It was a quiet morning, a rare occurrence in the part of the village Kodai lived in. He rose early, just before 5, to start getting ready. This is gonna be a long, hard day of training, I'm pumped up! Kodai put on his red jacket, grabbed a slice of toast with jam on it and ran out the door. He ran through town, past a couple villagers as they walked through town. He began to slow his fast pace when he left town, he knew it would be a long walk to the sage, who's home was in the Valley of Mountains. The home was located on a small outcropping next to a cave on a dormant volcano, the volcano was the home of a great and wise elder salamander and his family. The salamander's taught those with a pure heart and the strength to get to their home how to perform senjutsu. Kodai had already learned the basics of Senjutsu, but now he wants to know more and is hoping the sage of the volcano or the salamanders their can teach him more.

After a 3 hour walk, Kodai has finally reached the mountain where the salamanders and his old sensei live. Now to climb this mountain, this is gonna be fun Kodai thought as he started climbing. During his climb he saw many creatures; snakes, insects, even a salamander who he respectful watched as it scuttled along the rough rock faces. After climbing fore another half hour he finally reached the small outcropping. He fingers and knees were bleeding, he was drenched in sweat, and he had scrapes and bruises all over his body. He sat for a minute, then walked to the little cabin where his old master lives. As he approached the door creaked open. “So your back huh, I'm guessing you here for more of my secret training yeah?” “Yes, Sensei, your the only sage I know, which makes you the only one who can teach me how to become better at senjutsu, maybe even as good as you.” “Well, I'm not gonna train you...” “WHAT!!! you have to, didn't you here what I said, your the only one I know who knows senjutsu, you have too!” “Let me finish my sentence will you, geez. What I was going to say before you interrupted me was: I'm not gonna train you until you speak with the salamanders of this volcano, specifically the Great Salamander Sage Chikao. He will decide if you are ready to learn my and their secrets.” “Very well Sensei, I will go speak to this Great Salamander Sage and I will return ready to learn”

Yay, more walking, not like I did enough of this this morning, oh well. Kodai walked into the cavern, the heat in the cave was nearly unbearable, but he pressed on. After walking for a short time he found the home of the Great Salamander Sage Chikao, it was a large open courtyard, in the center of which was a pool of lava with multiple small rock pillars poking out of it. Sitting on the pillars where a few salamanders, all different colors and sizes. Each one meditating silently. “So your his student then” Chikao said as he snuck up behind Kodai “AH! Don't sneak up on me like that” “You should be more aware young one, if I were you enemy you would not be speaking to me right now” “Sorry sir, my sensei told me I was to speak to you so you can decide if I am ready to learn senjutsu from you. Well, can you teach me senjutsu?” “Hmmm… you seem to be pure of heart, you are definitely strong, walking here, climbing this mountain, and enduring through the cavern's heat, very well you are ready.” “Really, thank you master Chikao! When do we start?” “We start this very second, right now. Stand still and we will begin” Kodai listened to the salamander, not moving an inch. “Fire Style: Burning Coal Jutsu” Chikao shouted as burning hot stones flew out of his mouth, the coals surrounded Kodai, turning the space around him into an oven. “AHH! I'm melting! Why did you do this, I thought we were gonna train, not that your were gonna torture me?!” “We are training, control the natural energy in the air around you, pull the heat into your body and transfer the energy into chakra.” Kodai calmed himself down, listening to the Sage he pulled the heat into his body, feeling the natural energy pulsing through him. He then transferred the natural energy into chakra. “Good, now do the same thing but sitting on one of the rocks in the lava lake.” “Yes, Sage” Kodai leaped onto one of the rocks and began meditating, pulling heat into his body then releasing it as chakra back into the air, creating a bubble of normal temperature air around him, instead of the baking hot air.

Hours later, Chikao returns. “Boy, you are done for now, come down here” “Yes sir” Kodai said as he lept down. “You must really love training, lunch was an hour ago and you missed It, Haha” “You. Didn't. Tell. me. Why didn't you tell me!!!” “Heha boy, don't worry I saved you some. Better hurry before one of them eats it.” Kodai said nothing as he sprinted to the meal hall.

