Hokage: Immortal, I Open Unlimited Eight Gates

As Senju Nawaki arrived at Tsunade's place, he found only Tsunade and Uzumaki Kushina there.

Seeing this, a wave of panic surged through him as he assumed the worst.

Immediately, he turned to Tsunade with teary eyes and asked anxiously, "Sister, is Grandma..."

Bang!

Before he could finish, Tsunade smacked him on the head. Clutching his head in disbelief, he protested, "Sister, why did you hit me?!"

"You tell me why I hit you! Grandma is still alive, so why are you crying?" Tsunade said calmly, retracting her fist.

Nawaki's brain took a moment to process the words. "Grandma is... alive?"

"Yes, Grandma and Father went to the Hokage Building to discuss some matters. I wasn't interested, so I brought Kushina back first," Tsunade explained.

"That's right! Grandma Mito is perfectly fine, so you don't need to worry, Nawaki," Kushina added with a reassuring smile.

Phew!

Hearing both of them say this, Nawaki let out a deep sigh of relief. "As long as she's okay... that's all that matters."

Suddenly, a thought struck him. "Sister, can you tell me what happened? Who cut off Nine Tails' tail?"

Since Uzumaki Mito was still alive, it confirmed Chiba's earlier claim. Now, Nawaki was eager to learn the identity of the person capable of severing a Tailed Beast's tail.

Hearing this, Tsunade's mind drifted back to recent events. The heroic image of Chiba flashed through her thoughts.

Seeing Tsunade lost in thought, Nawaki turned to Kushina for answers.

Understanding his curiosity, Kushina began recounting everything that had happened after they left Konoha.

By the time she finished, Nawaki's jaw had dropped. "You mean... Chiba cut off Nine Tails' tail and seriously injured it?"

"Yes," Kushina confirmed with a nod.

Hearing this, Nawaki fell into silent contemplation. He couldn't wrap his head around it—how was Chiba, someone his own age, so incredibly strong? First, he had fought Orochimaru to a draw, and now he had taken on Nine Tails head-on.

They had all enrolled in the Academy together, graduated together, and were still Genin. So why was Uchiha Chiba on a completely different level?

Nawaki simply couldn't understand.

Shikkotsu Forest

Chiba sat cross-legged, completely bare-chested, his body coated in a thin layer of nearly transparent mucus.

Tsunade stood nearby, holding a stick made of an unknown material, watching him intently.

Slowly, Chiba opened his eyes, frustration evident on his face, and turned toward Tsunade.

"Sister Tsunade, let's call it a day."

"Alright, but first, wipe yourself off." Tsunade handed him a towel and reassured him, "Don't get discouraged. Sensing natural energy is difficult. Even though Katsuyu's mucus enhances your perception, it doesn't mean you'll succeed in a day."

Chiba nodded, her words offering some comfort. Still, it was far from the rapid progress he had envisioned.

He had initially believed that his Observation Haki would help him sense natural energy quickly. However, reality proved otherwise—his Haki of Perception offered no assistance.

Left with no other choice, he had sought Katsuyu's guidance. Katsuyu had recommended the mucus now coating his body, claiming it had the same effect as Mount Myōboku's toad oil, aiding in sensing natural energy faster. However, its effectiveness varied from person to person.

"By the way, Tsunade-sama, how is Mito-sama doing now?" Chiba asked, realizing that two days had passed since the sealing of Nine Tails.

"She's doing exceptionally well. In fact, her body is as healthy as some young people's," Tsunade replied with a smile.

"Oh, and my father wants to invite you to our home again. He said he'd like to see you before heading to the capital."

Chiba nodded. "No problem. When should I come?"

"Tonight. I'll inform them, and you can just come over then."

"Alright, let's head back now."

Konoha – Jiraiya's Residence

After returning from Shikkotsu Forest, Chiba navigated his way to Jiraiya's home from memory.

Knock, knock, knock!

"Who is it?"

"Brother Jiraiya, it's me."

Hearing his name, Jiraiya opened the door, a hint of curiosity flashing across his face. "Chiba? What brings you here?"

Uchiha Chiba smiled. "I need your help with something. Right now, you're the only one in Konoha who can assist me."

Jiraiya grinned widely. "Hahaha! You've got good taste, Chiba! Come on in. Whatever it is, just ask!"

Though he wasn't sure what Uchiha Chiba needed, hearing that he was the only one who could help was enough to boost Jiraiya's mood.

"Tell me, no matter what the problem is, I'll help however I can."

"It's like this," Chiba began, "I'm training in Sage MOde at Shikkotsu Forest, but it's been two days, and I still can't sense natural energy. So, I thought I'd come to you for guidance."

"..."

Jiraiya was speechless. Two days?!

When he first learned Sage Mode, it had taken him nearly a month just to sense natural energy. Then, another month to integrate it with his chakra. Finally, after a third month, he had managed to enter Sage Mode.

Is this kid here just to show off?!

Taking a deep breath, Jiraiya said, "Listen, Chiba, you can't rush Sage Mode. It's a long process. The more impatient you are, the harder it will be to grasp. The first step is to relax."

Though he wasn't sure whether Chiba was here to boast or genuinely seek advice, Jiraiya was still willing to share some tricks.

"I understand," Chiba nodded. "Sister Tsunade told me the same thing. But what I really want to know is—do you have any special techniques or tricks?"

Among all the people in Konoha, Jiraiya was the only one who had mastered Sage Mode. Even Orochimaru, as brilliant as he was, had failed to learn Ryūchi Cave's Sage Jutsu.

Chiba had a theory: perhaps the bigger the personality, the easier it was to master Sage Mode. After all, both Jiraiya and Uzumaki Naruto had succeeded.

But he immediately questioned this idea—Minato Namikaze had also learned Sage Mode, and he was nothing like Jiraiya or Naruto.

Another strange thought crossed his mind: Was Sage Mode from the three great summoning realms of varying difficulty?

After all, the only known person to master Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode was Kabuto. Meanwhile, Mount Myōboku had produced multiple Sage users.

And as for Shikkotsu Forest… throughout history, no one had been seen using its Sage Mode.

Could this mean Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Mode is the hardest of them all?