Roshi couldn't make heads or tails of the thick ledgers stacked before him. After a moment's struggle, he decided not to pretend otherwise and went straight to someone who might actually understand.
"Oh?" Lady Tsunade's brow arched, a flicker of surprise lighting her amber eyes as she studied him. "There are things even you don't understand? Hmph—now you actually sound like a fourteen-year-old."
Her finger tapped the ledger lying open on the table.
"This one's the Deai Port account book."
Her tone shifted, growing just a shade sharper. "Ever wonder why the old man pays such attention to this place? Without it, how do you think we allocate D-rank mission quotas to the merchants and guilds at the port?"
She reached for the half-empty bottle beside her, gave it a small shake, then set it down with a soft clink. "Those endless low-level missions in the village don't just fall out of the sky, you know."
"There's never a shortage of high-ranking commissions—but weeding, finding cats, babysitting? Those don't exactly scream 'ninja work,' do they?"
She leaned back, voice taking on the lazy rhythm of someone in a talking mood. "When my granduncle was Hokage, he negotiated with families across the Land of Fire—including the Daimyō's palace itself."
"Every month, they'd provide Konoha with a set number of D-rank requests. And if they ran out of ideas, they'd just pay for the village to invent some."
Her gaze drifted toward the window. "With so many Genin from civilian families, without those small missions constantly cycling through, how would they train their bodies? Practice ninjutsu? Survive?"
She snorted softly. "That little Genin allowance barely buys three bowls of ramen."
Roshi stood quietly, absorbing the explanation—details about Konoha's inner workings he'd never bothered to consider before. He gave a small nod of acknowledgment, then turned to leave.
Tsunade remained seated on the veranda, eyes following his retreating figure as he disappeared around the corner. For a fleeting moment, she felt an odd flicker of satisfaction at her own "mentorship."
Then irritation crept in.
This kid... among the younger generation of the clans, he was the only one who didn't show her any real reverence. Respect, yes—but it was the polite kind, nothing more.
And she'd even given him the Shikkotsu Forest summoning contract!
Tsunade let out a huff and ran her fingers through her golden hair, tousling it in mild frustration before pouring herself another drink.
Meanwhile, Roshi had already sought out Jirocho for a quiet place to meditate.
Once alone, he formed a hand seal. With a soft puff of smoke, a palm-sized Katsuyu appeared on the tatami before him.
"Lady Katsuyu," Roshi said respectfully, straightening his posture. "I apologize for summoning you without notice."
"Please, there's no need for such formality, Roshi." The tiny slug's gentle voice echoed faintly, her tendrils swaying toward him. "What is it you require of me this time?"
"This may sound presumptuous," he began carefully, "but I'd like to ask about Sage Mode—if you have any knowledge of it."
The small eyes on Katsuyu's posterior tentacles regarded him quietly.
"Of course I know of Sage Mode," she said softly. "However, I must remind you—my main body does indeed possess the innate ability to absorb and refine natural energy into Sage Chakra. In human terms, it holds the power of a Sage."
Her tiny body lifted slightly off the floor. "But unlike Mount Myōboku or Ryūchi Cave, the Sage Arts of Shikkotsu Forest are almost unknown—and with good reason."
"There is only one Katsuyu."
Her voice carried the weight of ages. "Over the centuries, many have come to Shikkotsu Forest seeking guidance, hoping to learn the ways of the Sage."
"But for us, such things are… natural. We never needed a cultivation system. Absorbing natural energy is as simple as breathing."
"Still, because their resolve was strong, my main body offered aid—by splitting off a small portion of itself to attach to the practitioner, helping them perceive and draw in natural energy."
From her tone alone, Roshi could tell the results hadn't been ideal.
"All of the first practitioners failed," Katsuyu said quietly. "Our power is innate—we can guide, but we cannot dispel the excess natural energy once control is lost."
"Later generations refined the process. With a fragment of my body attached, it became possible to slowly absorb runaway natural energy from within the practitioner. But the condition remains the same."
"The practitioner must first survive the initial onslaught—endure the violent Snake of natural energy entering the body without turning to stone or dying instantly."
Roshi, recalling the fierce turbulence he'd experienced through his Wood Clone experiments, immediately grasped the danger.
At Mount Myōboku, the toad oil assisted with perception, and the elder sages stood ready to intervene.
At Ryūchi Cave, the White Snake Sage injected her own chakra, allowing partial control.
But Shikkotsu Forest's method… was far slower. Success relied entirely on one's own chakra and luck—essentially leaving the outcome to fate.
And the very step he was struggling with was this: balancing the absorption of natural energy and fusing it with his own chakra into true Sage Chakra.
"Lady Katsuyu," Roshi admitted, "I can already sense natural energy. But every attempt to blend it into Sage Chakra has failed."
"Failed?" Katsuyu's tiny form froze for a heartbeat.
She could sense it—he was still flesh and blood. Alive. That meant he'd survived failure. Impossible… unless someone was aiding him. But no—if he had a toad's help, he wouldn't be asking her.
"When attempting fusion, I use a Wood Clone," Roshi explained. "My main body observes from the side, ready to dispel it if something goes wrong."
"The Senju Clan has produced another Wood Release user…" Katsuyu murmured, a faint note of admiration in her voice. "Lady Tsunade would surely be proud."
Then her tone sharpened. "It's clever—using a Wood Clone to bear the risk instead of your real body. But by dividing your focus to monitor it, you've already broken the first rule of Sage training: complete concentration."
Her eyes glowed faintly. "Your chakra is extraordinary, Roshi. And though caution is wise when pursuing Sagehood, in your case—it's that very caution that's holding you back."
Her words struck home.
For natural energy to petrify a human, it must vastly exceed their chakra. That was why only those with great chakra reserves could even attempt Sage Mode.
If one's chakra was too weak, they'd be erased instantly.
But those with strong chakra could resist the transformation—buying just enough time to suppress or dispel the excess energy.
Roshi looked up. "Then, in your estimation—if I allowed my true body to endure the flow of natural energy directly, how long could I maintain control before losing it completely?"
Katsuyu seemed to ponder for a moment. "Based on the chakra quality you displayed when you replenished Lady Tsunade's reserves… I'd say you could last over two minutes."
She inclined slightly. "And if I, as your contracted summon, absorb the excess natural energy during that time… your chances of succeeding in Sage Mode training would be very high."
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