The toads of Mount Myoboku, the slugs of Shikkotsu Forest, and the white snakes of Ryuchi Cave—all stood as transcendent beings towering over humanity, especially when compared to humans now living in a primitive state with only rudimentary tools.
Just from their massive forms, one could tell they possessed immense Fairy Chakra.
Among them, the slug had a relatively gentle nature, ruling Shikkotsu Forest alone—being the sole representative of her entire species.
She possessed formidable healing powers, the ability to divide into countless clones, complete immunity to physical attacks, and her acidic secretions could effortlessly dissolve stone into vapor...
After eons of training, she grew larger and larger, never revealing her full form to anyone.
All these traits allowed her to match Gamamaru and the White Snake Sage in power, maintaining balance among the three great forces.
However, to Kaguya, this slug appeared no different from any ordinary one—just a little larger.
Before her attack even landed, popping sounds burst out as the slug split into countless tiny slugs that poured onto the ground like rain. Then, they crawled in unison toward the same direction.
"So many! Which one is the real body?" Kaguya muttered. "Hmm? Could it be they're trying to escape toward the exit?"
A sharp Gray Bone appeared in her palm, and Kaguya grinned as if she'd found something amusing.
As the slugs crawled forward, she slowly followed behind, playing her cat-and-mouse game.
Meanwhile, Hiroki had already flown around Shikkotsu Forest once.
This confirmed for him that the area was enclosed.
No matter which direction he traveled—up, down, left, right, front, or back—there was always a limit.
Here was a reachable boundary, while the Ninja World beyond remained unfathomably distant.
He returned to the surface, tracking toward where Kaguya was.
In the jungle, Kaguya wore a mischievous smile, jabbing each small slug she caught until it died, as if someone stabbing randomly with a needle.
Moreover, under the influence of Gray Bone, those small slugs began to petrify one by one, crumbling to dust on the ground.
Faced with relentless pursuit and perilous situations, Katsuyu was forced to use her abilities to the fullest.
Split... then split again...
Shrink... become even smaller...
Some slugs had become so tiny they were barely visible to the naked eye!
Driven purely by survival instinct!
"Moon."
Hearing that voice, Kaguya paused temporarily, and the slugs collectively exhaled in relief.
"This place—is it something you created yourself?" Hiroki asked.
Still wary of their power, the slug maintained a cooperative attitude and answered concisely.
"This place was naturally formed—I simply took possession of it afterward," replied a slightly larger slug.
Slightly furrowing his eyebrows, Hiroki didn't truly believe this explanation. After all, there was no natural connection between Shikkotsu Forest and the outside world, making spontaneous formation highly unlikely.
Yet, the slug didn't seem to be lying either.
In that case, she really knew nothing about its origin.
"What exactly is your purpose? Surely it's not to take over this place?" Katsuyu cautiously asked based on Hiroki's earlier question.
Why did these two people pick on her the moment they arrived? Should she fight back? If she released all her stored acid, it could completely corrode the ground of Shikkotsu Forest, even sinking the entire terrain. What a dilemma...
"You should know who we are if you've had any contact with other sages," Hiroki replied calmly.
Katsuyu fell silent upon hearing those words.
Who's been sticking their nose out lately?
"Our goal is also quite straightforward—[Sage Art], a technique that draws from natural energy." Kaguya spoke after exchanging glances with Hiroki.
The difference between Sage Art and chakra was that chakra focused on internal energy, while Sage Art centered around external natural energy. If one's chakra reserves were mediocre, the more they fought, the more exhausted they would become, even consuming their own life force. Using Sage Art generally allowed direct replenishment from the surrounding environment.
Storing fairy chakra within oneself was actually an additional safeguard.
As for Kaguya, although she had obtained power from the God Tree and could integrate with nature, she hadn't truly mastered natural forces. The energy she used was still chakra transformed by the God Tree, rather than original natural energy itself.
"With your strength, Sage Art must be more or less optional for you two..." Katsuyu said thoughtfully.
At this point, judging from their eye colors, she had roughly guessed their identities.
They didn't belong to this world.
Could she really trust handing over Sage Art techniques to them?
"If you're unwilling, your existence remains equally insignificant," Kaguya remarked with a half-smile.
Katsuyu opened her mouth but immediately found herself at a loss for words.
Why did they specifically seek her out? Was it simply because she stood alone?
"At least tell me what you intend to do with Sage Art," Katsuyu muttered unhappily, already beginning to yield.
"Looks like you really don't care what's happening outside..." Hiroki sighed and began explaining about the Otsutsuki Clan.
"...I agree to your request."
After listening to his explanation, Katsuyu murmured, inwardly grumbling: Didn't you cause all this trouble yourselves?
Outside.
The sun hung high as Hayato and Hamura relaxed, using their arms as pillows while reclining on the roof of a house, gazing toward the God Tree, wearing satisfied smiles.
After more than a month of hard work, they had constructed concentric circles of houses centered around the God Tree.
They were built uniformly and consistently in style.
Anyone unfamiliar with the situation would instantly recognize it as a village.
They felt extremely pleased with their current achievements.
After a brief rest, Hamura sat up and turned to the person beside him, asking, "Elder brother, do you currently possess sufficient Yin-Yang Release techniques to create a vessel covering the entire God Tree?"
"Hamura, have you already calculated the required space?" Hayato asked in return.
"Yes," Hamura nodded.
Hayato showed slight bitterness across his features, "Not yet."
"With your talent, elder brother, it shouldn't take long," Hamura calmly reassured him.
"It will probably look like a giant black sphere, or take some other form, if sealed with the Yin-Yang Release jutsu," Yugito mused. "But that would still easily attract unwanted curiosity."
"The best solution would be transporting it into outer space beyond the planet's surface," Ibuki suggested. "Father's ocular ability or Mother's spatial powers could make that happen..."
Before he could finish, Hayato interrupted, "They've already said they won't help us again. And doing something like that might really anger Mother."
"Alternatively," Hamura proposed, "we could build a massive palace right where the God Tree originally stood."
After thoughtful contemplation, Hayato found himself leaning towards Ibuki's first suggestion.
He instinctively straightened up and locked eyes with Hamura.
I wonder when my eyes will awaken. If I had eyes like Mom's or Dad's, maybe I could do the same things they can...
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