The location of Shikkotsu Forest is not easy to find.
In fact, the Three Great Sage Lands of the Shinobi World are like small secret realms, embedded in the land of the Shinobi World.
If one does not use Summoning Technique to travel to the Three Great Sage Lands.
It would be difficult for ordinary people to find their location.
Of course, the Three Great Sage Lands at present do not yet hold the same lofty status as they did in later generations.
It also has no name as a holy site.
Perhaps only after the fall of Takamagahara could the Three Great Sage Lands gradually develop to the level of later generations.
Now that the God Tree has been destroyed, Takamagahara might still exist.
Whether Ryūchi Cave, Shikkotsu Forest, and Mount Myōboku can still become the sacred sites in later legends remains to be seen.
Shinsei, as one of the Three Great Sage Lands of later generations, is the contractor of Shikkotsu Forest.
He certainly knew the location of Shikkotsu Forest.
Shinsei leads Kaguya through the vast mountains.
Now that Kaguya has a life of her own, she can no longer fly by blowing cold winds at high altitudes as she did before.
As a member of the Ōtsutsuki Clan, Kaguya certainly wouldn't be as delicate as an ordinary person.
However, after Shinsei confirms that the twins in Kaguya's womb are related to him, he naturally wants to take care of her health.
We have taken the utmost care throughout the journey.
To be honest, Shinsei's attitude towards Kaguya is quite complicated now.
On one hand, he was certain that he was the father of Kaguya's unborn child.
On the other hand, he definitely did not do such a thing.
There's a certain helplessness about unexpectedly becoming a father.
I have no idea how such a strange result came about.
The process was omitted, leaving Shinsei feeling both amused and exasperated.
In truth, how could such a painstaking process be omitted?
He recalled the legend from his past life that the Virgin Mary was also born without a father.
When these mythical stories happen to you, it feels like a wonderful myth has come into reality.
But thinking about it another way, isn't the era he's living in now the mythological age?
I myself became a part of the mythological story.
The surrounding trees grew taller and taller.
The Natural Energy is also becoming increasingly concentrated.
The layer of decaying leaves underfoot was so thick it reached above my ankles; it was soft and silent when I stepped on it.
The air was filled with a strong, moist scent of grass and trees, as if it had been soaked by rain and then left to linger for a long time.
The Natural Energy in this forest is so dense it's almost palpable, a world completely different from the desolate wasteland outside.
Kaguya walked very slowly.
Shinsei deliberately slowed his pace, keeping one hand hovering near her elbow, ready to support her at any moment.
Kaguya initially said she didn't need to be so careful, but faced with Shinsei's concern, she felt a little embarrassed, yet happily accepted it.
"Are you sure this is the direction?" Kaguya asked, pointing in a direction.
"It can't be wrong." Shinsei nodded. Although he hadn't found the exit yet, he was absolutely certain that the general direction was correct.
He had an instinctive connection to the location of Shikkotsu Forest, as if a meridian within his body was connected to this land.
Those were traces left by contracts signed in later generations. Although he hadn't officially made a contract with the Katsuyu Sage in the current timeline, the sense of familiarity was undeniable.
The forest grew deeper and deeper.
The further you go in, the sparser the trees become, but each one is surprisingly thick.
Some of the tree trunks were as thick as small mountains, and their bark was covered with thick moss and fungi.
The layer of decaying leaves on the ground had disappeared at some point, replaced by a damp bluestone ground.
The stones were covered by a web of tree roots and moss, making them slippery yet stable underfoot.
Suddenly, Shinsei stopped.
Ahead lay an extremely narrow canyon, with the stone walls on both sides almost touching, leaving only a narrow crevice barely wide enough for two people to pass side by side.
A faint green light emanated from deep within the cracks in the rock. The light was soft, unlike sunlight or any magic that Shinsei had ever seen.
It's as if the stone itself is shining.
"Arrive."
Kaguya looked up at the crack in the stone, then at Shinsei.
She was a little nervous, but seeing Shinsei's confident expression, she immediately relaxed and simply nodded.
The two squeezed sideways into the crevice.
The stone wall was cold and slippery, and moss rubbed against my sleeves, leaving green marks.
After walking about several dozen steps, the crevice in the rocks suddenly widened, and a bright and open space appeared before us.
It was a vast valley surrounded by stone walls.
The valley floor was covered with bluish-gray stone slabs, with fine white moss growing in the crevices.
In the center of the valley is a huge pool of water, the water of which is crystal clear and shimmers with a faint silvery light.
Around the pool grew some very short white trees, their canopies like open umbrellas, and their leaves were translucent.
Kaguya took a soft breath.
"It's so quiet here."
This is the Shikkotsu Forest.
As soon as he finished speaking, countless tiny creatures suddenly sprouted from the stone slab beneath his feet.
