Chapter Thirty Five- Pantherian Sage Mode
A blinking in the corner of my eye luckily broke me away from the rabbit hole I was going down. I hummed as I let the natural energy flood me, pushing away all the distractions and revelations I had. In this state, surrounded by the energy of nature, I truly felt free.
Yet I wasn't a trained monk, and I couldn't stop myself from smirking at the power that coursed through my veins. The feeling of awe that my sensing range had nearly covered half of the Elemental Nations from an island thousands of kilometers away from the mainland.
Even with what I'd just gained from my own merits the scroll seemed to not be ready to be outdone. Seemingly just as excited as I was that I survived a quest with a less than five percent success rate.
{Perk Forcibly Obtained!} {Perk Naturally Leveled Up!}
{Perk Naturally Leveled up!} {Multiple Hidden Quests Complete!}
[Art of Senjutsu lvl 1-(3*)- The challenge of mastering the world and nature itself. Perfecting this art pushes you further down the path of a Sage. Sage mode and Senjutsu chakra pool unlocked. Time to enter Sage Mode-5 minutes(1 minute*), stay in Sage mode while moving and fighting for 1 minute(3 minutes*).]
{Jutsu unlocked!}
[Pantherian Sage Mode- The state one can reach after mixing spiritual physical and natural energy to an acceptable margin. Increase physical attributes by a 5x multiplier, near continent-wide sensing range, and a larger pool of chakra to draw upon. *Undetectable by others not using Senjutsu.]
'I almost feel scared to open my status screen' It was a true fear because as strong as I was now I'd bet I could make Sakumo get serious for a minute or so. Surely even wound him with a combination of surprise and sudden speed. For three minutes I could truly say I'd enter the realm of Jonin, approaching the elite.
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Level 16 (2,900/12,000)
Name: Tometsu Uchiha
Chakra: 2600/2600-(3854/3900)
Title: Fang's Apprentice- Boosts the learning speed of Kenjutsu and Lightning release by 20%
(Secondary) Title: Prodigious Killer- Boosts stats by twenty percent when fighting an enemy of a higher level than yourself
Strength:49-(245*)
Dexterity:67-(335*)
Agility:62-(310*)
Endurance:40-(200*)
Intelligence:104
Stat points:60-(0)
Perk Points:1
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"For three minutes, I could be a near S-rank shinobi...." I nearly laughed in glee; it seemed risking your life and coming out on top was a quick way to power. Though I doubt I'd ever take a less than five percent chance again. When I passed the Uchiha stone woman, I could barely move my legs or my arms from the shoulder down. I was minutes away from joining the rest of the statues in this field.
The best part? I hadn't even seen all of the fruits of my insane triumph. Three hidden quests were blinking in the corner of my vision, just waiting for me to claim them.
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{(LEGENDARY) Hidden Quest Complete}
A Pantherian Sage
Objective: You've been given one chance to try the final trial of the Panthera, make it to the statue of the sage, and sit upon the prayer mat at his feet.
Rewards: 2 perk points, 65,000xp, Title: Sage of Panthera- Absorb natural energy twice as fast as a normal sage.
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{Hidden Quest Complete}
The Ghost
Objective: Draw the attention of the 'ghost' before his natural death.
Rewards: 1 perk point, 45,000xp, Rare item Cache
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{Hidden Quest Complete}
Cockroach of The Uchiha
Objective: Survive two different scenarios in which you should've died
Reward: 55,000xp, Epic Weapon Crate.
'Sage be damned....' I voiced in shock as I mentally counted up everything I received. Blatantly disregarding how ominous the 'ghost' was made to be, the man or woman was hinted to be older than dirt, so I doubted I'd have to worry. I vaguely made the connection that it was the Uchiha with a single eye that I had felt in the land of grass.
Altogether, I earned 165,000xp and three perk points. The other rewards would have to wait, except for the title, which I had immediately switched out 'fangs apprentice' for. I mentally accepted the rewards as I practically vibrated from the prayer mat I still sat upon.
