Naruto, what kind of Hokage would you be if you didn't roll around!

“I will be there to protect you while you cultivate. If you are in danger of being turned into a stone frog, I will stop you immediately.”

"However, even so, it can't be said to be 100% safe, in short..."

"Celestial arts are celestial arts; they inevitably come with risks!"

Naruto, however, thought of Sasuke and Hinata.

"Then, Ryuchi Cave and Shikkotsu Forest..."

The immortal understood his meaning and sighed.

"Of course, it's the same. Not to mention Ryuchi Cave, almost every ninja who was bitten by the White Snake Sage's venomous fangs and injected with Sage Chakra failed and became food for the White Snake Sage."

"Let alone them, even the village and race of that ninja named Jugo you mentioned, just because they are affected by the natural energy of Ryuchi Cave, they often go berserk. You can imagine how dangerous that is!"

Naruto couldn't help but become even more worried.

"Sasuke..."

Fukasaku continued, "As for Shikkotsu Forest, I'm not too sure, because they haven't had a precedent of teaching Sage Mode to ninjas before. Hinata, whom you mentioned, should be the first..."

"However, it also faces risks."

Seeing that Naruto's face was getting worse, he jumped up onto a stone frog, which made him a head taller than Naruto.

"Alright, Naruto, you should believe in yourself and your comrades."

"Now is not the time to worry about them. Precisely because cultivating immortal arts is fraught with risks, we must concentrate and focus wholeheartedly, and we must not be distracted!"

Naruto snapped out of his reverie and nodded firmly.

"Ah, I understand."

"Sasuke and Hinata are both my comrades and my best friends. Although I worry about them, I trust them even more!"

"Whether it's me or them, we will definitely be able to master the power of immortal arts!"

"because……"

"Class 7 will always be the strongest!"

Fukasaku smiled and nodded: "Well said, Naruto."

"Then let's continue..."

"Your chakra reserves are enormous, far exceeding those of Jiraiya and Minato, which is why you can achieve twice the results with half the effort when practicing Sage Mode."

"Of course, this is also a double-edged sword. Because you have a huge amount of chakra, you will need to expend more energy when balancing the three types of energy, and you will be more likely to go into a berserk state..."

The sage Fukasaku took out the toad oil, a secret recipe from Mount Myōboku, and applied it to Naruto's body.

"Toad oil can help you better absorb natural energy, making it an excellent aid at the beginning."

"But in the end, you still have to rely on your own strength."

Naruto nodded and clenched his fist.

"Ah, I see."

The hermit Fukasaku smiled with satisfaction: "Alright, let's begin then!"

"The cultivation of immortal arts!"

……

Just as Naruto was undergoing intensive training at Mount Myōboku.

Another of the three holy sites.

In the Wet Bone Forest.

Hinata stared in horror at the towering, snow-capped slug sage's true form, which resembled a massive snow mountain. She was utterly shocked.

"Is this... is this the true form of the Slug Sage?"

"So...so awesome..."

The split entity beside him smiled slightly: "Our main body is too huge, so it cannot be fully summoned. Even Lady Tsunade can only summon a small part at most, less than one-tenth."

“If it’s just a simple matter of practicing in Shikkotsu Forest, then I can help.”

"However, if you want to learn the art of cultivating the mind, only the original body can teach you."

Hinata nodded gently, looked up at the Slug Sage's true form, and gave a solemn and respectful bow.

"Slug Sage, I am Hinata Hyuga. I have come to learn the Sage Techniques of Shikkotsu Forest from you. Please take good care of me!"

The slug fairy's head twitched slightly, and finally, its eyes opened on its two large antennae.

She looked down at Hinata, who was as small as an ant on the ground.

"I already know."

Although her voice was still gentle, it sounded very deep and distant because of her enormous size, as if it came from a distant ancient era.

"The Wet Bone Forest never refuses human cultivation and the inheritance of our immortal techniques, but it has never been able to find the most suitable candidate."

"Since you are the perfect candidate personally selected by Tsunade, I am very happy to teach you the Sage Techniques of Shikkotsu Forest. I hope you can carry it forward and let the ninja world and the other two great holy lands see the power of my Shikkotsu Forest Sage Techniques!"

Hinata felt immense pressure, but still nodded immediately.

"I will do my best and will never let my master and the Slug Immortal down!"

"Okay, let's get started."

"Although the three holy lands all have the inheritance of immortal techniques, there are differences between them."

"The Sage Techniques of Mount Myōboku are more comprehensive and integrated. They can simultaneously enhance a ninja's various abilities such as ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, as well as improve their perception and increase their attack range. They are Sage Techniques with almost no weaknesses."

