Chapter 106 (Patreon)

Deep within the ancient forest of Shikkotsu Forest, Tsunade stood before the entrance to Katsuyu’s cave.

She faced the dark opening and called out,

“Katsuyu-sama, it’s me, Tsunade. I’ve come to ask you for a favor.”

Her voice echoed into the depths of the cave.

Katsuyu immediately sensed Tsunade’s presence.

However, there was someone else with her.

The moment Katsuyu focused on the second presence, she became cautious. The chakra coming from that person was far beyond anything she had expected.

After a moment, Katsuyu slowly extended her enormous head from the cave.

“Tsunade-hime, who is the young man behind you?”

The source of that powerful presence was the black-clad youth standing several metres behind Tsunade.

“His name is Yujiro.”

Tsunade looked up at Katsuyu with her hands clasped together.

“He came to Shikkotsu Forest because he wants to learn senjutsu. Katsuyu-sama, please help him.”

She had already assured Yujiro that Katsuyu would agree.

If she failed now, she had no idea how she was going to face him afterward.

“Tsunade-hime, I’m afraid I cannot teach him.”

Katsuyu gently shook her head.

“Huh?”

Tsunade stared at her in disbelief.

“Katsuyu-sama, what do you mean you can’t teach him?”

Her expression quickly became desperate.

“You even tried teaching me despite how little talent I had for senjutsu! Yujiro is far more talented than I am, so why can’t you teach him?”

“Tsunade-hime, that is not what I meant.”

Katsuyu sounded somewhat troubled.

“I cannot teach him because… he appears to be learning it on his own already.”

“What?”

Tsunade immediately spun around.

The moment she saw Yujiro, her entire body went rigid.

“No way…”

She slowly sank onto the ground, staring at him with her mouth hanging open.

A faint light surrounded Yujiro’s body.

Natural energy was gathering around him and steadily merging with his chakra.

Tsunade knew that feeling well.

It was senjutsu chakra—the same kind of chakra possessed by Katsuyu.

It was something Tsunade herself had spent a long time attempting to master, yet had never fully succeeded.

Yujiro had activated his skill-acquisition ability the moment Katsuyu emerged from the cave.

By observing Katsuyu’s chakra and abilities, he had already begun reproducing them.

Katsuyu’s abilities were extremely useful, especially when it came to healing wounds during battle.

Yujiro’s vitality had already surpassed Katsuyu’s, but there was no reason for him to reject another useful ability.

More importantly, learning the senjutsu of Shikkotsu Forest would help him unlock the next stage of his Limiter.

[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for obtaining Katsuyu’s senjutsu chakra.]

[Limiter unlocking progress increased by 10%.]

[Current progress of the Level Three Limiter: 80%.]

Hearing the notification in his mind, Yujiro smiled.

It had worked.

He withdrew the senjutsu chakra, and the faint glow surrounding his body gradually faded.

His presence quickly returned to normal.

Tsunade had not dared to interrupt him while he was gathering natural energy.

The moment he opened his eyes, she hurried over.

“Yujiro… don’t tell me you already learned Katsuyu-sama’s Sage Mode.”

“Yeah.”

Yujiro nodded as though it were nothing unusual.

Tsunade froze.

Then her expression twisted in frustration.

“You really learned it?!”

She grabbed her blonde pigtails with both hands.

“I spent so long trying to master it, and I still couldn’t do it! How did you learn it after looking at Katsuyu-sama once?!”

Yujiro glanced at her.

“Was it really that difficult?”

“Of course it was!”

Tsunade’s face turned red with anger.

At that moment, she finally understood how Jiraiya must have felt when Yujiro had learned from him so easily.

Being compared to someone like this was enough to drive a person mad.

Ignoring Tsunade’s frustration, Yujiro walked toward Katsuyu.

“Thank you, Katsuyu-sama.”

“You’re welcome…”

Katsuyu continued staring at him cautiously.

Yujiro could understand her reaction.

A complete stranger had suddenly arrived in Shikkotsu Forest and learned its senjutsu without receiving a single explanation.

Anyone in her position would have been wary.

Yujiro turned around and returned to Tsunade, who was still struggling to accept what had happened.

He placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Come on. We’re leaving.”

Tsunade looked up at him for several seconds.

No matter how many times she witnessed his talent, it never became any easier to believe.

“Oh, right.”

Yujiro stopped and glanced back at Katsuyu.

“Katsuyu-sama, do you know how to reach Ryūchi Cave?”

“I’m afraid not,” Katsuyu replied. “The Three Great Sage Regions rarely interact with one another.”

“I see.”

Yujiro had expected as much.

If he wanted to reach Ryūchi Cave, he would have to find another way.

After leaving Shikkotsu Forest, Yujiro and Tsunade walked across the grassy plains outside.

Tsunade remained quiet for a while before looking at him.

“Yujiro, why do you want to go to Ryūchi Cave?”

She narrowed her eyes.

“Are you planning to learn their senjutsu too?”

“Yeah.”

Yujiro nodded.

The unlocking progress of his Level Three Limiter had now reached eighty percent.

The last place capable of rapidly increasing that progress was the final one of the Three Great Sage Regions.

Ryūchi Cave.

“No.”

Tsunade immediately stopped walking.

“Absolutely not.”

She stepped in front of him with a serious expression.

“Mount Myōboku and Shikkotsu Forest are willing to deal peacefully with humans, but Ryūchi Cave is different.”

“The White Snake Sage is dangerous. That place is filled with snakes that would devour someone without a second thought.”

Tsunade folded her arms.

“And it has always had close ties to Orochimaru. That alone should tell you what kind of place it is.”

Yujiro clicked his tongue.

“How did you know I was planning to find Orochimaru next?”

“What?”

Tsunade blinked.

A second later, her expression changed completely.

She rushed forward and grabbed both of his hands.

“No! You are not going to meet Orochimaru!”

Yujiro stared at her.

“And why not?”

“Because he’s Orochimaru!”

Tsunade tightened her grip.

“What if he tries to deceive you or uses you for one of his schemes?”

Yujiro fell silent for a moment.

“Do I look weak to you?”

“Well… no.”

Tsunade reluctantly shook her head.

“Do I look stupid?”

“No.”

“Then there’s nothing to worry about.”

Yujiro shrugged.

“I have my own reasons for finding him.”

His expression remained completely calm.

“Besides, Orochimaru alone isn’t capable of doing anything to me.”

Tsunade frowned.

She knew Yujiro was strong.

Even so, Orochimaru was not someone she could dismiss so easily.

Yujiro lowered his gaze toward his hands.

Tsunade was still holding them tightly.

“Tsunade.”

“What?”

“Are you planning to let go?”