That was so good. They had everything. Surely they did, tables were spread out with many different exotic foods. After eating Chikao met Kodai at the door. “Fueled up? If so return to the courtyard and meet me at the lava pool, you have much more training ahead of you.” “I'm ready” “Good, then follow me to the lava pool, we are going to teach you the powerful Salamander Sage Mode” “Really, that sounds really cool, I can't wait” “It is the opposite of cool, it is fiery, but if you mean cool as in awesome then yes, it is definitely really cool” “Oh Yeah, this is gonna rock.”

Kodai and Chikao return to the courtyard and begin Kodai's grueling training. “Sage Mode is an ancient and enlightening practice. It is the connection between a creature and their internal chakra, and the natural energy that surrounds and connects all living things. It is like forming an alliance with the chakra in the world around you. Yes it increases power but it is also a symbolic connection between the user and their chakra.” “Hmm.. I see, can you repeat the entire thing, you lost me at enlightening.” “Huh, Sage Mode is an ancient and enlightening practice. It is the connection between a creature and their internal chakra, and the natural energy that surrounds and connects all living things. It is like forming an alliance with the chakra in the world around you. Yes it increases power but it is also a symbolic connection between the user and their chakra.” “ahh, I get it but I don't know how to enter Sage Mode, let alone form an alliance with my chakra or the energy in the world around me.” “That is what I am going to teach you right now, how to enter the legendary Salamander Sage Mode by yourself! But first I must fuse with you to help you enter it” Chikao climbs up Kodai and sits on his shoulder “Sage Art: Salamander Fusing Jutsu” Chikao's lower half fuses into Kodai's body and his voice enters Kodai's mind “use my natural energy, push it throughout you body and I will do the rest.” Kodai followed the salamander's instructions pulling natural energy from Chikao and redirecting the flow to every part of his body. Chikao then caused the energy to flair, which should cause sage mode. Instead the energy burst out of Kodai, creating a blinding flash of light. “Well that was different, you must focus, keep the energy inside of you, allow it to become one with you chakra.” “I'm trying, it is hard said then done, but I'll keep trying.” They attempted it again, this time the energy stayed inside but was converted into chakra. “Hmm… well we will continue to try and do this successfully” Chikao said as he began to recharge his natural energy.

Hours later. “Well you didn't successfully enter sage mode today, but come again sometime and I will be sure to teach you how to enter the great Salamander Sage Mode.” “Thank you great and Wise Salamander Sage Chikao. I will be sure to return to this mountain to train once more. I cannot thank you enough.” “Very well, good bye boy.” “Good bye Chikao.” Kodai left the cavern. He waved to his sensei and began climbing down the hill. “Hey boy, you do know there is a stair case that leads up here right” “THERE IS!!! you couldn't have told me when I climbed up here earlier. “Haha, nope I wanted to watch you struggle, but now you know.” “Ha funny. Goodbye sensei.” “Goodbye Boy” Kodai returned home and fell asleep.

A week later. Kodai woke early again. He couldn't sleep, attempting to enter sage mode all night. I'm close, I know it I just know it. I'll get it today. It was another quiet morning, this rare occurrence is becoming more common in the part of the village Kodai lives in. He rose early in the morning, just before 5, to start getting ready. Another long, hard day of training, Sometimes I wish I just stayed with my parents as a farmer. Kodai put on his red jacket, grabbed a slice of toast, no jam today, and ran out the door. He ran through town, past a couple villagers as they walked through town. He began to slow his fast pace when he left town, he knew it would be a long walk to the sage, who's home was in the Valley of Mountains. The home was located on a small outcropping next to a cave on a dormant volcano, the volcano was the home of a great and wise elder salamander and his family. The salamander's taught those with a pure heart and the strength to get to their home how to perform senjutsu. Kodai had already learned the basics of Senjutsu. Kodai returned to the mountain, ready for more training, knowing he would perform the Sage Mode today.

