Chapter 52 - Illness?

"Huff… Huff… Huff…" Sasuke breathed heavily as he slowly lost strength all over his body. His chakra and stamina drained, unable to move any further. He glanced at Naruto who was floating in the air as he fell down from the tower made of earth 'He's not even breathing in difficulty?

Naruto saw Sasuke fall down and ordered the wind to catch him. Although his authority over wind has fallen after consuming 25% of his chakra, he could still control them freely.

Chuckling, he asked "How are you feeling?"

Sasuke looked around to see himself floating as well, although not in control he sighed "It looks like you're still stronger than me. And how are you doing that? A new jutsu?"

Naruto chuckled "Well… Something like that."

"Hm? I didn't notice it before, but it seems like your sharingan has evolved, it has 3 tomoe's now." Naruto said in astonishment as he saw Sasuke's eyes in detail.

Sasuke chuckled as well "Well… something like that. But it looks like you're still stronger even though I awakened 3 tomoe."

Naruto slowly descended along with Sasuke to the ground. As Naruto laid down Sasuke on the ground with his Wind Sage Chakra he smirked and said "Then, since you like power that much how about I give you a gift?"

Naruto looked at his palm, and formed seals made out of chakra. He got an idea when he saw the seal on Anko's neck.

Sasuke who was laying down on the ground asked in confusion "A gift?"

Kakashi also arrived and sighed "Good grief, you two have to hold back and consider the time and place when you use jutsus like that."

Naruto ignored Kakashi as he invented a seal that will suit his gift.

Sasuke chuckled "Ka-kashi… cough!"

Kakashi simply smiled at Sasuke "In any case, you've invented quite a strong jutsu there. What's Naruto doing?"

Sasuke nodded proudly of his creation but he couldn't move and replied "I don't really know, he said he'll give me a gift."

"A gift you say?" Kakashi looked at Naruto in interest.

Naruto finished adjusting the seal and with a mischievous smile he said as he put his arm on Sasuke's neck. "It's done. Grit your teeth Sasuke. Shishishi!"

Sasuke saw Naruto's smile and got a bad feeling about it. He asked with a pale face as he couldn't move "What are you trying to… Ah… ARGHHHHHH!"

Sasuke screamed in pain, due to Naruto forcefully injecting the seal in his neck.

With a smile, Naruto said "Just a bit more… Sasuke…"

"YOU BASTARD! YOU'RE DOING THIS ON PURPOSE!" Sasuke angrily said.

Naruto chuckled and said as if he didn't know what Sasuke was talking about "No, no, no. I can't make the process too fast or your chakra pathway system will be damaged. Don't you like strength? I'm giving you a hint."

Sasuke gritted his teeth and said "HURRY IT UP! IT'S LIKE I'M BEING ELECTROCUTED ALL OVER MY BODY!"

With a chuckle, Naruto replied "Sure… you are. It's 'Natural Energy' of Lightning afterall."

Kakashi looked at Naruto in surprise and said in shock "Natural Energy of Lightning? Lightning has Natural Energy?!"

Naruto simply replied "Yup. I'll give you one as well, so prepare yourself, Kakashi-sensei. You're too weak compared to me now. You have to be stronger to be able to call yourself my teacher."

Kakashi's face twitched as he thought 'I'm not too weak… I'm feared in the battlefield, you know?!! You're just too strong for your age!"

Sasuke saw Kakashi's reaction, he knew it was not something ordinary so he bore the pain all the way.

After a minute or two, Naruto took away his hand and said "Done."

"Huff… huff…" Sasuke breathed a sigh of relief but felt a tingle in his neck "What did you put in my neck?"

"Like I said, a gift. It's a seal, with 'Natural Energy' of Lightning. Although a small amount, it's enough to balance with your chakra. It'll automatically recover the 'Natural Energy' of Lightning that you consume in 5 hours if you don't know how to gather them yourself. I also got an idea so I gave you a gift and you have me one. I can finally fix a problem in my Sage Mode."

"Sage Mode? Wait! Those markings on your eyes and forehead are because of Sage Mode?" Kakashi asked in disbelief.

"Yup!" Naruto replied as he commanded the wind in the area to 'Banshō Ten'in' Kakashi to him.

"What are you doing, Naruto?!" Kakashi asked as the air pulled him close to Naruto.

With a chuckle, he replied "What do you mean? Kakashi-sensei? Of course, I'm giving you a gift. Your chakra is enough to balance a little bit of 'Natural Energy' with it. So… Clench your teeth."

