When Tsunade arrived at the Hyuga District with Small Katsuyu and stood before Hyuga Soushu, he was absolutely stunned when he heard what she had come for.
And Sakumo Hatake, who had been secretly discussing military matters with him, also wore an expression of complete disbelief!
Isn't the Holy Place supposed to be a united force?
Could it actually be possible for conflicts to arise among these different species?
Even if war had broken out, to have lost the fight and then have the victim come seeking justice—what kind of situation was this?
Still, since the slug had come all this way, they might as well talk first.
"Hello, Slug Sage."
Hyuga Soushu composed himself, politely bowing his head toward the palm-sized slug now resting on the table. "We welcome your arrival, but…"
He hesitated for quite some time, unsure exactly what else to say.
Surely he couldn't just blurt out something like "Welcome aboard for seeing the light (qì àn tóu míng)," could he?
Nor would it be wise to immediately doubt the accuracy of its information.
"Slug Sage, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I've long heard of your reputation."
Clearly, this wasn't some mindless creature incapable of social interaction. Its voice was both soft and polite.
If not for its current slimy form, you'd think this was a sweet young girl speaking.
"We're very pleased you're here. The information you bring may prove extremely valuable to us."
Despite priding himself on having vast experience from two lifetimes, Soushu had no prior experience conversing with such a creature.
"I can provide exact locations of both Ryuchi Cave and Mount Myoboku. Additionally, if Master Soushu desires, I am able to dispatch clones to offer medical support for your Ninja Forces."
The slug spoke in a calm, pleasant tone, and while speaking, its two antennae quivered up and down, almost as if it were bowing in greeting.
Although constant staring might seem somewhat impolite, Hyuga Soushu and Sakumo Hatake couldn't help but frequently exchange curious glances regarding the slug's peculiar appearance.
Especially considering the information it had offered—truth be told, Soushu was rather intrigued.
"Mount Myoboku lies beyond the Savage Lands far, far west of the Ninja World?"
Soushu asked first.
"That is correct. About ten thousand miles or so further west than the temporary base recently established by your subordinates in the Land of Wind is where Mount Myoboku currently sits."
The slug replied, twitching its antennae as it spoke. "However, the journey through the Savage Lands would be extremely difficult, as those lands are completely devoid of life."
"Hmm, so you even know about the base we've built in the Land of Wind!"
A corner of Soushu's eye slightly twitched.
"I'm different from the other two Sages. Anything occurring right now, I usually become aware of it."
The slug didn't hesitate to boast. "Though for Shikkotsu Forest, this knowledge holds little significance."
"What about Ryuchi Cave, then?"
Sakumo Hatake quickly followed up.
What concerned him most was the Ninja Snake of Ryuchi Cave—the same one responsible for his past defeat! In fact, one of the primary reasons he chose to join the Shogunate's Ninja Force system was to settle an old score with Ryuchi Cave (taohuan xuezhai)!
"The Ryuchi Cave lies beneath the Nine Netherworlds, above the magma layer. However, the underground world is extremely complex; locating its exact entrance is incredibly difficult, and existing tunnels can easily be destroyed."
The Slug Sage objectively pointed out the challenge.
Yet it did not directly reveal the precise location of Ryuchi Cave.
This contrasted with how the Slug Sage had previously mentioned Mount Myoboku.
"Was it Mount Myoboku that launched the attack on Shikkotsu Forest?"
Soushu Hyuga asked after a moment's contemplation.
"More or less. Without Gamamaru's instigation, I imagine the white snake wouldn't have dared to launch such an attack against Shikkotsu Forest," the Slug Sage explained calmly, its tone surprisingly conversational—soft and almost playfully affectionate, naturally putting others at ease.
"I see,"
Soushu Hyuga nodded before falling into thought once more.
He didn't try to hide his hesitation or pretend to be excited about the Slug Sage's presence—he simply kept his stance straightforward and open.
After all, this was a Sage Clone from the sacred land of Shikkotsu Forest; there was no point indulging in unnecessary political gamesmanship.
The Slug Sage, unfazed, leisurely swayed its two antennae atop the table as if they were dancing.
As for Tsunade, who had brought the Slug Sage along, she remained expressionless and silent.
Sakumo Hatake kept glancing between the Slug Sage and Tsunade, his expression constantly shifting.
"Shikkotsu Forest is one of the Holy Places, and the Shogunate has always been dedicated to..."
Soushu Hyuga didn't elaborate, but the Slug Sage understood his meaning well enough.
