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Deep in the forest—fog everywhere, thick as a wall.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Manji darted between the trees, his sensory field sweeping the area in every direction.
Mount Myōboku was bathed in eternal daylight. The Ryūchi Cave existed in perpetual darkness. And the Shikkotsu Forest? Blanketed in an endless, suffocating fog—like being stuck in a backroom level of reality.
"Strange… my perception clearly says it's right here. So where is it?"
Manji frowned in confusion.
Canon had been very specific about this. The slug that Tsunade and Sakura summoned—Katsuyu—was only a fragment of the Slug Sage's true body.
Meaning the Slug Sage itself had to be incomprehensibly massive.
The kind of thing you should be able to spot from a mile away.
And yet—after searching for what felt like forever—he couldn't find a single trace.
But his perception kept insisting: right here.
Manji paused, stroking his chin. "That's odd. Sage perception doesn't make mistakes… unless—"
A sudden realization struck. His eyes went wide as he slowly looked down.
"Grand Sage… you've been here the whole time, haven't you?"
The instant the words left his mouth—the entire ground of the Shikkotsu Forest began to quake.
What had appeared to be solid earth, trees, moss, rock—all of it began to shift and ripple, transforming into the living tissue of the Slug Sage.
The entire Shikkotsu Forest—was the Slug Sage's body.
Manji launched himself into the air, eyes widening with awe.
"So that's how it is… truly colossal beyond imagination."
He'd been standing on the Slug Sage from the very first step he'd taken into the forest.
"Hehe… you figured it out rather quickly. You're the first human to ever set foot in my domain. White-Brow and Black Snake have already spoken to me—since you wish to learn, I'll teach you."
The Slug Sage's voice was gentle and melodic.
The next moment, a scroll materialized in front of Manji.
Simultaneously, a small slug landed softly on his shoulder.
"Lord Manji—I'll be assisting you with your Sage Art training from here on!"
The tiny slug's voice was equally warm and pleasant.
Manji blinked in mild surprise. The Slug Sage was remarkably easygoing.
True to canon—that voice really was beautiful.
"Thank you, Grand Sage!"
And with that, same as always—
Manji: I'm not going to hold back.
He dove straight into training.
.....
Nearly another month passed.
Sage markings appeared on Manji's face—patterns strikingly similar to Hashirama Senju's.
[PS: Canon never explicitly stated that Hashirama's Sage Arts originated from the Shikkotsu Forest, but in this story, we're going with that interpretation.]
"Just as I thought—almost identical to Hashirama's markings."
Manji smiled faintly, using Sage energy to conjure a water mirror and examining his reflection.
The facial patterns were virtually the same as the First Hokage's.
"But the Shikkotsu Forest's arts have the same compatibility issue as the Ryūchi Cave's."
He could feel it clearly.
The Sage Arts couldn't be used simultaneously.
Just like with the Ryūchi Cave—if he wanted to activate one system, the others had to shut down.
Want to use Ryūchi Cave Sage Arts? All other systems go offline.
"This is a problem. I need to find a way to fuse all four Sage Arts together."
Manji rubbed his chin, deep in thought.
It was almost frightening to imagine—what kind of power would emerge from merging the Sage Arts of all Three Great Sage Regions plus the Monkey King Clan into a single unified system?
"One step at a time. I've crammed months' worth of learning into a short window. Better take some time to digest all of this."
After completing his training, Manji signed a contract with the Shikkotsu Forest.
He bid farewell to the Slug Sage.
.....
When he returned to Mount Myōboku, Manji stumbled upon a small, weeping toad.
"Waaaaaahhh! Lord White-Brow, please—I'm begging you, take this little guy in! HE'S HOMELESS! BOTH HIS PARENTS ARE DEAD!"
A scarred toad was kneeling before White-Brow, pleading desperately.
"What's going on?"
Manji approached the scene.
