Slug

Night fell quickly in the Gobi.

The heat accumulated during the day rapidly dissipated, the temperature began to plummet, the wind slowed, and the surroundings sank into an almost solid silence.

Only the campfire crackled. Sōji sat beside it, took out some rations and water, and ate slowly.

Ugly Treasure lay across his lap, enjoying the warmth of the fire and letting out contented purrs.

After eating, Sōji took the scroll from his robes.

The summoning contract of Shikkotsu Forest.

For five days, he had been studying the scroll, simulating every step of the Summoning Technique in his mind. He had mastered the theory inside and out. Now, it was time to put it into practice.

He unrolled the scroll, bit his finger, and pressed a bloody fingerprint onto the contract.

This was the final confirmation. With his own blood, he would officially forge a summoning contract with the Slug Clan.

A faint glow spread across the scroll, and the ancient text seemed to come alive, trembling slightly.

Sōji closed his eyes.

Following the method recorded on the scroll, he began refining and channeling Chakra.

Unlike ordinary ninjutsu, the Summoning Technique required him to use his Chakra as a beacon, creating a connection with the summoned beast through the contract.

The process was delicate. Too little Chakra, and he would fail to make contact. Too much, and he might frighten the other side.

Sōji controlled his Chakra, guiding it slowly through his body before letting it spill from his palm and seep into the scroll.

The glow on the scroll brightened.

He sensed a strange connection, like a thin thread stretching from his palm, piercing through space and extending toward some distant place.

There was life there—many lives.

Those lives varied in size and strength.

The Slug Clan—or rather, all of them were split bodies of the Slug Sage.

Even in this state, Sōji's Six Eyes remained effective. He could see the outlines of those lives and sense their different emotions: curiosity, vigilance, friendliness...

He was searching for the split body most compatible with him.

According to Tsunade, the first summoning was important. The summoned beast would decide for itself whether to answer the call.

If it acknowledged you, it would follow the Chakra connection over. If it did not, the connection would be forcibly severed.

Sōji's Chakra continued to seep outward. That thin thread grew clearer and clearer, and he found a living being.

It was not large.

Compared to the other massive Chakra signatures, this one was tiny. Yet its emotions were gentle, filled with curiosity and goodwill.

It was drawing closer, slowly following that thread of Chakra.

Now!

Sōji suddenly opened his eyes, and his hands flew through a series of seals.

"Summoning Technique!"

Chakra surged into the scroll, and blood and Chakra together formed an invisible gateway.

Bang!

A burst of white smoke exploded, and Sōji's expression grew somewhat tense.

When the smoke cleared, a Slug lay before him.

It was palm-sized, its body a blend of milky white and sky blue. Its two antennae swayed gently as it looked up at him.

"Good evening!"

A delicate, gentle female voice rang out in his mind. "I am a split body of Lady Slug Sage. You may call me Little Slug."

Sōji fell silent for a moment, then gave a slight nod and leaned down with a friendly expression. "Hello. I'm Yamada Soji!"

At that, Little Slug's antennae swayed even more happily.

"I know! Lady Tsunade mentioned you. She said you were very special."

Sōji's brow twitched. "Oh? How did she describe me?"

"Um..."

Little Slug paused, seemingly recalling it. "She said you were a troublesome brat, but also a reliable brat. And... she told me to take good care of you in the future."

Sōji said nothing, but the corners of his mouth curved upward slightly.

Ugly Treasure poked his head out from beside Sōji's feet and curiously looked at the newcomer.

The two little creatures stared at each other for a moment.

Ugly Treasure: "Wuh?"

The instant Little Slug saw Ugly Treasure, her expression turned grave. She even assumed a posture as though she were about to spray acid.

Yamada Soji immediately stepped half a pace sideways, placing himself between the two little creatures, and explained, "Slug, this is Ugly Treasure, my companion. There's no need to be so nervous."

At that, Slug immediately stopped. Noticing that Ugly Treasure did not seem hostile, and with Yamada Soji's assurance, she lowered her guard as well.

Cursed spirits were curses born from negative energy. A Slug possessing Senjutsu Chakra would naturally be extremely wary of such a life-form filled with malice.

Fortunately, the Slug Sage was the most easygoing of the three great sacred lands. If it had been those fellows from Ryūchi Cave, they would probably have attacked outright.

"Hello. I truly apologize for my earlier rudeness!"

Slug took the initiative to show goodwill toward Ugly Treasure.

Ugly Treasure did not mind Slug's earlier hostility. He merely tilted his head, then slowly crawled over and rubbed his soft body against Little Slug.

Little Slug wobbled from the nudge, but she did not move away.

Watching this, Sōji's gaze softened somewhat.

"Little Slug."

"Yes?"

"Do you usually live in Shikkotsu Forest?"

"Yes. There are many, many Slugs there. I'm only one split body of the main body, a very, very small one."

At that, Sōji nodded. "Then please take care of me from now on."

Little Slug raised her antennae high and replied in a gentle yet enthusiastic tone, "Not at all. Please take care of me as well, Lord Sōji!"

The night deepened.

The campfire danced beneath the rocks, driving away the chill of the Gobi.

Sōji leaned against the rocks. Little Slug lay by his left hand, Ugly Treasure lay by his right, and both little creatures were asleep, breathing softly.

He looked up at the night sky.

With no clouds obscuring it, the Gobi's night sky was exceptionally clear. The stars scattered across it like shattered silver, so brilliant they almost seemed unreal.

His fingers gently brushed the lotus mark on his forehead.

Within this Yin Seal was the Chakra he had stored over the past year. Creation Rebirth could allow him to rise again from bloodshed in a crisis. And the summoning contract of Shikkotsu Forest allowed him to summon Tsunade whenever he wished.

At the same time, he had taken her necklace—and a portion of her concern with it.

Thinking of that, Sōji's lips lifted slightly. Feeling the evening breeze of the desert Gobi, he slowly closed his eyes.

By his ears were the crackling of the campfire, the breathing of Ugly Treasure and Little Slug, and the faint sound of wind in the distance.

In the latter half of the night, the Gobi was so quiet it was nearly deathly still, with only the occasional crackle from the campfire.

Sōji leaned against the rocks, breathing steadily as though asleep. But he was not. Even with his Six Eyes closed, they had never stopped operating.

That invisible field of vision spread outward like ripples, covering every inch of land and every fluctuation of Chakra within a kilometer.

Suddenly, a Chakra signature appeared at the edge of his perception, and Yamada Soji noticed it at once.

Four!

They were coming from the west—the direction of Sunagakure in the Land of Wind.

The leader possessed roughly Jonin-level Chakra, while the other three were all above Chunin level.

Their formation was tight, their pace even, carrying the rhythm of trained professionals. They showed no intention of hiding, nor any intention of speeding up for a sudden assault.

And they were heading directly toward the firelight where he was.