Sage Katsuyu

A few more days passed.

Hinata Hyuga's injuries improved.

More accurately, Su Yu felt enough time had passed.

Kurenai Yuhi and the other two members of the Reconnaissance Squad had both come to visit Hinata Hyuga.

Su Yu came to look after her every day. This naturally displeased Hanabi Hyuga, who directly challenged him to prove his strength.

There was no need to say how it ended. In less than a minute, Su Yu had left her unable to fight back.

After that, Hanabi Hyuga started avoiding him.

According to Hyuga Hiashi, Hanabi Hyuga had doubled her training time.

Su Yu thought that was a good thing.

Meanwhile,

Ever since Uchiha Sasuke had received the Heaven Curse Mark, his strength had improved considerably. Under Kakashi's intensive training, he was now practicing Chidori.

Naruto Uzumaki had also encountered Jiraiya.

Haruno Sakura had joined the medical ninja department and begun her career as a proper medical ninja.

To complete his mission, Su Yu learned a genjutsu from Kurenai Yuhi: Tree Binding Death.

Next, he asked Hyuga Hiashi to help him collect ninjutsu.

Hyuga Hiashi naturally didn't refuse. He didn't even need to search very hard; the Hyuga Clan already had many ninjutsu scrolls.

Su Yu was progressing so quickly that he might well become a Jonin. By then, he would be a Jonin allied with the Hyuga Clan, Hinata Hyuga's husband, and one of their own whom they could trust completely.

Even the clan elders couldn't possibly oppose that.

A Jonin allied with the Hyuga Clan who was also a member of Anbu—that was like placing one of their own in the Anbu under the Hokage.

The Third Hokage knew about the relationship between the Hyuga Clan and Su Yu.

So, when Su Yu came to report what he had discovered during the Chunin Ninja Exams, the Third Hokage asked about him and Hinata Hyuga.

Su Yu answered honestly.

"Su Yu, congratulations." After hearing about Su Yu and Hinata Hyuga, the Third Hokage smiled.

"Thank you, Lord Hokage," Su Yu said respectfully.

"You did a good job completing this mission. Is there anything you'd like?" The Third Hokage looked at Su Yu kindly.

"Lord Hokage, if possible, I'd like to sign a Summoning Contract with Sage Katsuyu of Shikkotsu Forest." Su Yu hesitated briefly before answering.

"I heard you're quite skilled in Medical Ninjutsu. Do you want to join the medical ninja department in the future?" The Third Hokage asked, taken aback.

"I admire Lady Tsunade greatly. If possible, I'd like to become an excellent medical ninja too. But before that, I still want to work hard to become stronger," Su Yu replied.

The Third Hokage nodded, understanding what Su Yu meant.

If he could sign a Summoning Contract with Katsuyu, he could surpass ordinary medical ninjas. With Su Yu's rapid progress, he might truly become the next Tsunade.

As for how to contact Sage Katsuyu?

The answer was simple.

Konoha and the Three Great Sage Lands had some connections. Ryūchi Cave simply didn't welcome outsiders, Mount Myoboku was firmly on Konoha's side, and Shikkotsu Forest was relatively approachable.

The Third Hokage placed great importance on Su Yu's relationship with the Hyuga Clan.

The Hyuga Clan was currently Konoha's most powerful clan and had always been allied with the Hokage.

Now Su Yu was a member of Anbu under the Hokage, the boyfriend of the Hyuga Clan's young lady, and a genius of the younger generation.

Someone like him could become a pillar of Konoha in the future.

On top of that, Su Yu's parents had both served in Anbu under the Hokage. He was unquestionably one of their own.

That was also why the Third Hokage had forgiven Su Yu for sneaking a look at the Scroll of Sealing.

Things would have turned out differently if it had been someone else.

With that in mind, the Third Hokage stood up.

"Su Yu, come with me."

Half an hour later,

Su Yu left the Hokage Office.

He had received a scroll from the Third Hokage.

Once he opened it, he would be transported to Shikkotsu Forest. Whether he could sign a Summoning Technique contract with Katsuyu would depend on how he performed.

The main reason Su Yu chose Katsuyu was that she wasn't completely aligned with Konoha.

If he chose Mount Myoboku and then defected, Mount Myoboku would undoubtedly erase his Summoning Contract.

As for Ryūchi Cave, there was no need to even consider it.

Su Yu returned home and eagerly opened the scroll.

The next second,

He vanished.

When Su Yu opened his eyes,

He saw pure white trees all around him, without a single branch or leaf.

A faint mist enveloped the entire forest.

There was no doubt about it. This was Shikkotsu Forest.

It looked much as he had imagined it would.

Following the scroll's instructions, he walked ahead.

Before long,

Su Yu saw what looked like a small mountain...

No, it was Sage Katsuyu's true form.

"Oh? Are you from the Uzumaki Clan?" Sage Katsuyu seemed to sense Su Yu's bloodline.

"I do have Uzumaki blood. I came here to sign a contract with you." Su Yu looked at the Katsuyu before him.

"If you were from another clan, I might have had to think about it. But the Uzumaki Clan took care of me for a long time. Since you're their descendant, come and sign the contract." With that, Katsuyu spat out a large scroll.

Su Yu unrolled it, and the moment he saw the names written on it, he understood.

Most of them belonged to the Uzumaki Clan.

Lady Tsunade's name was there, too.

Su Yu wrote down his name and pressed his finger to the scroll, leaving a bloody fingerprint. The Summoning Contract was complete.

"The amount of chakra you use determines how large a Katsuyu you can summon. In an emergency, I can also summon you to Shikkotsu Forest," Sage Katsuyu said gently.

Her voice was very pleasant, like that of a kind older sister.

"I'll be counting on you from now on." Su Yu bowed to Sage Katsuyu.

"You don't need to thank me. The Uzumaki Clan did me a kindness, and I'm simply repaying it," Sage Katsuyu replied with a smile.

"If I become an enemy of Konoha, what would you do?" Su Yu raised his head and looked at Sage Katsuyu.

"I'm not like the toads of Mount Myoboku. I don't interfere in the affairs of the outside world, and I treat all my summoners equally. I won't tell Lady Tsunade where you are, nor will I tell you where Lady Tsunade is," Sage Katsuyu answered without hesitation.

Su Yu breathed a sigh of relief and asked no more.

"By the way, the Uzumaki Clan left a Sealing scroll with me. You may be the only surviving member of the clan now, so I'll give it to you. I hope you'll take good care of it." As she spoke, Sage Katsuyu spat out a large scroll.

"My strength is limited, and I'm not the only surviving member of the Uzumaki Clan. I know two others. Could I choose a few Sealing Jutsu from this scroll and leave the scroll here?" Su Yu thought for a moment before asking.

"Of course. This is a small contract scroll. If you give it to a member of the Uzumaki Clan, they can sign a contract with me directly. You can keep it." Sage Katsuyu spat out another, smaller scroll.

Su Yu looked at the small scroll. His name and Tsunade's were written on it.