Chapter 382 - 67

Although a lot of things had happened during this time, Konoha didn't seem to be affected and quickly returned to a state of peace.Because of her position as Hokage, Tsunade had reined in some of her bad habits; after all, it wouldn't be very dignified for the Hokage to appear in a casino completely wasted.Naruto had new arrangements for his training plan, so he sought out Tsunade and told her that he wanted to go to Shikkotsu Forest to learn Senjutsu.Tsunade readily agreed to this request, though she also noted that she had no power to influence the thoughts of Sage Katsuyu, and whether or not he could learn Senjutsu would depend on him.Fortunately, Sage Katsuyu was easy to talk to and had a very gentle temperament; as long as it deemed someone suitable for learning Senjutsu, it would not hesitate to teach them.However, unlike the Senjutsu of Mount Myōboku, the Senjutsu of Shikkotsu Forest wasn't something everyone could learn. It required the practitioner to have a relatively calm and unhurried state of mind. Tsunade, for example, had been too hot-tempered for so many years and could never settle her mind, which was why she had never been able to learn Senjutsu.However, when Naruto suggested that he wanted to take Sasuke along to learn Senjutsu, Tsunadewas in a bit of a bind. Under Naruto's questioning, she revealed the truth.It turned out that Sage Katsuyu had some history with the Uchiha Clan, and to this day, it still held a grudge over that matter, which was why Tsunadehad these concerns.But in the end, at Naruto's plea, she agreed to take Sasuke along. Once Naruto received Tsunade's permission, he immediately informed Sasuke of the news.At first, Sasuke wasn't very interested, but when he heard Naruto say that learning Senjutsu could greatly increase his strength, he immediately agreed.Before heading to Shikkotsu Forest, Naruto told him about the origins of the Three Great Sage Regions and specifically urged him not to be disrespectful to the Sage. Whether Sasukelistened, however, he didn't know.After everything was prepared, Tsunade smugly said she would take the two of them on a shortcut that only she knew. Just as Naruto, full of curiosity, was about to ask, he saw Tsunade perform the Summoning Jutsu to summon a large slug.The slug was slimy all over, constantly dripping fluid, and was quite disgusting. However, its voice was very sweet, like that of a young girl, but when combined with its appearance, it instantly gave people goosebumps.The slug said respectfully, "Lady Tsunade, is there something you need by calling me here? Is it for battle, or do you need my help to save someone?"Tsunade waved her hand nonchalantly and said, "Neither! I want to take these two brats to Shikkotsu Forest and wanted to take a shortcut, which is why I summoned you.""Oh, I see. No problem, Lady Tsunade. Then please, come inside!" After saying this, the slug placed its massive head on the ground and opened its mouth."Hehe, sorry to trouble you." As Tsunade said this, she walked toward the slug's mouth. However, after taking a few steps, she noticed that Narutoand Sasuke were still standing there, not moving. She asked curiously, "Hey, what are you two waiting for? Come on!"Upon hearing this, the two looked at each other, seeing the sense of resistance in each other, then simultaneously lowered their heads and reluctantly followed Tsunade into the slug's mouth.Inside its mouth, it was just as they had imagined: covered in slimy fluid everywhere, with a pungent odor. This was surely the smell of the slug's highly corrosive gastric juices.Naruto and Sasuke appeared very uncomfortable. They wished they could stand on only one foot, but they were afraid that if their footing became unstable and they fell, they would be covered in the fluid. The two of them could only hold hands to support each other.Seeing this scene, Tsunade teased, "You two really have a close bond! But it's just for a moment, and there's no one else around, so you don't need to show off your brotherly affection to me here!"Facing such humor from Tsunade, the two didn't want to respond. However, her next action completely broke their defenses: Tsunade actually used her hand to scoop up some of the mucus from the side and smeared it onto her face.She acted as if she were doing skincare, applying it while saying to the two, "Do you two want some too? This has a great whitening effect on the skin. Sigh, I haven't been taking good care of myself lately, and I feel like my skin has become a bit rough!"Facing this scene, Naruto and Sasuke felt a sense of revulsion from the bottom of their hearts and sighed: As expected of Konoha's first female Hokage; she is truly a ruthless person.The three of them returned to Shikkotsu Forestwith the slug inside its body. After they came out, they found that this place was like a botanical garden, with all kinds of greenery everywhere, and trees dozens of meters tall were visible everywhere.The only thing that made Naruto and Sasukeuncomfortable was that there were some slugs on almost every leaf, gnawing away.Tsunade waved goodbye to the slug that had brought them there, then led the way ahead with familiarity. As she walked, she introduced it to the two: "Sage Katsuyu has existed for thousands of years, and its size is unimaginably vast. Even if I release the Yin Seal and use all my Chakra, I can only summon one-fifteenth of its main body.All the slugs you have seen along this way are, strictly speaking, split bodies of Sage Katsuyu. This is a method the elder thought of to prevent its size from becoming ever larger.When needed, these small slugs can merge into one and return to the main body. But when separated, each can be considered an independent entity with its own separate thoughts and ability to act. That is why the slug I summoned calls me Lady Tsunade.I have to say, Sage Katsuyu is an extraordinary figure. I don't know how it managed to create so many split bodies; it really is a mind-boggling thing."Just as Tsunade finished speaking, a voice came from afar: "Little Tsunade, you're working so hard to flatter me as soon as you arrive this time. Is there something you need from me?"Upon hearing this voice, Tsunade quickened her pace, and Naruto and Sasuke, fearing they might get lost, hurried to follow.Soon, the view ahead opened up, and a giant slug, three or four times larger than the one from before, appeared before them.Naruto swallowed hard as he looked at the giant slug before him. In fact, he had seen it earlier, but he had thought it was a mountain peak and never imagined that this was actually the main body of Sage Katsuyu.He was wondering at the time why the weather here was so good and everything around was full of vitality, yet there was a snow-capped mountain here.