And more strangely—he could move through the air freely at will.

Though the speed was slow.

"After mastering Sage Mode… can one fly too?"

Tsunade's eyes widened in amazement.

"There shouldn't be such an ability…"

Katsuyu muttered uncertainly.

"At least, the Senjutsu of the Ryūchi Cave doesn't grant the power of flight."

Neither she nor any of the masters she'd ever trained in the forest had acquired flight through Sage Mode.

The Sage of Six Paths didn't count.

He could fly.

"This seems like a special state…"

"After entering Sage Mode, the user becomes one with nature to such a degree… they may begin to float subconsciously."

Katsuyu's tone was speculative.

But that explanation didn't entirely satisfy her.

She had been a Senjutsu master for thousands of years… and never seen this.

"To be more precise…"

Naraku suddenly spoke.

"…This is the fusion of Six Paths power and Senjutsu."

He had begun to understand the state he was in.

When he entered Tenseigan Chakra Mode, he touched the edge of the incomplete Six Paths realm.

His Yin and Yang chakra had reached Six Paths level.

However, he had yet to fully master all five nature transformations.

Even with the Tenseigan, he wasn't at the complete Six Paths tier.

His current state was similar to Naruto and Sasuke's temporary boost by the Sage of Six Paths.

They each received Yin and Yang powers—but didn't attain true chakra completeness.

"The fusion of Six Paths and Sage power brings one closer to the real Sage of Six Paths…"

Naraku explained calmly.

A full Six Paths being had Yin, Yang, all Five Elements, and even Shikō and Mei elements—seven in total.

Six Paths Madara and Obito had gained that status by becoming Jinchūriki of the Ten Tails, thereby passively gaining every chakra nature.

By comparison, Naruto and Sasuke had raw power, but lacked completeness.

"Six Paths power…"

Katsuyu nodded slowly.

Now she understood better.

With both Six Paths and Sage power combined, Naraku was ascending toward the Sage of Six Paths' level—in essence, not just power.

Which explained the strange change:

Floating.

A subtle sign of transcending humanity.

But the power of Six Paths…

Even Katsuyu, ancient as she was, couldn't grasp it.

"???"

Tsunade stared blankly.

"What are you two talking about?"

"Six Paths power? Six Paths level? You've completely lost me…"

"To put it simply," Naraku said, "it means that when your chakra evolves far enough, it undergoes a qualitative transformation."

"…You mean like the Mangekyō Sharingan?" Tsunade asked reflexively.

Naraku raised an eyebrow.

"…Not even close."

Mangekyō was far from the limit. And honestly—he didn't think highly of it.

"By qualitative transformation, I mean the kind that rewrites your connection to nature. Your body, your essence… everything changes."

He raised a hand and waved.

Boom!

Mountains of earth surged into the sky, ripping the clouds apart overhead!

The entire sky above Ryūchi Cave cleared as the dense storm clouds were torn away.

"Wha—!"

Tsunade was stunned.

This was the first time she had seen Naraku use his power seriously.

He had rewritten the landscape with a gesture!

Yet it felt effortless to him.

"…Can Master Naraku make the effects… a bit smaller?"

Katsuyu finally broke the silence, somewhat alarmed.

This forest still needed to exist!

If he waved his hand like that a few more times, Ryūchi Cave might be gone!

Naraku gave a calm nod.

He waved again.

The torn-up ground repaired itself and the mountains sank.

The power of Six Paths fused with Senjutsu had created something godlike.

"…I'll probably need to interrupt training for a while."

Naraku added politely.

He still needed time to refine and explore the mechanics of Six Paths Sage Mode.

And the rich natural energy here made Ryūchi Cave the perfect location.

"Come back anytime~"

Katsuyu said with a bit of joy in her tone.

Then added,

"…But please control the scale of your movements next time."

At least… don't make another crater.

Land of Sound.

From a dark underground passage, Orochimaru emerged slowly from his lab.

"…Naraku-kun," he muttered with an amused glint, "would you be interested in a man named Kinoe?"

His tongue flicked out slightly as he smiled.

"His name is Shinnō now… but his ideas about DNA and forbidden jutsu might amuse you."