"Oh—Manji, welcome back. It's nothing, really. Just an orphaned tadpole. Happens more often than you'd think."
White-Brow sighed deeply.
Manji raised an eyebrow, studying the pitiful little toad. He crouched down. "Hey there, little one. What's your name?"
The scarred toad hurriedly nudged the smaller one. "Go on—introduce yourself! This is Lord Manji!"
The little toad looked up at Manji and stammered: "L-Lord Manji—my name is Gamamaru!"
"Gamamaru? Oh… hm?"
Manji nodded at first—then froze.
GAMAMARU??
That name sounded awfully familiar.
'Wait... isn't the Great Toad Sage's real name Gamamaru?'
The realization sent a jolt through him.
Manji studied the little toad with fresh eyes. But he needed to confirm.
"Gamamaru, let me ask you something. Do you dream at night?"
The question came soft and casual.
Gamamaru's eyes widened with surprise, and he nodded eagerly. "Lord Manji really is all-knowing! Yes—I dream all the time! And every dream I've had… has come true!"
Manji's smile deepened. "And what have you dreamed about?"
"I dreamed that one day… I'd become the leader of Mount Myōboku!"
Gamamaru answered with complete, innocent honesty.
The scarred toad's face instantly went dark. He smacked the little one on the back of the head. "Gamamaru! Don't run your mouth in front of two Sages! This isn't the time for fairy tales!"
"I-I'm sorry! Forgive me, Lord Sages!"
Gamamaru realized his blunder and ducked his head in apology.
Manji chuckled and turned to White-Brow. "Grandpa White-Brow—what do you make of this little guy?"
"A child's fantasy—nothing more. Though I will say, a dreaming toad is certainly unusual."
White-Brow laughed and waved it off dismissively.
Manji studied Gamamaru for another long moment—hands behind his back, gaze measured and appraising. Then he spoke.
"Gamamaru—you have no family. So tell me… would you like to sign a contract with me?"
Silence.
Gamamaru froze solid.
And it wasn't just him—White-Brow and the scarred toad both did double-takes, as if questioning their own hearing.
After all, Manji was the second-in-command of Mount Myōboku. Below White-Brow himself, Manji was the highest authority on the mountain.
More importantly, Manji's current contract partners were exclusively top-tier figures.
The White Snake Sage. The White Monkey King. White-Brow Toad. Every single one—a heavyweight.
And Gamamaru?
A homeless orphan toad who spent his days daydreaming. For all intents and purposes—a nobody.
And yet, the second most powerful figure on Mount Myōboku, the only person contracted to all Three Great Sage Regions simultaneously, wanted to sign a contract with this little dreamer?
"Lord Manji… isn't this a bit… much?"
Even the scarred toad felt compelled to push back, his voice trembling with disbelief.
Gamamaru didn't dare speak—but his eyes shimmered with barely contained hope.
He had always believed—with unshakable conviction—that his dreams would come true. It was just that no one else ever believed him.
Could it be that Lord Manji saw something special in him?
"Of course I'm serious. Come on, Gamamaru."
Manji produced the summoning scroll with an easy smile.
And just like that—still dazed and barely comprehending what was happening—Gamamaru signed the contract.
"From now on, move in next door to me. We'll be neighbors."
Manji looked down at the little toad.
"Thank the man already!" the scarred toad hissed urgently.
Gamamaru snapped out of his trance—and bowed deeply, hands clasped together in gratitude.
.....
After Gamamaru had hopped away—
White-Brow regarded Manji with a knowing smile. "So, Manji—why did you sign a contract with that little one?"
Manji shrugged lightly. "Found him interesting, that's all."
White-Brow's smile only deepened. "It seems you noticed the same thing I did about that toad…"
Manji's eyebrow twitched—and then his expression went flat. "Grandpa White-Brow… don't tell me you'd already had your eye on Gamamaru this whole time."
White-Brow said nothing. Just smiled.
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