Shikkotsu Forest Sage Art

"So huge!!"

After Uzumaki Kushina arrived at Shikkotsu Forest, she saw a slug as large as an ordinary small mountain. The Nine-Tails was already a Tailed Beast on the scale of a natural disaster.

But when Kushina saw the Slug Sage, she felt that the Nine-Tails was no more than a kitten before Katsuyu. Katsuyu could probably roll over and pin the Nine-Tails beneath her, leaving him completely unable to move.

"There is only one Slug Sage in Shikkotsu Forest. The ones I summoned before were all the Slug Sage’s Clones."

Tsunade explained to Kushina as she walked toward Katsuyu.

"Lord Katsuyu."

"Tsunade? It has been a long time since you came to Shikkotsu Forest. Are you here to introduce a new contractor this time?"

Katsuyu’s true body had the same gentle voice as her Clones, which seemed somewhat mismatched with her enormous size.

Tsunade answered, "More or less. Kushina and I have encountered a few problems, and we wanted to ask whether you have a solution."

"Is that so? Please wait a moment."

Katsuyu’s true body was too large, so she generally did not move easily. Instead, she split off two Clones to inspect Tsunade and Uzumaki Kushina’s conditions in her place.

"Excuse me, Tsunade-sama, Kushina-sama." The small Slugs that had split off crawled onto Tsunade and Kushina, using Natural Energy to sense their physical conditions.

They split off from the Sage’s true body, yet they still call us sama?

Kushina found it rather strange, but she remained completely still and let the small Slug on her body wriggle about.

After a while, the two Slugs returned to Sage Katsuyu’s body. Only then did the enormous Slug Sage speak.

"Tsunade, Kushina, the Sage Chakra within your bodies has already formed a mature circulation system. It is a Sage Art independent of the Three Great Sage Locations. Kushina’s situation is rather dangerous. If nothing is done, she will die in about six years after her Sage Chakra is exhausted."

Sage Katsuyu’s gentle voice reached the two women’s ears. Upon hearing the date of her death, Kushina’s entire body trembled. She was not afraid of dying, but the thought of never seeing Naruto again after her death filled her with anxiety.

Tsunade frowned and asked, "Is there any way to solve it, Sage Katsuyu?"

"The best method is to find the person who left Sage Chakra inside Kushina. That person’s attainments in using Natural Energy for healing are extraordinary. Perhaps he has a way to prolong Kushina’s life."

Tsunade let out a slight sigh. They knew about Katsuyu’s suggestion too, but it was completely impossible. Hyuga Mirai had stolen half of the Nine-Tails from Konoha, and they still had not determined whether that kid was connected to the Uchiha who controlled the Nine-Tails.

Under such circumstances, unless Kushina defected, there was no way she could seek Hyuga Mirai’s help.

"Is there another way?"

Sage Katsuyu continued, "If Kushina learns Shikkotsu Forest Sage Art, it can also delay her death to a certain extent. In fact, Natural Energy has a powerful life-extending effect. However, Shikkotsu Forest Sage Art was developed by me, so it works best on Slugs."

"Even if humans can learn it, the effect may not reach one-tenth of that. And my Sage Art is extremely difficult to learn. Tsunade, you should know that."

Tsunade nodded at Kushina. After learning about Sage Art from Jiraiya, she had naturally come to ask Katsuyu about it. Unfortunately, the Tsunade of that time had not been qualified to learn Shikkotsu Forest Sage Art at all.

Shikkotsu Forest Sage Art had been developed by Sage Katsuyu and differed greatly from the Sage Arts of Mount Myoboku and Ryūchi Cave. Learning Shikkotsu Forest Sage Art required extremely powerful recovery abilities, and once training began, it could not be abandoned halfway through. If one failed or stopped midway, it would be as though strong acid had begun growing inside the body. The practitioner would quickly dissolve into a puddle of mangled sludge before evaporating into bloody vapor.

Only those with extremely powerful recovery abilities could withstand the corrosive damage Natural Energy inflicted upon the body during Sage Art training.

Although Tsunade possessed the Senju Clan’s physique, her recovery ability at the time had not even reached the threshold for practicing Shikkotsu Forest Sage Art. Later, Tsunade developed the Strength of a Hundred Seal and Creation Rebirth. Her original purpose in developing those two Ninjutsu was to preserve her youth forever and cultivate Shikkotsu Forest Sage Art.

But because of the war, her younger brother and lover died tragic deaths. She also left Konoha, so she gave up on cultivating Shikkotsu Forest Sage Art.

"That is the situation, Kushina. Shikkotsu Forest Sage Art is extremely dangerous, and there are no safeguards against failure."

Tsunade said from the side, "I can teach you the Yin Seal and Creation Rebirth first. That way, you will have an extra layer of insurance when practicing Shikkotsu Forest Sage Art."

Sage Katsuyu spoke gently, "If it is Kushina, the danger is actually not as great. The Sage Chakra within Kushina’s body will ensure that her vital signs remain above a safe survival threshold. If she fails to cultivate Shikkotsu Forest Sage Art, then the Sealing Jutsu within her body should release more Sage Chakra to preserve her vital signs, unless the Sage Chakra within the Sealing Jutsu is exhausted."

In other words, before the Sage Chakra inside her body was exhausted, practicing Shikkotsu Forest Sage Art should be safe. However, if she failed to master it, Kushina’s lifespan would be shortened.

It was a matter of choice: take a chance, or stay with Naruto for six years.

Kushina thought to herself that six years later, Naruto should have just started school. If she died then, she would certainly miss the period when Naruto needed companionship most as he grew up.

