The rest was simple.
Miki had Tsunade activate her Strength of a Hundred Seal and fully focus on healing herself.
At the same time, she had Slug further reduce the influx of Natural Energy.
She found a balance between the destruction caused by Natural Energy and Tsunade's healing.
This ensured that Tsunade's healing was always stronger than the damage caused by Natural Energy.
It was a continuous cycle of destruction and regeneration.
This continued until Tsunade could master Sage Ninjutsu.
"It feels like I'm not learning anything," Tsunade said after four hours, her entire body submerged within Slug, with only her head sticking out, like a radish in the ground.
"This training is so boring."
It was indeed boring.
Miki had been observing Tsunade's state, but lacking detailed observation methods, she could only see the surface.
"Be content," Miki said unceremoniously, "or would you like to connect your pain nerves? That would be stimulating."
"No way!" Tsunade turned her head and asked, "How much longer will this last?"
"Until you master Sage Mode."
"That's a given!" Tsunade snorted, "How long exactly?"
"You ask me, who should I ask?" Miki spread her hands.
"If I don't ask you, who should I ask?" Tsunade was getting a little frantic.
"Well, how about asking Slug Sage?" Miki looked at Slug.
"I don't know," Slug said, as she had never seen anyone cultivate her Sage Ninjutsu before and was quite bewildered by the situation.
"How long did it take you," Miki asked, "to completely control Natural Energy without harming yourself?"
"About…" Slug whispered uncertainly, "a few hundred years, perhaps."
"Eh!?" Tsunade exclaimed in surprise, "That long!? Can I really learn it!?"
What do you think evolution is?
Can it be done in a flash?
Miki looked at Tsunade and said, "Theoretically, it's roughly that amount of time."
"What kind of theory is that?!" Tsunade said, "I'll be an old hag in a few decades, not a few centuries!"
No, in a few decades, you'll still look like a young girl.
You learned the Yin Seal too early.
Your appearance will basically not change.
Tsunade and Naori hadn't noticed these small details, but Miki had a test.
It wasn't just height; if she continued to grow at this rate, she would still look about twenty years old when she was eighty or ninety.
"Don't worry too much; Natural Energy has the effect of prolonging life. As long as this process continues, your lifespan will naturally increase," Miki said.
"Really?" Tsunade was a bit skeptical.
"Really," Miki said, "A normal Slug only lives for two to three years. How old do you think Slug Sage is?"
"I don't want to guess," Tsunade said, looking expectantly at Slug, "Lady Slug, how old are you?"
"About…" Slug herself wasn't very sure, so she just gave a random number.
"Over a thousand years old, I suppose?"
She didn't celebrate birthdays, so what was the point of keeping track of her age?
To remind herself that she was another year older?
But she wouldn't age.
Although Miki wasn't sure of Slug's lifespan limit, as long as it wasn't a fatal injury, she could live for a very, very long time.
"Eh…" Tsunade said, "Can Sage Ninjutsu really make me live that long?"
"Perhaps…" Slug Sage said, "I've never seen a Slug like me, but the snakes of Ryūchi Cave have also lived for a very long time. Perhaps, that's the effect of Sage Ninjutsu."
"Really?" Tsunade gave an example and said, "What about Jiraiya? He also knows Sage Ninjutsu. Can that guy live that long?"
"There's no such record," Slug said, "I haven't heard any rumors of Sage Ninjutsu practitioners from Mount Myōboku living for a very long time."
"I'm not learning it!" Tsunade suddenly said, "What's the point if I'm the only one who lives a long time?!"
You can stay with me!
Slug hesitated, but she liked Tsunade.
Tsunade struggled to climb out, but her body had no strength left under the impact of Sage Ninjutsu.
"Who cares how long it lives? If you get tired of living, just die. Suicide, understand?" Miki said coldly.
"Oh, right!" Tsunade settled down and said, "It's the same Sage Ninjutsu training, so why can't Jiraiya live that long?"
"I don't know, Lady Tsunade," Slug said.
"Without a doubt, Natural Energy has the effect of prolonging life," Miki said.
Not to mention this, which in Miki's eyes was just a trick.
This was proof.
"And among Sage Ninjutsu practitioners, Tsunade, your method of mastering Sage Ninjutsu is almost identical to Slug Sage's."
"If Slug Sage can master it, you can master it too!"
"This path has been verified by Slug and is an absolutely feasible route."
"It's just that we're not sure how much time it will take yet."
"As for Jiraiya's Sage Mode…"
Miki said in a deep voice.
"Either all previous Sage Ninjutsu practitioners died unexpectedly in battle and didn't have time to experience this longevity."
"Or, the Sage Ninjutsu of Mount Myōboku has a problem; it's a castrated version that cannot prolong life."
"I lean towards the latter," Miki said.
"Why would they do that?" Tsunade asked.
"It's for self-preservation," Miki sneered and said, "It's a basic operation."
Human hearts are fickle.
"Don't maliciously speculate about them," Tsunade said, "They haven't done anything yet, so why are you so sure?"
"Sage Mode," Miki said, "The Sage Ninjutsu of Mount Myōboku lacks an important step."
"That is, the storage of Natural Energy."
"Sage Ninjutsu practitioners can only temporarily maintain Sage Mode and cannot make it permanently fixed, so Natural Energy cannot continuously nourish the body and silently prolong life."
"But you are different."
"You will be like Slug Sage, your cells unconsciously absorbing surrounding Natural Energy during the breathing cycle and storing large amounts within your body."
"This is fundamentally different from Jiraiya's Sage Mode, which requires him to actively enter it."
"Once completed, you will be in Sage Mode at all times."
Saying this, Miki nodded.
Slug Breathing Method: Permanent.
In this state, whether or not there is a Nine-Tailed problem is not a big deal. Once the mechanism of Natural Energy degrading into Chakra is mastered, there is almost infinite Chakra.
But without the Nine-Tailed Chakra support, Tsunade wouldn't be able to learn this Ninjutsu.
Slug Sage had a large amount of Sage Ninjutsu Chakra, but her disadvantage was her lack of culture; she didn't understand Ninjutsu, which is to say, application techniques.
She was the same type of naive sweet girl as Kaguya.
She was just a little stronger than Kaguya, with some combat experience.
Miki glanced at Slug Sage.
This one needs to be trained.
"The prerequisite is to complete this extremely difficult, almost impossible Sage Mode."
That amazing, huh…
Tsunade blinked, not having much of a real feeling.
"Can I beat you?" Tsunade asked.
"Dream on!" Miki replied instantly.
At most, a draw. Between the two, Miki had no defeats.
"You just wait!!!" Tsunade said angrily.
"Heh." Miki sneered.
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