(Level up….X10….100 Stat points added!)
I spared a couple of moments to reflect on everything, grateful and excited for what I could now do. If I had one gripe, it was that I felt I had wasted my time and perk points learning how to be a sensor. It seemed to be a sage gave a greater version of the ability anyway. Though it wasn't like I could always be in Sage Mode. Surely, there were limits, exhaustion being the highest. So it'd still have its uses, especially at close range. I'd have to spend a good amount of time comparing the two to decide if it was worth it to keep investing in 'Chakra Sensor'.
I was honestly surprised that meeting the progenitor of chakra wasn't a hidden quest, or maybe I had already received the reward directly from the man himself. Learning the truth of Ninshu and how it connects all people. Though it wasn't combative in nature, I may find the ability useful in the future.
Honestly, I could have spent days on this mat. Going over plans, and everything that has happened to me thus far. Yet, I was hungrier than I ever was and had to pee so bad it nearly burned.
'Just how long had I sat here?' I asked myself as I rose to my feet. Confidently striding through the tornado of natural energy, smiling slightly as I watched in part for me.
In a few seconds, I was where I began this journey, standing in front of a house pet-sized bipedal lion.
"I was beginning to worry you'd never arise from the mat. Tell me, young sage, how do you feel?" Mufuso asked. He stood perfectly straight with his hands behind his back. A small but proud smile found its way onto his face as he regarded me.
"Starved….." I said with a crooked smile, causing the aged feline to let out a chuckle.
"Yes, I'd imagine so. Spending eight days practicing and improving your Sage Mode will do that to a cub like you. Thankfully, natural energy fills your body with enough nutrients to live, I myself haven't eaten in a few months. Even Lord Peru hasn't requested a meal in nearly a decade. Though I wouldn't try that if I were you, we chakra beasts have a completely different biology." The elder began to blabber on but I couldn't pay attention past the second sentence.
"EIGHT DAYS!!!" I said with utter disbelief, a 'to-go' plate of rice, beans, and teriyaki beef appeared in my hands. Still steaming from when I had put it in my inventory after my day of spoiling Mikoto. A treat for myself meant to be enjoyed but was gone in moments.
"You've made prodigious progress. If you continue at this rate I believe you could become a perfect sage in less than a month…" Mufuso tried his best to talk over my loud chewing and carnivorous savagery.
"You've neared that level yet you still share a few traits with my panther brethren. Larger canines, blackened sclera and if I didn't know better I'd say your hair has grown sharper and untamed." Mufuso punctuated his observation by putting a small mirror in front of my face. After watching my entire body turn into a panther, seeing a few oddities in my appearance barely made me flinch. However, I did like how my eyes looked in Sage Mode.
"So what's next Elder?" I asked as I rose to my feet, or tried. My store of natural energy had nearly emptied and a wave of exhaustion was on the brink of making me pass out.
My eyes nearly fluttered closed before I felt a weight on my shoulder. "Don't fight me cub," Mufuso said as I felt some kind of connection between us. 'Ninshu!?' I nearly choked in surprise when I felt my natural energy start to regenerate despite my rapidly rising chest.
"I will carry the load for a moment," Mufuso said as the wave of exhaustion finally fell away, but the promise of it hitting me as soon as I exited sage mode was there.
"With you helping me, could I always be in Sage Mode?" I asked in disbelief, as the only thing that stopped this ability was the time limit. If that was gone...
"Hardly, that exhaustion you felt? It will only continue to build. Also as you will come to find out, you can't just use your natural chakra when fighting, your regular chakra will be used as well. After a certain point, you won't have enough chakra to balance sage mode. Yet at your level, I'd say you can fight with a taijutsu focus for nearly half an hour with my help." Mufuso said with a tone of pride as he crossed his arms.
