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She looked directly at Rei.

"You possess no such chakra."

"So to them," Rei concluded, "I would be an intruder." Katsuyu gently nodded.

"Precisely. The younger slugs are peaceful creatures toward those they recognize. Toward an unknown presence entering their homeland..." She paused briefly.

"... they instinctively attack before asking questions." Even Tsunade looked slightly surprised.

"I wasn't aware of that."

"It rarely becomes relevant because almost no human has ever attempted to enter Shikkotsu Forest through reverse summoning," Katsuyu replied softly.

"The few who considered it learned the requirement... and abandoned the idea."

"What requirement?" Rei asked.

"For one full year..." Katsuyu answered, "... one of the slug bodies must remain with you at all times." Silence settled across the office.

"Our chakra will gradually intermingle with yours. Over time, your own chakra will begin carrying the unique signature of Shikkotsu Forest. Only then will the wild slugs acknowledge your presence rather than mistake you for an invader."

"A year..." Rei repeated thoughtfully.

"Yes. If the process is interrupted, it begins anew. The slug assigned to you cannot be dismissed for extended periods, cannot be abandoned, and most importantly... cannot be harmed. It must remain close enough for our chakras to continuously intermingle." Shizune blinked in surprise.

"So that's why no one has ever managed to reverse summon themselves there..." Katsuyu nodded.

"Most shinobi lose patience long before a year passes. Others fail because protecting another life every hour of every day eventually becomes more difficult than learning senjutsu itself. Only those capable of safeguarding a companion without fail are welcomed into Shikkotsu Forest." Rei remained quiet for a long moment before giving a small nod.

"I understand. I will take the challenge." His answer surprised everyone.

"You accepted that rather quickly," Tsunade remarked.

"There is nothing unreasonable about the condition," Rei replied calmly.

"If I wish to enter another species' homeland, then earning their trust first is only natural." For the first time since being summoned, Katsuyu smiled.

"For the first time in many years..." Katsuyu said with a gentle smile, "... I believe someone may truly earn the right to enter Shikkotsu Forest." She had already heard of how good Rei was with natural energy, and she herself could sense it from afar even though Rei wasn't actively using it. Tsunade opened a nearby drawer before taking out a massive scroll sealed with an ancient crest.

As she spread it across her desk, countless names written in blood became visible, stretching farther than Rei could immediately read.

"This is the Slug Summoning Contract," Tsunade explained.

"If you've made your decision, sign it." Without a word, Rei bit the tip of his thumb. A bead of blood welled from the wound before he calmly wrote his name beneath Tsunade's. The moment the final stroke was completed, the entire scroll emitted a soft emerald glow before returning to normal. Katsuyu quietly nodded in approval while Tsunade rolled the contract back together.

"Now," Rei said, placing one hand upon the floor, "let's see who answers." [A/N: I don't remember there being any mention of Katsuyu being the only slug from Shikkotsu Forest, so I am taking the liberty of introducing other slug characters. If I am going against the actual manga plot you can point it out.] Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

"Summoning Jutsu." A cloud of white smoke filled the office. A slug roughly the size of a large house cat emerged from the smoke. Unlike Katsuyu's elegant pale-blue body, this slug possessed soft jade-green markings running across its back like flowing vines. Two golden antennae moved curiously, looking around the office before settling upon Rei.

"Ooh... You're the new contractor?" the slug asked cheerfully.

"You're much younger than I expected! Hello! My name is Midori!" The lively greeting caused Shizune to blink twice.

"... She's certainly different from Lady Katsuyu." Katsuyu let out a soft, amused laugh.

"Midori has always been... considerably more energetic than the rest of us." Midori happily bounced closer to Rei before looking him up and down with unconcealed curiosity. Rei and Katsuyu explained why Rei had made the contract, and Midori was quite amused.

"So you're really trying to visit home! Brave... or crazy. Maybe both." Before Rei could reply, Katsuyu calmly explained everything regarding the one-year requirement and Midori's role in the process. Midori listened without interrupting, occasionally nodding before finally turning back toward Rei with an unusually serious expression.

"I accept." She climbed onto Rei's shoulder with surprising ease.

