Katsuyu's doppelgänger—a small part of Katsuyu—naturally landed on Rei's shoulder.
"It's been a long time since Master Tsunade brought someone new to Shikkotsu Forest."
As Katsuyu spoke, there was a rare hint of excitement in its tone.
Having lived for thousands of years, it inevitably experienced loneliness.
Otherwise, it wouldn't have made contracts with ninjas through summoning scrolls.
However, at the same time, Katsuyu's nature was inherently calm and detached.
It disliked the endless battles of the ninja world, which is why only those with a similarly indifferent attitude toward worldly affairs were recognized as summoners.
And clearly, Rei was such a salted fish.
Sensing that Rei was a good match, Katsuyu took the initiative to ask:
"Mr. Kizaru, would you like to see my true form?"
"Of course. I'm quite curious about how magnificent your real body is, Katsuyu," Rei replied without hesitation.
Since the opportunity was there, why not take it?
In the original story, Katsuyu's full form was never revealed.
Even Tsunade could only summon a fraction of its body.
"Mr. Kizaru, now that we're contracted, if we are to fight side by side in the future, we should get to know each other better."
Guided by Katsuyu, Rei ventured deeper into Shikkotsu Forest.
All around them, numerous blue-and-white Katsuyu of various sizes clung to the trees.
Surprisingly, they didn't look disgusting at all. Instead, they seemed honest and even a little cute.
Perhaps this had something to do with the Katsuyu Sage's own gentle nature.
As they walked, Katsuyu suddenly asked about Rei's aspirations.
"Aspirations…?"
Rei scratched his head, looking genuinely confused.
"Honestly, I don't really have any."
"If I had to say… maybe finding a job that pays well, requires little effort, and is close to home. Then I can just live a peaceful and stable life."
"I hate fighting, killing, and working overtime the most."
Rei spoke with complete sincerity.
Although Katsuyu had no visible eyes, Rei could still sense its amusement.
"Mr. Kizaru's way of thinking is quite different from most people."
Previous summoners, like Tsunade and Hashirama, also wished to stay out of worldly conflicts at times.
However, they still had greater aspirations—things like world peace or protecting Konoha.
But Rei was different.
He was the saltiest salted fish of them all.
His dream was simply to eat, sleep, and wait for time to pass.
Rei waved his hand indifferently.
"The ninjas in this world are as strong as monsters. One careless mistake, and you're dead."
"Not to mention the tailed beasts and all that… it's way too dangerous."
His expression was filled with exaggerated fear, perfectly playing the role of a weak Genin who had suffered all kinds of hardships.
Of course, Katsuyu could clearly sense the immense power within Rei.
What truly interested it, however, was that despite possessing such strength, Rei still maintained a sense of humility toward the world.
To be able to remain so lazy despite his abilities…
This…
Was truly to Katsuyu's liking!
"Perhaps we'll be good friends, Mr. Kizaru."
"Ah, I hope so too."
Katsuyu looked forward and casually remarked, "We've arrived."
Beyond the last pale tree, the path opened up into a vast clearing.
Even though Rei had mentally prepared himself, the sight before him still left him in complete shock.
It was huge.
Unimaginably huge.
Even though Rei had seen countless towering skyscrapers made of steel and concrete, none of them compared to this.
The sheer size of Katsuyu's true form was beyond words.
It was like an endless mountain range stretching as far as the eye could see.
At that moment, he finally understood the true weight of the word immortal.
Katsuyu didn't even need to use Sage Jutsu—just rolling its body slightly would likely unleash destruction equivalent to an S-rank ninjutsu.
Sensing the vast, ocean-like energy within Katsuyu's body, Rei couldn't help but sigh.
"Truly terrifying..."
While he was still in a daze, the small Katsuyu on his shoulder slipped down and moved toward the massive Katsuyu.
Like a droplet merging into an ocean, it seamlessly fused into its body.
The next moment, the true Katsuyu opened its eyes.
Lowering its massive head, it gazed down at Rei—who was no bigger than a pebble in comparison.
And yet, it still spoke in the same gentle, spring-like voice:
"Mr. Kizaru, please take care of me from now on."
Rei smiled and responded, "Then, Katsuyu, please take care of me as well."
As one of the three surviving sages, Katsuyu possessed terrifying abilities.
The most notable was its extraordinary healing power.
Even Tsunade, the greatest medical ninja, had learned her skills from Shikkotsu Forest.
And yet, Katsuyu could perform large-scale healing beyond even Tsunade's capabilities.
Additionally, Katsuyu had several powerful abilities, including Acid Slime, Body Division, and more.
Orochimaru once stated that Katsuyu's acid attack could definitely kill him.
Of course, knowing Orochimaru, even if he was killed, he'd probably just resurrect himself somewhere else.
On top of that, due to Katsuyu's mollusk-like nature, conventional physical attacks were completely ineffective against it.
All in all, Katsuyu was an all-around, super-supportive, yet highly combat-capable existence!
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