Chapter 43: Signed! The Shikkotsu Forest Contract

Words : 1352 Updated : Sep 20th, 2025

Chapter 43 of "I, Konoha's Sage of Life" commences with: After returning to Konoha, Kyoichi thought for a moment and decided to take the key... Don’t miss the next part!

After returning to Konoha, Kyoichi thought for a moment and decided to take the key to Tsunade’s house. Tsunade’s house was easy to recognize. It was the former residence of the First Hokage. Though not large in scale, it was located in a prime area and exuded an ancient, timeless charm. It was one of the few remaining properties of the Senju clan. Kyoichi arrived at the front door. He took out the key, unlocked the door, and stepped inside, only to hear— "Who are you? Why do you have the key to this place?" "Huh?" Kyoichi turned around and saw a man with white hair and a forehead protector bearing the character for "oil." He immediately recognized him. One of the Legendary Sannin. Jiraiya! What a coincidence… Kyoichi bowed slightly and said, "Lord Jiraiya, my name is Kanda Kyoichi. As for the key… well, it was given to me by Lady Tsunade." "Tsunade gave it to you?" Jiraiya was taken aback. Although he had come here immediately after returning to the village, he knew Tsunade hadn’t come back. If she hadn’t returned, how did this kid get the key? "Yes, I ran into her while on a mission in Hikuen Town." Kyoichi nodded. "Hikuen Town…" Jiraiya sighed. He had returned directly from Sunagakure and hadn’t passed through that area, missing Tsunade by a hair’s breadth. Well, it wouldn’t have mattered even if they had met. But… Who was this kid? Kanda Kyoichi? He didn’t recall Tsunade knowing anyone by that name. "To put it simply, I’m Lady Tsunade’s cousin." Though a distant one. Kyoichi thought to himself. "Co… cousin? Oh, I see! Hahaha, well, let’s catch up another time. I’ve got things to do." Jiraiya stumbled over his words. After an awkward laugh, he abruptly changed the subject and made a quick exit. Damn… He had thought the kid was some random thief. Turns out he’s Tsunade’s cousin. That could’ve been embarrassing. Jiraiya felt a wave of relief. Thank goodness Tsunade hadn’t returned. If she had seen him lurking outside her house right after coming back to the village, she probably would’ve beaten him to a pulp. As for the authenticity of the "cousin" claim… Jiraiya didn’t doubt it. Kyoichi was wearing a Konoha forehead protector. In the village, no one would dare falsely claim such a relationship. Besides, the Senju clan had intermarried with many families, and their bloodline was now spread throughout the village. Having a cousin or two wasn’t unusual. …… "Jiraiya not going to the hot springs but coming here instead? Weird." Kyoichi didn’t know what to say. Oh well… He might as well go inside and see why Tsunade had given him the key. He walked in and closed the door behind him. The courtyard was quite spacious. But… Compared to the status of Hashirama Senju, the house he left behind was relatively modest, roughly the size of a small clan leader’s residence. Just by looking at the courtyard, one would never guess this was once the home of the First Hokage. The First and Second Hokage truly lived by their ideals. Kyoichi felt a deep sense of respect. The door to the house was covered in dust, as no one had lived here for years. He entered and looked around. Many of the items inside were covered with cloth to protect them from the dust. The rooms were large. But the layout was clear. After walking around, he had a good idea of what each room was used for. The most important place was naturally the study. The study had its own key, which Tsunade had also given to Kyoichi. Inside were many books. Some were part of a collection, but most were notes left by the Second Hokage. They were disorganized, with many ideas that hadn’t been fully developed—just flashes of inspiration. In addition, there was a shelf filled with Tsunade’s medical notes. There were many medical books here. For most medical ninja, these were nothing short of priceless treasures. "Huh? What’s this?" Kyoichi noticed a cloth-wrapped cylinder on the top shelf of the section dedicated to the First Hokage. He took it down, unwrapped it, and was immediately stunned. A scroll… S~eaʀᴄh the Nôvelƒire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. To be precise, it was the Shikkotsu Forest summoning contract. Holy cow! Tsunade was way too careless. How could she just leave something like this lying around? Wasn’t she afraid someone would steal it? He stood there in shock for a while, then thought it over and realized she probably wasn’t worried. Shikkotsu Forest was one of the three great sage regions. Unlike Mount Myōboku and Ryūchi Cave, Shikkotsu Forest didn’t have small slugs. The entire forest was home to only one being—Katsuyu, the Slug Sage. What Tsunade and Sakura summoned were merely parts of Katsuyu. If someone stole the scroll without permission… The consequences would be dire. Did Tsunade give him the key and send him to the study so he could find this? He hesitated. This wasn’t something to be taken lightly. As Kyoichi pondered, the symbols on the scroll suddenly lit up. A moment later, a small slug crawled out and made its way onto Kyoichi’s hand, conveying a message. "If you’ve found the scroll, this is me asking Katsuyu to pass along a message. This is the Shikkotsu Forest summoning contract that the Senju clan has. If you’re interested, you can sign it. If not, no big deal." Tsunade’s voice was casual. As if this wasn’t a summoning contract but some trivial item. As for why Katsuyu was here… With the summoning contract’s symbols, it wasn’t hard for Katsuyu to appear. Kyoichi thought about it. In the entire ninja world, there were few summoning creatures that could compare to Katsuyu. The opportunity was right in front of him… He’d sign it! Without further hesitation, he bit his finger and began signing his name. Moments later… Kyoichi felt a connection form between himself and Katsuyu. "My name is Katsuyu," it said gently. "Lord Katsuyu, it’s an honor." Though the creature was gentle and small in size, Kyoichi remained respectful. He knew that Katsuyu’s true form was likely larger than the entire village of Konoha. This was a sage who had lived since ancient times. "No need to be so formal. You possess the power of the Senju clan. When you grow stronger, you can visit Shikkotsu Forest… If you need me, you can summon me using the summoning technique." "Understood!" Kyoichi bowed. A moment later, Katsuyu’s clone disappeared. He pondered for a few seconds. The meaning behind Katsuyu’s words… Could it be… That if his physique grew stronger, he might have the chance to learn Shikkotsu Forest’s Sage Mode? If that were the case, this was a huge win! Kyoichi carefully rewrapped the scroll and placed it back in its original position. Then, he turned his attention to the other books—mainly the Second Hokage’s writings and notes. Before he knew it… The light had dimmed, and when he looked outside, it was already dusk. "There are too many books here. I can’t possibly read them all. I’ll send a shadow clone tomorrow to focus on reading." Kyoichi thought to himself. But… The gains was substantial. After reading a few notes on genjutsu and combining them with the knowledge of light-based genjutsu he had gained from the system's reward—Dark Mist Technique—Kyoichi now understood how to integrate genjutsu with his Iaido. The flash of a sword! By amplifying the sword’s light with chakra at the moment of the strike, he could blind his opponent, creating an opening to deliver a fatal blow. He had the idea. As for the Konoha-Style: Willow… It was a motion-based genjutsu, which could also be guided by sword movements, but that was a different approach. He could work on both simultaneously. After all, he now had the theory, and testing both wouldn’t be too complicated. In fact… Kyoichi had already grasped the basics. What he lacked was practical experience, and that required a sparring partner.

Chapter 43: Signed! The Shikkotsu Forest Contract

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