A/N: Big shoutout and gratitude to my friend who peer reviewed and helped me edit this chapter! Really helped me pull through this long chapter. Hope ya'll enjoy! Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Chapter 3: The small slug patiently rests in her summoner's arms as she continues to cry. She scans her summoner's body, noting a significant change such as the amount of chakra she has and her smaller form. Katsuyu recalls the events of the Fourth War; however, there are blank gaps in between certain instances that she needs to be aware of. One of them explaining the reason for the seal to appear on the underside of her true body. *** Before the Infinite Dream Technique was activated by Madara, Tsunade dismissed her back to her homeworld, The Damp Bone Forest, to prevent her from being a victim. Hours later, she felt a familiar surge of chakra pool on the underside of her body and began forming a seal. The slug suspected that something bad happened to both of her summoners, so she unraveled the Summoning Contract Scroll to check the status of their bond. A bond between a summoner and an animal is created if the former signs their name in blood with the latter's approval. The pigment will remain bright red as long as the bond and both parties are alive. If the summoner dies, then the animal will feel the bond sever and the signature will fade into black to signify the annulment. The animal also has the authority to sever the contract at any point in time for any reason, including abuse and/or misuse of the summon. So although Katsuyu can still feel the bond with Tsunade and Sakura, she wanted to confirm their status herself. She and the other Slugs, who also sensed something was amiss, were shocked to see an additional mark above Sakura's signature. Katsuyu almost teleported herself to the Human Realm to assess the situation, but hesitation took hold of her. She wasn't sure why at the time, but she couldn't bring herself to carry on with her action. She decided to wait until she's been summoned. She deeply hoped that either Tsunade or Sakura, or both, were alright. *** After what felt like an eternity, Sakura's sobs finally stopped. She swipes the remaining tears with the sleeve of her jacket and holds the slug at arm's length to get a better look at her. The white and blue-streaked creature remains mostly the same until Sakura notices black inked letters peaking just underneath Katsuyu's mouth. After throwing a handful of sticks into the fire, the child lifts the slug higher to get a better look at the markings. "So you have the mark too." Sakura casually states then sets the slug down on her lap. "Do you bear the same mark, Milady?" Katsuyu softly asks. The child nods with a thoughtful expression, "Yeah. There's…a lot I need to tell you, including about the mark. First, what's the last thing you remember from the war?" The small slug retells the events, from being summoned to create a Healing Area for the Shinobi Alliance until Tsunade dismissed her back into The Forest. "When I checked the Contract, the mark on my body appeared above your signature. The Slugs and I were deeply worried about you and Lady Tsunade." Her optical and sensory tentacles droop downwards to showcase her saddened mood. The child allows an appreciative smile to appear on her features, "I'm sorry for worrying you and the others." She heaves a heavy sigh as a frown takes its place on her face. "Lady Tsunade was right to send you back to your world. Madara activated the Infinite Dream Technique, which captured everyone in the God Tree's vines. Sasuke used Susano ‘O to shield us from its effect - we were the only humans left on the battlefield aside from Madara and the Reanimated Hokages. "Black Zetsu betrayed Madara and did something to him. I'm not entirely sure but the next thing we knew was that the Rabbit Goddess, Kaguya, emerged from his body. She teleported Team 7 and Obito into a volcanic dimension. Naruto and Sasuke fought against her while Kakashi secured the rest of us from falling into lava. "Kaguya teleported us again to an ice dimension and then into a strange one - it was crazy! There wasn't enough time to fully process the experience." Sakura combs her short hair with her fingers in irritation. "Anyway, she sent Sasuke into a different dimension to separate us. Obito was the only one who could bring him back from that other place, so I helped him while Naruto distracted that crazy bitch!" Sakura clenches her fist at the memory, but then quickly apologizes after realizing she just cursed in front of her summon. "I've heard worse from Lady Tsunade." Katsuyu's little joke roused a giggle from her smaller summoner. "You're right. Master curses worse than a sailor!" Sakura's chest tightens at the prospect of her mentor and surrogate mother being trapped in the Tree's vines, dreaming away while her chakra is absorbed. She shakes her head to rid those depressing thoughts and continues with her explanation. "We managed to get Sasuke back and he rejoined the fight with Naruto. I healed whatever