Hakushi looked at the surnames of the ninjas who had signed their names—besides the Uchiha Clan, there were also names from the Uzumaki Clan, the Senju Clan, and even the Hagoromo Clan, which perished during the Warring States Era. All of them were once top noble ninja clans in the Ninja Realm.
After hundreds of years, the Contract Scroll was still so well-preserved, and those who signed it were all prominent ninja clan members. Hakushi felt that the origin of this Summoning Scroll was anything but simple.
So, he continued unrolling the scroll, and when he reached the very beginning, Hakushi saw a familiar title—Shikkotsu Forest Sage Katsuyu Sage.
"As expected, this is the Contract Scroll of one of the Three Great Sacred Lands. No wonder even the ninjas of the Uzumaki and Senju clans were vying to have their names inscribed."
It was within expectations. Before seeing where this scroll had come from, Hakushi already believed that even if it wasn't from the Three Great Sacred Lands, it must have belonged to a profoundly powerful Summoning Beast lineage.
"Too bad—all slots have been filled. I have no way to sign the contract on it."
Hakushi regretfully prepared to close the Contract Scroll, and as he began to roll it up, a sudden flash of inspiration struck his mind.
Wait, the contract!
Hakushi stopped rolling up the scroll and looked at the final vertical box on the signature column. The last one signed was a member of the Senju Clan— a Senju ninja from more than three hundred years ago.
The name written in blood still had traces of chakra lingering upon it, continuing to serve its function even now.
"Sorry, but I'll have to experiment with you."
As Hakushi finished speaking, he began gathering chakra, weaving seals with both hands, and finally smacked his right palm down upon the last signed name.
"Contract Seal!"
Visible chakra flowed from his palm. The Senju Clan ninja's name immediately faded in color, and the signature and blood-red fingerprint both evaporated into the air, disappearing without a trace.
"It works—this way, the secrets of the Three Great Sacred Lands can be uncovered a step sooner."
With a smile on his face, Hakushi bit his finger and, without hesitation, signed his own name in the newly vacant box and pressed down a bloody fingerprint, thus signing a contract with the Shikkotsu Forest Katsuyu.
Next, I'll summon Katsuyu and ask a few things first.
Rushing straight into Shikkotsu Forest is too risky—Hakushi wasn't sure yet how Katsuyu would view him, especially since that place is inhabited by Summoning Beasts who've lived for over a thousand years. Better to be careful.
If I summon Katsuyu here and she's unhappy with my cheating with the contract, I can always take the initiative to annul it.
After this thought, Hakushi went outside to the courtyard, preparing to perform the Summoning Jutsu and call forth Katsuyu of Shikkotsu Forest.
Just as Hakushi rose to his feet, a burst of white smoke suddenly appeared around his body, and by the time it cleared, Hakushi's figure had vanished from where he had stood.
About a minute later, someone knocked on the door and walked in.
The person entering was none other than Ruri. Seeing the empty office, she frowned with clear displeasure.
"Eh? Hakushi-kun isn't here?"
Ayane's voice also sounded as she entered from outside.
Like Ruri, she, too, saw the empty office and had a look of confusion on her face.
Seeing Ayane enter, Ruri's brow furrowed more deeply. Originally, she thought Hakushi had gone to find Ayane, but now that Ayane looked just as puzzled, it was clear Hakushi wasn't with her either.
"What's this? A Contract Scroll?"
Ruri spotted the massive scroll unrolled on the floor, and at the very end, Hakushi's name was freshly inscribed.
Ayane activated her Byakugan, studying the scroll intently.
"His chakra lingers in the bloody name, so it's indeed a Contract Scroll for a Summoning Beast."
She sighed. It was obvious now that Hakushi's disappearance was linked to this Contract Scroll.
—Meanwhile, elsewhere.
Hakushi found himself amid pale, eerie woodland. Thick white fog obscured everything ahead, greatly limiting his field of view.
He scanned his surroundings—blue-and-white slugs climbed over the ground and trees, secreting transparent mucous from their mouths.
Within that slime, Hakushi sensed Natural Energy.
And within this realm, the heavy air brimmed with Natural Energy to an extent that left Hakushi astonished.
"So this is Shikkotsu Forest? It's living up to its name."
Hakushi took a deep breath, well aware of his current predicament.
If things go wrong, I'll just call all my clones over to deal with it.
What's more, he didn't sense any hostility or bloodlust from the slugs in this forest. Fighting seemed unlikely.
Based on what Tsunade had mentioned long ago, the slugs of Shikkotsu Forest are peaceful-natured, not fond of fighting or killing—in fact, among the Three Great Sacred Lands, they're the Summoning Beasts who most respect a contractor's wishes.
Given that, negotiation would be ideal.
To be honest, Hakushi had no confidence at all in fighting a Summoning Beast over a thousand years old.
He hadn't gone very far before he stopped walking.
Because there was no more road ahead.
An enormous shadow loomed, half-visible in the thick mist.
Hakushi craned his neck to look up, rare shock flickering across his face.
Katsuyu!
A blue-and-white slug, so enormous there were simply no words to describe it, appeared alive before him.
To put it precisely, even a water clone in Sage Mode—transformed into a giant snake—would seem like a mere infant compared to this Katsuyu, dwarfed as a child before an adult.
The difference in scale was immense.
Just rolling its body could cause earthshaking tremors, easily unleashing S-rank destructive Ninja Techniques.
What's more, the quantity of Natural Energy and Chakra stored in Katsuyu's body was as vast and boundless as an ocean.
No way! If it came to a fight, there wasn't even the slightest chance of victory.
Even if it just squirmed, I'd have to go all out to resist it.
The power gap is just too huge—no amount of trickery would work here.
Suppressing his inner shock, Hakushi kept his expression calm, refusing to show any hint of fear.
In the fog, Katsuyu revealed her gigantic head, lowering it to look at Hakushi.
The scene fell into a weird, unsettling silence.