After a 3 hour walk, Kodai has finally reached the mountain where the salamanders and his old sensei live. I'm not wasting time climbing this time, I'm taking the stairs. The stairs took nearly as long because they meandered up the mountain, winding up instead going straight up. When Kodai reached the top of the stairs, he saw his sensei and Chikao standing in the outcropping talking to one another. They noticed Kodai and his sensei shouted to him (they were standing pretty far away) “Boy, come here your training is going to begin soon. I will be teaching you today.” “What about Chikao? He said last time I trained that he would be teaching me more about senjutsu and how to enter Sage Mode today.” “Yes, well about that. I am leaving it up to you sensei because he is more like you. Us salamanders treat senjutsu a little different then you do, you cannot speak to the chakra that is in you, only control it. This is why you couldn't perform the Salamander Sage Mode when we tried. However your sensei knows how you humans can enter into Salamander Sage Mode, and that is why He will teach you today, not me. However, I will be nearby to assist in your training if I am needed to.” Chikao explained as he scuttled away to a large rock and climbed it, sitting on top. “Well lets get started boy, begin to meditate, focus on your chakra inside of you, focus on it swirling, becoming a vortex and pulling natural energy to it, focus on the energy being sucked into you.” Kodai followed his directions, meditating and focusing on his chakra, making it swirl and pull natural energy into it. “Good, now split your chakra into Yin and Yang, and have all the yin, yang, and natural energy separate. Now have them mix into one another, match the natural energy with your chakra.” Kodai followed the instructions, mixing his chakra with the natural energy, imagining it matching up perfectly evenly. “Your doing well, your training with Chikao wasn't for nothing after all. Do not try to control the natural energy, instead control just the chakra mixed into it. Move the natural energy throughout you entire body. Do you feel it?” “Yes sensei, now what” “Focus on the energy now, make it become one with you, increasing your body and its strength, form you chakra like a barrier just under the skin to keep the natural energy contained. Good, your doing well” Kodai could feel the power surging through him, the natural energy filling his body. It felt like an inferno trapped inside of him, trying to break through, but he endured, the pain died down to a low warmth.

“Good, the natural energy has become one with you, you are ready to activate Salamander Sage Mode and become a salamander sage like me and Chikao.” “Really! This is awesome thank you sensei, thank you Chikao!” “No, don't thank me, I should thank you, you will become my heir, the next Salamander Sage of Lavori Mountain, so it is spoken.” “Wait, I'm gonna be the next sage of this mountain when you die, that's awesome. I promise to treat the title with respect and honor sensei.” “Good, Now lets teach you how to activate the sage mode, perform what you did earlier, then when it dies to a low warmth, stoke the flame, create an inferno inside of you, after that, thin the layer of chakra that contains the energy. You will know when you have succeeded.” Kodai followed his master's instructions, allowing the inferno of energy to once again rage inside him, then he thinned the layer of chakra so it was just thick enough to hold the natural energy inside. The inferno seemed to burn away Kodai's skin, he could feel the raw energy flowing through him. After seconds that seemed like hours, Kodai felt the heat subside completely, and was filled with something that felt like completeness. His face changed gaining scale like patterns as did his arms and legs. His eyes changed to look like those of a lizard. His face tingled and parts of his face were covered by purple pigmentation, showing the activation of Sage Mode. I feel so strong, I can feel power surging through me.
“He did it, Chikao he really did it!” Kodai's sensei shouted in almost disbelief “I see that, He really is special, performing it at such a young age, but no matter. He definitely did do it.” “Well boy lets test it out huh!” Kodai's sensei says as he enters a fighting stance, ready boy. “Yes” the sensei charges at Kodai but is dodged and tripped, Kodai begins his Capoeira moving in an acrobatic dance towards his sensei, and leaps into the air performing a spinning axe kick down towards his master lying on the ground. Sensei rolls to the side and Kodai flips forwards with his momentum, spinning 180 degrees and attempts to sweep his sensei's legs out from under him, his sensei dodged the attack by jumping into the air, however Kodai was expecting that and performed a high hick trying to catch him unguarded, it worked and because of his extremely boosted strength due to the salamander sage mode, Kodai broke one of his sensei's rib. “Ah… good one, I'm getting to old for this, might be time to retire soon, huh boy?” “Sensei! I'm so sorry, I didn't; I wasn't trying to hurt you. I didn't know I was that strong” “It's ok boy, you did nothing wrong, just remember next time I'm gonna hit you hard back, huh boy.” “Haha, ok sensei.” Chikao chimed in “I think your sensei aught to go lie down for a little what do you think?” “That sounds good Chikao” Kodai picked up his sensei and carried him into his house, lying him on his bed, his sensei had always been like a father to Kodai, since he left home his sensei had always protected Kodai and forgave him no matter what, hurting him was like hurting his father.