injury Kakashi had when we were reunited. Then we got teleported into a dimension with strong gravity pulling us down to the ground. It was hard to move, let alone breathe - even she was affected by it. "She…aimed her Ash Killing Bone projectiles to hit Naruto and Sasuke; Kakashi and Obito managed to cover them… Obito saved them but he got hit in the process. Naruto tried to save him, but there was no way to reverse the damage, so he…died." Katsuyu observes Sakura's facial expression: the corner of her lips tilt downward; eyes are glossed with somber; her pink eyebrows lowered and pulled closer together. There's spots of smeared dried mud on her cheeks and left temple; some clumps of mud cling onto the ends of her hair and clothing. "After Obito died, things got intense." Sakura's smaller body wilts, "Kaguya transformed into a large, evil rabbit creature. Somehow Kakashi obtained the Mangekyo Sharingan in both of his eyes and managed to summon his version of Susano 'O. He saved me from being grabbed by the rabbit, then he gave Team 7 its last mission." A prideful smile is displayed on her features for a moment while looking at her right knuckles, "It was a coordinated attack - Naruto and Sasuke managed to free the Nine Tailed Beasts from her control. Kakashi distracted Kaguya, creating an opening for the boys to use the Seals on their hands. I punched her head when she tried to escape and I broke off one of her horns." Her lips thin into a line, "Right before we thought it'd be over, Black Zetsu came back and cut off their arms that had the Seals. Then they both escaped through a black portal…" "Milady?" Katsuyu softly encourages when Sakura became silent for a long moment. The child sharply inhales through her nostrils while her eyes become glossy with tears, "Right, sorry." The slug shifts her tail to let it rest atop of her small hand in comfort, earning a grateful nod. "I caught the boys before they fell to the ground and made my way to Kakashi, who was barely awake because of exhaustion and the toll of using the Sharingan. I knew I had to relocate them someplace safer in that dimension. At least I knew the Tailed Beasts would protect us for the time being while I healed them. But then we all got teleported back to the battlefield by the Sage of Six Paths." "Hagoromo Otsutsuki." Green eyes blink at the slug quizzically. "I've met Lord Hagoromo and Lord Hamura centuries ago. I was one of the Slugs who trained them in the arts of healing." "Wow." Sakura exhales out. The slug giggles lightly at her stunned expression, "I was confused when I felt Lord Hagoromo's chakra create the seal on my body." "Right. Well," the child starts out nervously, "The Sage brought us and the Tailed Beasts back to our dimension because he also sensed something went wrong. I told him and the others what happened. Eventually, Kakashi and the boys woke up and we didn't know what else to do. I mean, we were the only ones left!" Anxiety rolls off of Sakura's body in waves as she continues on. "Then the Sage proposed to send someone back into the past to fix everything! Naruto and Sasuke got into an argument and Kakashi didn't stop them, but the Sage chose me instead. Me, of all people!" she rushes out in exasperation. "What were his reasons?" "He said that I have a higher chance to survive the trip in the portal that he and the others opened! Oh my stars, Lady Katsuyu, the pain was unbearable! I had to activate my 100 Healings Seal and…" Sakura's chest tightens as her anxiety levels increase. Her nasal passageway became congested while tears began to fall. Even if she gulps large amounts of air to fill her lungs, it felt like she couldn't breathe. She can feel her heart race and can hear it loudly in her ears. Get a grip, Outer. Inner Sakura chides. "I-I can't -!" Yes, you can. "But-!" Katsuyu sends a soothing wave of chakra from her tail that's atop of her summoner's hand. She knew she needed to comfort her summoner when she sensed the increase in her anxiety levels. Through contact, she can feel the child's heartbeat erratically. "Lady Sakura, can you feel my chakra?" Focus, Outer. Close your eyes and focus on feeling Lady Katsuyu's chakra. Sakura tightly shuts her eyes and tries to pinpoint the sensation of energy her summon is emitting. Breathe in. "Breathe out," Katsuyu instructs when her summoner took a deep breath in. The child releases a shaky breath. "Breathe in." Breathe Out. Sakura repeats the process a few more times with Inner and Katsuyu setting the pace. As she does so, she's beginning to calm down. The sensation of a soothing chakra washing over her becomes clearer. "I can feel Lady Katsuyu's chakra." She states. "What does it feel like?" "Warm." She giggles as she opens her eyes, "Ironic because most slugs are cold-blooded animals." "Yes, but I can regulate my body temperature using chakra if I desire." "That's because you're amazing," Sakura gives a cheeky grin. "Thank you for comforting me, Lady Katsuyu." And thank you, Inner. Of course! Inner gives her the peace sign and a toothy