Chapter 139: Birthday, The Sixth Red Entry
"Cheers!"
"Izayoi, Happy Birthday!"
Dusk of June 16th, Konoha Year 61.
A cheer erupted from the open space of the training grounds at Izayoi's house.
The little monsters of the new generation had gathered together, a rare sight, to celebrate Izayoi's birthday.
On the open ground, a barbecue grill was emitting smoke, filling the air with a fragrant aroma.
Not far away were several long tables, laden with various fruits and snacks.
One of the largest tables held a cake that was a full thirteen layers high, and the thirteen candles stuck on top had already been blown out.
Beside the cake were all sorts of delicacies, drinks, and fine wines.
Hinata and Karin's shadow clones were busy around the barbecue grill.
The little monsters of the new generation were sitting at the tables, gobbling down the delicacies that they usually couldn't afford or would need to do countless missions to earn enough for.
"How much money would a house like this cost?"
Jiraiya, who had come to freeload with Naruto Uzumaki, was drinking with Tsunade at another table. Looking at the incredibly luxurious traditional buildings and the exquisite villa, he couldn't help but lean close to Tsunade and whisper, "Isn't Izayoi breaking ninja rules?"
"What nonsense are you spouting? Do you have any evidence?"
Tsunade, her cheeks already flushed with alcohol, couldn't help but slam the table, protectively retorting, "With Izayoi's abilities, couldn't he have earned it gambling or secretly in the black market?"
Jiraiya glanced at the head of the other table, where Izayoi was feeding Hanabi, who was sitting on his lap, and Hinata, who was on his right. Staring at his red eye shadow and golden pupils, he sighed softly, "To treat Sage Mode as a constant state and perfectly control the surging power, his abilities are indeed astonishing."
After saying that, Jiraiya couldn't help but ask, "Is Izayoi's Sage Mode the Sage Mode of Shikkotsu Forest?"
"No, he didn't sign a contract with Shikkotsu Forest," Tsunade shook her head.
"This kind of eye shadow and pupils are also not the Sage Mode of Mount Myoboku or Ryuchi Cave. Could it be a Sage Mode he comprehended on his own?" Jiraiya recalled the scenes of his own Sage Art training and then thought about how he still needed to summon Fukasaku and Shima to assist him in entering Sage Mode. A single sentence expressed his bitterness and envy, "The world of geniuses is truly despairing!"
The little monsters all thought that Izayoi's appearance was for celebrating his birthday, and that Hinata and Hanabi had specially done his makeup.
Apart from Jiraiya and Tsunade, only Sasuke Uchiha and the three girls knew the secret of this face paint.
Sasuke Uchiha, sitting to Izayoi's left, asked the same question as Jiraiya, "Is that Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Mode?"
"Mediocre talents need others to teach them; geniuses all comprehend on their own," Izayoi smiled.
Sasuke Uchiha's forehead instantly sprouted a red cross mark, and he gritted his teeth, "You bastard, you still talk like you're asking for a beating."
"Do I? I'm just telling the truth. Surely you, as a genius, can instantly enter Sage Mode, right? No way you can't, can you?"
"Hmph!"
Sasuke Uchiha stopped talking to Izayoi and instead buried his head in eating.
After the birthday banquet ended, the little monsters went to experience the entertainment facilities and hot springs at Izayoi's house. It wasn't until very late that they left with satisfied expressions.
Jiraiya and Tsunade, already drunk, were also taken away by Naruto Uzumaki and Shizune.
After cleaning up, Izayoi looked up at the starry night sky and instructed Hinata and Hanabi, "It's too late now. Both of you stay here tonight."
"Mmm..."
The Hyuga sisters nodded.
Having gained the approval of the Hyuga clan, it wasn't the first time they had stayed overnight at Izayoi's house.
Today was also Izayoi's birthday, and Hinata and Hanabi had already informed Hiashi Hyuga beforehand that they didn't plan to go back.
After taking a bath, it was time to open the presents.
The little monsters hadn't just come to freeload. The thirteen-layer cake was bought with their pooled money.
At the same time, they had also prepared various small gifts for Izayoi.
Choji Akimichi gave Izayoi a large box of pills with various effects.
Shikamaru Nara's gift was medicinal herbs from his family, and Ino Yamanaka's was various flower seeds.
Kiba Inuzuka wasn't sure if Izayoi and Hinata liked keeping dogs, so he didn't bring a puppy but instead gave Izayoi an adoption certificate. Izayoi could go to their Inuzuka clan and take a regular dog to guard the house, or he could adopt a ninja dog and sign a contract to become partners in battle.
Shino Aburame's gift was... a pair of sunglasses.
Naruto Uzumaki's gift was... a frog wallet.
Sakura Haruno and Minako's gifts were... a photo album and a set of film rolls.
Sasuke Uchiha's gift was a ninjutsu scroll, his self-developed Sage Art: Storm Release - White Dragon.
The two elders, Jiraiya and Tsunade, came empty-handed.
Shizune's gift was a cultural relic, the nature of which was unknown.
