บท 29: Chapter 29: Summoning Jutsu (Part 1)

A few days earlier, Hattori's level had already reached 29, but to maximize the benefits of Puppet Technique, he had held back his experience points, refraining from leveling up. Now that his Puppet Technique had successfully advanced, he decided to stop suppressing his level.

Curiosity and anticipation filled him—he wondered what new medical ninjutsu would unlock at level 30. After all, Mystical Palm Technique was already considered the pinnacle of conventional medical ninjutsu in the Naruto world. Would it be a forbidden technique?

"Let's go all the way, push my level to 30, and see what skill unlocks!"

With his decision made, he used Mystical Palm Technique once more, healing the injured ninjas in the medical tent.

**[EXP +100]**

**[Level +1]**

After three treatments, his level smoothly advanced to 30.

**[Name: Hattori]**

**[Title: Puppet Tyrant]**

**[Level: 30]**

**[HP: 307/307]**

**[MP: 425/805]**

**[EXP: 0/300]**

**[Specialties: Medical, Puppetry]**

**[Combat Power Assessment: A-]**

Reaching level 30 had boosted his attributes, with his combat power evaluation rising from B+ to A-, comparable to most special jonin in the ninja world.

But Hattori barely glanced at these stats. His focus was wholly on the newly unlocked medical skill.

**[Medical Summoning Jutsu Unlocked—Summon Slug]**

Summoning jutsu?

Surprised at first, Hattori had expected to unlock a new medical ninjutsu, but he quickly understood.

"The slug is a medical summoning creature, and its healing power surpasses Mystical Palm!"

While Mystical Palm Technique was top-tier in conventional medical ninjutsu, it could only heal one person at a time. The slug, however, could divide and treat an entire village's worth of ninjas!

Hattori remembered that Tsunade's signature skill was using Summoning Jutsu to call forth the slug and have it split into hundreds of smaller slugs. These smaller slugs could then facilitate large-scale healing across the entire ninja village.

Tsunade's remarkable "support technique" allowed Konoha to fend off attacks from the other Great Ninja Villages, earning her the title of "Slug Princess."

It was thanks to this powerful summoning technique that Tsunade had secured her place as one of the "Legendary Sannin." Hattori was now more grateful than ever for his decision to study Tsunade's medical ninjutsu style. Without that, obtaining a summoning creature from one of the Three Great Sages' lands would have been almost impossible.

"Indeed, once you make the right choice, life shines brightly!"

He felt a wave of satisfaction as he examined the details of his new summoning skill.

**[Summon Slug: Use summoning jutsu to call the slug from Shikkotsu Forest for healing or battle, expending 1–999 MP for different-sized slug clones. By consuming 10,000 MP, you may summon the Great Slug Sage itself.]**

Reading this skill description, Hattori recalled other details about Shikkotsu Forest's slug. Unlike Mount Myoboku's toads or Ryuchi Cave's snakes, Shikkotsu Forest only had one slug: the Great Slug Sage.

When Tsunade or Sakura summoned a slug, it was actually a part of this Great Slug Sage, whose full body had yet to be summoned by anyone. The skill description confirmed this—it took 10,000 MP to summon the main body, a level of MP no normal ninja could achieve. Even some tailed beasts lacked 10,000 MP!

Hattori remembered that when he had just arrived in the ninja world, he saw the rampaging One-Tail Shukaku in Sunagakure. Its MP was just over 6,000.

This meant that even a fully powered Shukaku might not have enough MP to reach the 10,000 mark. If that was the case for tailed beasts, it was even more impossible for humans.

Powerful jinchuriki might have that much MP, but anyone with that amount of power would hardly need a summoning creature.

The saying held true here: "Those with power don't bother, and those without it can't afford to."

But Hattori wasn't too concerned about that. Summoning the Great Slug Sage wasn't as important to him as being able to gain experience. Of course, he wasn't reckless enough to summon a slug immediately; Tsunade's use of the slug summoning was well-known in the ninja world.

If he summoned a slug here, Sunagakure's Anbu would surely confront him soon after.

To avoid suspicion, Hattori carefully approached Chiyo's home to ask her about summoning creatures.

"Lady Chiyo, if I wanted to have a slug as my summoning creature like Konoha's Tsunade, how would I do that?"

Chiyo, amused by his openness, replied with a chuckle.

"Heard something while treating the injured, did you? Many medical ninjas dream of having the slug as their summon, but it's incredibly difficult. The slug hails from Shikkotsu Forest, one of the Three Great Summoning Lands!"

Her face grew reflective.

"The Three Great Summoning Lands are shrouded in mystery, and reaching them is extremely dangerous. Signing a contract with a creature from one of those lands is nearly impossible, a journey of life and death. Do you still want to know?"

"Yes, I want to know!" Hattori's expression remained resolute as he looked at her intently. "Please, tell me, Lady Chiyo!"

Chiyo hesitated, then, seeing his unwavering resolve, she sighed and continued.

"As far as I know, there are only two ways to obtain the slug. The first is to have Konoha's Tsunade hand over the slug's contract scroll, which is clearly impossible. So, only the other option remains."

She raised one finger toward him.

"That's to enter the Summoning Realm and find Shikkotsu Forest within its vast reaches, then gain the slug's approval and sign a contract with it."

Chiyo's intent had been to dissuade Hattori, but to her surprise, he nodded resolutely before she even finished speaking.

"Alright, Lady Chiyo, I think that's a good idea. Please, send me to the Summoning Realm. I'm sure I'll find Shikkotsu Forest and sign a contract with the slug!"

Chiyo: "..."