Shinji returned to Tsunade's residence with a reluctant look on his face.
Like a drowning man desperately grasping at the last straw, he had keenly felt the Uchiha Clan's greed and obsession for the position of Hokage from his conversation with Fugaku just now.
Was that position really so important?
Perhaps they had all been poisoned by something called "power"?
Shinji propped up his chin, sitting silently in his chair.
"What's wrong?" Tsunade's voice, tinged with a hint of confusion, sounded from across him.
The moment she returned, she had noticed that the boy was preoccupied. As his teacher, it was only natural for her to ask.
Shinji was abruptly pulled back to his senses, only then realizing that Tsunade had sat down opposite him at some point. Shizune, who was on the sofa, also looked over.
He then realized that he had been far too obvious.
Shinji smiled and explained, "I've accepted a clan mission. I might have to leave the village for a bit."
"I'll probably be in the Land of Rain for a few days."
He remembered Fugaku's instructions and didn't reveal any specific details, only simply stating the location.
"The Land of Rain?" Tsunade's expression changed slightly. "What are you going there for?"
She would never forget that place for the rest of her life. Back then, she, Jiraiya, and Orochimaru had fought Hanzō of the Salamander in the Land of Rain. Even by joining forces, they had failed to take the man down. It was also from that battle that they were given the title of "Sannin."
The title was bestowed by Hanzō, and none of the three liked it, yet it still spread throughout the entire Shinobi World.
Faced with Tsunade's questioning, Shinji just shrugged helplessly without answering.
Tsunade understood instantly, assuming it was an internal affair of the Uchiha that was inconvenient for him to discuss.
At this moment, Shizune also walked over and asked with concern, "Is there anything we can do to help?"
"Thank you, Shizune, but I can handle it myself," Shinji said, shaking his head.
Tsunade bit her lower lip and let out a low "tsk." The moment she heard he was going to the Land of Rain, a strong sense of unease washed over her.
She subconsciously pulled three dice from her pocket and casually tossed them onto the table.
The dice clattered and spun on the tabletop, making a crisp sound.
Shinji watched in a daze as the three dice slowly came to a stop, all showing sixes facing up.
Three sixes. A leopard.
"This is terrible," Tsunade said in a low voice.
She knew her gambling luck all too well. Losing every bet was the norm, but once she won, or even rolled such a rare and excellent hand, it meant something extremely bad was about to happen to someone close to her.
And for so many years, it had come true every single time, as accurate as a prophecy.
Shizune also hurried over. After seeing the numbers on the dice, she covered her face and exclaimed in shock, "Lady Tsunade, you actually rolled three sixes!"
The two of them looked at Shinji in unison, as if misfortune was already hanging over his head.
Shinji's face darkened slightly as he reached out and gathered the dice.
"Teacher Tsunade, I haven't even left for my mission yet. Don't jinx me like this."
Though he spoke lightly, alarm bells were already ringing in his heart.
He also knew about Tsunade's unusual "good luck."
Could it be that this time, it was coming true for him?
The current Land of Rain involved Hanzo and Danzo, and perhaps even members of Akatsuki, and maybe even Obito.
The thought of getting entangled with so many troublesome figures made Shinji rub his temples, a headache inexplicably setting in.
It seemed he would have to be doubly careful on this trip.
Seeing Shinji take the dice, Tsunade immediately snatched them back, clutching them tightly to her chest as if they were her last remaining possessions.
"Hey! Those are mine!"
Tsunade thought for a moment, deciding to do something for Shinji.
"Come with me."
She dropped that line, turned, and walked out of the entryway into the courtyard.
Shinji and Shizune exchanged a glance and quickly followed.
Tsunade stood quietly on the stone slabs, wiped her thumb across her lips, and her hands flew through a series of Hand Seals.
"Summoning Technique!"
Poof—
A cloud of white smoke exploded, and a slug, half the height of a person and bluish-white all over, slowly materialized. Its body was covered in a layer of mucus, and it made a soft "plop" sound as it landed. It was also carrying a massive Scroll on its back.