smile. "You're very welcome, Milady. Will you be alright to continue with your explanation?" Concern is still evident in her tone. Sakura nods her head, now feeling sure of herself. "I think the pain I felt was what the Sage meant. If I thought it was unbearable, then I doubt Sasuke and Kakashi would've survived. Naruto might've succeeded because of Kurama's healing abilities. However, I realized earlier today that my body is about the same as a toddler around the age of three or four." "Your physical body changed yet you have more chakra than I remember." Sakura pushes her bangs up to reveal her forehead, "The previous four Hokages bestowed upon me most of their chakra and their knowledge as gifts before I left. Lord Third figured the extra supply and information could come in handy with my long mission. The other three followed suit, resulting in an additional four chakra reserves to the ones I have." She holds out her right wrist to showcase the wooden accessory, "The First Hokage gifted me this bracelet that's imbued with his Sage Energy." She also tells her what her male teammates gave to her. If she concentrates to look deep within, she can visualize how her current chakra reserves are looking. Each of the Hokage reserves is filled with different colored energies to further distinguish themselves. She also notes how each of them is completely separate from her Main Reserve - she decides to only use them in extreme cases. Official Chakra Map Artist: Dreamy (aka Me) Digital Art Software: ibisPaint X Date Created: 2.14.21 "I've no doubt their gifts will help!" Katsuyu affirms, "What of the seal on our bodies then?" "The Sage placed a protective seal on my chest to ensure my memories, mind, body, and our contract remains intact. He said the mark will appear on your body too, but he didn't say about it also showing up on the Contract Scroll." Sakura gently holds the slug in both hands then flips her upside down to take a closer look at the seal on the underside of her body. Official Seal Artist: Dreamy (aka Me) Digital Art Software: ibisPaint X Date Created: 2.11.21 "We bear the same exact mark." She states as she corrects her summon right-side up. "Do the other Slugs also have it?" "No, I'm the only one. I suppose it's because you signed the Contract specifically with me." The child hums, "But the others remember me?" "Yes, our bond is still active. Although, I suspect the seal above your signature may have something to do with the other Slugs retaining their memories of you." "I guess that makes sense." Sakura shrugs her shoulders. "As far as I understand, Lord Hagoromo chose to send you into the past to change the outcome of the Fourth War. Do you know what time period you arrived at?" The child releases a disgruntled groan as her body wilts, "He didn't tell any of us because he feared Kaguya might follow. I understand it was to protect us, but I still wished he gave a clue." "Well, I can tell you that we're in a time when Lady Tsunade already signed her name in the Contract Scroll." Katsuyu placates in hopes to cheer up her young summoner. It seems to have worked because Sakura's gasps with a calculating look in her eyes. "Wait, do you remember how old Master was when she signed it?" A soft hum vibrates the slug's entire body as she reflects on her memories, "It was during the Second War that she developed her Yin Seal. She was older than you when you signed it, but younger than her age when the Third War began." Sakura did the math in her head, remembering her master's true age despite the Transformation Technique makes her appear younger, and her history lessons about the first three wars. "Master had to be in her mid-to-late 20's or early 30's when she signed it." Kakashi also mentioned in passing that he's known her for about two decades, Inner adds. He's 14 years older than us, making him 30 years old by the Fourth War. His gray hair makes him seem much older than that. Sakura snorts un-ladylike. Inner snickers, That and his experience as a shinobi. Sakura purses her lips then voices her thoughts aloud, "Okay, so we're not too far into the past if Master's signature is still in the Contract. Given her true age by the time of the Fourth War…Kakashi is 14 years older than my actual age…He was 12 when he was assigned to the Kannabi Bridge Mission…The Second War ended…The Third War began…" she mumbles to herself for a minute while calculating the numbers and events in her head. "Ah!" She snaps her fingers with a triumphant grin plastered on, "So that means we're either near the end of the Second War or the beginning of the Third War!" Katsuyu tilts her head slightly to the left, puzzled yet amazed at how her summoner came to that speculation Suddenly, a look of dreadful realization replaces her grin, "Wait. That means Master has hemophobia (the fear of blood)." "If she's already lost her fiancé, Dan Kato, which occurred in the Second War." The slug mournfully informs. She clearly remembers how her strong summoner fell into depression when she lost the man she deeply loved. That