But Izayoi knew a bit about Shizune's hobbies. She usually liked to look at ancient things, so this gift was definitely one of her treasures.
Each gift was full of personality, and the disparity in wealth was also evident.
Surprisingly, only Sakura Haruno and Minako had chosen gifts according to Izayoi's preferences.
Izayoi was somewhat amused and helpless, then he put all these heartfelt gifts into a cabinet.
Immediately, Izayoi grinned mischievously at the three girls, "What about your gifts?"
"Hehe... we've long prepared yours, Onii-chan!" Hanabi giggled and then took out a small storage scroll from the sleeve of her kimono.
Hinata and Karin did the same.
Seeing this, Izayoi was instantly filled with anticipation.
With a few "poofs," white mist filled the air.
When the smoke cleared, three gift boxes appeared in front of Izayoi, of various sizes.
"Izayoi-kun, Happy Birthday."
"Onii-chan, Happy Birthday."
The three girls handed their gift boxes to Izayoi.
"Thank you."
Izayoi smiled and took the gift boxes, quickly opening them.
When he saw the three girls' gifts clearly, his eyes lit up.
Karin's gift was a new type of camera. Both its appearance and weight were much better than Izayoi's old camera.
Although he hadn't tried it yet, the pixels were definitely better too.
"Karin, you're so thoughtful." Izayoi fondled the new camera with delight and smiled at Karin.
"Hehe... I'm glad Izayoi-kun likes it," Karin scratched her head and grinned foolishly.
Hanabi's gift was a piece of clothing.
But seeing this piece of clothing, Izayoi was slightly taken aback, "This is... a priest's robe?"
"Hehe... Onii-chan always wears white robes. It's time for a change of style," Hanabi looked at Izayoi's Sage Mode state and said with a smile, "I think a priest's robe goes better with this jutsu of yours."
"Is that so?"
Izayoi immediately put on the priest's robe with flame patterns on the hem, struck a pose with his back to Hanabi, and asked, turning his head, "Does it suit me?"
"Mmm... Onii-chan is so handsome!" Hanabi nodded repeatedly, her pale purple Byakugan seemingly flashing with golden light, looking like a little fan girl.
"Izayoi-kun looks so handsome no matter what he wears."
Karin's answer was even more direct, and Hinata nodded in agreement.
"Thank you, Hanabi. Onii-chan really likes this gift," Izayoi smiled and patted Hanabi's head, then opened Hinata's gift box.
Among the three gift boxes, Hinata's was the smallest and also square-shaped.
If a man were giving a woman a gift in such a box, it would usually contain a ring or a bracelet.
But Izayoi didn't think Hinata had that kind of courage yet.
Even if she did, she wouldn't dare give it in front of Hanabi and Karin. She would only secretly muster her courage to give it, just like when she confessed.
However, when Izayoi opened the gift box, he found that he had underestimated Hinata's current courage.
Because Hinata's gift was actually... a pocket watch.
"Wow..."
Seeing this gift, Hanabi and Karin couldn't help but exclaim, then looked at Hinata, whose cheeks were flushed, with knowing smiles.
Hanabi couldn't help but tease, "Not bad, Nee-san. No wonder you helped me make clothes but wouldn't let me disturb you. So this was your gift."
Karin clasped her hands together in front of her chest and sighed, "How romantic!"
Giving a pocket watch for a birthday has the romantic implication of giving a "sentiment close to the heart."
Hinata's gift was equivalent to declaring her ownership.
Izayoi first looked at Hinata in surprise, then took out the pocket watch from the box and examined it carefully.
The pocket watch was entirely silver-white, even the chain was the same color, without any fancy patterns.
When Izayoi opened the watch cover, the corners of his mouth slightly turned up.
Inside the cover was a photograph of two small children wearing snowman costumes, their smiles bright.
These two children were none other than Izayoi and Hinata.
The pocket watch had a separate sub-dial for the seconds hand, but the seconds hand was difficult to see, only blue and white in color. The central axis was even like a solar corona, actually the shape of the Tenseigan.
From this, it could be seen that this seemingly ordinary pocket watch was actually elaborate inside and had taken Hinata a long time to make.
"Thank you for your hard work, Hinata."
Izayoi put away the pocket watch, pressed it against his heart, and solemnly promised Hinata, "I will definitely cherish this gift and protect it well."
"I'm glad Izayoi-kun likes it."
Even though she was clearly flustered, Hinata's gaze didn't waver at all. Instead, she looked at Izayoi with deep affection, a gentle and shy smile on her face.
Seeing this scene, Karin pulled Hanabi away secretly.
After the third wheels left, Izayoi didn't waste the atmosphere. He directly reached out and pulled Hinata into his arms, leaning down.
Looking at the enlarging face in her eyes, Hinata's Byakugan seemed to see the future at this moment. The lingering blush instantly upgraded to a full-blown steam session.
However, the girl didn't dodge but instead tightly grasped the corner of her kimono with two fingers and slowly closed her beautiful eyes.
Just like Ranmaru secretly using his Red Eye ability to assist, pink powder appeared out of thin air, drawing a large heart in the room.