“I will now teach you the jutsu of our kind and of the sages of this mountain, only usable after one can enter sage mode. The Salamander Sacred Flame, a weaker version of my own special jutsu, the Salamander Sacred Flame creates a ball of fire inside of one's enemy, this can be extremely dangerous to the enemy potentially even killing them if they are already injured enough. This technique is dangerous and should only be used when really needed or against evil, just like how your salamander sage mode should only be used in the most dire situations or when someone or something you love is in danger, or to protect the innocent and god from evil.” Chikao explained, Kodai nodded “I understand Great Salamander Sage Chikao, I will not use either of these unless I truly need them or I or another are in a dire situation” “Good, now lets begin boy, activate sage mode and focus on the chakra swirling inside of you. Push some fire chakra into you palm, then create a small hole in the layer of chakra holding the inferno inside of you, strike the dummy with an open palm strike and when you hit, expand the net inside you target and then release the entire net around you hand and expanding out of it, this will create a great ball of fire inside your target.” “Yes sir” Kodai entered sage mode, gaining the scaly markings on his face and limbs, his eyes becoming like a lizard and the purple pigmentation coming back to his face once again

Once again the fire burnt within him, from a low warmth to a blazing swirling inferno, He followed the Great Salamander Sage's instructions, pushing fire chakra into his hand, he punched towards the dummy, forming a bubble of fire chakra contained in a net of normal chakra. After striking the target he released the outer covering of chakra that was holding the fire chakra inside. Inside the dummy their was a loud eruption of fire as it was snapped clean in half, destroying the post holding it up.

“Good, now try it on this” Chikao said pointing to a boulder. He again performed the jutsu, striking toward the boulder, channeling most of his chakra into his palm and then out into a bubble infront of his palm, upon impact he released the bubble again causing an explosion, this time it only blew a few small rocks off of the boulder. “That's all boy, your gonna need a lot more strength to live up to your master, especially if you want to be called the new Salamander Sage of Lavori Mountain. Do it again and this time blow the entire thing to pieces!” He again performed the jutsu, striking toward the boulder, channeling most of his chakra into his palm and then out into a bubble infront of his palm, upon impact he released the bubble again causing an explosion, this time the boulder shattered into large chunks. “Woah, I didn't know you had it in you boy, thats all the training for today, return home and rest, you will need it.” “Thank you Great Salamander Sage Chikao, make sure to check on my sensei please, don't let him die by my hand.” “Very well boy, goodbye”

Kodai began the long trek home, he walked through the baking caverns and returned to the outcropping, their sat his sensei on a lawn chair “What, you thought you'd have killed me with one kick boy, bah you really aren't smart are you huh. Haha i'm messing with you boy, good work and good luck with the exams and missions, I heard you were gonna be doing some of them soon.” “Yup sensei. See you soon sensei” with those parting words Kodai began down the stairs. His ninja journey was not even close to being over, but his training in senjutsu with the salamanders and the Great Salamander Sage Chikao would have to stop for now, he had more training to complete, he might be strong but his body was not prepared for the exams, let alone his skill in Ninjutsu or taijutsu, or his control over the elements. He continued down the stairs, upon reaching the bottom he began walking home, he walked through the empty plains, finally he made it back to the Village Hidden in the Rocks, walking through the village he couldn't help but smile. He returned to his tiny home, unlocked the door and opened it. He grabbed a piece of toast and slumped onto the coach, asleep.

1500/1500 D-C rank Senjutsu
2000/2000 C-B rank Senjtusu