Under Takashi's questioning gaze, Tsunade's face flushed:
"Stop staring at me like that! Slug Sage said I have no talent!!"
Well then.
The truth was out.
With Tsunade's personality, she'd never give up on something just because she's untalented, so it must be that she genuinely has zero aptitude in this field.
No wonder she seems so embarrassed whenever this topic comes up.
It's not that she doesn't want to learn; it's that she really can't.
This skill demands extreme talent and carries a high level of danger—a single mistake, and you could be dead.
Who knows how different the training methods for Senjutsu in the Shikkotsu Forest are compared to those in Mount Myoboku.
"Boom!"
Tsunade quickly formed a series of hand signs and slammed her palm on the floor, summoning a palm-sized slug that appeared on the ground.
"Tsunade-sama, is there something you need?"
A clear, feminine voice echoed through the living room.
Unlike the toads of Mount Myoboku or the snakes of Ryuchi Cave, the Shikkotsu Forest has only one slug: the Slug Sage.
The small slug summoned was a split-off of the Slug Sage, essentially a separate entity formed from its body.
The size of the summoned slug depends on the chakra used—the more chakra, the larger the slug.
Without seeing its appearance, just from its voice, one could easily mistake the Slug Sage for a stunning beauty.
Unfortunately, it's just a slug—a massive slug.
Annoyed, Tsunade glared at Takashi. "I want him to sign a summoning contract with the Slug Sage. I hope the Slug Sage can check if this guy has the talent to learn the Senjutsu of the Shikkotsu Forest."
Didn't you say you didn't want to sign a summoning contract?
Well, I'm making you sign it!
And while we're at it, let's see if you have what it takes to learn Senjutsu from the Shikkotsu Forest.
Once the test is done, if you don't have the talent, I'll laugh at you for a whole year!
Could he refuse?
With his Tenseigan, Takashi wasn't particularly eager to learn Senjutsu. After all, it's highly dangerous—one wrong move, and you'd have no idea how you even died.
Why take the risk?
No way—he had to sign the contract, and he had to get tested.
Tsunade's temper flared up. She wouldn't let Takashi use this to mock her.
No getting out of this.
Takashi shook his head helplessly, raised his hand to bite his finger, and pressed his handprint onto the summoning scroll.
Speaking of which, this scroll was actually left by Senju Hashirama. But his Wood Release was so overpowered that the giant slug never really had a chance to shine. Compared to Hashirama's insane regenerative abilities, the Slug Sage's healing powers were slower by far.
"Please wait a moment, Lord Takashi."
After the contract was signed, the summoned slug returned to the Shikkotsu Forest and then reverse-summoned both Takashi and Tsunade to the Shikkotsu Forest.
Shikkotsu Forest isn't exactly what one would call a sacred place—or at least, it doesn't look like one.
The area was full of bare rocks and trees stripped down to bare branches. Slugs covered the landscape—countless slugs. Anyone with a fear of densely packed objects would probably be scared to death at this sight.
At the heart of Shikkotsu Forest stood an enormous slug, towering over the surroundings. This was the Slug Sage, and all the other slugs within Shikkotsu Forest were its split-off entities.
"So big."
Takashi stood on the slimy ground, looking up at the Slug Sage, which was larger than a mountain, and gestured with his hand.
He figured that the Slug Sage's body was definitely larger than the Nine-Tails.
"Hello, Little Tsunade."
The Slug Sage moved its enormous body and lowered its head to greet Tsunade.
"Hello, Slug Sage."
Tsunade replied with a smile, but Takashi felt that Tsunade seemed a bit guilty.
Had she wronged the Slug Sage in some way?
"Hello, I am the Slug Sage," the massive creature greeted, examining Takashi.
The Slug Sage lowered its head and examined Takashi.
"Your chakra feels unusual. I remember something similar appearing a long time ago… How long has it been?"Back when Kaguya Otsutsuki planted the God Tree, the three Sages of the Three Great Lands—Slug Sage, White Snake Sage, and Great Toad Sage—already existed. The Great Toad Sage even helped the Sage of Six Paths, encouraging him to resist his mother.In the saga of the Sage brothers and Kaguya—this twisted family drama—the three Sages also played a role, though only the Great Toad Sage showed up directly.
"Slug Sage, we're not here to share stories. I brought him here to see if he can learn the senjutsu of Shikkotsu Forest," Tsunade interjected, breaking the Sage out of its reverie.
"My apologies, little Tsunade. I got distracted," the Slug Sage replied. "Since he has signed the summoning contract, I shall conduct the test."
"Child, are you ready?" The massive head of the Slug Sage loomed above them.
Tsunade quickly moved a good distance away, folding her arms beneath her chest, her face showing an expression of great anticipation.
So, you laughed at me for having no talent, huh?
You're about to see what real hardship is.
"Slug Sage, how should I—whoa!" Takashi began, but before he could finish, the Sage lunged forward, swallowing him whole.
Feeling the sticky liquid envelop him, Takashi was left completely stunned.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What am I doing?
"Hahaha!"
Seeing Takashi scared half to death before being swallowed by the Slug Sage, Tsunade burst into laughter, clutching her stomach as tears filled her eyes.
Finally, someone else got a taste of the despair she had once felt!
She would never forget the feeling of being swallowed whole by the Slug Sage—covered in that slimy, viscous mucus. It was an unforgettable experience.
Just thinking about it made her shiver.
But now it was Takashi's turn.
Wait, is this really how you learn senjutsu in the Shikkotsu Forest?
Unable to move even a finger, encased in goo, Takashi was thoroughly bewildered.
This was horrible.
Before long, a sudden force surged from beneath him, and Takashi felt like a rocket blasting off, flying straight out of the Slug Sage's mouth and landing hard on the ground.
Luckily, a group of small slugs cushioned his fall. Otherwise, falling from such a height would have been seriously painful.
At this moment, Takashi was covered in slime, as if he had just been pulled from a vat of thick soup. Worst of all, the slime carried an odd smell.
"Ugh!"
Takashi retched on the spot.
"Hahahahaha!"
Tsunade sat on the ground, laughing uncontrollably, not even caring if her clothes got dirty. She pounded the ground as tears of laughter rolled down her cheeks.
This look on Takashi was just priceless.
"It's just a test. Was all that really necessary?"
"What's so funny!" Takashi shouted angrily.
Tsunade only laughed harder, her laughter filled with schadenfreude.
"Ahem… little Tsunade, he has quite the talent," the Slug Sage said, seemingly unaware of why Tsunade was laughing. There was nothing amusing about the situation to the Slug Sage.
After all, as a slug, it didn't quite grasp the human sense of humor.
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Hey everyone! I'll be releasing a bonus chapter for every 200 power stones we reach, also if you like the story be sure to leave a review, or vote with stones, every little bit is appreciated, thank you all!