It had been seven days since Nagare and Haseo's first battle.
During these days, the two continued their tactical game of pursuit and evasion. They had fought so many times that no one could keep count anymore—but the results always remained clear-cut... again and again, Haseo attempted to turn the tide, only to face defeat time after time.
In terms of close combat ability, Haseo was clearly no match for his opponent. However, thanks to his superior speed, he managed to retreat in critical situations. Although he had experienced multiple near-death moments—blades nearly slicing across his throat—he somehow survived them all.
These past few days had been extremely difficult for Haseo because his opponent wasn't always just Nagare. Sometimes while escaping, he accidentally stumbled into patrols of other Amegakure ninja.
A Konoha shinobi within the Land of Rain could expect hostility from every corner. In such continuous fighting, Haseo definitely hadn't been handling things effortlessly—but at least he'd managed to stay alive, which itself was already quite remarkable.
Right now, Nagare stood motionless upon a tree trunk, allowing the pouring rain to wash over him.
His gaze fixed on the direction Haseo had fled. Just moments ago, they had engaged in their most intense fight yet. The devastated battlefield around them bore witness to that clash. During this particular confrontation, Haseo still failed to gain an advantage—and when he escaped this time, he did so gravely wounded, completely losing the sharp speed he had maintained until now.
For Nagare, this was the ideal moment to strike. Yet he didn't move forward. Instead, he simply stayed rooted to the spot as if deliberately allowing Haseo to escape.
More precisely, he had actually taken one step forward—before catching himself and withdrawing. Though he remained physically unharmed from the latest battle, something about this encounter made his body tremble uncontrollably now.
The reason was simple—he finally realized a shocking truth. The person he was fighting was no longer just another Konoha shinobi—it was starting to mirror himself.
Haseo was using [Taijutsu] against its original practitioner—Nagare himself.
This was almost unimaginable. Even the famed [Sharingan], known for its copying ability, could only imitate movements—not fully replicate a complete taijutsu system. And yet, during their last engagement, Nagare distinctly sensed his own taijutsu framework being absorbed by Haseo.
The realization brought Nagare's pursuit to a halt.
Meanwhile, Haseo staggered forward. Continuous battles left him little time to recover chakra, and now he couldn't maintain [Lightning Release] any longer.
"Katsuyu, leave behind a marker."
While still capable of moving, Haseo gave the command.
"Yes, Lord Haseo."
Katsuyu responded obediently. Then half her body emerged from Haseo's shoulder, split into two parts—one continuing to accompany Haseo, the other leaping from his shoulder directly into the rainy night and dense forest.
Just then, as Haseo was on the verge of collapse midair and about to plummet downward, his figure abruptly vanished.
He gently hit the ground again—but beneath him was no longer the damp forest of the Land of Rain. Instead, it was the sweltering, humid earth of Shikkotsu Forest.
He had been forced to use the Reverse Summoning Jutsu...
This ninja technique, completely opposite to the standard Summoning Jutsu, was actually quite intricate in its activation process. Strictly speaking, the practitioner of the Reverse Summoning wasn't Haseo himself but rather Katsuyu's main body within Shikkotsu Forest. Therefore, for this technique to work, the individual Katsuyu on Haseo's back first needed to release its own Summoning Jutsu. After returning to Shikkotsu Forest, it would relay the intent backward, allowing the great slug of Shikkotsu Forest to summon Haseo over.
Other than the reversal of summoner and summoned, there was little obvious difference between Summoning Jutsu and Reverse Summoning. Both were based upon the Summoning Contract established between the summoner and the beast—sealed through mutual chakra or blood binding.
Then, the ground beneath Haseo slightly swelled up. A slug the same size as him climbed underneath, carrying him swiftly into the barrier within Katsuyu's body.
...
When Haseo finally regained consciousness, the familiar surroundings momentarily disoriented him. His memories slowly returned though... He recalled that after his last fight with the rogue ninja Nagare, he had sustained serious injuries, forcing him to retreat here into Shikkotsu Forest.
"How long have I been out?" he rasped, his voice hoarse from disuse.
"The battle took place one day ago, Lord Haseo," echoed Katsuyu's ethereal voice inside the space. Immediately afterward, a small slug descended from above the barrier and dropped before Haseo.
"Your wounds have undergone basic treatment, though my capabilities remain significantly limited without infusion of Tsunade's medical chakra. For now, please refrain from excessive movement, Lord Haseo," Katsuyu continued.
Katsuyu was a medical-type summoned beast—a role she had developed through her long association with Tsunade. Right now, without receiving any supplementary healing chakra from Tsunade, her treatment capabilities were significantly limited at the moment.
Haseo turned onto his back as instructed, keeping still just like Katsuyu had advised. Then he closed his eyes once more, replaying snatches of the recent battles in his mind.
Some time later, he suddenly shot out his fist:
"Was it supposed to be like this?"
No one could answer Haseo's question. The next instant, the abrupt movement tore open his fresh wounds, causing sharp pain that made his face twist in agony.
He lay still for a moment. Then, with visible effort, he pushed himself to his feet. First, he changed out of his muddy clothes, then leaned against the wall and gradually walked step-by-step beyond the barrier.
He needed to find a place to wash off the mud and blood caked onto his body.
Because Haseo had often moved around the Shikkotsu Forest before, and since he personally enjoyed such "secret bases," this place was by no means lacking in daily necessities he had stored here—whether clothing, food, or drinking water.
After exiting the barrier, Haseo immediately found a nearby hot spring and submerged his body into it.
Thinking carefully about it, the entire Shikkotsu Forest consisted of Katsuyu's body. Essentially, he was bathing on top of a giant slug—that should've been kinda exciting… Yeah right.
Right now, the only thing on Haseo's mind was the fight from earlier… The experience had already been gained; now it was time to process it, get used to it, and make it his own.
Once cleaned up, Haseo used layers of bandages to wrap his external wounds… But Katsuyu didn't even have hands—it couldn't possibly be expected to perform detailed medical tasks like wrapping wounds.
From then onward, for a full month, Haseo remained inside the Shikkotsu Forest, seemingly having forgotten all about that intense battle—but actually, precisely because of that fight, he now had the opportunity to further study everything learned during combat, aiming toward practical application, mastery, and refinement.
One month later, Haseo's injuries no longer affected his mobility. At this point, it was time to return to the battlefield.
"Katsuyu, can you determine specific coordinates within the Land of Rain?"
"Hmm, my clones constantly renew themselves, but they have always remained there."
"Then perform a reverse summoning jutsu from that location—transport me back to the battlefield… That fight hasn't ended yet. It's time I put an end to it."
A lot of time had passed—common sense said the enemy shouldn't still be there. Yet Haseo's instincts told him otherwise; the opponent should still be there.
Because their battle had not yet produced a result.
P.S. Don't forget to drop a recommendation vote!
I'm just a cold, emotionless vote-gathering machine.
<><><><><><><><>
Thank you for reading! Your support will keep me updating!
~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** this weekend!
<><><><><><><><>
~ 100+ Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon!
~ More *Free* Chapters and Books Available on Patreon!
patreon.com/Tansnovel
<><><><><><><><>