So yet again, the thing holding me back was my chakra reserves. My eyes and mind had instantly traveled to a specific perk. The only one that had changed to a different option instead of 'leveling up'.
[Chakra Beast Lvl 2- Changes the multiplier for your chakra capacity. Instead of being 10x intelligence, it will be 25x your intelligence stat] Evolve: 4PP
'What did evolving a perk mean? Was it worth four entire perk points? There was also the fact I had one hundred unspent stat points, fuck it.'
"You might want to hold onto something Elder," I warned as the bipedal lion made a confused hum.
(Intelligence: 104-(204)
My chakra effectively doubled, and cracks spread across the ground as an ethereal blue aura radiated from me. Yet I wasn't done, even though I felt Mufuso struggle to regain the balance between my larger chakra pool and the natural energy.
{Perk: Chakra Beast is evolving!...}
{Perk Gained: Tailless Tailed Beast Lvl 1-Changes the multiplier for your chakra capacity. Instead of being 10x intelligence, it will be 50x your intelligence stat.}
A blast of blue energy surrounded the clearing as I had nearly reached an S-ranked ninja chakra pool. The dirt under me completely caved as Mufuso let out a growl. I felt him literally rip away enough natural energy to balance out my sage mode.
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Level 26 (19,900/23,000)
Name: Tometsu Uchiha
Chakra: 10,200/10,200-(15,000/15,300*)
Title: Sage of Panthera- Absorb natural energy twice as fast as a normal sage.
(Secondary) Title: Prodigious Killer- Boosts stats by twenty percent when fighting an enemy of a higher level than yourself
Strength:49-(245*)
Dexterity:67-(335*)
Agility:62-(310*)
Endurance:40-(200*)
Intelligence:104-(204)
Stat points:100-(0)
Perk Points:4-(0)
"You foolish cub! Did you truly hold yourself back this much during the trial?" Mufuso said as he smacked me in the back of the head. He had assumed I either had a seal blocking my chakra or that I had left some of my clones back at the Grand Elder's tower. I didn't feel the need to correct him as I reveled in the sheer amount of progress I'd made since summoning myself to this place.
'My goals are attainable. Just a few more years, that's all I need. In that time I could boost my physical abilities, and master Sage Mode and Wind nature transformation. By then my chakra would grow well into S-rank and my physical abilities would follow. Then with the boost of Sage Mode? I'd be practically unstoppable' I let out a long but content sigh of relief. I didn't have to jump at every opportunity anymore, just cruised through the climax of this war and comfortably trained during the few years of peace before the third war.
Well if there were a few years between the wars, I prayed there would be so I could have a year or so to get Mikoto ready for it.
"Cubs….. Every time I deal with one I feel a decade older" Mufuso said with a sigh as he scratched the back of his ear. "Now we shouldn't keep your entourage waiting much longer, I'm sure you've noticed them by now"
I tilted my head at that before I felt a multitude of chakra signatures waiting outside of the vine wall.
"As you say, Elder," I agreed as I walked towards the vine wall, focused a bit of energy into my palm, and pushed it forward. A simple request to nature, let me through.
I felt like an entirely different person than the one who had entered this place. Walking out with pride as I regarded the four large cats and the cubs they had brought with them. Not to mention the other Elders.
I raised a cocky eyebrow at the Panther and White Tiger leaders. More pettiness radiating off me than normal.
Yet I couldn't hide my shock as one by one the kings and queen of Panthera bowed their heads to me. Nor did I stop a second weight on my right shoulder or ignore the tentative connection through Ninshu.
"Summoner, we congratulate you on your success," Rougias said from his bowed position. 'I guess it's time to be the bigger person...dammit, could've at least let me get a few quips in'
"Thank you all. Praise be to your clans and Panthera as a whole" I said in my best diplomatic voice as I noticed the cubs regarding me with wonder and a sense of respect. As if I was a hero in a legendary tale come to life.
They all quickly rose to their paws and let out a massive chain of roars that nearly caused my ears to bleed.