"Is this Shikkotsu Forest, Slug?"
Tsunade asked curiously as they entered the depths of Shikkotsu Forest. The slug currently clinging to her looked no different from the one that had previously attached itself to Haseo.
Shikkotsu Forest, one of the Three Secret Regions in the Ninjutsu World, had finally received its second visitor after countless years—and compared to Haseo, Tsunade was now Slug's most legitimate "master."
"Yes, Tsunade-sama," Slug replied. "This is Shikkotsu Forest, a secluded and rarely visited hidden realm where I have lived for thousands of years."
"I've never even heard of this place before, nor of you."
"Tsunade-sama, it has been such a long time since I forged the summoning contract with the Senju clan that I can't even remember exactly when. Recently speaking, Hashirama-sama naturally didn't require the assistance of summoned beasts during battle. As for Sansho-sama...well, she wasn't a ninja herself. So only now has Tsunade-sama finally encountered me."
The First Hokage naturally didn't need to summon Slug while fighting—most of the time, he could defeat his opponents through brute force alone within the time required to form the hand seals needed for [Summoning Jutsu]. Even if he did face large-scale enemies, his [Wood Release] techniques were far more powerful than summoning beasts.
As for Sansho, she simply wasn't a ninja.
Thus, not until The Third's time did Slug once again become an actually usable summoned beast for the Senju clan. For Slug, being able to fulfill its role as a summoned beast was indeed a cause for satisfaction.
It was a summoned beast by nature, yet despite loving its peaceful life in Shikkotsu Forest, how awkward was it to almost never be called forth through the Summoning Jutsu?
However, when Tsunade signed her name onto the Summoning Contract Scroll, Slug also felt a bit sad, because Tsunade was merely Tsunade, not Senju Tsunade… It wasn't about whether the name sounded good or not—it was because the Senju clan no longer existed in this world.
Slug's words left Tsunade silently nodding. She thought back to the last time she saw Haseo summoning Slug; she had assumed he'd signed the contract elsewhere. Unexpectedly, he had just been showing off—like a student trying to teach a sensei.
Tsunade gritted her teeth inwardly, slightly envious of Haseo—he had gained Slug's recognition before her. She wondered what her mother was thinking, allowing Slug to come to her through Haseo's hands first—like something meant for the family being passed outside before finally returning home.
Then recalling how she had cried openly in front of Haseo earlier, Tsunade felt even more embarrassed… Had her crying face looked particularly unattractive?
As for the other two who had seen her cry much longer—Jiraiya and Orochimaru—at that time, Tsunade hadn't realized they were there, and besides, even if they had seen, so what? She could always beat them up later anyway, make them cry instead, then enjoy watching them suffer in return—call it even, call it payback.
But somehow, Haseo seemed different.
Still, no matter what, shedding tears was ultimately a good thing. Those who had passed away were already gone, and those who lived would continue living until their own final moments arrived. Isn't that just what life was all about? Tsunade might not have been able to put that philosophy into words yet, but it captured exactly how she felt.
Though her sorrow remained and would continue for some time, she could not remain in mourning forever.
She couldn't allow grief to cloud her judgment or paralyze her actions.
For Tsunade at this moment, compared to the hidden realms and summoned beasts, Shikkotsu Forest and Katsuyu clearly represented an intriguing new distraction.
There were many things Haseo found not worth thinking or acting upon, but once he truly focused, he became remarkably perceptive and meticulous.
Tsunade curiously glanced around her surroundings. The oppressive humidity was bearing down on her. Just as she casually decided to take off her outer robe, she suddenly seemed to remember something and asked the slug, "Is Haseo around here?"
"Lord Haseo has left Konoha to carry out a mission," Katsuyu replied, clearly aware of Haseo's whereabouts and delivering the report accordingly.
Only then did Tsunade give a slight nod and resumed what she had started. Immediately afterward, she felt somewhat cooler, though the air was still stifling.