One by one, white Katsuyu the size of a thumb emerged from the cracks in the rocks and among the moss, like raindrops seeping from the ground, and quickly surrounded Shinsei and Kaguya.
They didn't speak, but simply raised their tiny antennae and peered towards Shinsei's direction.
Kaguya took a half step back, Shinsei took her hand.
"Don't be afraid, they're Katsuyu from Shikkotsu Forest. They won't hurt you."
The swarm of Katsuyu stopped at their feet.
They neither approached nor dispersed, but simply formed a rough circle, as if waiting for something.
Shinsei looked up at the pool. The water was gently rippling.
The water surface slowly parted from the center to both sides, and a huge figure rose from underwater.
Katsuyu Sage!
It was much smaller than the one Shinsei.
It has no towering, sun-blocking shape, nor tentacles that cover the entire valley.
She is now several hundred meters long, her body coiled above the pool, her grayish-white form resembling a mountain ridge rising from the ground.
Her two tentacles swayed slowly, each movement sending up tiny droplets of water.
Her eyes were bright, like two black pearls embedded in her grayish-white flesh. She lowered her head and peered towards Shinsei.
The tip of the antenna almost touched his forehead.
Shinsei didn't dodge. The Katsuyu Sage's tentacles gently swept over him, from the top of his head to his shoulder, and then slid from his shoulder to Kaguya's side.
When the tentacles touched Kaguya, it paused for a moment. Then, the Katsuyu Sage slowly retracted its tentacles.
Her voice came from the other side of the pool, low and gentle, like the stream flowing beneath the rocks.
"You carry my scent," said the Katsuyu Sage. "But I don't remember ever seeing you before."
"Long time no see, Katsuyu Sage. You may not have seen me before, but I have seen you, much later."
The Katsuyu Sage remained silent for a moment.
Her antennae swayed gently, as if she were thinking.
"A long time later? I did indeed sense the presence of time and space emanating from you."
"You will have many contractors in the future. I am one of them. I came from that era. Because of some things, I returned to the present."
The Katsuyu Sage did not respond immediately. She slowly sank into the water and then slowly rose again, as if processing her words.
The silvery light in the pool flickered with her movements. Shinsei stood on the stone slab, not urging her.
He knew that although the Katsuyu Sage was gentle, she was never one to easily believe things. She needed time to judge.
After a long while, the Katsuyu Sage spoke again.
"You said you came from the future, and that's how you found this place. I did indeed sense the presence of another version of myself in you."
Therefore, I choose to believe you.
Even though he had anticipated it, Shinsei was still very happy that the Katsuyu Sage was willing to believe in him.
"Thank you very much, Katsuyu Sage."
" Katsuyu Sage, is that my name from now on?"
"Yes."
The Katsuyu Sage remained silent for a while. Then, she slowly leaned forward, her tentacles reaching out to Shinsei once more.
This time, she didn't touch him. She simply stopped in front of him, the tips of her antennae twitching slightly.
"Did you sign a contract with me in that era?"
"Signed."
"You've used my power?"
"I've used it."
The Katsuyu Sage's antennae twitched slightly. He seemed very excited.
"Is my power very useful? Has it been of great help to you?"
Shinsei thought for a moment, then answered honestly.
"Your power is very useful; it has indeed helped me."
The Katsuyu Sage was silent for a moment, then suddenly let out a very soft, almost laughing sound.
"This makes me so happy! It seems my cultivation will go very well in the future!"
Shinjō shrugged, looking completely at ease.
"Of course, otherwise, why would I call you the Katsuyu Sage?"
In a sense, Shinsei wasn't lying.
Among the three great sacred bodies of later generations, the Katsuyu Sage is an extremely special existence.
In terms of Chakra reserves alone, if we place the Katsuyu Sage in the future, perhaps only Hashirama Senju could compare to him.
It even surpasses Hashirama Senju.
At least Shinsei didn't find anyone whose Chakra could compare to his.
However, the Katsuyu Sage was limited by her animal body, or perhaps by her unassuming nature.
It didn't have much of a presence in later generations.
However, when it comes to survival skills, the Katsuyu Sage is probably in a league of its own.
Shinsei even believed that even if everyone on this planet died, the Katsuyu Sage would continue to exist.
This ability to live a long and healthy life truly befits her title as an immortal.
She retracted her tentacles, shifted her body to the side, revealing a stone platform behind the pool.
The stone platform was covered with a thick layer of white moss, resembling a giant bed.
"Welcome to the Shikkotsu Forest. Although I sense you will cause some trouble, since you are my contractor, I will naturally choose to help you."
Your partner can stay too. I can feel the new life growing inside her. It's quiet here, perfect for a healthy pregnancy.
As soon as the Katsuyu Sage finished speaking, his body suddenly split open and produced a large number of Katsuyu that were more than half the height of a person.
"My main body is hungry and needs to replenish some food."
Do you like to eat moss?