"From today onward, I'll remain with you almost constantly. Every day I'll absorb a small portion of your chakra. Don't worry, it'll be barely noticeable. I don't need much to live, but our chakras need to continuously intermingle so the entire forest gradually recognizes yours as one of our own. Of course, if you need my help, I will help."

"Hahaha... As long as I can keep you around, you can take all my chakra. I have enough to spare." Shizune couldn't help but smile.

"So she's basically your permanent companion now."

"Not just a companion," Katsuyu corrected gently.

"Midori specializes in different areas than I do. While my strengths lie in large-scale healing and battlefield support, Midori possesses exceptional sensory abilities. She can detect disturbances in chakra, natural energy, toxins, diseases, and even subtle changes within a person's body long before symptoms become visible. Her healing abilities are weaker than mine, but her perception surpasses that of most slugs. She is a great analyst when it comes to the body of any creature."

Midori puffed out her tiny chest proudly.

"I'm also really good at hiding! I can flatten myself under clothes, inside sleeves, or even beneath armor without anyone noticing. Most people won't even realize I'm there. Think of me as an extra pair of eyes... who occasionally steals a little chakra." Rei looked at the cheerful slug resting comfortably upon his shoulder before giving a small nod.

"Then I look forward to working with you, Midori." Midori's golden eyes sparkled.

"And I look forward to surviving a whole year with you, Lord Rei. Let's make sure neither of us gets eaten before we reach Shikkotsu Forest."

By the time Rei stepped through the front door of his house, the aroma of freshly prepared food had already filled the entire home. His mother had apparently received the news long before he returned, and judging by the amount of food covering the dining table, she intended to celebrate every achievement he had earned in a single evening. The moment Hana saw him, she walked straight over before wrapping him in a tight embrace.

"My son is a Jonin..." There was unmistakable pride in her voice.

"And now you're even serving as the Hokage's personal guard." Yes, after he defeated the ANBU and the news got leaked that he had soloed an S-class mission, he was already prepared to have this kind of welcome home. Daichi stood nearby with folded arms, pretending to remain composed. Unfortunately for him, the broad smile stretching across his face completely betrayed his attempt to look indifferent.

"Hmph... You finally outrank your old man." Rei couldn't help but chuckle.

"I don't think ranks matter between us."

"They do today." Daichi laughed before firmly patting Rei on the shoulder.

"Congratulations." The simple words carried more weight than an elaborate speech ever could. Not long afterward, the house became considerably livelier as familiar faces began arriving one after another. Naruto was naturally the first through the door, already shouting before anyone could greet him.

"REI!"

"I heard you became a Jonin already!"

"That's cheating!"

"I'm still trying to become a Chunin!" Behind him walked Sasuke with Sakura, followed by Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, Hinata, Kiba, Shino, and several others. The once-quiet Amagi residence transformed into a cheerful gathering filled with laughter, teasing, and endless conversations. Even Midori quietly rested upon Rei's shoulder, curiously observing human celebrations for the very first time.

"So this is a feast..." the little slug whispered.

"You humans really do celebrate with food." Shizune couldn't help laughing while gently poking Midori's tiny head.

"And what do slugs celebrate with?"

"More food." The immediate reply caused everyone nearby to burst into laughter. Midori was then introduced to everyone, and it was said that she would be accompanying Rei for quite some time. Though they didn't understand why, they were happy to see another creature adding itself to the group. Naruto, meanwhile, had already challenged Rei to a spar the following morning before Daichi immediately rejected the idea.

"Absolutely not. My son returned from a dangerous mission today. He gets one peaceful evening before any of you drag him back into training."

"Aww..." Naruto dramatically slumped over the table while everyone else laughed at his exaggerated reaction. Even Sasuke allowed the corner of his mouth to rise ever so slightly.

"... Congratulations." The words were short, but Rei knew Sasuke rarely offered praise unless he genuinely meant it.

"Thanks." The evening continued well into the night. Stories were exchanged, food disappeared faster than Hana could replace it, and every now and then Midori quietly stole a tiny portion from Rei's plate, proudly declaring that she was merely "maintaining the chakra synchronization process."