"The magic of Longdi Cave is even more powerful and bizarre. Once you successfully cultivate it, you can control a vast amount of natural energy, which is even enough to change the terrain and turn the inorganic into the organic. Its attack pattern is also very strange."

"Of course, precisely because of this, the Dragon Cave Immortal Technique is also the one most prone to going berserk."

Hinata, thinking of the fate of the Jugo clan, couldn't help but nod in agreement.

The Slug Immortal concluded, "The immortal arts of our Wet Bone Forest are completely different from those of the other two."

"Tsunade probably told you that the Sage Mode of Shikkotsu Forest is the gentlest and most inclusive. Although it also contains destructive power, it has more vitality, recovery, splitting, and regeneration, making it almost immortal!"

"Hinata, if you can master this power, your vitality and regenerative ability will surpass Tsunade's. You will not only be able to protect yourself, but also better protect your comrades."

Hinata was even more moved upon hearing this, her eyes sparkling with excitement and light.

"Really? Really?"

"By practicing the immortal arts of the Wet Bone Forest, I can better protect my companions..."

"Slug Sage, let's begin right away!"

The Slug Sage smiled slightly: "You clearly have doubts about yourself, but once you hear that you can protect your companions, you immediately become full of confidence?"

"You really are that kind of person..."

"The spirit of protection is humanity's greatest strength."

"Many people will never understand this in their entire lives, but you, at such a young age, have already seen it more clearly than anyone else."

Hinata blushed and lowered her head.

"I... I just didn't want my companions to get hurt..."

The slug immortal's massive body moved slightly, yet it emitted a tremor that shook the entire Wet Bone Forest.

"Very well, then come with me."

"From now on, I will teach you the true magic of the Wet Bone Forest."

"However, whether you can master it depends on your talent and fortune..."

Hinata clenched her fists, and the image of Naruto flashed through her mind.

"Naruto-kun..."

Even the strongest person has moments of weakness, and even the hardest-working person will feel exhausted.

"When you need me—"

"I will always be here."

With this determination, Hinata followed the Slug Sage.

……

the other side.

Jugo gazed at the destroyed village and remained silent for a long time.

Jiraiya, Kabuto, and Sasuke did not speak; they simply waited for him in silence.

Sasuke understands Jugo's pain better than anyone else.

Because he, too, lost all his people.

only……

His own clan was slaughtered by Itachi Uchiha.

It's highly likely that Jugo's family did indeed engage in infighting...

The group had witnessed Jugo's berserk form, in which he was completely irrational, and would even fight to the death with his family.

For a family like this, destruction is almost a foregone conclusion.

Jugo closed his eyes, turned around, and stopped gazing at his distant hometown, which he could never return to.

"let's go."

Jiraiya said in a deep voice, "Aren't you going to go back to your hometown for another look?"

Jugo shook his head: "I have no home anymore."

Jiraiya patted him on the shoulder.

"I won't say anything cliché like 'Konoha Village is your new home'."

"However, a person's sense of belonging can only be found by themselves."

"Humans are ultimately social animals and cannot resist loneliness."

Suddenly, Shigeo felt a jolt in his heart.

Kimimaro seems to have said the same thing...

As a child, Jugo was so violent that he was hated and feared even in the village. So he locked himself in a cave and lived a secluded, lonely, and painful life.

The person who rescued him was none other than Kimimaro.

From then on, he regarded Kimimaro as his confidant and benefactor, and on his advice, he joined Orochimaru's forces.

Unfortunately, there, neither he nor Kimimaro were anything more than Orochimaru's tools and puppets.

Kimimaro himself was completely unaware, or rather, he was aware but willingly allowed to be used by Orochimaru.

But Jugo was ultimately grateful to Kimimaro, not Orochimaru.

Therefore, he is able to see things more clearly.

Kimimaro ultimately died at Naruto's hands. At first, Jugo also thought about revenge, but over the years, especially after his long training with "Naruto's team," he gradually came to understand and even accept Naruto.

Now he can think things through very clearly.

It was not Naruto Uzumaki who killed Kimimaro.

It was Orochimaru.

Therefore, he no longer hates Naruto, and even believes that Naruto is the one who freed Kimimaro.

More importantly, through his interactions with Captain Yamato, Sai, Karin, and others, he gradually came to understand what comrades and friends truly meant...

As Jiraiya said, alleviating loneliness, fighting pain, and finding a sense of belonging are ultimately personal choices.

The person I am now, in the end, is indeed...

Jugo of Konoha Village.

Jugo gave a self-deprecating bitter laugh, shook his head, and never looked back.

“My hometown is right here, which means Yongji Cave is not far away.”