And without her protection, Kushina did not dare imagine what kind of treatment Naruto would suffer. No one understood the life of a Jinchuriki better than Kushina: surveillance, control, countless people watching him. If not for Grandma Mito, her childhood would probably have been incomparably bleak.

Not long after Naruto was born, the Third Hokage and the Konoha Higher-ups had come to demand Naruto. Whether it was because of Minato or the Nine-Tails inside Naruto, Kushina understood perfectly well.

"I want to give it a try, Sage Katsuyu."

Kushina looked at Katsuyu with a determined expression, but then she asked again.

"However, I am worried about Naruto. Lord Katsuyu, can I practice Shikkotsu Forest Sage Art in Konoha?"

Sage Katsuyu replied gently, "You can. However, I will need to summon one of my Clones there to assist you. Training outside will be much slower, but you will still be able to gather Natural Energy."

Seeing that Kushina had made up her mind, Tsunade could only support her. Once they returned to Konoha, she would teach Kushina the Strength of a Hundred Seal and Creation Rebirth.

After settling Kushina’s matter, Tsunade asked Katsuyu, "Sage Katsuyu, can the Curse Mark on my body be resolved with Shikkotsu Forest Sage Art?"

"Unfortunately, I cannot do that, Tsunade," Sage Katsuyu answered. "Kushina only has a Sealing Jutsu and Sage Chakra within her, so her situation is comparatively easier to resolve. But you also have another person’s spiritual energy within you. Just now, after I sent Sage Chakra into your body, it was devoured by another Sage Chakra not long afterward. After that, the Sealing Jutsu on your body also weakened somewhat."

Upon hearing that, Tsunade pulled down her collar slightly and discovered that the Evil Sealing Method on her body had indeed faded a little. At this rate, it would probably gradually dissipate before long.

And as time passed, Tsunade’s Evil Sealing Method would eventually lose its effect. When that happened, she would have to endure Hyuga Mirai’s Curse Mark head-on.

"Is there really no way, Sage Katsuyu?"

"I am sorry. If I forcibly remove the Curse Mark in your body, Tsunade, you will die as well."

After hearing that, Tsunade knew Katsuyu truly had no solution. She bit her finger and said unwillingly, "I understand. Sorry to trouble you, Sage Katsuyu."

Gradually adapt to it?

Tsunade had tried wielding Hyuga Mirai’s Curse Mark. It allowed her to control another form of Sage Mode, but she would also be influenced by Hyuga Mirai, and prolonged use would harm her body.

But even Sage Katsuyu had no solution, so Tsunade could only find a way to resolve it herself.

Who would have thought that the kid who used to come to her regularly for advice on Sealing Technique and Medical Ninjutsu now possessed methods that even she found incredibly troublesome?

Konoha

Because of several visitors from the Capital of the Land of Fire, Sarutobi Hiruzen sent someone to invite Utatane Koharu, Mitokado Homura, and Danzo to the Hokage’s office.

Danzo was the last to arrive. His Root had expanded considerably. Besides monitoring the Uchiha Clan, he had to investigate the whereabouts of the main members of the Uzumaki Company, leaving him with many matters to handle every day.

After Danzo entered the room, he saw the other three already seated inside. The person at the head of the group wore Noble attire.

"What is it, Hiruzen?" Danzo asked Sarutobi Hiruzen directly. He was extremely busy now.

Sarutobi Hiruzen calmly exhaled a puff of smoke and introduced them. "Danzo, these are Envoys sent by the Daimyo. They have come here today because of one matter."

"Allow me to explain, Hokage-sama."

The man in Noble attire spoke. After putting away his Folding Fan, he took a roster from his robes and slowly said, "Elder Danzo, the Daimyo sent me to Konoha to inform Hokage-sama and Elder Danzo of one matter. He hopes Konoha will stop sending people against the leaders of the Uzumaki Company."

"What did you say? Is this the Daimyo’s order?!"

Upon hearing that, Danzo immediately questioned the envoy from Daimyo Manor in a grim tone. His imposing aura pressed down on him.

The two Ninja behind the man in Noble attire sensed Danzo’s overwhelming, insurmountable presence, but they still assumed defensive stances, prepared to protect the leading envoy in Noble attire to the death.

However, the envoy in Noble attire turned pale and waved them back. Then he pushed the roster he had just taken out slightly forward and slowly spoke.

"This is neither my intention nor the Daimyo’s. It is a joint proposal from forty-three Noble families across the eleven provinces of the Land of Fire. If Konoha insists on acting against the leaders of the Uzumaki Company, they will refuse all trade with Konoha."

"The Daimyo also opposes this matter and will consider renegotiating the Konoha alliance treaty."

Danzo, Sarutobi Hiruzen, Utatane Koharu, and Mitokado Homura all changed expressions upon hearing those words. When they looked again at the opened roster, it was filled with the names of nobles from every region and the capital.

First update. There will be fewer today, only two updates.

Sorry, I fell into my old habit again. I am too easily swayed. What the readers said was not wrong either; many were not attacking me, but after reading their comments, I felt that all of them made sense. The more I thought about it, the further off track I went. I decided to revise the part involving Nohara Rin. Sorry.

Another reason may be that I cannot keep up with the workload anymore. I do design work during the day and write novels at night. I only sleep five hours a day, and I really cannot endure it anymore. I will submit my resignation to the company at the end of the month. My muddled head has been getting me scolded at work lately anyway, so I might as well focus on writing novels.

Sorry, everyone.