Chapter 66: Sage Mode by Gojo Satoru
One peaceful evening, under a bright moon and a sky dotted with twinkling stars, the members of Team 7 were seated around a crackling campfire. The night was calm, but for some reason, Gojo Satoru—always the instigator of chaos—was anything but.
"So, you promised me, right?" Sasuke's voice was as cold as ever, but his eyes had a glint of determination. "You said, if I learned how to seduce, you'd teach me a stronger Rasengan, right?"
Gojo, sitting cross-legged against a tree trunk, didn't even look up from his latest reading material—Intimate Paradise. He flipped through the pages casually, speaking as if the world didn't matter. "Oh, yeah, I did say that. But did you really learn it?"
Sasuke's face remained stoic, though there was an undeniable flicker of discomfort in his eyes. He wasn't entirely embarrassed, but anyone could tell he was reaching his limit with Gojo's antics. "I learned it," he said flatly, though inside, his mind was reeling. He had mastered the "seduction technique" after all. It was just a transformation jutsu, right? Change into a pretty girl, bat your lashes, and voilà!
Gojo raised an eyebrow without lifting his gaze from his book. "Really now? You learned that?" he smirked. "I didn't think you'd actually take me seriously, Sasuke."
"Of course I did," Sasuke gritted his teeth, his eyes narrowing. "You promised."
The whole campfire froze in silence for a moment. The idea of Sasuke, the cool, aloof Uchiha, actually attempting the seduction technique was enough to make even the seasoned ninjas present blink in disbelief. Sasuke, seducing? The very thought sent a wave of awkwardness through the group.
Gojo, clearly entertained, leaned back against the tree, a grin playing on his lips. "Alright, let's see what you've got then. Show me your seduction, Uchiha kid."
Sasuke, still as icy as ever, hesitated for only a moment before slamming his hands together in a quick series of seals. "Let's get this over with."
With a puff of smoke, Sasuke's transformation was complete. The smoke cleared to reveal… a stunning woman. Black hair, styled in a ponytail, fair skin, and a face that looked like it belonged on a fashion magazine. The transformation was flawless. Sasuke stood tall, still cold as ice, but now with a distinctly feminine, alluring presence.
"Done. Now give me my strength," Sasuke said, raising his chin slightly, eyes glimmering with determination.
Sakura's jaw dropped. Her usual admiration for Sasuke didn't prepare her for… this. "S-Sasuke?!" she stammered, wide-eyed.
Gojo, finally putting down his book, stared at Sasuke for a long moment. Then, with a nod, he said, "Hmm. Three points for body, four for personality, and, well, seven out of ten for effort. But, man, that cold persona doesn't quite fit the look, does it?"
"Shut up!" Sasuke growled, annoyed. "Just teach me the Rasengan!"
The group was silent for a moment as Gojo tapped his fingers to his lips, genuinely impressed. "You're really pulling off the 'tsundere' act, huh? So lovable," he teased, not holding back any of his usual sarcasm. He pulled out a camera and snapped a picture of Sasuke's feminine form. "This is gold."
Sasuke's eye twitched. "I'm not here for your amusement!"
Naruto, never one to miss an opportunity, burst out laughing, clutching his stomach. "Hahahaha, Sasuke, you—ha-ha-ha—you actually did it! You look like a girl!" He couldn't stop cackling, wiping tears from his eyes as he gasped for air.
Sasuke's eyebrow twitched, but instead of reacting violently, he shot Naruto a cold, piercing glare. "Shut up, Naruto," he said through gritted teeth. But his voice had a strange undertone. The kind of feeling Naruto hadn't expected. It was... kinda hot. His heart skipped a beat, and he suddenly felt flustered. Was this what it was like to fall for someone?
Gojo, ever the instigator, leaned in behind Naruto and whispered, "Oh no, Naruto, I see it. Your heart is racing, isn't it?"
Naruto's face turned beet red as he fumbled for words. "No! I—I'm not like you! Stop messing with my head, Gojo-sensei!"
Gojo just chuckled and patted Naruto's head. "Sure, sure. Keep telling yourself that."
Sasuke, now thoroughly done with Gojo's antics, turned away and began to remove his transformation. "Alright, enough. Let's move on," he muttered under his breath.
Gojo raised his hands in mock surrender. "Okay, okay. You got your moment, Uchiha kid. You've seduced us all. Now, let's talk about Rasengan."
Sasuke, finally back to his usual self, stood tall with his hands in his pockets, his usual scowl back in place. "I want to learn the fire version of Rasengan. I've got the fire nature."
Gojo didn't even flinch. "Yeah, I figured. Fire's flashy. But I'll warn you, Sasuke, fire-style Rasengan has more power, while lightning-style is more about control."
"Fire. I want the strength," Sasuke said without hesitation.
"Alright, then," Gojo nodded. He picked up a leaf from the ground and demonstrated with ease. A blue chakra surrounded his fingers, and in a second, the leaf was burned to a crisp.
"Now you try," Gojo said, handing Sasuke another leaf.
Sasuke focused and summoned his chakra, but instead of igniting the leaf, it simply fluttered in his hand.
Gojo chuckled, "Come on, Sasuke. You can't just rush through everything. Imagine the fire. Like you're using a Fire Style technique."
Sasuke closed his eyes and focused. He could feel the heat within him, but the leaf remained unscathed.
"Tch, I'll never learn this." Sasuke muttered under his breath.
"Go play with your fire," Gojo waved dismissively, clearly not impressed by Sasuke's frustration.
Sasuke walked away to stand near the campfire, muttering curses under his breath. Burning leaves was way beneath him.
Meanwhile, Naruto raised his hand eagerly. "What about me, Gojo-sensei? You promised you'd teach me something cool too!"
Gojo turned toward him, his expression going from playful to downright serious. "You? You're learning Sage Mode."
"Sage Mode?!" Naruto was completely clueless. "What's that?"
Gojo sighed dramatically, rubbing his temples. "Fine, I'll just show you once. Pay attention." With that, Gojo clasped his hands together, and dark red markings appeared around his eyes. The ground cracked as a massive burst of chakra surged from him.
The air felt heavier as the natural energy radiated out, and the surrounding trees seemed to groan under the weight of Gojo's immense power.
Naruto's eyes widened. "Whoa…"
Gojo smirked. "Yeah, that's the power of Sage Mode. Now, you'll have to train to harness it."
Naruto, now more determined than ever, clenched his fists. "I'm going to master this, Gojo-sensei! Watch me!"
Gojo rolled his eyes but smiled slightly. "Good luck, kid. You'll need it."