In short, the very existence of the Shogun of Pacifying Barbarians' Shogunate revolved around subjugating outsiders, and Shikkotsu Forest was among those outsiders. Of course, this did not mean Soushu Hyuga considered Shikkotsu Forest an enemy per se—it merely reflected his suspicion toward the Slug Sage's sudden arrival and its offer of alliance.
After all, deploying ninja forces drains resources faster than even mountains of gold can sustain. And considering how long it takes to train capable ninja, a single misstep could lead to enormous complications.
The Shogunate's foundation rested upon the Ninja Clan Capital Corporation and its six thousand elite ninja troops. Should either pillar weaken, the entire power structure Lord Soushu Hyuga had built would collapse instantly.
"If we first designate Mount Myoboku as the target for conquest, then there should be no issue."
The Slug Sage stated.
"Compared to the hidden Ryuchi Cave underground, Mount Myoboku presents a much easier opponent—at least their base is above ground, so we won't have to risk crawling through tunnels that might cave in."
"You make a valid point."
Soushu Hyuga nodded in agreement.
But this alone wasn't sufficient.
The reason he had established a Ninja Force Camp in the western borderlands of the Land of Wind was precisely because he already had a rough idea of Mount Myoboku's location—although he had yet to establish an effective system for long-range logistical support.
"If Lord Soushu Hyuga requires assistance, I can not only send a magical clone to provide medical support, but also assist with transporting supplies."
The Slug Sage clearly laid out its willingness to cooperate.
After all, if there are any conditions we can set or concerns to address, once the Seii Taishogun's Shogunate launches its attack on Mount Myoboku, Shikkotsu Forest will surely come to our aid!
"Since that's the case, would it be possible to establish a communication mechanism with Shikkotsu Forest?"
Hyuga Soushu chimed in.
Although he still couldn't make up his mind about including Shikkotsu Forest in the operational forces, this wouldn't stop him from maintaining a friendly relationship with this Great Sage.
The key thing was that this Great Sage's position was entirely different from the other two Holy Places. Even just to prevent Shikkotsu Forest from siding with Mount Myoboku and Ryuchi Cave, it made sense to keep communication open with the Slug Sage to avoid any misunderstanding.
"Of course that's possible!"
The slug on the table nodded its antennae, then its body wriggled slightly before producing a new miniature slug no bigger than a thumb.
"If you have any needs, feel free to let me know. I'll communicate your opinions directly with the main body."
This newly split-off mini slug spoke in the exact same soft and tranquil voice as the original. Even the way its antennae quivered matched the larger one perfectly.
Meanwhile, at the Shogunate Ninja Force camp located at the western borderlands of the Land of Wind, preparations were underway for the first round of reconnaissance expeditions.
The reconnaissance force consisted of twelve squads, primarily staffed by Byakugan ninjas and supported by various types of Sensor-nin, successfully organized after multiple rounds of troop transfers.
Also, to adapt to the harsh environment of the Savage Lands, each reconnaissance squad was also equipped with two puppeteers from Sunagakure. The puppets they controlled mainly served to carry supplies or function as transportation tools. According to Hyuga Soushu's specific request, significant resources had been invested in developing specialized amphibious puppets, which were now standard issue for hired Sunagakure puppeteers.
I guess there's no way around it.
As described by the Sunagakure ninja, due to excessively chaotic space-time energies present in the Savage Lands, the sealing scrolls commonly used by ninjas to store items sometimes experienced inexplicable explosions (likely due to unstable space-time energy). Supplies sealed within were either destroyed and scattered or directly sucked into spatial rifts, forcing them to adopt the most primitive method—carrying everything manually.
Additionally, since absolutely no life existed within the Savage Lands, even if they wanted to forage or hunt along the way, there was simply nothing available to sustain them. Therefore, they could only maximize their carried provisions and drinking water.
Because of this, the ninja comprising these reconnaissance squads were actually quite vulnerable.
Their combat capabilities weren't particularly strong to begin with, and the necessity to carry large amounts of supply equipment further weakened the Shogunate's conventional tactic of overwhelming opponents using extensive ninja tools.
"This is unavoidable. We can only compromise like this under current circumstances,"
the camp commander expressed helplessness as well.
With these limitations already established, they knew how dangerous these missions were, but with the resources they had, they had no choice but to push forward.
However, just as the recon units were about to head out, a message came through from Konoha halting their departure.
A personal urgent message arrived directly from Hyuga Soushu, ordering all ninja forces to remain in place and await further instructions, adding that reinforcements from the rear would soon arrive.
