"Naruto: Ice God"Chapter 144: Shikkotsu Forest
"You have one day to say goodbye to your family. The morning after tomorrow, I'll be leaving Konoha."
Standing in the small alley, Tsunade looked down at Feng Bai imperiously, her red lips delivering the final ultimatum.
"Uh, okay."
The situation had progressed so smoothly that Feng Bai's brain momentarily short-circuited. Only after Tsunade left did he confirm she had actually agreed to his request.
"Well, the result is good, even if the process was bizarre."
Having overheard a conversation he probably shouldn't have witnessed, Feng Bai still wasn't sure whether Tsunade had truly found peace, but that wasn't his concern.
His decision to train at Shikkotsu Forest was carefully considered.
Ryūchi Cave seemed appealing too, but that would require asking Orochimaru for help—and honestly, Feng Bai didn't enjoy interacting with Orochimaru. His gaze was far too unsettling.
Jiraiya wasn't exactly reliable, and the Great Toad Sage had a habit of making prophecies. If he ever prophesied something about Feng Bai, should he believe it or not?
All things considered, the Slug Sage seemed like the best choice.
Time to go home and pack.
With this thought, Feng Bai hummed a little tune as he headed home.
That evening, Danzō somehow learned the news and appeared at home, his cold gaze sweeping over everyone gathered around the dinner table.
When Danzō arrived, Yamato, who had been chatting with Itachi, instantly fell silent. Shisui, sitting nearby, also looked at him nervously.
"Hmm? You're back, Dad. Come sit down and eat."
Only Feng Bai, focused on his meal, failed to notice the chill in Danzō's eyes. He pulled out a chair beside him, gesturing for Danzō to sit.
After waiting without receiving a response, Feng Bai finally sensed something was amiss. He swallowed his last bite of rice and sheepishly set down his bowl and chopsticks: "Um, I'm full..."
"Me too." ×3
Shisui, Yamato, and Itachi spoke in unison, all heading to the small courtyard outside, leaving the space to father and son.
Seeing all the unrelated parties had left, Danzō slowly walked to the chair Feng Bai had pulled out and sat down.
"I heard you're leaving Konoha to train at Shikkotsu Forest?"
Danzō spoke coldly.
"Yes, Lady Tsunade has already agreed..." Feng Bai lowered his head, not daring to look at Danzō's face.
"I don't know much about Sage Arts. I only know that Shikkotsu Forest is one of the three great sacred sites, home to a Slug Sage." Danzō's tone was flat, calmly recounting what he knew about Shikkotsu Forest.
"Mm-hmm."
Watching Danzō finally pick up his bowl and chopsticks, Feng Bai obsequiously took the bowl and served him rice, then transformed into a nodding sage, not daring to say another word.
He had somewhat figured out why Danzō was angry—it was definitely because he hadn't informed him beforehand about going to Shikkotsu Forest, which had displeased his father.
"Um, Dad, I didn't mean not to tell you..." Feng Bai tried to struggle a bit.
"Don't talk while eating."
"Yes!"
Watching his father swallow the last bite of rice with trepidation, Feng Bai hadn't even had time to relax when Danzō's next words made him snap to attention.
"Come outside. Let's practice some Wind Release together."
"Huh? That's not really—"
"Hmm?" Danzō shot him a withering glare.
"Yes!"
That day, the wails from the Shimura household echoed for a full hour.
...
Though he wanted to witness Sakumo's inauguration ceremony firsthand, pressed by Tsunade's urgency, Feng Bai still departed for Shikkotsu Forest at the agreed time.
Without saying goodbye to anyone or having anyone see him off, Feng Bai simply followed Tsunade out of Konoha.
Only after he left did Danzō's figure emerge from the shadows.
Danzō didn't leave until Feng Bai was completely out of sight.
After Danzō departed, two small heads peeked out from another location. At Shisui's urging, they too headed home.
Since he hadn't signed a summoning contract, Feng Bai couldn't use Reverse Summoning Technique to reach Shikkotsu Forest like contractors could, and had to resort to the most primitive, simple method—walking.
Fortunately, Tsunade knew Feng Bai was a minor and still had to observe the Three Ninja Prohibitions, so she didn't take him to her favorite casinos, focusing instead on traveling.
After all, once she handed this little guy over to the Slug Sage, she could visit casinos whenever she wanted.
"Here we are—this is Shikkotsu Forest."
After traveling for who knows how many days, Feng Bai followed Tsunade into a mist-shrouded place. Looking at the withered trees everywhere, the atmosphere seemed ominous no matter how you looked at it.
Through the thick fog, a massive mountain range could be vaguely seen.
Squelch, squelch, squelch.
Accompanied by the sound of something viscous sliding across the ground, a cute voice sounded from underfoot: "Well, if it isn't Lady Tsunade! It's been so long."
Following the direction of the voice, Feng Bai saw a slug appear at Tsunade's feet.
"Yo, Slug."
Tsunade smiled and greeted her: "I haven't been on the battlefield recently, so naturally I didn't need your help."
"Let's not dwell on that. I'm here today to ask you a favor."
Without continuing to reminisce with the slug, Tsunade grabbed Feng Bai beside her. Eager to get to the casino, she quickly introduced Feng Bai's identity: "Anyway, this kid wants to learn Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Arts from you, so I brought him here."
"A kid? What an adorable child~"
The slug slowly crawled onto Feng Bai, using a tentacle extending from her body to gently touch Feng Bai's cheek.
Honestly, the sensation wasn't pleasant at all.
Suppressing his physiological discomfort, Feng Bai resisted the urge to throw her off directly.
"Mm, alright then."
Nodding, the Slug Sage slowly crawled down from Feng Bai and returned to the ground: "Thank you for your trouble, Lady Tsunade. You know the method."
"No problem. The sooner I finish, the better for me too."
Tsunade began flexing her knuckles.
"Huh? Senpai, you..."
Looking at Tsunade's pale fists, Feng Bai felt something was off.
What did "begin" mean? What method?
The next second, grabbed by the collar, Feng Bai learned the answer.
Lifting Feng Bai with great force, Tsunade hurled him viciously toward the distant mountains.
"Ahhhh!~~~~"
"Kid, don't use Flying Thunder God—charge straight in!"
Just as Feng Bai instinctively prepared to use Flying Thunder God to avoid the approaching mountains, Tsunade's words interrupted his action.
"Splat!"
The expected pain didn't come. Amid an ominous sound, Feng Bai only felt everything around him become extremely sticky.
"Confirmed receipt." A massive feminine voice resonated, accompanied by rumbling sounds as the mountain came alive.
🔥 Want to read the next 50+ chapters RIGHT NOW?
💎 Patreon members get instant access!
⚡ Limited-time offer currently running...
👉 [Join on - patreon.com/GoldenLong]