Secret Base and Katsuyu

Secret Base and Katsuyu

Hyuga Yuto soon returned to the Land of Hot Water.

The Land of Frost was not large. By the time Hyuga Yuto crossed the border, dawn had only just begun to break.

Using the last cover of night, he found a valley, then raised his fist and slammed it down.

Channeling Monster Strength into his wrist, he made the ground tremble slightly and smashed out a large pit two meters deep.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! A rapid series of punches struck the ground. Before long, an L-shaped underground structure appeared before him, its deepest point a full forty meters below the surface.

Hyuga Yuto's hands glowed with a faint blue light. This was a medical ninjutsu similar to the Chakra Scalpel, ideal for cutting tumors from a patient's body, yet Hyuga Yuto now used it to smooth the earth in the tunnel.

After shaving down the protruding rocks in the pit, Hyuga Yuto activated a scroll. Blocks of red wood flew out from it. The trees that grew in the Red Forest in southern Land of Fire were moisture-proof, insect-resistant, and soundproof, making them the finest material for the outer walls of an underground base.

Once the walls were built, Hyuga Yuto sealed the soil and rocks excavated from the hole into the scroll, intending to dump them elsewhere.

The work that followed was meticulous and tedious: layers of alarm devices, lethal traps at the entrance to the underground base, ventilation shafts and sewage pipes, emergency escape passages... He even buried a considerable number of explosive tags at the deepest point. It was a self-destruct mechanism powerful enough to collapse the entire underground base and bury all evidence.

Finally, Hyuga Yuto took out the equipment he had bought from the Bounty Station and arranged it inside the secret base. Six large medical culture tanks stood in a row, with a long metal table opposite them, covered in a dazzling array of medical tools and containers.

With everything in order, Hyuga Yuto let out a soft breath and lay down on the floor.

The dim oil lamp burned slowly. Underground chambers always brought to mind unpleasant words like eerie and gloomy, but Hyuga Yuto found this place more comfortable than the Hyuga Clan Grounds.

This was his secret base, entirely his own.

For now, he was the only one here. But once the war broke out, this place would no longer be lonely.

I made a lot of money, but it still isn't enough, Hyuga Yuto thought as he lay on the floor.

According to his plan, he still needed six more secret bases. All of them would be located in small countries. More precisely, he would establish an underground stronghold in every small nation bordering the Land of Fire, storing usable medical equipment and survival supplies inside.

The coming Third Shinobi World War would last three years. Hyuga Yuto did not know which battlefields he would be sent to, so rather than merely having a few boltholes, he might as well establish secret strongholds everywhere to store and study his "spoils of war."

Hyuga Yuto lay there for a while and gradually fell asleep. Time could not be sensed underground. When he woke, his head felt groggy; he had clearly overslept.

He tapped his head, sat up, and began considering his next move.

About two days had passed since he killed the wealthy man from the Land of Hot Water's Secessionist Faction. News of the death of such a public figure usually spread quickly. The upper ranks of the Land of Fire and Hidden Leaf Village must have learned by now that the assassination target was dead.

Hidden Leaf Village ninja could not carry out missions indefinitely. Generally, they had to return to the village and report within five days of completing an assassination. Accounting for unforeseen circumstances such as being hunted by a powerful enemy, that deadline could be extended to ten days.

But that was obviously not enough time for Hyuga Yuto. Doing missions for a shinobi village would never make money as quickly as collecting the Bounty Station's hefty rewards. Besides, if his next mission turned out to be a team assignment, he would probably have a hard time finding an excuse to act alone.

He had to take this opportunity to earn more money and set up two more bases.

Hyuga Yuto took out paper and pen. After careful consideration, he began writing a letter to Tsunade:

"Dear Teacher, Yuto has completed his mission. However, on the road back to the village, I suddenly gained some insight and came up with new ideas for that new ninjutsu. Therefore, I wish to remain outside for a while longer and will definitely return within a month. By the time you receive this letter, news of the death of the assassination target, Asakawa Yoshio, will likely have reached Hidden Leaf Village. Please convey Yuto's greetings and apologies to Lord Hokage on my behalf."

"Also, Teacher, Yuto saw a very fine piece of jade in the Land of Hot Water. I heard it can bring good fortune."

Hyuga Yuto checked the contents of the letter once more and confirmed there was nothing improper in it. He left the base, put on a padded coat, and walked alone into the wind and snow, not stopping until he had crossed more than a dozen mountains.

He stuck his thumb into his mouth and bit it open, then pressed his entire hand against a large tree.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

With a bang, white smoke billowed out, and a strange creature the size of an adult human torso appeared. It was clearly a mollusk, somewhat like a snail without its shell. Tiny eyes sat at the ends of its two feelers. It looked a little gross, yet strangely adorable.

This was Tsunade's summoned beast, Katsuyu!

Of course, this was only a tiny part of that enormous Katsuyu.

In the third month after becoming Tsunade's disciple, Hyuga Yuto had also signed a blood contract for summoning.

"Ahhh, Yuto, it's so cold here—"

The moment Katsuyu appeared in the frozen wilderness, it began shivering violently. Its soft body looked increasingly stiff, as though it were about to freeze solid.

Her voice really is nice... Hyuga Yuto thought wickedly, then said respectfully, "Lady Katsuyu, forgive me for summoning you here. I'll keep it brief. I would like you to deliver a letter to my teacher."

Katsuyu swallowed the letter into its stomach. Just as it was about to disappear, Hyuga Yuto stopped it.

"Um... Lady Katsuyu, please wait... Could I trouble you to deliver this jade pendant to my teacher as well? It is a rather lovely piece of warm jade. I heard it can bring people good luck. Haha, Teacher likes good luck best."

The jade pendant had been left behind by the bandits, treasured in the bandit leader's valuables box. It really was beautiful and felt warm to the touch. More importantly, it bore a natural pattern resembling the character for "thousand," making it perfect for Tsunade.

—Whether it meant "Senju" or "cheating," the blonde woman would probably like it. Even if she lost all her gambling money, she could pawn it for something valuable and use it to place another bet. It was both beautiful and practical.

The essence of being a disciple lay in such seemingly insignificant details. Hyuga Yuto, that little bastard, would never let slip any chance to touch his teacher's heart.

"Oh? Yuto, how thoughtful of you..." Katsuyu was a very gentle summoned beast. Unlike the violent snake and the hooligan toad that were famous alongside it, it treated people well. Because of Tsunade, it viewed Hyuga Yuto as one of its own juniors.

It swallowed the jade pendant as well, then vanished from the spot with a bang.

After Katsuyu left, Hyuga Yuto breathed a sigh of relief. Becoming Tsunade's disciple was far too important. Her protection and connections alone had given him tremendous convenience.