Takara miscalculated Katsuyu's willingness to accept a new contractor, as with the unexpected deaths of Tsunade and Shizune along with the isolated area they were in, there was no one left to interact with, and Katsuyu tended to feel lonely easily.
There was a solid reason why she liked to divide herself, and it was so good that it became one of her renowned techniques; it made her feel accompanied.
For some reason, there weren't many ninjas who appreciated the idea of having a slug as a summon. It was strange; she considered herself quite friendly and courteous. What could be the reason?
And it's not like Katsuyu was a declared ally of Konoha, like the toads of Mount Myoboku; she was only loyal to her approved contractors.
She was the most neutral of the three living sages, and she liked to think she would stay that way.
To be honest, Katsuyu believed that decades would pass before someone came to her place and had the opportunity to have another contractor, so Takara's arrival was a pleasant surprise.
Perhaps he could ask him to investigate what happened to Tsunade and Shizune?
No, she couldn't rush things and bring up the matter; they had to get to know each other better first and interact more. Only when they were closer to each other would it not seem strange to mention it or raise suspicions.
(Did anyone else find this last part strange?)
And while Katsuyu was lost in her own thoughts guiding Takara to the center of her land, Takara himself was trying to see if he was undergoing some kind of test or if there was some overlooked factor that facilitated his goals.
But even after a few minutes of advancing, the only thing that changed was that there were more Katsuyu clones around him, and the fluorescent flora became larger and stranger.
Takara could barely recognize some of the plants and mushrooms that were six meters tall, which on the outside would barely reach ten centimeters. They all had one thing in common: the more colorful and visually appealing they were, the more potent the toxins they contained.
Was Katsuyu's acid the result of having a rich diet in this environment?
If so, the strange thing was that the slug hadn't become a living rainbow.
But all those thoughts became redundant when Takara came before the presence of the true Katsuyu, her main body.
"Holy shit!" he couldn't help but exclaim inwardly at what he saw.
He knew that in the fight against the Ten-Tails, thanks to the collaboration between Tsunade and Sakura, they successfully summoned a tenth of Katsuyu onto the battlefield.
Takara had tried to prepare himself for it so as not to be disturbed when he saw her, but now he could only curse the series for being unable to accurately reflect how colossal a tenth was.
Now that he saw Katsuyu's complete form, he could barely avoid letting out his inner thoughts reflexively despite all his initial preparation.
It would be an understatement to say that Katsuyu was huge; Takara was sure he could skip using meters as a measure and switch to kilometers for references.
The White Snake Sage must look like a small earthworm next to her, while the Sage Toad must barely be a tadpole.
"Welcome to the Shikkotsu Forest; I am the original Katsuyu," the colossal slug introduced herself. "May I know your name?"
"I am Takara, a chunin from Sunagakure."
Takara was prepared to flee if his current alignment caused an adverse reaction, but to his relief, Katsuyu only moved the antennae of her eyes in acknowledgment.
"Takara-san then, why do you want to form a contract with me?" Katsuyu was not shy and raised her doubts. "And what is your interest in Sage Mode?"
"To answer your first question, it is mainly because of what I heard about your character. The snakes of the Ryuichi Cave always seem to demand an exorbitant price for their help, and their support is doubtful at best, so I wouldn't feel very safe trying to learn from them. While at the other extreme, as you'll understand, the toads of Mount Myoboku wouldn't even give me a chance due to their alliance with Konoha. I might not even be able to leave there alive after they hear my intentions."
Katsuyu could understand the reasoning put forth; being from another major village, the toads were indeed his worst option. If she also had to choose between the snakes and herself, she wouldn't hesitate to choose herself.
"As for why Sage Mode, on one hand, I am interested in the capabilities that state supposedly grants. There is also another reason, but I don't know how to explain it without seeming inappropriate."
Not to mention sounding like an absolute lunatic obsessed with chakra.
Katsuyu didn't insist and continued to ask him questions for the next two hours, causing Takara's throat to dry out from so much explaining. He also asked questions about natural energy with doubts that were not explained in the series and had logical gaps.
"Just one last question, how did a part of the Ryumyaku end up inside you?"
Takara didn't expect Katsuyu to be able to sense it, and he stiffened for a moment, having no choice but to explain how Pakura sealed part of that power within him.
"Family love always leads to amazing feats," Katsuyu sighed after commenting with her soft voice how impressed she was by a mother's determination to strengthen her son, lamenting that she died in her circumstances.
Tsunade had told her about Pakura's death on one occasion, so she had a clear understanding of the general situation by now.
"How old are you?" Takara couldn't resist asking, feeling genuine interest in getting an idea of how long Katsuyu had been alive.
"Asking a lady's age is not polite," Katsuyu gently scolded, but perhaps because her mood improved, she decided to answer vaguely. "You should just know that when little Gamamaru started training, I was already the slug sage."
Takara froze upon hearing Katsuyu's clue.
Wasn't Gamamaru like a thousand years old?
"Oh, my, time flies when you're having fun," Katsuyu realized it was already night outside. "I think it's best for you to rest, and we'll continue talking tomorrow. But before that…"
One of the smaller Katsuyus near Takara (still about three meters tall) pulled out a huge scroll from her body.
"Sign here first; this way, even if you have to leave in a few days, you can come back through reverse summoning."
Takara didn't hesitate and, making a cut on his fingers with the needle sword, wrote his name in blood on the slug's scroll, right next to Shizune's.