Shuji pushed open that familiar courtyard gate, his gaze sweeping the empty garden. The dry landscape remained unchanged, stone steps slightly cool, yet absent was that figure with cascading golden hair holding a sake cup.
The corridor stood empty.
Shuji's gaze fell on the tightly closed paper door. Inside was complete silence—not even the light clink of sake bottles.
He walked to the corridor's edge. Without rashly sliding the door open, he turned his back to it and sat down on the polished wooden floor.
"Do you need chakra supplementation?"
No response came from within, as if the room were vacant.
He continued: "Katsuyu can transmit your chakra to others. I presume this transmission isn't one-way?"
Behind the paper door, silence persisted.
Tsunade leaned in the doorway's shadow, amber eyes half-closed.
Theoretically this was feasible. Her grandfather was Senju Hashirama, her grandmother Uzumaki Mito—both possessed tremendous chakra. Combined with her later-developed Strength of a Hundred Seal, she had always been the one providing healing and support to others. Few could replenish her depleted reserves.
But that boy outside—his chakra was exceptionally powerful.
"Itachi's condition isn't good." Shuji's voice broke the silence again. "Shizune-senpai's assessment is that completely extracting the foreign energy from his body will require your personal intervention."
"Itachi's injuries aren't external wounds."
From within came a barely audible snort. Of course she knew—Katsuyu was Tsunade's eyes; what it saw, she saw.
After a moment, the paper door slid open a crack, just wide enough for one hand.
A massive summoning scroll was pushed out, landing with a "thud" on the floor behind Shuji.
"To transmit chakra through Katsuyu requires signing a contract with it."
Now it was Shuji who hesitated.
"If I've given you the wrong impression, I have no designs on Katsuyu. However, I must admit—if you're willing, I have some questions I'd like to consult about..."
"Don't flatter yourself!" Tsunade's voice suddenly rose a notch. "I don't want to be suddenly interrupted by that old woman Momoka again, saying she needs me to save someone's life!"
Whether power, strategy, or decisiveness—compared to her current self, this boy could better bear what comes. Consider it the price of her evasion, entrusting this power to him.
"This is your only chance." The Senju princess's tone was indifferent. "Consider it payment for saving Shizune."
If that was the case, Shuji would no longer act coy. He unrolled the scroll, cut his index finger, and inscribed his name and handprint in blood.
Then he performed the summoning for Katsuyu.
Originally it shouldn't be this simple.
The original summoning technique required first establishing good relations with summoning beasts before forming contracts.
The Three Great Sage Regions with their fixed summoning clans maintained inherited contract scrolls for ninja they favored—thus the contract came first, then the summoning beast's approval.
Mount Myōboku and Ryūchi Cave operated this way.
Only Shikkotsu Forest was different. The summoning beast Shikkotsu Forest provided was singular—only Katsuyu. All other slugs large and small were split bodies of the Slug Sage of Shikkotsu Forest. How large a summoning depended on the summoner's chakra strength.
Moreover, Katsuyu had one advantage: soft voice, good temper. Even if the main body was a sage, it was unfailingly polite to humans—compared to other sage region summoning beasts, it eliminated the "fighting to get acquainted" stage.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Light white smoke dissipated, revealing a pure white, soft slug only palm-sized beside the scroll. It raised its small antennae slightly, beady black eyes looking toward Shuji, voice gentle and clear with a wondrous soothing quality: "Pleased to meet you, Shuji-kun. Thank you for summoning me."
It had obviously shared information from other split bodies, knowing this young man's relationship with Tsunade.
"Hello, Katsuyu-sama." Shuji inclined his head slightly, attitude respectful. "This summoning isn't for battle, but to ask a favor."
The small slug wriggled slightly: "Please speak, Shuji-kun."
"I hope to use you as a medium to transmit my chakra to Tsunade-sama." Shuji stated his intent directly. "She needs to replenish her strength to heal my companion."
The small slug seemed to "freeze," its tiny body radiating humanized surprise: "...Replenish chakra for Tsunade-sama?"
It carefully sensed the chakra Shuji transmitted. After a moment, its gentle voice carried affirmation: "I understand. With your chakra, this is indeed feasible, Shuji-kun. As long as you trust me and are willing to open your chakra and guide it toward Tsunade-sama. I will ensure stable transmission."
Katsuyu added: "Additionally, since Tsunade-sama has allowed you to sign the contract, from now on you may summon me anytime. Regardless of size, I will do my utmost to assist you."
"I'm deeply grateful." Shuji thanked sincerely.
The small slug slowly crawled onto Shuji's shoulder, reminding: "We can begin, Shuji-kun."
Inside the room, Tsunade's body trembled slightly.
An indescribable, powerful and warm torrent surged into her body.
Her over-depleted bodily energy rapidly replenished, her exhausted spirit nourished.
She leaned against the doorframe, closed her eyes, long lashes trembling faintly, allowing that warm current to surge and circulate within, repairing invisible deficits.
Time quietly passed in the silent courtyard, only invisible, warm energy flowing between the two.
Who knows how long passed before the glow on the small slug gradually dimmed. It gently moved its antennae: "Shuji-kun, Tsunade-sama's condition has basically stabilized."
Hearing this, Shuji slowly ceased his chakra output.
The paper door slid fully open with a "whoosh."
Tsunade stood in the doorway, her golden hair seemingly restored to its former luster. Her face still carried its habitual languor, but that faint exhaustion between her brows had dissipated. Deep within her amber eyes, a sharp, molten-gold brilliance burned anew with power.
She glanced at the small slug on the ground, then at Shuji, her gaze lingering on his face a moment, as if trying to discern something beneath his calm expression.
Finally, she only snorted, bending to pick up a sake cup from the floor—surprisingly, it still held a bit of clear liquor. She tilted her head back, draining the remnant in one gulp, then casually tossed the empty cup onto the corridor.
"I'm going to check on that Uchiha brat. As for you, you have other matters to handle, don't you?"
With that, she looked at Shuji no more, striding purposefully toward the room where Itachi was housed.
Shuji watched her back disappear around the corridor corner, then looked down at the small slug: "Katsuyu-sama, please return for now. Thank you for today. Later, I have some matters I'd like to consult with you about."
"Always happy to serve you, Shuji." The small slug responded warmly. Then with a "poof," it and the Shikkotsu Forest scroll vanished together.
Shuji stood up. Contracting with Katsuyu was an unexpected gain. With Tsunade acting personally, Itachi's problem should be resolved.
He still needed to tie up other loose ends.
Chapters in advance there: patreon.com/Thaniel_a_goodchild