Considering the immense strength of Fujin and Raijin, as well as their simple "food is king" mentality, Shigeo Aburame decided it was a security risk to keep them in prison.
It also felt like a waste of resources.
Thus, he had a sudden stroke of genius: instead of keeping them locked up, he released them from prison and stationed them at the vault of the Konoha Guard Headquarters. Their job was simple—guard the door, and there'd be plenty of good food to eat.
Fujin and Raijin eagerly agreed.
To seal the deal, Shigeo had the leftovers, scraps, and slop from the Guard's cafeteria brought over for them.
This was an experiment. He wanted to test just how low their intelligence really was.
He quickly discovered there was no bottom to their stupidity.
Whether it was leftover rice, stale bread, or actual kitchen waste, they ate it all with gusto, praising Shigeo as the "best big bro ever."
With that reassurance, Shigeo felt at ease.
He explicitly instructed them: "No one is allowed to take anything out of the vault except me. If anyone tries, you'll lose your food privileges."
The two immediately thumped their chests, swearing they'd never let anything go wrong.
After leaving the vault, Shigeo gave further instructions to the head of the cafeteria: all scraps and leftovers, no matter how nasty, were to be sent to Fujin and Raijin. At least ten barrels per day! If the scraps weren't enough, they could even collect from nearby restaurants—spoiled food was fine as long as the quantity was there.
With Fujin and Raijin's situation sorted, Shigeo returned to his office to work on synthesizing his new bugs: the **Wood Release Immortal Bugs**!
During the earlier battle outside Orochimaru's base, his last-ditch effort had relied on these bugs.
Thanks to the Wood Release Chakra provided by their feedback mechanism, he had entered Sage Mode, vastly enhancing the power of his Wood Release techniques!
From the moment he first set foot on Mount Myoboku, Sage Mode had been his target. But progress had been slow.
In the original story, Naruto achieved Sage Mode by using Mount Myoboku's toad oil to sense and absorb natural energy from the environment.
But this method was incredibly risky.
Absorb too much natural energy, and toad-like features would begin to manifest. Lose control, and you'd turn into a stone statue.
Cautious as always, Shigeo avoided this dangerous route.
Instead, he attempted to synthesize "Immortal Bugs" by combining toad oil with his parasitic insects.
It didn't work.
Whether he used regular parasitic insects, chakra-sustaining ones, or even blood-feeding insects, the result was always the same:
The insects eventually turned to stone. The only difference was how long it took.
It reminded him of when he synthesized Wood Release insects using Hashirama's cells. Those cells were so invasive that regular insects would gradually turn into wood.
But toad oil was even more domineering.
Insects synthesized with it absorbed natural energy uncontrollably until they were completely petrified.
The conclusion? His "Immortal Bugs" were a failure.
What he'd created were merely "Natural Bugs," which lacked the power of Sage Energy.
Placing such bugs in his body wouldn't lead to Sage Mode. If anything, he'd be lucky not to turn into a toad-shaped statue.
After repeated failures, he nearly gave up on the idea.
But the recent battle against Orochimaru had reignited his resolve.
If Sage Chakra was the balanced combination of physical energy, spiritual energy, and natural energy, couldn't he replicate that balance artificially?
Driven by this idea, he got to work.
He began with a Wood Release clone infused with just enough chakra feedback from a single Wood Release bug.
Then, he placed one Wood Release bug and one "Natural Bug" (synthesized with toad oil) into the clone.
Something remarkable happened.
The Natural Bug continued absorbing natural energy, but instead of petrifying, the energy dissipated into the Wood Release clone.
The Wood Release clone, in turn, used its infinite supply of chakra to counterbalance the natural energy's corrosive effects.
Not only did the clone avoid turning into stone, but its chakra levels also skyrocketed.
And on its face, red "凹"-shaped markings appeared—the unmistakable sign of Sage Mode!
Wasting no time, Shigeo synthesized the clone into a new type of bug.
This time, he succeeded.
It consumed three times as much chakra as a Wood Release bug, but he had created a red-and-white **Wood Release Immortal Bug**.
When he absorbed this bug into his body, he immediately felt the unique Sage Chakra coursing through him.
Unlike the chakra flowing through his networks, Sage Chakra directly enhanced and repaired his cells, slowing aging and boosting regeneration.
When activated, Sage Chakra put his entire body into a state of hyperactivity—the so-called **Sage Mode.**
In Sage Mode, his physical resilience and the power of his techniques increased exponentially.
However, maintaining Sage Mode consumed Sage Chakra rapidly, especially when using powerful techniques.
Initially, he synthesized 200 Immortal Bugs, thinking they'd be enough. But after casting two **Wood Dragon Techniques**, his Sage Chakra was depleted.
To prepare for unpredictable battles, Shigeo decided to increase the number of Immortal Bugs to 1,000.
The synthesis process was tedious but straightforward:
- One Wood Release clone
- One Wood Release bug
- One freshly synthesized Natural Bug
By the end of the day, he had 1,000 Immortal Bugs in his body.
The abundance of Sage Chakra revitalized every cell in his body, leaving him feeling utterly refreshed.
The bugs' feedback not only boosted his energy but also extended their lifespan to an estimated 165 years.
Shigeo chuckled. These bugs might outlive him and end up guarding his grave.
"Am I getting old?" he murmured, rubbing his eyes. But his fingers found no wrinkles.
Startled, he grabbed a mirror.
To his shock, his reflection looked as though he'd traveled 20 years back in time.
"It must be the Sage Chakra," he muttered, astonished.
If this was the power of Sage Chakra, then Mount Myoboku's Great Toad Sage, who had lived since the age of Kaguya, might owe its longevity to this very energy.
Shigeo felt his life's goals shift.
His original ambition was to survive until the end of the story.
Now? He aimed to **live for a thousand years!**
As his mind wandered to myths of immortals and legendary serpents, he shook himself out of it.
Focus! He'd convert every single Wood Release bug in his body into an Immortal Bug!
(End of Chapter)