Chapter 130

Hearing Tobirama's words, Mochizuki Hui nodded, though he felt a bit disappointed. He hadn't yet had his fill of battle—there were so many powerful techniques he hadn't used, especially his Light-based sword skills. 

Still, he understood that pushing Tobirama further might force him to use his forbidden jutsu, techniques meant for life-or-death situations. It wouldn't be worth taking things that far for a sparring match.

"Hui, tell me more about this 'Sage Mode' of yours," Tobirama said, curious about Hui's current state and his sage mode.

"To be honest, I'm not sure if what I have counts as Sage Mode," Hui began. "But I've heard Jiraiya talk about it, and I realized my current state is pretty similar to what he described." He paused, carefully choosing his words. He couldn't just outright say he'd become a Sage, stronger than any typical user of Sage Mode. his only exposure to anything natural energy related to was Jiraya, how would he explain his knowledge. 

"From what I learned from Jiraiya, Sage Mode is a state that allows a shinobi to use natural energy. When I woke up from that sleep, I discovered that a new energy had appeared within me—natural energy itself! Like my original light energy and later chakra, natural energy is now something I can freely use."

"Unlike light energy, natural energy forms techniques much more easily, like the ones you saw me use just now. And it's not just that—it's made my body much stronger. My taijutsu, reflexes, and perception have all improved dramatically. I can sense more than ever before, like I can tap into a hidden layer of the world."

Hui laid out his current abilities one by one, and Tobirama's expression grew more serious as he listened.

When Hui finished, Tobirama was silent for a moment before he finally said, "This isn't just Sage Mode. You've broken free from Sage Mode's time limitation!"

As someone with some knowledge of Sage Mode, Tobirama understood that what Hui described matched the Sage state closely—but with an important difference. 

Most shinobi had to master Sage Mode gradually to access natural energy and increase its efficiency. Hui, on the other hand, seemed to have reached Sage Mode naturally, without needing any special training to access it.

For most shinobi, using Sage Mode meant entering a temporary state to wield natural energy. But Hui's body already contained natural energy, meaning he was always in Sage Mode. To Tobirama, Hui wasn't just in Sage Mode—he was a true Sage.

The term "Sage" wasn't unfamiliar to Tobirama. Stories of the legendary Sage of Six Paths had existed for generations, though Tobirama's investigations into these stories had borne little fruit. 

Yet now, here was Hui—a true Sage in the flesh. It was far beyond anything Tobirama had expected.

The last time Hui had emerged from one of his slumbers, his power had surged; Tobirama had anticipated a similar increase this time, but he hadn't expected it to be so dramatic. Hui's power was no longer even human—it was something beyond.

"Still, you've only been awake a short time, so more changes could happen later. For now, take some time to fully understand your body," Tobirama advised, feeling that Hui's importance had become almost equal to that of the entire village.

In Tobirama's eyes, given a few more years of growth, Hui could secure a brilliant future for Konoha. Not only for the village but for the entire shinobi world, he could transform the balance of power, much like his brother had done when he brought an end to the Warring States Period and founded the shinobi village system. 

A fully realized Mochizuki Hui could bring about a unified world, fulfilling Hashirama's dream of lasting peace.

After the battle ended, Hui returned to the Senju Clan compound, where he sensed Tsunade's chakra and realized she'd come back.

She hadn't been on a mission—peace times meant fewer missions overall, and high-status clan shinobi like Tsunade often left available work to civilian shinobi, for whom missions were essential for survival. 

Any shortage of work could lead to discontent, and discontent bred unrest, which could eventually escalate into internal conflict. Thus, for the sake of the village, the clans willingly gave up many missions.

Instead, Tsunade had been out training in medical ninjutsu, refining her skills, and planning a future medical ninja system for the village. She dreamed that one day, every ninja team would have a skilled medic, improving survival rates for all.

"Hui, you're awake!" Seeing him, Tsunade's face lit up as she ran over and hugged him tightly. Though they'd been together for a while, their feelings had only grown deeper over time.

Hui returned her embrace, his heart settling into calm contentment. 

During the Anbu war, he had lost his sense of direction and purpose, but Tsunade had been the star that guided him through those dark days. 

For Hui, she was his "brightest star in the night sky," his guiding light through life.

For Tsunade, Hui was her other half, an irreplaceable presence.

"As long as you're awake, that's all that matters," Tsunade said, her words warming Hui's heart as he held her even closer.

The skies were clear, and a gentle breeze drifted through the serene courtyard where they stood. 

Sakura petals floated gently down, like a soft rain, as the two held each other tightly amidst the falling blossoms.

[tl/n: you might think the chapters are getting shorter, but not really, I'm cutting down a lot of word padding the author has been using, to ensure a smooth read, without having to sift throug too much direscriptory words and redudndet information.

Please leave a comment if you have any suggestions..

Anyway, this'll be it for today, have a great day/night.]

join my patreon for 80+ advanced chapters: patreon.com/HyppoTL