Fleeing from Konoha-Chapter 549 - 74: Land of the Sky (Part 3)

"Having a large body also has its disadvantages; it becomes inconvenient when doing things. My main body hasn’t moved in three hundred years here; every time I move, it crushes the forest."

Soft, sticky sounds emanated from the large mouth of Katsuyu.

"..."

"Lord Hakushi, why aren’t you speaking?"

"...Ah, I was just contemplating some issues. No need to worry. Speaking of which, how are Obito and Lin?"

Hakushi skillfully shifted the topic.

Discussing matters of time with an almost immortal summoning beast was indeed not a wise thing to do.

Casually mentioning tens or hundreds of years made Hakushi feel pressured.

"Lin’s natural energy training is going well. She’s currently attempting to fuse Sage Art Chakra."

Katsuyu truthfully conveyed Lin’s situation.

Hakushi nodded knowingly.

This speed isn’t exactly fast, but it’s not slow either.

Lately, Lin’s fusion of Sage Art Chakra has considerably heightened the recovery effects and speed of her Medical Ninjutsu, fostering an excellent medical ninja for the Land of Demons.

After all, the Land of Demons still severely lacks Medical Ninja; an exceptionally talented medical ninja can sometimes equal or surpass the effectiveness of dozens or even hundreds of medical ninja.

"Obito’s fusion of natural energy isn’t going well; he harbors too many distractions. Although he’s successfully guided natural energy out, his control and maneuverability are very poor."

"Ah, that kid. Never mind, just let him take his time. At his age, impatience in doing things is to be expected. I’m heading over there now; let’s chat later."

Hakushi bid farewell to Katsuyu and headed toward the white forest.

Everywhere around him were stark white trees standing as straight as needles, with countless palm-sized Katsuyu crawling on them, exuding mucus from their mouths—Katsuyu’s split clones.

Every corner of this forest was filled with Katsuyu’s ears and eyes; nothing could escape them.

This counted as a kind of protective measure.

Though Shikkotsu Forest resided in a secluded area within the Ninja Realm, typically inaccessible to others, occasionally someone lucky enough might unwittingly stumble into the forest.

If drawn by power, Katsuyu would form a contract with them.

If someone inadvertently wandered in, oblivious ordinary folk, Katsuyu would erase their memories of entering Shikkotsu Forest and send them outside without causing harm to those lost and accidentally entering the forest.

According to Katsuyu, the summoning beasts of the Three Sacred Lands each exhibit distinct characteristics.

In contrast, the summoning beasts of Ryuchi Cave, for instance, lure lost individuals into the cavern, swallowing them for a feast.

Thus, the summoning beasts of Ryuchi Cave are rampant, ferocious, bloodthirsty serpents.

They’re unwilling to form contracts with ninja unless their power garners respect and acknowledgment.

Hakushi navigated the white forest and quickly arrived at the place where Obito and Lin were training.

A clear stream ran here, teeming with plump fish, alongside a small vegetable patch cultivating green vegetables.

Aside from that, a few Shiroki-constructed wooden houses stood; on the wood, several of Katsuyu’s clones crawled slowly, dispelling possible insects and filth with the mucus secreted from their mouths.

Occasionally, Hakushi would bring Ruri and Ayane here to train, hence constructing a garden and building houses here for convenience, solving food and lodgings.

"Teacher Hakushi, you’ve arrived."

Feeling Hakushi’s chakra, Lin immediately interrupted her training.

Capable of harnessing preliminary Sage Art Chakra, Lin already possessed perception ability.

"Things on that side were just about handled, so I came over to check. You’re doing well with Sage Art Chakra; Lin, you can move on to the next phase of training."

Lin’s exhibited training results made Hakushi nod approvingly.

"Teacher Hakushi, what’s the next phase of training?"

"It’s simple: successfully integrating Sage Art Chakra with Medical Ninjutsu. Controlling Sage Art Chakra and displaying it in jutsu form are two different concepts. You can begin training in this aspect, and I’ll guide you on how to do it."

"I understand."

Lin nodded firmly, vowing not to disappoint Hakushi.

Lin’s earnest quest for knowledge and diligent learning attitude naturally satisfied Hakushi.

After all, his mentorship with Lin was fundamentally distinct from Lin’s mentorship with Minato.

His mentorship with Lin resembled a genuine teacher-student relationship, essentially an unbroken lineage.

While Minato’s mentor-student relationship with Lin was more akin to a hierarchy between a superior and subordinate.

Thus, Hakushi saw fit to impart his knowledge generously to Lin, including his Medical Ninjutsu and other core abilities; when necessary, he would confide in Lin, including his beliefs.

As for how much Lin could learn from him depended on her level of effort and comprehension.

Undoubtedly, Lin’s talent in Medical Ninjutsu was such that Hakushi believed she was an unrefined jade; her future achievements as a medical ninja would be substantial.

Just as Hakushi intended to continue his speech, a whooshing sound broke the air behind him.

The ambusher’s speed was swift, and their force wasn’t weak; if struck, Hakushi felt he’d surely sustain injury.

Already sensing the unfolding scene, Hakushi unhesitatingly sidestepped, narrowly evading the ambusher’s fist by mere inches.