Shikkotsu Forest and a New Prophecy (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

"Tobirama, I leave the position of acting Hokage to you. Do not let me down."

"Peace is the priority in all things. Remember to remain cautious and restrained; no matter what happens, wait for my return."

Senju Hashirama finished his final words to Tobirama, then summoned the slugs, using the Reverse Summoning Technique to transport himself to Shikkotsu Forest.

When Hashirama opened his eyes again, he found himself standing within Shikkotsu Forest.

The scale of the forest in Shikkotsu was even more exaggerated than Konoha's Forest of Death.

Rows of trees shot straight up toward the clouds.

There were no leaves on the branches; the bare trunks and limbs were covered in a slimy, white mucus that made one feel as if they could smell the scent of photinia flowers.

"That is the corrosive liquid secreted by the slugs..."

Hashirama recognized the composition of the white mucus.

Despite its unsightly appearance, the forest was unexpectedly filled with moist, refreshing air. In terms of air quality alone, even Konoha could not compare to Shikkotsu Forest.

With every breath, he could feel the natural energy permeating the atmosphere.

Hashirama took a deep breath and felt his stamina surge.

"So this is Shikkotsu Forest? It truly deserves its reputation as a holy land for practicing Sage Mode. If only it could be transplanted to Konoha."

Hashirama sighed.

He was always thinking of the village.

Just then, slugs of various sizes, colored in blue and white, poked their heads out and looked toward Hashirama, who stood on the ground.

"His life energy is so abundant; I've never seen anything like it..."

"So warm. Being near him is just like basking in the sun."

Soon, a slightly larger slug crawled over to Hashirama and said in a gentle voice:

"Lord Hashirama, you have arrived."

"Ah, Katsuyu. It has been a long time since we last met. About... ten years?"

Hashirama vaguely remembered that the last time he had come to Shikkotsu Forest was before the founding of Konoha.

"It has been eleven years, Lord Hashirama."

"Ahaha, there are too many things going on outside; I almost forgot," Hashirama said boisterously. "Speaking of which, has something happened? Why the rush to see me?"

The reason he had come to Shikkotsu Forest was not as simple as what he had told them back in Konoha.

It was because, last night, he had sensed a message from the Katsuyu Sage requesting to see him.

A situation that hadn't occurred in eleven years prompted Hashirama to rush to Shikkotsu Forest as soon as the sun rose and he had settled his affairs.

"I don't know the specifics myself. The Sage instructed me to summon you immediately to notify you that you must learn Sage Mode."

"The Katsuyu Sage..."

Hashirama's expression turned solemn as he followed Katsuyu deep into the cave.

Inside the vast, magnificent cavern, he looked straight ahead and saw a massive slug coiled in the position directly opposite the entrance.

That was the Katsuyu Sage.

Every slug possessed its own independent consciousness, but in essence, they were all clones of the Katsuyu Sage, sharing the ability of perception.

No one knew how many years the Katsuyu Sage had lived. When Senju Hashirama first received the summoning blood contract from his father, Senju Butsuma, and arrived at Shikkotsu Forest, the Katsuyu Sage had seemingly looked exactly the same.

The large slug bowed toward the Katsuyu Sage: "Sage, I have brought Hashirama here!"

"Oh, it is Hashirama. My apologies, I had fallen asleep."

"Katsuyu Sage, why were you in such a rush to summon me? What is the matter?"

"Matter? There is a matter... it is a new prophecy."

Hashirama wore an extremely serious expression.

Knowing the capabilities of the Great Katsuyu Sage, he could only feel awe toward such power. Back when he was still in the Warring States period, the first time he met the Katsuyu Sage, the entity had prophesied that he would establish a village that would bring peace...

And later, he had truly founded Konoha.

Just as ordinary people viewed the ninjutsu of ninjas, ninjas felt a sense of wonder toward the abilities of the Sages.

The Katsuyu Sage spoke in a leisurely tone: "Hashirama, from today on, you must practice Sage Mode."

"Ah, Sage Mode. That sounds like it will be quite troublesome."

Hashirama had not lied about the reason he gave to Toji, but in truth, there was one more thing. He felt that even without Sage Mode, there was no one in this Ninja World, aside from Madara, who could be his opponent.

Learning Sage Mode sounded like it would be a huge waste of time.

"This time is different," the Katsuyu Sage said. "I foresee that you will experience a great war. In that battle, you will encounter an unprecedentedly strong enemy, and you will use Sage Mode during the fight."

"A great war..." Hashirama understood instantly. "It must be Madara. Only he could force me into a fierce battle where I would need to use Sage Mode. I never expected that after Madara left the village, his power would actually grow even stronger. As expected of Madara."

"I saw you die."

The Katsuyu Sage dropped the remark out of the blue, and the atmosphere plummeted to freezing.

"I died?" Senju Hashirama was slightly stunned, then expressed with great magnanimity, "Everyone dies eventually, and I am no exception; I've been prepared for this for a long time. It's just... did I die in battle against Madara, or at some other time?"

"I cannot see that clearly. I only sense that the bond between you and me will vanish at some point in the future."

"I see..." Senju Hashirama scratched his head, "Then I suppose it must have been a natural death. Madara could never beat me, after all."

"Yosh! Regardless, since Madara has become stronger than when he left the village, I have to keep pace with him. Starting today, I'll train in Sage Mode in earnest!"

Senju Hashirama clapped his fist into his palm, looking very fired up.

At forty, it was the prime age for a hot-blooded man to forge ahead.

"Do not be so hasty," the Katsuyu Sage said slowly. "There is one more matter, which likely concerns the Senju Clan as well."

"I dreamt that someone other than you was wielding Wood Style."

"Someone else can use Wood Style?" Senju Hashirama was greatly astonished, then laughed in realization, "Haha, the Sage must be confused! Anyone capable of using Wood Style must surely be a member of my Senju Clan."

"After all, in the history of the Senju and the entire Ninja World, no one else has ever possessed Wood Style besides me. Who could it be? It's so hard to guess... Could it be a grandchild of mine who hasn't been born yet?"

"That fellow Ryuji isn't bad at all! Even though he didn't inherit my Wood Style, he actually passed the bloodline down to his child."

"My Senju Clan is truly getting better and better..."

"Prospering day by day!"

Senju Hashirama appeared very happy.

This had been an unspoken worry of his for a long time. He knew the might of his Wood Style; if a clansman could inherit it, the Senju and Konoha would be able to flourish indefinitely.

Yet, his son Ryuji, in whom he had placed such high hopes, had inherited neither his Wood Style nor his constitution.

It felt as though it were a sign that the peak of the Senju would eventually come to an end along with him.

It was precisely for this reason that Senju Hashirama wanted to settle all conflicts within his lifetime and bring permanent peace to the Ninja World. That way, even if the Senju lost him in the future, they would still be able to survive in stability.

Right now.

How could he not be happy when the Katsuyu Sage told him that another Wood Style user would appear in the Senju Clan!

Overjoyed, Senju Hashirama felt even more motivated to train in Sage Mode.

He allowed the Katsuyu Sage to coat his body in highly corrosive acid; as his skin was eaten away, his formidable constitution repaired it at a speed visible to the naked eye.

Senju Hashirama closed his eyes to focus, calming his mind to sense natural energy.

The Katsuyu Sage remained silent on the side, offering no reminders.

Although it could not see the appearance of the person who would inherit Wood Style in the future, it could clearly sense an ominous and strange aura emanating from that individual.

But for the sake of not interfering in the family affairs of the Senju Clan.

The Katsuyu Sage chose to remain silent.