Hakushi looked at the surnames of the ninjas signing one by one. Besides the Uchiha Race, there were those from the Uzumaki Clan, the Senju Clan, and the Hagoromo Clan, which perished during the Warring States Era. They were all top-notch noble ninja clans in the Ninja Realm.
After hundreds of years, it was remarkable that the Contract Scroll could be preserved so well. Those who signed were once noble ninjas among the clans, making Hakushi think the origin of this Summoning Scroll was not simple.
Thus, he continued to spread out the scroll until it was completely opened. At the beginning, Hakushi saw a familiar title: Shikkotsu Forest Sage Katsuyu Sage.
"As expected, a Contract Scroll of the Three Great Sacred Lands? No wonder even the ninjas of the Uzumaki and Senju Clan rushed to sign their names on it."
It was as expected. Before seeing the origins of the scroll, Hakushi also thought that even if it wasn't one of the Sacred Lands' Contract Scrolls, it must belong to a Summoning Beast clan with profound origins.
"Unfortunately, the quota is full, and there's no way to sign a contract on it."
Hakushi regretfully prepared to close up the Contract Scroll, but just as he was rolling it back, a flash of inspiration struck his mind.
Wait, a contract!
Hakushi stopped rolling up the scroll, looking at the last vertical column in the signature section. The upper limit was signed with the name of a Senju Clan ninja from over three hundred years ago.
The name, written in blood, still retained part of its Chakra, continuing to play a role even now.
"Sorry, but I'll choose you to experiment with."
After saying this, Hakushi began to gather Chakra, forming Seals with both hands, and finally he slapped his right hand on the last column's name.
"Contract Seal!"
Chakra visibly flowed from his palm. The name of the Senju Clan ninja immediately lightened in color, and finally, both the blood-written name and fingerprint evaporated into the air, disappearing without a trace.
"This method really works. This way, the secrets of the Three Great Sacred Lands can be unveiled a step sooner."
A smile appeared on Hakushi's face. He bit his finger and without hesitation, signed his own name in the now-empty vertical column, pressing a scarlet fingerprint, signing a contract with the Katsuyu of Shikkotsu Forest.
Next, let's summon Katsuyu first and ask some questions before proceeding.
Rushing to a place like Shikkotsu Forest, Hakushi was uncertain about Katsuyu's attitude towards him. After all, it was a place inhabited by a Summoning Beast that had lived for over a thousand years. It's better to be cautious.
If he summoned Katsuyu here and the other party was dissatisfied with his contract signing method, he could choose to terminate the contract.
With this in mind, Hakushi went to the courtyard outside, preparing to perform the Summoning Jutsu to summon Katsuyu of Shikkotsu Forest.
Just as Hakushi stood up, white smoke suddenly emerged around him. When the smoke dispersed, Hakushi's figure had already disappeared from the spot.
About a minute later, someone knocked and walked in.
The person who came in was Ruri. Seeing the empty office, she immediately frowned in displeasure.
"Eh, is Hakushi not here?"
Ayane's voice appeared as well as she walked in from outside.
Like Ruri, she also saw the empty office and her expression was puzzled.
Ruri saw Ayane come in, and her frown deepened. She initially thought Hakushi had gone to Ayane's place, but Ayane's current appearance showed that Hakushi wasn't there either.
"What is this? A Contract Scroll?"
Ruri noticed the large unrolled scroll on the ground, with Hakushi's name signed in the last column.
Ayane activated her Byakugan and carefully gazed at the scroll.
"There is residual Chakra in the blood-formed name. It truly is a Summoning Contract Scroll."
She sighed, clearly understanding that Hakushi's disappearance was related to this Contract Scroll.
——On the other side.
Hakushi had arrived in a forest full of ghostly pale and gloomy trees, with thick white mist obscuring the view, making visible range very limited.
Hakushi scanned the surroundings, and on the ground and trees crawled blue-and-white slugs secreting transparent mucus from their mouths.
Within the mucus, Hakushi felt the presence of Natural Energy.
And in this space, the concentration of Natural Energy in the moist air was surprisingly dense, astonishing Hakushi.
"Shikkotsu Forest, indeed, the name suits it well."
Hakushi took a deep breath, understanding his current situation.
If something went wrong, he would gather all his clones here to deal with it.
Moreover, he did not sense any killing intent or hostility from the slugs in this forest, so there probably wouldn't be any fighting.
According to information Tsunade had once inadvertently revealed, the slugs of Shikkotsu Forest were Summoning Beasts very gentle-natured, not keen on slaughter and combat. Among the Three Great Sacred Lands, they were the most respectful of the Contractor's will.
So, negotiating would be the best outcome.
To say the least, Hakushi had no confidence in fighting a Summoning Beast that had been alive for over a thousand years.
Hakushi didn't walk far before he stopped.
Because there was no path ahead.
A massive black shadow loomed vaguely in the dense fog.
Hakushi looked up, showing a rare expression of awe on his face.
Katsuyu!
A blue-and-white slug of indescribable magnitude appeared alive before him.
To be more specific, even a gigantic serpent transformed from a Water Clone in Immortal Technique mode would seem like a baby compared to an adult in front of this slug.
The size difference was too overwhelming.
Just by rolling its body, it could cause the ground to quake and mountains to rock, possibly unleashing the destructive power of an S-rank offensive ninja technique.
Moreover, the Natural Energy and Chakra reserves inside the slug's body were boundless like an ocean.
No way! If it came to a fight, there was not even a glimpse of victory.
The opponent merely moving its body slightly would require him to go all out.
The power difference was too great for any schemes or machinations to be effective.
Suppressing the awe in his heart, Hakushi maintained a calm outward demeanor, showing no sign of fear.
The slug also revealed its massive head in the fog, lowering it to face Hakushi.
The scene remained eerily quiet.