also means that Master retired from active duty and left the village with Shizune sometime after that. Gambling and drinking her sorrows across the lands. Inner's reminder further dampens Sakura's mood. "Whichever the scenario is, perhaps it's best if you wash away any remnants of blood off of your body before we find her," Katsuyu suggests. The child examines her fingernails in distaste; she agrees with the slug's suggestion. "On the bright side, I can stay with you for as long as you need me." Sakura nuzzles her cheek against the slug's head in gratitude. *** Outside of the Hokage Tower "Stars, I need a drink." Tsunade groans as she exits the Hokage Tower. Their village leader called an emergency meeting that morning to discuss what the Barrier Team detected last night. Presently, their team of Sensory-Types is still searching for the source of the powerful entity. They do, however, suspect the unknown entity is somewhere inside the village. Hunter scouts were given the order to do a perimeter check inside and out of the village just to be safe. There have also been reports from shinobi and civilians about the blackout affecting the entire village, from the slums to the wealthiest districts. Thankfully, there are backup generators littered in certain areas to keep them alighted amidst the darkness. As if the Second War wasn't stressful enough, there could be a threat within the village. "Something on your mind, princess?" She doesn't bother to face the owner of the voice because she already sensed his approach, "Care to share your thoughts?" "Humph! Buy me a drink first." She crosses her arms under her endowed breasts as she directs her gaze to the sky. Heavy, dark gray clouds still cover the blue sky without letting natural sunlight peak through. It's a light shower of rain at the moment, but she -and many others - wonder if the storm will pick up later tonight. It was surprising: gentle rain-showers came yesterday afternoon and quickly became a ferocious storm with a show of thunder and lightning. The damage conceived was a sight to behold when morning came. Trees were bent at an eerie angle; many thinner ones toppled over on homes and/or snagged on cable lines. The streets were flooded with almost three inches of water - the civilians were very unlucky given their lack of ability to rooftop-hop with chakra. The daring could, provided they're careful. "Of course! Shall we go to our usual spot?" the owner, Jiraiya, asks. She directs just enough chakra to the soles of her feet to walk on the watery path to their destination. He follows her lead in silence. They observe the passing people as they continue to their destination. At the very least, no one was severely injured during the storm. A few people came at the break of dawn for treatment - a few broken bones or a nasty open wound - but those were treated quickly. The bar's hostess greeted the duo from her position behind the bar. The legendary pair aren't the only ones who had the idea of drinking at noon because the bar was at about half its full capacity. Jiraiya leads them to a private booth near the back. It's the kind that has sliding doors to separate them from the rest of the noise. A server quickly takes their order and leaves them alone; their sliding doors remain open now with both occupants mulling over what was discussed in the meeting. After the server places their drinks and food on the table, Jiraiya closes the doors and places a paper silencing seal on one of the panels. After he activates it with a small pulse of his chakra, Tsunade speaks first. "What do you think of the situation?" "It's concerning." He doesn't miss a beat, "If the Barrier Team or the Scouts can't locate this "disturbance," we'd best prepare for the worst." "The hospital is already overworked with patients and training people for the new medical program." She gulps her sake in one shot then eats a gyoza. Jiraiya hums as he swirls the sake in his cup, "It's strange, to say the least." He continues upon seeing her arched eyebrow, "The disturbance didn't feel hostile." She scoffs then refills her cup, only to one-shot it the next second. "Did you sense any hostility last night?" He meets her eyes with a silent challenge. "Who's to say the disturbance won't become hostile soon?" she counters with a frown. "You may be right, but I wager it's a good thing." A smug smirk appears on his face at the glint in her eyes. "You're willing to make a bet on whether this "thing" is good or bad?" Why?" He shrugs one shoulder then downs his sake in one gulp, "I just have a gut feeling." Tsunade intertwines her fingers together in front of her lips as she rests her elbows on the table. She knows he's trying to bait her into a gamble, but on what premise? It'd be too easy for her to wager the disturbance as a bad thing. However, it's interesting to hear her former teammate say that this "thing" could be good - for who? She's not sure. Yet. They eat and drink in silence until the food is halfway gone. "…It was ominous." She settles. He nods his head, "That's