"You've overestimated me."
In response to the question from the Slug Sage, Kagetsu thought for a moment before shaking his head.
"Creating an energy similar to chakra and natural energy, that might be beyond Kagetsu's abilities, right?" Tsunade chuckled, but suddenly her smile faded.
She thought about the Hogyoku, and how after merging with its power, she had gradually mastered its unique mode. That power seemed to be a new kind of force?
But it should still belong to chakra or natural energy, right?
Thinking about it, Tsunade felt uncertain.
What if the Slug Sage was referring to the power of the Hogyoku?
The next moment, her tone became softer, and both she and the Slug Sage turned their attention and gazes toward Kagetsu.
"It seems you still have some concerns, so let's leave it at that for now. I just wanted to see what kind of person might be another potential changer in this world."
"This kind of thing is a crown-like highlight in my long life."
The Slug Sage's gentle voice echoed in Kagetsu's mind. Kagetsu glanced at Tsunade, who was unaware of what was going on, and his understanding of the Slug Sage's abilities and strength deepened.
"Is that kind of power even something that interests Lady Katsuyu, a sage?" Kagetsu asked, raising his head and testing the waters.
Excluding Mount Myōboku, which had yet to make a move, two of the Three Sage Regions had already shown interest in this power.
"While Shikkotsu Forest is unique, your human world still remains the main world. We are very sensitive to changes in energy. If we don't keep up with changes, we'll be eliminated. This is a fact that was proven a thousand years ago."
"But don't worry. We can only sense changes in energy, not directly locate the person causing those changes."
"Not long ago, Tsunade grasped a new power mode and resumed her training in Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Mode, which had been interrupted. The power she carries made me notice something unusual."
"Through communication with Tsunade, I learned about you and the Hogyoku."
The Slug Sage spoke in a gentle, unhurried manner, as if the idea of survival of the fittest and the potential for change didn't truly stir her emotions.
Hearing these words, Tsunade glanced at Kagetsu with some embarrassment. She had already had her suspicions, but hearing it directly from the Slug Sage confirmed it completely.
"Does the Hogyoku work for Lady Katsuyu too?" Kagetsu wasn't bothered by Tsunade's apology.
When she went to the Shikkotsu Forest to train in Sage Mode, he had prepared himself for the possibility of being exposed under the Slug Sage's watch. He just hadn't expected the Slug Sage to ask Tsunade to bring him to Shikkotsu Forest.
"I don't know." The Slug Sage shook his head under Kagetsu's and Tsunade's surprised gazes.
"I'm not good at prophecies, and I don't like interfering in outside matters. I simply wanted to meet you. Now that I have, I am satisfied. At least in the long future, you will be imprinted in my memory."
The Slug Sage's tone seemed genuinely content. Its large head bobbed adorably, but despite how cute it looked, its massive size still carried an intimidating presence.
"You can let Tsunade show you around Shikkotsu Forest. Although the scenery here is dull and boring, I think there are things you'll still need."
The Slug Sage moved its head back into the mist, and its voice spread and contracted like breathing, rippling through the fog.
Watching as the mist concealed the massive form of the Slug Sage, both Kagetsu and Tsunade knew the meeting was coming to an end.
"Tsunade-sama, Kagetsu-sama, please follow me."
The giant slug beneath their feet spoke gently. Although it said "please follow me," it was already leading them in a specific direction after they agreed.
"Where are we going?" Tsunade squatted down, placing her hand on the slug's back, curiously asking.
"Deeper into the temple! There may be something Kagetsu-sama needs there. Please, don't be shy. Although Kagetsu-sama is not a contract holder of Shikkotsu Forest, Shikkotsu Forest will still be Kagetsu-sama's ally."
The giant slug continued its journey while speaking.
Kagetsu immediately became interested in what the slug had mentioned.
Clearly, it was something the Slug Sage had instructed it to say.
After all, the slugs had a connection with each other, much like a shared network, with countless separate entities exchanging information and intelligence.
Only when communicating with a contract partner or external humans would they use sound and language.
Kagetsu wasn't sure if this form of communication could be interrupted, or if it had any distance limitations.
However, he didn't feel the urge to conduct experiments on his theory with the Split Body of the Slug Sage in this place.
After all, he was still on the Slug Sage's turf, right?
What intrigued Kagetsu more was the useful things the Slug Sage mentioned. He certainly didn't think the Slug Sage was deceiving him.
Clearly, through Tsunade, the Slug Sage had learned something about him. The things left for him were either exactly what he needed or valuable and rare enough for him to require them.
The scenery along the way was indeed monotonous and dull. At first, when he saw the towering trees with bone-like shapes and the misty surroundings, it was fresh and exciting.
But over time, the repetitive and monotonous environment made that sense of novelty fade quickly and become boring.
The only thing that kept Kagetsu interested was his curiosity about the plants here, especially those towering, bone-like trees without branches or leaves.
In a place full of natural energy, with vibrant and flourishing life, the trees grew here. Kagetsu was eager to collect some specimens.
He didn't know when he would return to Shikkotsu Forest, but from what the Slug Sage implied, he didn't mind if he took something from here. So, along the way, Kagetsu kept scanning for things that interested him, planning to pack them before leaving.
Since the external experiments had hit a bottleneck, changing his research approach and studying the products of Shikkotsu Forest seemed like a good idea.
"Can I pack up some things I'm interested in here before I leave? Like those giant trees, or the water from the Fountain of Living Fluid?" Kagetsu asked the giant slug to confirm.
"Of course," the Slug Sage replied. "Shikkotsu Forest's environment isn't very friendly to life, but the plants that can survive here have high natural energy affinity.
As for the Fountain of Living Fluid, it was created by the Slug Sage's power and can be found all over Shikkotsu Forest. In the hands of medical ninjas, it can replace the slug and be used to make medicinal materials with healing powers.
However, I must remind Lord Kagetsu that the Fountain of Living Fluid is a unique product of Shikkotsu Forest. It can only exist in an environment where the natural energy of Shikkotsu Forest is abundant.
If you take it outside, its effects will quickly dissipate over time. If you store it in the Ryūchi Cave, it might affect its potency and it could even turn into a poison in the end."
The giant slug spoke with uncertainty towards the end.
****
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