Chapter 85: The Slug Sage
The evening after the surgery ended.
In the hospital courtyard, HaRoko~kun was lying like a corpse on a makeshift rocking chair.
With the continuous studying and surgeries, even he was a bit tired.
"Hey, brat. Since you've become my apprentice, you need to sign the contract that needs to be signed."
Suddenly, two shadows obscured the sunlight.
'Oh my god, what has blinded my eyes."
"Contract?" HaRoko~kun replied absent-mindedly, his attention already drawn elsewhere.
"The Summoning Technique contract for the Slug."
HaRoko~kun then remembered; because the apprenticeship business had distracted him, he had forgotten that he hadn't signed the Slug's Summoning Technique contract yet.
'The Summoning Technique contracts of the Three Great Sage Regions..."
As a transmigrator, HaRoko~kun naturally knew of the power of the Three Great Sage Regions.
Each had its own inheritance, and several of their leaders even had the strength to go head-to-head with a Tailed Beast.
But they were definitely not on the human side; they could only be considered collaborators.
Ryūchi Cave eats people, Mount Myōboku tricks people, and Shikkotsu Forest had relatively few descriptions in the original work, but it still couldn't be taken lightly.
'Those not of my kind must have a different heart... But I still have to sign it; I'll just have to be extra cautious."
"Alright, how do I sign it?"
Tsunade threw a huge scroll directly to HaRoko~kun.
"Bite your finger, sign your name, and press your handprint," Tsunade said, pointing to the blank space at the end of the scroll.
" Tsunade didn't write Senju Tsunade, and Shizune didn't write Shizune Kato, so it should be fine if I just write HaRoko~kun..."
HaRokokun didn't hesitate. He bit his finger, wrote the two characters "HaRokokun" after Shizune's name, and pressed his bloody handprint.
After closing the scroll, the huge scroll disappeared in a puff of white smoke.
"Alright, try summoning," Tsunade said, crossing her arms with a look of amusement. "You don't need much Chakra for the first time; just summon a small one to get acquainted."
HaRoko~kun nodded, formed the hand seals, and slapped his palm on the ground.
"Summoning Technique!"
Poof!
The white smoke dissipated, and a palm-sized white Slug with blue stripes appeared on the floor. Its antennae swayed slightly as it emitted a gentle female voice:
"Lady Tsunade, it has been a long time. Is there anything you need?"
"Nothing much, just introducing you to a newcomer," Tsunade said, gesturing with her chin toward HaRoko~kun. "My newly accepted apprentice. If he's about to die in the future, keep an eye on him and save him."
The Slug turned around slowly, its antennae pointing toward HaRoko~kun.
"Nice to meet you, I am..."
The Slug's words stopped halfway.
The previously limp Slug suddenly stiffened as if electrocuted, its body tensing up sharply, and its two antennae trembling crazily.
"La... Lady Tsunade..."
The Slug had completely lost its usual composure.
"What kind of person is this child? No... what is this child?"
HaRoko~kun, who was preparing to receive a greeting from a "gentle big sister," froze.
Is this the Slug Sage? That's a rather unique way of greeting someone, isn't it?
Tsunade raised an eyebrow: "What? Is there a problem with this kid?"
"I have never seen a human capable of gathering such vast Natural Energy within their body!"
The Slug crawled a circle around HaRoko~kun while speaking.
"Um... may I examine your body?"
"HaRoko~kun, put it on top of your head."
"Uh... alright..." Although he was a bit resistant, HaRoko~kun did as he was told.
It wasn't the slimy, mucus-covered creature he had imagined; the feeling of holding it was more like a soft rubber toy, very similar in size and shape.
"I get the feeling you're thinking about something strange..." The Slug shivered on his hand.
Sliding from HaRokokun's head, the Slug crawled over his neck, circled his chest, and finally emerged from his back to rest on HaRokokun's shoulder.
"There are no signs of backlash... It's truly incredible."
"As expected." Tsunade wore an "I knew it" expression, then leaned in and asked, "Slug, do you think this kid can practice Sage Mode?"
This was also one of the reasons Tsunade was in a rush to have HaRoko~kun sign the contract.
Since this kid had such high affinity for Natural Energy, it would be a complete waste not to learn Sage Mode.
"...I'm afraid it's very difficult."
The Slug was silent for a moment before finally giving an unexpected answer.
"Huh?"
"Usually, Sage Mode Chakra requires the user to fuse their own physical energy, spiritual energy, and Natural Energy in a 1:1:1 ratio. Once enough Sage Mode Chakra is accumulated in the body, they enter Sage Mode."
"But this child has far too much Natural Energy in his body! The amount of physical and spiritual energy he would need would be dozens, or even hundreds of times that of a normal person! It's simply impossible to achieve!"
Tsunade's expression was complicated.
On one hand, HaRoko~kun possessing such vast Natural Energy was indeed a gifted talent.
On the other hand, this talent had instead become an obstacle to practicing Sage Mode.
"Then... is there any other way?"
"Theoretically, if one could control the amount of Natural Energy used and only mix a small portion, it might be possible. But..."
"Yeah, that's impossible for now," HaRoko~kun concluded directly. "It's like trying to pour water from a washbasin into a teacup; it's too difficult."
HaRoko~kun, however, was not in a hurry at all.
Although the efficiency wasn't high, the Natural Energy stored in his body could be converted into Chakra to replenish consumption during battle.
And the ultimate form of this ability was the God Tree of the Ōtsutsuki, the Ten-Tails.
'If I could see the God Tree with my own eyes..."
Unfortunately, he would have to wait many years to see the God Tree with his own eyes.
Besides that, there was another plan: wait until his body evolved so that his Chakra capacity matched his Natural Energy capacity.
Unfortunately, this would also take many years.
HaRoko~kun shook off these thoughts, put on a regretful expression, and shrugged.
"Well, looks like I won't be able to be a Sage in this lifetime. What a waste of such a good constitution."
Although Tsunade felt it was a pity, she quickly let it go.
"Forget it, if you can't use it, you can't use it." She walked over and patted HaRoko~kun's shoulder. "Focus on mastering Medical Ninjutsu first. Don't always think about reaching the sky in one step."
Tsunade said to the Slug: "Alright, you can go back now."
"Yes, Lady Tsunade." The Slug disappeared into a puff of white smoke.
...
The next morning, Uchiha Fugaku was undergoing his final check-up at the hospital.
"Vision is completely normal. The Sharingan can also be activated normally. The surgery was a success." Tsunade gave her conclusion after the check-up.
After saying goodbye to Tsunade and Shizune, HaRoko~kun and Uchiha Fugaku set off on the journey back to Konoha.
Uchiha Itachi did not leave with them.
This guy's body was too depleted, and he still needed to stay by Tsunade's side to recuperate for a while.
Furthermore, according to the later plans, once his body recovered, he was supposed to go to the "Akatsuki" to act as an undercover agent.
"This time, it was really thanks to you, HaRoko~kun." Walking on the road, Uchiha Fugaku couldn't help but sigh with emotion. "If you don't mind, the doors of the Uchiha Clan will always be open to you in the future."
"You're too kind, Uncle Fugaku."
Maintaining a good relationship was fine, but HaRoko~kun didn't want to get completely tied down to the Uchiha Clan.
'I just hope I can have a few more peaceful days after returning to the village this time."
Want To Read More Chapters? Check Out 80+Advanced Chapters At PA Treon
patreon.com/SloppyGuy