The slug moved in an urgent rush, her usual polite demeanor nowhere to be seen.
"Don't tell me something's happened in the Shikkotsu Forest too…" Jiraiya couldn't help but feel a wave of unease.
Tsunade's expression was grim. She tried to reassure him, saying,
"Jiraiya, there's no need to worry too much. Mount Myōboku and the Shikkotsu Forest are not ordinary places—accidents rarely happen there. And if something has gone wrong, it's probably beyond anything either of us can handle."
If even the Great Toad Sage and the Slug Sage couldn't resolve it, where exactly was Jiraiya supposed to find the confidence to help?
"Maybe Mount Myōboku just has something to deal with and temporarily shut off access to the outside world."
"Let's hope that's all it is."
Jiraiya sighed, dropping the subject, and turned to another.
"You planning to go after Orochimaru?"
Tsunade nodded and explained everything that had happened so far.
Jiraiya's expression turned grave.
"I think you should reconsider. Shizune's trauma is severe. When it comes to mental healing, the only ones who might help are Orochimaru and the Yamanaka clan—and they're both loyal to the Daimyō. I think this is a setup targeting you. Going to Orochimaru might be walking straight into a trap."
Tsunade sighed. "I understand all that. But I can't just abandon Shizune, can I?"
Jiraiya said nothing more, and the two went their separate ways.
...
Unlike the serene beauty of Mount Myōboku, the Shikkotsu Forest was harsh, grim, and utterly inhospitable to humans.
Different environments produce different creatures. The weak adapt to their surroundings; the strong reshape them. The Shikkotsu Forest was home to only one being—a colossal slug who had transformed the entire ecosystem to suit her own kind.
Thick mist blanketed the forest, and every tree stood bare and pale, drained of all life. They didn't even look like real trees anymore—more like fossilized bones jutting up from the fog, creating an eerie, skeletal landscape.
At this very moment, the Slug Sage was writhing in pain. From her massive body, small pink slugs were rapidly dividing, splitting off and glaring at her original blue-and-white slug body with open hostility.
It had all started when Tonton, in her monstrous transformed state, had carried some unknown contaminant. A slug clone Tsunade had summoned had engaged her at close range, got infected, and upon returning to the Shikkotsu Forest, fused with the main body—causing a chain reaction that triggered the release of the pollutant. Now, the Slug Sage had no choice but to expel the corrupted parts of herself.
"I'm the real main body!" one of the larger pink slugs shouted, "I'm the next stage of evolution! I've touched forces beyond chakra or natural energy. You should embrace my complete transformation!"
"Shut up!" the Slug Sage roared back.
In over a thousand years, she'd never taken a hit this bad. That red contamination was on par with the God Tree from the old legends—and she didn't even know who had set this trap.
The Slug Sage was fuming. Chakra, she could tolerate. It didn't warp her will. She remained herself. But that red stuff? That was another story. The infected mini-slugs had turned into total lunatics. The Slug Sage was having none of it.
"One more word and I'll beat all of you senseless!" she snapped.
The pink slug sneered, waving its feelers mockingly.
"Oh please. I know exactly how strong you are. What, gonna beat me up?"
Before it could finish its sentence, another pink slug yelled, "Watch out!"
A massive torrent of acid sprayed down from the Slug Sage's mouth, blotting out the sky. The pink slugs weren't afraid of its corrosive power—but the sheer volume made it a crushing physical force.
The pink slugs scattered in panic.
"Everyone, get her!" someone shouted.
Several attacks flew at the Slug Sage without hesitation.
Boom!
The impact was fierce, but the Slug Sage didn't have a scratch. Still, it was clear—she was pissed off now.
Initially, she'd ignored the rebel slugs to focus on purging the infection. But now, she had no choice but to regain control of the situation.
Whoosh! A streak of blue light shot from her mouth like a thunderbolt and struck a pink slug dead-on.
Boom! It exploded instantly—no last words, no resistance.
"What a loser. Couldn't even dodge that," another pink slug laughed not far away. Though all of them were pink, their minds were fractured, with each acting independently and backstabbing the others.
"You dare betray me?! You're all dead!" the Slug Sage bellowed, firing wave after wave of searing blue light.
The pink slugs darted and spun, dancing around the blasts. They even managed to get a few cheeky counterattacks in.
The Slug Sage was massive—an easy target. The attacks barely scratched her, but they were enough to keep ramping up her rage.
"Hey, look at her when she's mad—like a giant meatball!" one of the pink slugs cackled.
"Help!" another screamed as it fled, still laughing.
"You dare mock me?!" the Slug Sage shrieked, unleashing another barrage. "DIE!"
Fueled by fury, she crushed every pink slug into goo. But even as pink sludge, they didn't stop. The fragments writhed, squirmed, and merged—slowly becoming a wriggling mass of living pink soup.
Under the scorching summer sun, the Slug Sage trembled with rage. Her guts spasmed painfully.
For the love of—who the hell invented these freaks?!
With great effort, she managed to suppress the escalating chaos. Just as she let out a breath of relief, the mass of pink goo rippled violently. The air above twisted—
—and a boy appeared, crashing into the forest with overwhelming force.
...
In the fog-drenched Shikkotsu Forest, the Slug Sage went utterly still, assuming a reverent, respectful posture.
She wasn't stupid. Faced with this kind of supreme power, trying to test or provoke him was meaningless. Besides, she was the only slug in the forest. She had no reputation to lose, and no need to put on airs for some junior.
The boy raised an eyebrow. "With that look, did you know I was coming ahead of time?"
Without hesitation, the Slug Sage replied, "Don't think I don't recognize you! Now pay me back my money!"
The boy froze, expression twisting like he had a sudden stomachache.
What the hell is wrong with this slug? Is she always this weird?
"My apologies, sir. My body malfunctioned a little just now and I started seeing some strange hallucinations. That line just slipped out…" Her voice turned soft and delicate, with a hint of embarrassment.
"Liar! You're just stalling for time!" the boy snapped, releasing a wave of power that instantly locked onto the Slug Sage. She trembled uncontrollably and dropped to the ground in surrender without even lasting a full second.
He clicked his tongue in surprise. She was supposed to be one of the Great Sages, right? He'd expected her to grit her teeth, stand firm, maybe even die with honor. But nope—he barely used any strength, and she folded like paper.
The difference between her and the Great Toad Sage was night and day.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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