Chapter 50: The Immortal Slug Sage

Being "reverse summoned" felt quite strange.

If one had to describe it, it was as if the mind and body twisted into one for a moment, disappearing from the real world and reappearing in another place, returning to normal in an instant.

After passing through this infinitesimal time span, Yuto and Tsunade appeared in a strange land.

It was a vast, boundless forest.

It wasn't exactly eerie, but the trees were enormous, each with a diameter of at least twenty meters. Their lush branches and leaves completely obscured the sky, and the ground was an endless swamp, thick with moisture.

Normally, such a massive forest and swamp should be teeming with countless animals.

But Yuto observed for a long time and saw no life other than the trees—not even insects, which are known for their resilience.

This land couldn't sustain other life.

This was the Shikkotsu Forest, the dwelling place of the slug sage.

"Don't bother looking. Aside from us, there's only the slug sage here." Tsunade exhaled, clearly not fond of this lifeless expanse, despite her Senju heritage:

"Visit a few more times to get used to it. But remember, don't stay too long. There aren't even microorganisms here. Humans can develop serious health problems if they stay too long… You've been studying medical ninjutsu with me for over half a year now; you should understand this."

Yuto blinked and said curiously, "I thought there would be countless slugs here…"

"How could that be?" The blonde woman patted her disciple's head, noticing he had grown a bit taller, "There's only one slug in the world. Those large and small slugs you see are all parts split off from the slug sage."

"...Huh? But sensei, I always thought they seemed to have their own consciousness…"

"When a slug splits, it includes its body, chakra, vitality, thoughts, memories, and consciousness, similar to a shadow clone. When summoned, it divides based on the amount of chakra used by the summoner."

"Only when they fully merge do they become the sage."

"You can think of those split parts as the slug's offspring in a sense. But after the summoning ends, they return to the original body."

The idea of a unique existence like this reminded Yuto of the White Snake Sage of Ryuchi Cave and the Great Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku.

The branch family boy seemed to think of something and hesitantly asked, "So, the Shibuki… was reforged here?"

"Mm." Tsunade started walking forward with her student:

"That piece of silk cloth had very peculiar properties. It could conduct chakra and withstand extremely high impacts. I had to rely on the slug sage."

Yuto followed Tsunade, deep in thought.

Even in the manga, the three great sage regions of the ninja world were shrouded in mystery. Mount Myoboku, the most frequently appearing, heavily influenced the main plotline.

From the ancient prophecy of the Great Toad Sage to the Ōtsutsuki brothers about the divine tree, to the recent dreams and prophecies given to Jiraiya and the teachings of senjutsu, the ancient toad had always been watching the ninja world from the depths of Mount Myoboku, subtly influencing fate.

The White Snake and the slug, both renowned like the toad, were not as prominently featured in the original story. But now, in the real world of Naruto, Yuto had to consider the thoughts of these two sages.

After all, the things he intended to do would inevitably change the destined fate of the Naruto world.

Tsunade led Yuto for a long time until they reached a clearing. Surrounding it were giant trees and swamps, but this spot was an abrupt piece of flat land.

In the center stood a stone platform with a long black bandage lying on it, and nothing else.

—The slug sage was nowhere to be seen.

However, in the next moment, the swamp and forest trembled together, and a gentle female voice came from beneath the ground.

"Little Tsunade."

Yuto realized that the slug sage resided deep beneath Shikkotsu Forest. The natural energy and chakra emanating from her were so abundant that they created this strange forest.

But precisely because the entire forest was under the slug sage's influence, no other life could exist here.

'However, slug sage, why don't you come out? Is it because your immense form might cause devastation… or is it because you simply can't emerge?' Yuto had a blasphemous thought but kept his face neutral, kneeling on one knee with his teacher to listen to the sage's words.

"Little Tsunade, the item you asked for is on the stone platform."

"Thank you, slug sage." The blonde woman's voice was soft, as the slug sage had been like a guardian to her since her youth.

"Little Tsunade… Is the boy beside you the one who signed the summoning contract last time?"

"Yes, slug sage. This is Yuto…"

"I greet the sage!" The branch family boy spoke at the right time, his attitude respectful and impeccable.

However, the immortal slug fell silent for a long time.

Just when Yuto and Tsunade thought the slug sage might have fallen asleep, the gentle female voice rumbled from below once again:

"Yuto Hyuga… Your eyes seem to reflect a future I cannot imagine."

Yuto's heart nearly skipped a beat, and he almost used the reverse summoning technique to return to the real world.

But he managed to hold on, controlling his muscles and calmly responding, "May I ask, slug sage, what did you see in my eyes? As a Konoha shinobi, I hope for peace to appear in the future."

"Ah… the future." The slug seemed to sigh, "No one can see the future clearly. Even we three can only glimpse tiny fragments of fate…"

'Good, as long as you can't see it. you nearly scared me to death,' Yuto breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

He glanced secretly at the blonde woman beside him and found her expression showed no sign of concern. Instead, she seemed happy and reassured. Seeing him look, she even grinned at him.

To Tsunade, the slug sage's mention of an "unimaginable future" probably sounded like a compliment, suggesting her disciple had the potential to reach extraordinary heights as a shinobi.

"Little Tsunade, take the new ninja tool back to Konoha. Let Yuto stay. An old sage like me needs to talk more with the younger generation."

Tsunade, unsuspecting, replied cheerfully, "Sure!" She went to the stone platform, took the black bandage, and patted Yuto on the shoulder, "Keep the slug sage company."

Having been under the care of the slug sage for over twenty years, Tsunade had deep trust in her, similar to Jiraiya's relationship with the toad sage.

Yuto watched helplessly as Tsunade left, feeling a bit like a child left behind by a parent going off to gambling.

After Tsunade left, the slug sage's voice echoed again, this time even more direct.

"Many, many years ago."

"A man who foresaw fate made a prophecy about us three."

The immortal sage paused, seemingly reminiscing about the man's words:

"The toad will die of old age, the snake will shed its skin, and the slug will live forever."

(End of Chapter)