Chapter 19: Shikkotsu Forest

At a mountain behind the Libra village, Masahiko and Hashirama went there searching for something.

"Found it! The concentration of natural energy at this spot is the highest." Masahiko shouted, "Rasengan!"

Masahiko slammed the Rasengan into a rock wall, Boom the following explosion revealed a cave behind the rock wall that leads deep into the mountain.

The two looked at each other and nodded, then they went inside the cave.

After walking for fifty or sixty meters, they saw a vast underground hall with a massive gate at the end.

There are five gigantic doors in the hall. The pattern on the gate bears the insignia of death.

"This is… the Goju Rashomon?" Masahiko thought to himself, the two then examined the surrounding area and found a summoning contract scroll.

"Second Grandfather, do you want to sign the contract?" Hashirama already has his wood style. Thus he thought he doesn't need a defensive Jutsu.

"Hashirama, look carefully… this is not ordinary defensive Ninjutsu, feel the strength of this gate. It's the ultimate defensive Ninjutsu. I don't know whether my chakra is enough to summon this. I think it would be better if you sign it yourself." Masahiko refused.

After scrutinizing the contract, Hashirama bit his thumb and used his blood to write his name on the contract scroll.

Upon doing this, a sentence appeared, "Witness and Participate in a Minor Event in This World: Five Gates of Rashomon, Reward: 2 witness points."

Although he obtained witness points, Masahiko wasn't satisfied, because this is not what he was looking for.

"Second Grandfather, we've already searched around the place, There's nothing else, lets…" Hashirama said.

"No, there's something else here!" Masahiko interrupted Hashirama. He used his sensory skill, suddenly Masahiko felt something behind the middle gate.

"Hashirama, use Kuchiyose-no-Jutsu to recall the middle gate."

Hashirama used the summoning technique/Kuchiyose-no-Jutsu to recall the middle door.

Hashirama got confused for a moment; he didn't know that recalling the middle gate would cost him so much chakra.

"Surprised, huh? I'm afraid the current Hashirama wouldn't be able to summon more than one gates, not until he reaches his peak…" Masahiko thought about it.

In the spot where the middle gate stood before, a tunnel appeared.

"Another tunnel, let's go, Hashirama," Masahiko said.

Hashirama nodded, Masahiko led the way. They ventured deep into the underground. The cave wall seemed to be changing the deeper they went as if they have entered another world.

"Good natural energy…" Masahiko took a deep breath and whispered. "Is this the Shikkotsu Forest?

Shikkotsu Forest, Mount Myobu, and Ryuchi Cave are the three legendary realms where summoned beast Katsuyu, Gamabunta, and Manda originated. The three legendary Sannin have also practiced in these legendary realms; Jiraiya at Mount Myobu, Tsunade at Shikkotsu Forest, and Orochimaru at Ryuchi Cave.

In the original, there's no clear information about where Hashirama has learned his Sage transformation. But judging from the healing capability of his sage mode, it's similar to the characteristic of Shikkotsu Forest. Also, the mark on his face when he enters sage mode is identical to Tsunade's mark. So it most likely that Hashirama has learned his sage mode in the Shikkotsu forest.

"It's most likely that he learned his Sage Mode in Shikkotsu forest, isn't it? Can I also learn it?" Masahiko said to himself, but he feels like he has forgotten something.

The Shikkotsu forest is not a lush forest where birds are singing, and flowers are blooming. It's a place covered in mud.

"After all, this is the place where "it" lives." Masahiko thought to himself, then looked up to find a huge slug staring at him from above.

Masahiko is stunned, "Ah, it's really here… Can slugs read minds?"

However, he tried no to overthink it. But the Slug wasn't looking at Masahiko.

Instead, it stared at Hashirama, then said, "Asura! What are you doing here?"

Hashirama was confused, he looked around, but no one beside Masahiko was there.

"Is it talking to me? But my name is Hashirama…" No one besides, still, she was looking at his direction.

"Wait… Wow, that huge Slug has just spoken!" Hashirama's expression was like a child who has seen a slug for the first time. Masahiko felt like he wanted to palm his face, he latterly embarrassed him in front of a sage!

"No, it's not him?" The Slug muttered, "It's been hundreds of years, Asura should have passed away a long time ago. But this sensation, this chakra, is he Asura's reincarnation?"

"So, you two, what purpose do you have to come to my forest?"

"What is this place?" Even though he knew, Masahiko still asked.

"Here is the Shikkotsu Forest, one of the three legendary realms. I am the sage of this place."

The slug sage said this slowly, like a snail.

"O wise sage, can you teach us Sage Mode?" Masahiko said.

The moment he understood that this Slug is a legendary sage, Hashirama got excited.

"Sage mode?" The Slug paused for a while, then she wiggled its head slightly.

"It's not that I won't teach him. You're the first to visit us for hundreds of years. But you…"

Masahiko replied coldly: "Why not me?"

"Well, you're not ready yet, your Chakra is not up to the standards, I can teach you along with Hashirama, but you won't be able to use it."

"It's okay, as long as I can learn Senjutsu," Masahiko replied, he remembers in the future there will be a lot of people who can learn this Senjutsu, for now, Masahiko is satisfied.

"For the chakra attribute, I'll find the solution sooner or later."

"Well, then I will teach both of you the Sage Transformation."

"Human chakra is consisting of spiritual chakra and physical chakra. The Sage Transformation or Senjutsu is the practice of absorbing the natural energy from nature and then mixed it with human chakra; thus, these three energies will be mixed perfectly. First, you need to learn the way to perceive the nature of Senjutsu…"

After the explanation, Hashirama and Masahiko understand the specific cultivation process of the Forest Shikkotsu Senjutsu.

Suddenly a word flashed in Masahiko's mind, "Witness and Involve in a Minor Change of a Major Event in This World: Senju Hashirama's Acquisition of Sage Mode, witness point obtained 10 (*2).

Minor change? What is the difference? Masahiko didn't understand.

After he thought about it for a long time, Masahiko realized that it was too early for Hashirama to learn Senjutsu.

"Madara will receive his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan at least after another five years… These two are no longer on the same level!!!"

What should I do? If Hashirama obtained an absolute victory over Madara, Konoha might not be the same!

This is a serious matter…