Chapter 127

Having fully grasped his eye's life-force control and the proper way to use it, Mochizuki Hui turned his focus to examining his body. 

Testing his physical abilities, he found that his strength, speed, and reflexes had all reached new heights, with greater resilience and tougher defenses. His entire physical prowess had evolved considerably, elevating his taijutsu prowess as well.

In fact, the improvement was so vast that his current self could utterly outmatch the Hui of a year ago. 

Previously, his taijutsu alone was at the level of a Kage, surpassing 99.9% of the shinobi world. Few taijutsu users could even compare to him then. But now, if his skills were measured solely in taijutsu, he felt confident he was the second-strongest in the shinobi world.

Why second? It wasn't because of the Raikage, A, who also specialized in ninja-style taijutsu.

 Mochizuki Hui felt that his taijutsu skills were nearly equal to A's, even slightly superior in certain aspects.

The reason he ranked himself second was because of a low-profile shinobi in Konoha, a certain bushy-browed shinobi named Might Duy. 

Duy was training in a physically overwhelming taijutsu technique called the Eight Gates Formation. Unlike in the original timeline, where Might Duy remained a "genin-for-life," 

Hui had met Duy one evening by chance. Intrigued by Duy's spirit and determination, and knowing his potential, Hui mentioned him the next day to Tobirama Senju.

This single remark had piqued Tobirama's interest. After a period of observation, Tobirama was convinced of Duy's resolve and began providing him with resources to develop his taijutsu skills and master the Eight Gates Formation. 

Years later, Duy could now open the Seventh Gate. As for the Eighth Gate—the Gate of Death—Hui didn't know if Duy could access it yet, but should he unlock it, Duy's taijutsu prowess would instantaneously rise to the top of the shinobi world.

That was why Hui considered himself only second in taijutsu; Duy alone stood in his way. However, the Eight Gates was a technique unique to Konoha, known only by Duy, who would never stand as Hui's enemy.

So in practical terms, Mochizuki Hui had no rivals in taijutsu across the shinobi world.

Satisfied with his body's transformation, Hui turned his attention to his Yuan Qi. After this metamorphosis, he could now harness twice the Yuan Qi he had before. 

The increase seemed modest, but in actual practice, the change was astonishing. If Hui's previous limit was ten units of energy, but now, it was twenty.

What did this mean? Mochizuki Hui had nearly achieved "energy freedom," eliminating energy concerns during battles. With twenty units of energy, he could perform a vast array of jutsu, including many powerful, large-scale techniques.

"My body hasn't disappointed me—I'm much stronger now." Hui nodded in satisfaction. This transformation placed him among the shinobi world's elite, with power rivaling, and perhaps even surpassing, the Kage of the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

His current strength was only slightly below Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha but well above the Kage level. He could rightfully be considered a "demi-god" of the shinobi world.

Of course, this wasn't some shallow "demi-god" like Hanzo of the Salamander. Mochizuki Hui's strength was the real deal.

"But, I'm not done yet." Hui's eyes lit up, as he didn't think this latest surge in power was the end of his journey. After all, the energy he had assimilated was natural energy.

In the world of Naruto, there were only a few ways to "cheat" one's strength. Aside from bloodline limits and tailed beasts, one of the most renowned methods was Sage Mode.

From Jiraiya and Naruto to Kabuto and Hashirama Senju, the boost in strength from Sage Mode had been shown to be extraordinary…except in the case of the unlucky Fourth Hokage. 

Minato had barely demonstrated Sage Mode before facing the Six Paths Madara and getting immediately overpowered, giving no chance to show its advantages.

Sage Mode, in essence, allowed a ninja to harness natural energy to create "Sage Chakra." This enhanced both offensive and defensive abilities, extending the range of taijutsu attacks and heightening perception. 

It amplified the user's ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu abilities, granting a significant increase in power. In Sage Mode, a ninja could even inflict severe, lasting damage on ten-tailed beasts or their jinchuriki—Six Paths-level foes.

Generally, the use of Sage Mode would alter a ninja's appearance, and a full Sage Mode required distinctive eye markings. However, Hui wasn't sure whether his Sage Mode would have these markings.

Yes, his Sage Mode.

Having fully assimilated both chakra and natural energy, Mochizuki Hui could now access a Sage Mode unique to himself. He didn't rush to create Sage Chakra or enter Sage Mode right away, though, as he had another question in mind. What was the ultimate purpose of Sage Mode?

The goal of Sage Mode was to allow a ninja to use natural energy, increasing their offensive and defensive capabilities. 

While Sage Chakra primarily amplified ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, Sage Mode's essence wasn't about producing Sage Chakra. It was about granting access to natural energy.

After assimilating natural energy, Hui realized he didn't need to enter Sage Mode at all. His base state was already a unique Sage Mode.

Unlike Naruto and others, who were bound by a time limit in Sage Mode, Hui's state was permanent. It was the difference between a limited-time trial and a full, permanent transformation.

Now, Mochizuki Hui was no longer simply human. He was something beyond—a true Sage.

A Sage, Mochizuki Hui.

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