It raised its head slightly and looked gently at Tsunade, its voice soft and respectful. "Lady Tsunade."
Tsunade nodded and stroked the slug's soft head, saying softly, "Thank you for your hard work, Katsuyu."
"It's Lady Katsuyu!" Shizune stepped forward and greeted her with a smile.
"Shizune, long time no see." Katsuyu gave her a gentle nudge.
A slug from Shikkotsu Forest.
A top-tier Summoning Beast from one of the three great sage regions, a division of the Slug Sage.
Legend had it that Katsuyu's main body was so enormous that no one could summon it in its entirety. Even its divided individuals possessed top-tier medical, division, sensory, and sharing abilities, and they had a gentle and reliable personality.
Shinji's gaze fell on the Scroll on Katsuyu's back, and his heart began to beat a little faster.
Could it be?
Tsunade walked to Katsuyu's side, took down the heavy Scroll, and pointed at Shinji as she introduced him, "Katsuyu, this is my new disciple, Uchiha Shinji. Could I trouble you with this matter?"
Shinji immediately understood and stepped forward, bowing respectfully. "Lady Katsuyu."
Katsuyu slowly crawled to his side, its soft body swaying slightly as it looked him up and down, then said gently:
"No problem."
Having received Katsuyu's approval, Tsunade smiled and unrolled the Scroll, spreading it flat on the ground.
She lifted her chin, gesturing to Shinji. "Shinji, this is the Summoning Contract Scroll for Shikkotsu Forest. Sign it, and you'll be able to summon Katsuyu directly from now on."
"She can help you in a critical moment."
She had originally planned to let Shinji form the contract with Katsuyu when the time was right. But this time, he was going to the Land of Rain, a place fraught with unpredictable dangers, and she really couldn't rest easy.
A warmth spread through Shinji's heart. He clearly felt Tsunade's concern and silently committed it to memory.
Without hesitation, he bit his fingertip and wrote his name on the contract.
After finishing, he returned the Scroll to Katsuyu and bowed again. "I'll be in your care from now on, Lady Katsuyu."
"I'll be in your care as well, Shinji."
With the contract complete, Katsuyu didn't linger and prepared to return to Shikkotsu Forest.
But just before Katsuyu disappeared, a thought struck Shinji, and he quickly activated his character detection on her.
He suddenly remembered that his System could also bind with Summoning Beasts.
How many Points would that be worth?
Shinji immediately focused his mind, called up the System Panel, and fixed his gaze on the information box that popped up.
[Character: Katsuyu (Division Body)]
[Skills: Division Lv.MAX, Tongue Tooth Sticky Acid Lv.MAX, Visual Field Sharing Lv.3, Group Medical Treatment Lv.MAX...]
[Estimated Conquest Success Point Reward: Ambiguous Relationship / 30,000 Points, True Love Relationship / 600,000 Points...]
[Note: Difficulty rating in progress. A division of the thousand-year-old Slug Sage of Shikkotsu Forest. The summoned body's size is determined by the caster's Chakra. It is not an independent entity. If it were to take human form, it would surely be a kind and beautiful gentle older sister.]
Although it was a division body, the Points were quite substantial, and the difficulty wasn't too high. After all, Katsuyu's personality was inherently gentle and easy to approach.
Just as Shinji was casually scrolling through the information box, a new notification suddenly popped up on the panel, stunning him on the spot.
[Initial Conquest of Minato Namikaze has been completed. Ambiguous Relationship has been established.]
[Host has received the first-tier Point Reward: 100,000 Points.]
[Bond Relationship has not yet been confirmed. Please advance the relationship as soon as possible to complete the Bond Establishment and obtain the second-tier reward.]
It seemed that because of the wedding gift he gave at Minato's wedding, his favorability with Minato had also quietly broken through the first stage.
Looking at the increased Points on the panel, Shinji couldn't help but let the corners of his mouth curve upward slightly.
He hadn't even set off for the Land of Rain yet, and he had already made a huge profit.
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