Anya complained, "Can't you just spit it out all at once, Uncle?"
Orochimaru looked amused by Anya's frustration as he casually said, "I remember your Summoned Creature is Tsunade's Katsuyu, right?"
"That's right."
"Did you know? There's actually only one true slug. It originates from Shikkotsu Forest and its real name is Sage Slug. What you and Tsunade summon each time are merely clones of its body. With your chakra, you probably can't even summon one tenth of its true form."
Anya knew Orochimaru wouldn't mention Summoned Creatures without reason. There was only one explanation.
"So, the place you're talking about is actually the Shikkotsu Forest where the slug resides?"
Orochimaru nodded. "This is the only solution I can think of. There are three sacred lands in the world, each containing inheritances of Sage Art. Legend says the Ninja God Hashirama Senju obtained his Sage Art from Shikkotsu Forest. His cell activity likely originated from this source. If you can perfectly master the Sage Art of Shikkotsu Forest, you might be able to resolve the restraint within your body and obtain the power Hashirama Senju once possessed."
Upon hearing this, Anya became excited and immediately summoned Katsuyu without hesitation.
As soon as Katsuyu appeared, it noticed Orochimaru and immediately questioned, "Anya, why are you with this Konoha rogue ninja?"
"That's not important," Anya directly got to the point and asked, "I want to learn the Sage Art of Shikkotsu Forest. Is that possible?"
Filled with anticipation, Anya received a harsh response from Katsuyu: "No way."
"Why not?"
Katsuyu glanced at Orochimaru before helplessly saying, "He put you up to this, didn't he? He's trying to ruin you. You can't master the Sage Art of Shikkotsu Forest. Did you know? Originally, Shikkotsu Forest was called Bone Graveyard—a place literally littered with corpses. Because among the three sacred lands, its Sage Art is the hardest to cultivate. From when the sacred land formed until now, there has only been one person who successfully mastered it."
That person was obviously Hashirama Senju. Upon hearing this, Anya instantly understood why among the Sannin, Jiraiya mastered Sage Art and Orochimaru's Kabuto also learned it, but nobody under Tsunade succeeded. The threshold was indeed extremely high.
Anya had finally caught a sliver of hope—there was no way he was giving up now.
"But my life is nearly at its end. At least Sage Art represents an opportunity."
"What?" Katsuyu climbed onto Anya's body. After injecting some chakra into him, it quickly detected something wrong. "How did your body become so weak? And Medical Ninjutsu doesn't work on you at all."
"It's a seal," Orochimaru stepped forward to explain. "Simple healing no longer works. His body needs a life energy boost to give him the strength to break that seal inside him."
Katsuyu expressed concern. "But even if his body were perfectly healthy, there's no guarantee he'd succeed. In his current state, he probably couldn't last even one day."
"How do you know unless you try?" Anya had already made his decision. "Katsuyu, take me there. Even if I die, at least I'll have fought until the very end."
After a moment of silence, Katsuyu asked, "Does Tsunade-sama know about this?"
"Don't tell her. It would only cause unnecessary worry," Anya requested. "My time is limited. I don't want to trouble anyone."
"Alright, I understand," Katsuyu finally agreed, though still warning, "I can allow you to learn the Sage Arts of Shikkotsu Forest, but don't stubbornly insist on staying inside if something feels wrong. Withdraw immediately."
"Okay."
Katsuyu whispered the location of Shikkotsu Forest into Anya's ear and then ended the summoning jutsu.
"You're leaving now?" Orochimaru knew exactly how much Anya's body was weakening—delaying would only make it worse.
"Yes," Anya replied, preparing to leave immediately.
"Before departing, I'll give you something—it might be useful." Orochimaru handed him a scroll solemnly. "Use this if you feel you can't endure any longer. Whether it helps or harms, however, I cannot guarantee."
Anya grabbed the scroll and laughed. "Whatever my uncle gives must be useful. I'm off."
As he mounted the Warhawk Puppet and set off in the direction Katsuyu had given him, he finally realized just how vast the Naruto world truly was. The country borders were merely the limits of human activity; beyond them lay an even wider world, especially the ocean—an endless expanse as far as the eye could see.
In a hurry to get there, Anya didn't bother taking in the sights along the way, heading straight for his destination. Soon, a vast swamp appeared before him. This place was muddy, uninhabited, uneven, and worst of all, thick miasma surrounded its perimeter, blocking everything from sight and making it appear terrifying.
"This is it."
Stepping onto the marsh with chakra coursing through his feet, dense fog blanketed the area, resembling a fairy's light veil. Within, the faintly visible blue sea exuded a forest-like atmosphere, and the plants beneath the surface crowded together tightly, emitting an unparalleled fragrance—but this scent was toxic.
Of course, Anya now had no fear of such toxins. Moving quickly through the terrain, he left no room for hesitation. If an ordinary person came here, once stepping in, they wouldn't be able to escape, sinking silently into the marsh until death.
As soon as he entered, Anya was enveloped by the miasma. There was no turning back anymore—before him stretched an endless swamp, drawing one deeper and deeper with every step.
The farther he went, the more boundless the swamp seemed—like even walking nonstop for a whole day and night wouldn't be enough to get out.
Unfazed by the environment, Anya pressed steadily forward at his own pace. Occasionally, he sensed creatures lunging at him from within the mist, but none managed to get close before being cut down by [The Supreme Blade].
Eventually, after passing through the heavy miasma, a towering forest stood before him—the entrance to Shikkotsu Forest was here.
With Katsuyu's approval already obtained, Anya wasted no time entering.
A snowy-white giant form immediately blocked his path.
His soul perception revealed Katsuyu's massive form in vivid detail inside his mind.
What a colossal creature! Compared to her, even the Nine-Tails looks like a cute little pup!
"You've arrived, Anya," the Sage Slug spoke, his voice transformed with immense resonance. With a complete body, simply speaking created a shocking effect, shaking the air audibly.
"Where can I train? Let's begin," Anya said without delay, unwilling to waste time.
Katsuyu indicated the spot, "The place ahead where it constantly rains is the one. Be careful—this rain is highly acidic. It can corrode human flesh and seep deep into the marrow. Given your knowledge of Medical Ninjutsu, you know what that means."
Anya took a deep breath and said, "I know, but I have no other choice."
Tracing the path where Katsuyu's massive body had flattened the ground, Anya soon reached the perpetually rainy area. Surprisingly, it resembled a hot spring, with steam rising from the pool and heavy humidity filling the air. The area was littered with bleached bones—some had long dried out, turning into ash at the slightest touch.
"So, this Sage Art really isn't easy to master after all…" After this remark, Anya plunged in headfirst without hesitation...
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