And one day after the camp fell into temporary silence, Sakumo Hatake finally arrived at this poorly-equipped base camp, looking travel-worn.
"Good to see you again, Sakumo-senpai! It's been a long time!"
Of course it was Hizashi Hyuga who came out of the camp to greet this messenger's arrival.
"Good day, Hizashi-kun. It really has been a while."
Sakumo Hatake politely nodded back with equal humility, then eagerly continued, "I've brought a guide!"
"A guide?"
Hizashi Hyuga and the group of Jonin officers exchanged stunned glances.
Did Sakumo mean someone capable of crossing the Savage Lands and reaching Mount Myoboku?
Did such a thing even exist?
Even the hired Mist ninja were utterly bewildered—they'd never even heard of such a thing!
No one had ever crossed the Savage Lands in history! And now there's supposed to be a guide? Come on!
"Look!"
Without building suspense, Sakumo immediately pulled out a scroll from his chest, laid it flat on the ground, and formed hand seals with both hands.
[Summoning Jutsu!]
With a loud 'poof' and rising smoke, a giant slug over a meter tall appeared before everyone.
"This..."
The Jonin officers were momentarily stunned into silence.
"Good day to all."
The summoned slug greeted everyone softly in a gentle tone.
"Good day."
Some ninja from the Konoha Ninja Clans had already figured out the slug's identity—this must be the legendary slug from Shikkotsu Forest, one of the Three Holy Places!
But wasn't the Shogunate dedicated to exterminating creatures like them? How did they suddenly establish a connection with Shikkotsu Forest?
Plus, Sakumo had used a scroll-assisted Summoning Technique, which didn't seem like activating a standard Summoning Contract!
"The slugs from Shikkotsu Forest will provide medical assistance and transport supplies for our journey."
Sakumo concluded, "Moreover, when the war officially begins, the Great Katsuyu Sage shall fight alongside us!"
"What?! No way!"
Everyone expressed even more surprise.
"Understand the mission now, or learn it as you carry it out—there's no other option!"
Obviously noticing the officers' confusion, Sakumo didn't intend to elaborate further but instead directly issued the order in a commanding tone.
"Yes, sir!"
Including Hizashi Hyuga, everyone immediately straightened up and saluted in unison.
Military orders weigh heavier than mountains—it's not a joke. Since this was personally signed by Hyuga Soushu, they had no choice but to execute it!
"Though... we are deploying twelve scout teams together," Hizashi tactfully mentioned.
"I'm familiar with the Savage Lands. Although some changes might have occurred through the years, nothing serious, and handling twelve clones isn't a problem at all."
Waving its head tentacles, the slug dismissed it as a trivial matter.
Then, its body wiggled slightly, and one by one, smaller versions of itself slid off until they lined up neatly in a row—exactly twelve!
And the main slug barely shrank at all—only a single size down.
Even Sakumo, who had mentally prepared himself beforehand, couldn't help but express amazement, let alone those unfamiliar Jonin officers who had never seen such sights before.
"You may leave your Sealing Scrolls to me. The power of space-time will not affect the space within my stomach."
Twelve lesser Katsuyu spoke in unison.
"If that's the case, we shall entrust part of our supplies to our..."
Hizashi Hyuga paused, uncertain how to classify the Katsuyu's identity.
"Allies."
Sakumo Hatake offered.
"Indeed, let us entrust them to our allies for safekeeping. And with the aid of the Slug Sage, I'm certain our reconnaissance mission will proceed far more smoothly."
Hizashi Hyuga added, following Sakumo's lead.
Even so, many Jonin within the Ninja Force remained puzzled.
But seeing how insistent Sakumo was, none dared voice their doubts openly. Instead, they waited until returning to camp before immediately summoning members of the Reconnaissance Squad for adjustments.
After resealing part of their supplies into Sealing Scrolls and entrusting them to the Katsuyu for safekeeping, the fully-prepared Reconnaissance Squad was poised for departure.
"Everyone! After this mission, the Shogunate will not forget your service!"
Invited to speak, Sakumo Hatake didn't go for an emotional appeal but instead spoke with quiet conviction: "It is our sacred duty to eradicate every harmful element for the sake of our descendants!"
"Loyalty to the Shogunate! Devotion to Honorable Lady Namiko!"
The Reconnaissance Squad chorused in unison.
"Move out!"
With a sweeping motion of his arm, Sakumo Hatake dispatched the scouts — they darted out of the camp like arrows soaring toward the Savage Lands.
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