So why is Tsunade considered the truest successor to Katsuyu? At the very least, when she reverse-summoned herself here, she didn't feel that overwhelming urge to vomit uncontrollably—only holding back when she nearly did. To her, everything felt as natural as stepping out for a leisurely walk.
"Katsuyu, you said your main body resides within Shikkotsu Forest—but why can't I see it?" Tsunade continued questioning the slug. She remembered how enormous the creature appeared when Haseo performed the Summoning Jutsu, yet now, nothing of that size came into view.
"Tsunade-sama, I am beneath your feet and right before your eyes... Shikkotsu Forest is me, and I am Shikkotsu Forest. Depending on the amount of chakra the summoner uses during the technique, my physical form appearing in this world varies in size.
My lifeform is extraordinarily unique—I can split and merge endlessly. What you saw last time was merely a negligible fraction of my true self. If a massive amount of chakra is supplied, it could pull my entire being out from Shikkotsu Forest...
Or more accurately, it could even summon the entirety of Shikkotsu Forest itself into this world. Fortunately, such a situation has never occurred yet," Katsuyu went on to explain.
Of course, such a situation had never occurred. Assuming someone actually possessed that much chakra, they'd naturally be like the First Hokage—no need for any summoned beasts in battle.
"Right under my…feet?"
Tsunade stared wide-eyed. Naturally, she understood what Katsuyu meant, but to instantly believe there existed a massive lifeform as big as a continent right beneath her was still difficult to accept—an idea that completely shattered common sense and upended her worldview.
Thinking for a moment, Tsunade continued, "Earlier, you mentioned 'hidden realm'... So Mount Myoboku where Jiraiya went previously must also belong to one of those places."
"Mm, indeed—it certainly qualifies as a hidden realm. The Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku and I share similarly long lifespans, although unlike him, while he proudly calls himself a great sage, he's really just a small fry," Katsuyu remarked.
That statement certainly sounded biased… From its point of view, practically everyone else really was just small fry.
For a creature to become as "sturdy" as Katsuyu was indeed something to be proud of.
As the two casually chatted about hidden tales of the ninja world, they followed Katsuyu deeper into Shikkotsu Forest. Before long, they arrived at the entrance of an internal barrier.
Once they stepped inside the barrier, a cool breeze rushed over them, completely cutting off the sweltering heat from outside.
The passage through the barrier was deep and silent, as if undisturbed for a thousand years. Yet as Tsunade walked further in, a striking contrast appeared before her—a room full of life.
There were beds, tables, chairs, and other furniture. Papers were pasted on the "walls," spread across tabletops, and scattered all over the floor. This place seemed to have everything, like a hidden base constructed deep within an ancient forest.
Such a thought wasn't far from the truth—this was Haseo's secret base, used for eating, sleeping, and researching ninjutsu.
Tsunade's original purpose in coming to Shikkotsu Forest had been simply to return Katsuyu's Summoning Contract Scroll. But seeing everything here, she couldn't help but ask, "Can I take a look around?"
"It's fine," replied Katsuyu. "Haseo said you're welcome to look through anything, just don't mess up his notes or take them out of Shikkotsu Forest."
Among these materials, some belonged to Senju's legacy while others were Haseo's own research outcomes. There was no issue with Tsunade reviewing Senju's legacy. As for Haseo's work… he didn't mind anyone seeing his techniques—there was little gain to be had even if they were made public. Feel free to try copying them—but anyone who believes they can truly replicate his work is simply signing up for failure.
That was exactly what Haseo's jutsu were designed to counter—copycats.
In just a short time, Tsunade had already grown somewhat fond of Shikkotsu Forest. She wondered to herself whether she should set up a secret laboratory here too, where she could quietly research Medical Ninjutsu.
With that thought in mind, Tsunade skimmed through some of the notes Haseo had left on the table. What caught her eye was one of his self-developed techniques. Most of it was beyond her understanding, yet even the small parts she could grasp left her utterly confused.
Yes, precisely because she *could* understand it, she felt completely baffled… The techniques Haseo was developing weren't ones that ordinary humans could effectively utilize.
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