...
"Ding! Your body has undergone a mutation, and you have acquired the talent entry [Sage Body (White)], unable to decompose."
On the evening of the last day of June, Izayoi was soaking in his private hot spring pool.
Looking closely, one would find that the pool water emitting white steam was actually a shade of blue.
If Jiraiya and Sasuke Uchiha were here, they would definitely widen their eyes in shock.
Because the natural energy in this area, or rather, in this hot spring pool, was truly astonishing.
Not only was the natural energy astonishing, but so was the life force.
If Sasuke Uchiha had the chance to soak in it once, he would definitely feel a huge boost in his Yang Release chakra and Wood Release chakra.
Unfortunately, he didn't have that privilege.
Soaking in the pool with only his head exposed, a handkerchief placed on his forehead, Izayoi suddenly opened his golden eyes in Sage Mode.
"The guess was correct. Thankfully, I didn't give up halfway," the corners of Izayoi's mouth slightly lifted. Looking at the blue pool water, he thought inwardly, "Luckily, there's an inexhaustible supply of Gureilu Stone. Otherwise, just absorbing the natural energy of the natural world, I don't know how long it would take to marinate myself enough to produce a trace of the 'Sage Body' characteristic."
"Next, it's time for the cheat mode to activate."
Izayoi summoned his personal panel and looked at his personal information, which he hadn't checked in a long time.
[Host: Izayoi]
[Talent Entries: Bloodline Limit · Tenseigan (Red), Otsutsuki Bloodline (Red), Sage Eyes (Red), Prince of the Byakugan (Red), Six Paths Aptitude (Red), Chakra Control (Gold) [+], Bloodline Limit · Wood Release (Purple) [+], Uzumaki Bloodline (Purple) [+], All-Attribute Physique (Purple) [+], Bloodline Limit · Shikotsumyaku (Purple) [+], Sealing Master (Purple) [+], Ninjutsu Master (Purple) [+]... Sage Body (White) [+]]
[Points: 411087]
Nagato's entries were very impressive, numbering fourteen.
If he wore Obito's armor, he would even have four talent entries with an upper limit representing Super Kage level.
However, compared to Izayoi's entries, Nagato's talent entries were not worth mentioning at all.
If his talent entries hadn't already been converted into strength, he would be no match for Izayoi at all.
The Ninja Aptitude entry alone showed the difference between them.
Nagato had already reached his limit. Unless he became the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki, no matter how much he cheated, his strength could no longer be improved.
On the other hand, Izayoi would only enter his rapid growth period next year.
This was the difference between cheaters.
And now, this cheater was about to cheat again.
Izayoi raised his hand and clicked the plus sign at the end of the last entry, the only white entry: Sage Body.
In the next second, the Sage Body, which was displayed in white font, immediately turned green.
The six-digit points column also decreased by nine points.
Izayoi continued to click.
The font color of Sage Body turned blue again.
The points column decreased by another ninety-nine points.
Clicking again, Sage Body upgraded to purple, and nine hundred and ninety-nine points were deducted.
Continuing to upgrade, Sage Body evolved into a golden entry, and nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine points were deducted from the points column.
Izayoi still didn't stop and clicked the plus sign again.
With a whoosh, the golden font of Sage Body flashed with red light effects and turned into red font.
The points column decreased by another ninety-nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine points.
The Sage Body, which was originally at the end of the entries, suddenly jumped over a large number of entries and ranked after Sage Eyes (Red), in fourth place.
The points in the points column also plummeted to: [Points: 299982]
This was the power of a cheater!
Hagoromo Otsutsuki needed top-tier configuration and to become the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki before he could allow his son to obtain a red-level Sage Body.
And Izayoi, just by marinating his body and allowing it to show a trace of Sage characteristics, could immediately cheat and upgrade this characteristic from the lowest white level to the red level, which would normally take an unknown number of years and staying in areas with extremely strong natural energy to reach. He directly arrived at the end point from the starting point in one step.
One step further would be crossing into another dimension.
From this point on, Izayoi obtained his sixth red entry.
However, the surprise wasn't over yet.
Even after upgrading Sage Body to red, Izayoi still didn't have the eyeless look of Hagoromo Otsutsuki and Six Paths Naruto, and he didn't even notice any changes in his body.
But another notification sound rang in his mind.
"Ding! Your talent entry [Bloodline Limit · Wood Release] has undergone sublimation."
In the entry column, the Wood Release, which was originally only purple level, had its font change from purple to gold.
At this moment, Izayoi faintly felt that he had broken through some kind of limitation, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Before he could study it carefully, a soft voice came from his ear.
"I... Izayoi-kun, let me give you a massage."
Turning his head, Izayoi almost spewed out two streams of blood from his nose.
In the hazy white mist, Hinata, her hair piled up and only wearing a bath towel, came into Izayoi's view.
"Hi... Hinata, you're really getting bolder and bolder. I like it!"
Izayoi covered his nose with one hand and raised a thumb with the other, his voice slightly muffled.
(End of this chapter)