As Naruto's palm was getting closer and closer to Kakashi, Kakashi sweated as he remembered the seal in his eye and said nervously "N-Naruto… Stop… Naruto… Listen to me… Ah… Ah… Ahhhhhhhh!"

…

"Done. Why are you acting like I'm torturing you or something? It doesn't even hurt as much when Perverted Sage pushed me into a tree when he's in sage mode. You guys are overreacting."

Sasuke and Kakashi looked at Naruto with killing intent with his comment.

Naruto chuckled sensing their gazes and explained "The 'Sage Seal' I invented was a seal I got in inspiration from Orochimaru's 'Cursed Seal.' Unlike the Cursed Seal, the Sage Seal is a much safer and better improvement. It has 4 levels. Once you understand a bit of the 'Natural Energy' of lightning, you can surround yourself with natural energy of lightning. Making it a defensive jutsu. That's level 1."

"The next level is you're able to control a bit of Natural Energy of lightning, meaning your lightning jutsu's power will increase by one fold. That's level 2."

"One fold?" Kakashi in shock inquired.

Naruto merely nodded and continued to explain "That's right, the next level is properly entering sage mode. It's the first stage, you can maintain it for 5 minutes and all your lightning jutsu's power will increase by 10 times as long as it isn't as powerful as the 'Kirin' Sasuke just unleashed or else, the Natural Energy will all be used in one go. The user of the sage mode can also manifest the properties of lightning like moving extremely fast. That's how potent, Natural Energy mixed with chakra is compared to normal chakra."

Sasuke also in shock caressed the seal in his neck and with a determined gaze, he replied "Thanks for this. Naruto."

Naruto shook his head and smiled "No problem, and the last stage. Just like mine. You can maintain it for life, even when you sleep, and or anything else." While explaining these, Naruto used the same seal and stamped his neck with it.

Kakashi who saw that, asked "Why did you apply it to yourself? Haven't you already mastered Sage Mode?"

Naruto nodded and explained "Although, I've mastered sage mode, I can't collect natural energy while moving, the seal has a function that collects natural energy by itself. As I replenish my chakra normally, my sage chakra will also increase with the seal."

"I see…" Kakashi replied in understanding.

"In any case, I have to go. Your chakra control and chakra quantity is better than Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei, so you guide him." Naruto said as he flew away into Haku's direction.

Sasuke, who was left beside Kakashi, asked "Kakashi, help me understand this."

Kakashi nodded and replied "According to Naruto's explanation you can probably achieve level 1 or level 2 now but not level 3 and 4."

Sasuke frowned and asked "Why is that?"

Kakashi explained "You need to balance Natural Energy with Chakra. Your Chakra level is not enough to balance it. Natural Energy is extremely dense."

Sasuke nodded and said "Then, teach me level 1 and 2."

…

"Ah…" Naruto groaned in pain as he was flying in the sky, and thought 'What was that? Internal injury? Is my sage chakra going berserk? And why did it disappear?'

Naruto merely put it in the back of his head for now and decided to ponder upon it later.

"Haku!" Naruto waved his hand as he saw Haku standing up with Sage Marking in her eye lids so he smiled and said as he descended "You did it."

Haku smiled and nodded happily as he tried to control water in the surroundings so he asked Naruto "After attaining Sage Mode, it seems like I can detect water. But why is there water in the air?"

Naruto pondered for a bit and muttered "I see… That's why a portion of air energy is left behind when I use Wind Jutsu…"

Naruto nodded in his mind and replied "I don't know the exact details but it seems like there's also water in the air, that's probably why rain is possible."

Haku nodded as she didn't understand but she understood that there's water everywhere according to her senses.

Coming up with this conclusion, Naruto thought 'It looks like the strongest Sage Modes are Fire, Water, and Earth, and Wind. Natural Lightning Energy is much scarce compared to the other Sage Modes. It's easier to gather since it's so abundant.'

Naruto smiled as he formed a sword made out of wind, and wind snakes, and needles said "Wanna try out the power of Water Sage Mode?"

Haku nodded as she also formed a sword made out of water, and needles as well. Although a bit more shaky as her chakra control is not up to par yet with controlling water sage chakra "Yup."

Haku dashed in the direction of Naruto with a smile, and Naruto also smiled and simply parried the sword strike with a smile.

(A/N: Um… I'm pretty late but… leave a power stone…? Teehee~)

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