what everyone else said in the meeting." Before she could say something else, her eyebrows pull together in confusion upon feeling a shift in her bond with her animal summon, Katsuyu of the Slug Contract. It's as if something heavy landed in the pit of her stomach. "What's wrong?" Worry is evident in Jiraiya's tone and expression. She doesn't respond because she doesn't know what is wrong. Instead, she bites the pad of her right thumb, weaving familiar hand signs, and slams her palm flat on the table. Black seals encircle her hand on the surface as smoke arises from the point of contact. She pulls her hand away and a small slug becomes visible through the dissipating smoke. The slug, about three inches high, lies flat on the surface as it wriggles its optical and sensory tentacles to observe their surroundings before focusing on their summoner. "Lady Tsunade, how may I be of service?" Its feminine voice asks. "I was hoping you could explain to me why I felt something strange with our bond." Amber eyes peer down at her summon. "How do you mean?" Jiraiya glances between the two with curiosity. "I felt something shift with our bond. It feels like someone punched me in the chest." "I see." The slug turns its optical tentacles to regard the second human, "Hello to you as well, Lord Jiraiya." "Right back at ya, Lady Katsuyu!" He raises a sake cup with cheer. "Katsuyu," Tsunade's amber eyes narrow in suspicion, "You wouldn’t be hiding something from me, hm?" "Of course not, Milady." Katsuyu lifts her head up, "I have something important both of you must be aware of." Both of them immediately noticed the strange black marking on the underside of the slug's body. "Is that a seal?" Jiraiya leans forward to take a better look at it. He's never seen anything like this in all of his years studying to become a Seal Master. Perhaps he could ask help from his former teacher or from a good acquaintance whose family were legendary masters of sealing. "Yes, it is, Milord." Katsuyu directs her optical tentacles to the paper seal on the door, "Good. You've secured the room." "What's going on, Katsuyu?" Tsunade impatiently snaps. It's not often her familiar stalls in relaying information and she doesn't like how the slug is doing it now. "I can only tell you so much. It's best if you talk to my other summoner." "What?!" Tsunade slams a fist in shock, "I'm the only summoner that signed the contract recently! Bring me the Contract!" Who else signed the Contract? The Slugs are very particular with who they form a bond with. Even she had to prove her worth to them before Katsuyu granted her the right to sign it. So how? When? Who? "Please, Lady Tsunade. I need you to be calm because this is very important. You two will be the first humans to know about this." Both adults stiffen at the heavy implication that Katsuyu is about to share highly important details with them. Tsunade massages her right temple for a second then looks at her summon with renewed calmness. Katsuyu regards her summoner for a second then slams her tail on the table's surface. A standard-sized scroll with a green barrel and red rims appears in a small plume of smoke. "Please look at the Contract, Milady." She nudges the item until it's closer to her summoner's hand. Tsunade unravels it and gasps at the signature in the column beside hers. Sakura Haruno "Haruno? Aren't they civilians?" She asks. "Yes, they are. However, please take another look at her signature." The woman does as instructed and sees the same Seal above the bright red signature. She rests the scroll on the table to allow Jiraiya to peer at it too. His surprise only shows in the action of raising both of his eyebrows to his hairline. "The Seal you see on my body and above Lady Sakura's signature are connected." Katsuyu begins. "She's on a mission that will change everything." A/N:. More Katsuyu! I pre-planned to use Katsuyu as Sakura's companion and as an anchor in some situations.
The main issue I had with this chapter in particular (and in the story in general) is whether or not I wanted Tsunade already have hemophobia or not, which means either have Dan already dead at this point or I'll kill him off at some point. I went with the former because I didn't include him in my Event Timeline. I didn't know how to incorporate him too, so I talked it over with my friend and came to that decision. The part where Tsunade felt a shift in her bond with the slug was a spur in the moment. I initially intended to have Katsuyu teleport herself to Tsunade to set up the next stage, but it felt tacky (?) when I typed it out. Rather anti-climatic, honestly. I also made the Chakra Map to visualize how her reserves are looking from within her. Canon Sakura meditated to increase her main reserve while simultaneously storing some in her 100 Healings Seal. Please let me know how you're liking these chapters! Your feedback will help me improve for the future chapters!
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1/16/2024 01:42:48 am
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