Reverse Summoning Technique

The days spent training under Tsunade were demanding but fulfilling. Uchiha Ling's life had settled into a simple routine between three places: the Uchiha Compound, Konoha Hospital, and Training Ground 3.

Tsunade's teaching style matched her forthright appearance: strict, direct, and focused on achieving the best possible results.

Her demands for chakra control were nearly exacting, far beyond the basic tree-climbing and Water Walking exercises from his days at the Ninja Academy.

For an ordinary Genin, this kind of high-intensity training would have been nothing short of hellish.

But with the all-around improvements granted by the system, and the focus and comprehension that came with a transmigrator's soul, Uchiha Ling managed to complete every difficult task Tsunade assigned.

His rate of progress often surprised even Tsunade. At first, he'd needed to concentrate with all his might just to scrape through. Before long, he was handling the exercises with ease, even finding time to consider how different Chakra Nature Transformations might be combined.

That day, after completing another precise Chakra Scalpel exercise—perfectly separating the veins of a falling leaf without damaging the leaf itself—Tsunade folded her arms and nodded in satisfaction.

"Not bad, kid. You've built a solid foundation. Fine chakra control is the basis of Medical Ninjutsu, and it's also key to learning my school's Taijutsu."

Tsunade walked to the center of the training ground, her expression turning serious. "Next, I'll teach you the core summoning technique passed down through my Senju line."

Uchiha Ling's heart stirred. The main event had finally arrived. The Shikkotsu Forest contract he'd been looking forward to was about to be within reach.

Tsunade bit her thumb, rapidly formed the Hand Seals—Boar, Dog, Rooster, Monkey, Ram—and pressed her palm to the ground. "Summoning Technique!"

A huge cloud of white smoke rose, accompanied by a powerful surge of chakra.

As the smoke cleared, a giant slug as big as a small mountain appeared on the training ground.

Its body was a soft, pale blue, smooth and moist. A pair of cute antennae sprouted from its head, and its entire presence radiated calm and healing.

"Lady Tsunade."

The slug spoke in a gentle female voice, then split off a smaller body that landed on Tsunade's shoulder.

"Slug, I called you here today so my new disciple, Uchiha Ling, can sign a summoning contract."

Tsunade patted Uchiha Ling on the shoulder as she spoke to the slug.

Uchiha Ling stepped forward and bowed respectfully to the giant slug. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Slug. I'm Uchiha Ling."

The slug's gentle voice sounded directly in Uchiha Ling's mind. "There's no need for such formality, Lord Ling. Lady Tsunade has told me about you. She said you have an extraordinary talent for medical ninjutsu. Anyone held in such high regard by Lady Tsunade must be exceptional."

Tsunade took a huge scroll from her robes and spread it across the ground.

It was already covered in names. Hashirama Senju and Tobirama Senju's names were at the very top, with Tsunade's below them. There weren't many other names.

"Ling, bite your thumb, press your blood here, and write your name. Then gather your chakra, form the Hand Seals for the Summoning Technique, and try to summon a slug clone."

Tsunade pointed to a blank space on the scroll.

Uchiha Ling did as instructed.

As he pressed his blood to the scroll and wrote "Uchiha Ling," he clearly sensed a strange ripple of energy coming from it.

Then Uchiha Ling formed the Hand Seals for the Summoning Technique and gathered his chakra.

He deliberately limited how much chakra he released, since this was his first attempt. But just as he was about to complete the jutsu, something unexpected happened!

The chakra inside him—especially its spiritual energy—seemed to resonate in an extraordinary way with Shikkotsu Forest, where he had just signed the contract.

His Sharingan had yet to awaken, but the Yin Release power inherited from his Uchiha bloodline seemed drawn to the Natural Energy of Shikkotsu Forest like a pair of magnets.

Uchiha Ling felt his chakra abruptly slip out of control and get drawn into the contract scroll—far more than he'd intended to release.

"Hmm? That chakra..." Tsunade frowned, sensing something was wrong. The chakra Uchiha Ling was unleashing was nothing like that of a freshly graduated Genin. It even surpassed an elite jonin's, and the spiritual energy within it was astonishingly pure and immense.

Boom!

An even thicker cloud of white smoke burst out, nearly engulfing the entire training ground.

As the smoke began to clear, Tsunade and the little slug on her shoulder stared in astonishment.

"Is this... Reverse Summoning Technique?!" Tsunade cried out, recognizing the jutsu.

It was a technique that only the leaders of summoning beast clans could use, allowing them to forcibly summon a contractor to their sacred land.

How many years had it been since Shikkotsu Forest had last reverse-summoned a contractor? Even Tsunade herself had never been summoned this way by the Slug Sage.

"Lady Tsunade, there's no need to worry. This was the main body's will," the giant slug clone beside Uchiha Ling reassured her. "Lord Ling seems to have caught the main body's interest."

A flash of light blazed, then vanished. Uchiha Ling's figure had disappeared from the training ground.

Uchiha Ling felt the world spin around him. The scenery blurred past, and space seemed to fold and warp around him.

In an instant, an overwhelming rush of Natural Energy, brimming with life, washed over him. Every cell in his body seemed to rejoice.

Uchiha Ling looked around and realized he was in a completely unfamiliar place.

The sky was a hazy pale green, glowing softly.

All around him were enormous, strangely shaped fungi. Some resembled towering trees, while others looked like glowing flowers.

Moist mist hung in the air. Beneath his feet lay soft, springy moss, and pinpricks of phosphorescent light drifted through the air.

This was Shikkotsu Forest, one of the Three Great Summoning Grounds.

"Welcome to Shikkotsu Forest, Uchiha Ling." A gentle voice came from ahead.

Uchiha Ling looked up and saw a mountain formed from gleaming white bones.

Perched atop that "mountain" was a being so immense that words could not describe it.

Its body seemed to merge with all of Shikkotsu Forest, stretching endlessly beyond sight. The soft light seemed to emanate from its body.

This was the Slug Sage, an ancient being who had lived for an unknowable number of years.

Compared to the Slug Sage, the slug summoned on the training ground had been no more than a drop in the ocean.

Uchiha Ling could clearly feel the energy radiating from the Slug Sage: vast as the sea, unfathomable, and filled with the wisdom and weight of ages.

"Lord Slug Sage." Uchiha Ling suppressed his astonishment and bowed respectfully. It was wise to show the proper reverence to a being of this stature.

"There's no need to be nervous, child." The Slug Sage's voice rang directly in Uchiha Ling's heart, carrying a soothing power.

"I brought you here with Reverse Summoning Technique because, the moment you signed the contract, I sensed something unusual in you."