Naruto: Boruto Returns to Shippuden

Chapter 159 Immortal's Pouch

When Boruto and Sasuke left the depths of Ryuchi Cave, they noticed some unusual sounds coming from a cave, so they headed in that direction to investigate.

They discovered that it was Kabuto Yakushi, whom they knew well. At this moment, Kabuto was wearing a large robe, and his face was covered by a hood. If you didn't look carefully, you really wouldn't be able to spot him.

Kabuto was immersed in his training in Sage Chakra when he suddenly sensed Boruto and Sasuke's arrival.

When Kabuto saw Sasuke and Boruto approaching, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, clearly taken aback by their presence.

Yakushi Kabuto grinned and said, "What a coincidence! You're here to practice the immortal techniques of Ryuchi Cave too?"

“No, I have already mastered the Sage Mode of Mount Myōboku.” Boruto shook his head slightly, indicating that he had not come for that reason. Sasuke remained silent and did not respond.

Kabuto noticed Sasuke's hesitation and understood. After all, Orochimaru's cursed seal had been implanted in Sasuke's body, which would undoubtedly make him hesitant when practicing Sage Mode.

So, Kabuto turned to Sasuke and issued a challenge: "Sasuke, let's have a match. I'm not the same as before."

Sasuke was surprised by Kabuto's challenge, but he did not refuse. He was also curious about the power of the Ryuchi Cave Sage Mode, so he accepted Kabuto's challenge and prepared to experience it for himself.

During the battle, Sasuke discovered that his normal power was no longer enough to contend with Kabuto Yakushi. When Kabuto unleashed the power of Sage Mode, the situation clearly began to turn against Sasuke.

Even though Sasuke activated the Cursed Seal in its second form, he could only barely hold his own against Kabuto. However, once Kabuto began to use his Sage Mode powers, Sasuke was clearly at a disadvantage.

Kabuto Yakushi's Sage Art: White Strike Technique directly blocked Sasuke's Sharingan and hearing, causing him intense pain.

This technique paralyzes Sasuke's senses through air vibrations, causing him to feel a tingling sensation in his bones, thus effectively restricting his opponent's mobility.

Even Boruto, who was watching from a distance, felt the aftershocks of Kabuto Yakushi's Sage Art: White Strike Technique and was affected to some extent.

However, when Kabuto Yakushi activates Sage Mode, he can use the snake's cornea as a shield to ignore the impact of strong light on his vision.

Meanwhile, Kabuto's Sage Mode allows him to move freely in bright light and piercing environments, giving him a clear advantage in this duel.

......

After saying goodbye to Kabuto, Sasuke, who had been silently following behind Boruto, suddenly stopped.

Boruto noticed Sasuke's action and immediately stopped, turning around to face him. He asked, "What's wrong, Sasuke? Why did you suddenly stop?"

Sasuke's gaze fell on Boruto, and then he asked him a question: "Boruto, since you learned Sage Mode at Mount Myōboku, one of the three great sage lands, then according to that logic, Naruto must have learned Sage Techniques there as well?"

Boruto shook his head slightly, pondered for a moment, and then replied, "No, Naruto hasn't been to Mount Myōboku yet, but if all goes well, he should be going there to train in Sage Mode in the near future."

If Naruto wants to learn Sage Mode at Mount Myōboku, he must first master and control the Nine-Tails' chakra to prevent the natural energy of Mount Myōboku from conflicting with the Nine-Tails' chakra within Naruto.

If Naruto's natural energy and the Nine-Tails' chakra are not in harmony, it could lead to two extreme situations: either Naruto will be affected by the natural energy of Mount Myōboku, his body will turn into a frog-like stone statue, and his life will end; or his will will be eroded by the Nine-Tails' chakra, and he will lose himself.

When Sasuke heard Boruto mention that Naruto would also learn Sage Mode in the future, some thoughts arose in his mind, so he continued to ask Boruto, "So, Boruto, how long did it take you to train in Sage Mode?"

Sasuke thought that if Boruto's training time in Sage Mode was relatively short, then it wouldn't be impossible for him to give up Cursed Seal Transformation and train in Sage Mode.

Boruto answered Sasuke's question: "I've only been at Mount Myōboku for less than a week to master Sage Mode, but it takes some time to master Sage Chakra."

When Sasuke heard that Boruto had mastered the Sage Mode of Mount Myōboku in such a short time, he raised an eyebrow slightly, looking somewhat surprised.

He thought to himself, since Boruto was able to learn Sage Mode so quickly, then his own talent should not be much inferior to Boruto's, and the time it would take to master the Sage Mode of Ryuchi Cave should be about the same.

Most importantly, before learning Sage Mode, Kabuto Yakushi was far weaker than himself and was often easily defeated by him.

However, after Kabuto used Sage Mode, Sasuke found himself unable to match him. This made him deeply aware of the enormous changes and power boost brought about by Sage Techniques, which deepened his desire for Sage Mode.

......

After traveling for some time, Boruto and Sasuke left the cave deep within Ryuchi Cave and returned to the temple where the White Snake Sage lived.

The White Snake Sage was no longer the enormous snake they had seen before, but had transformed into a smiling old woman who was watching Boruto and Sasuke as they walked up the steps.

The White Snake Sage glanced at the two of them and, seeing that they had appeared here unharmed, immediately understood that Boruto had successfully persuaded Shinja.

"It seems you two little ones do have some skill," the White Snake Sage said in her hoarse voice. "That Xin Ya fellow has a very bad temper, but since you two have done it, it means you've indeed earned his trust."

Boruto smiled and said, "That's right! Shinja and I will definitely make a great team!"

At this moment, the White Snake Sage turned his gaze to Sasuke and suddenly said, "It seems you have made up your mind."

Sasuke took a few steps forward, passing Boruto, and walked straight up to the White Snake Sage, looking directly at him: "That's right, I've decided! I also want to learn the Sage Techniques of Ryuchi Cave."

The White Snake Sage nodded, then explained to Sasuke, "I will use my fangs to infuse the natural energy of Ryuchi Cave into your body. You don't need to take any action; just endure the transformation brought about by the natural energy."

Boruto pondered that the methods for cultivating Sage Mode in the three great Sage Lands were different. The cultivation method at Mount Myōboku required the cultivator to actively absorb the natural energy around them.

Sasuke frowned slightly after hearing the White Snake Sage's explanation, but did not offer any comment.