After all, beings like the Three Ancestor Sages, who have lived for at least a thousand years, with bodies far larger than their species, and filled with overwhelming natural energy and chakra, have their homes eroded and influenced by their own power. It's only a matter of time.
In any case, any living beings or outsiders entering Shikkotsu Forest will eventually be influenced, either assimilated or turned into nutrients over time.
Too much vitality can become an unbearable burden for ninjas once it exceeds a certain limit.
For example, right now, Tsunade was watching Kagetsu, who had his eyes closed, absorbing the natural energy of Shikkotsu Forest. He seemed to be carefully feeling it, but her expression was a bit strange.
For a moment, Tsunade couldn't decide whether Kagetsu was brave to the point of being fearless, or if he was just arrogantly confident, or if he felt safe because she and the giant slug were nearby and wouldn't let anything happen to him.
In places rich in natural energy, staying too long can cause various problems. After all, which ninja would willingly absorb natural energy into their body without any reason?
Mastering natural energy is a huge gap compared to mastering chakra.
Although the natural energy of Shikkotsu Forest is relatively mild, it's only mild in comparison. Its corrosive and assimilating properties are even more subtle and powerful.
But seeing that Kagetsu showed no signs of abnormality, Tsunade carefully observed and sensed it for a while before deciding not to intervene.
Kagetsu wasn't like Jiraiya, that reckless fool. He knew when to stop when necessary. Once he realized something was wrong, he would stop.
However, Tsunade was somewhat speechless seeing that the Nara clan member, Kagetsu, could remain so comfortable in the life-filled environment of Shikkotsu Forest.
This environment was like a tonic for the Nara clan, but they couldn't stay for too long.
If the Fountain of Living Fluid was involved, it might be able to heal the Nara clan's "medicine jar" constitution?
As for compensation, how could the medicinal plants grown by the Nara clan and the deer they raised possibly compare to the Liquid Wells?
"Lady Tsunade, Lord Kagetsu, we've arrived!"
While both Kagetsu and Tsunade were silently lost in their own thoughts, the soft voice of the giant slug echoed.
Woken from their thoughts, Kagetsu and Tsunade looked around, noticing that the area was scattered with numerous Liquid Wells of various sizes.
The smallest had a diameter of only half a meter, like a small puddle, while the largest resembled a small hot spring with a diameter of about three meters.
The giant slug's body moved, covering the Liquid Wells along the way. The spring water was rapidly absorbed by the slug, and then mixed with its internal energy, turning into bodily fluids that flowed from its body, merging into the ground beneath and the pits.
Kagetsu, who had noticed this earlier, now confirmed that the environment of Shikkotsu Forest had become due to these hardworking slugs. These split bodies had become an integral part of Shikkotsu Forest's ecological cycle.
Eventually, the giant slug stopped in front of an object that looked like a wooden post.
Although it appeared to be a wooden post, it was unusually large—at least three to four people would be needed to surround it.
It seemed to be the remains of a tree, but unlike the trees outside, its color was similar to the desolate, white, jagged giant trees of Shikkotsu Forest, making it stand out distinctly.
It was about ten meters long, bare, and lying on the ground. There was no Liquid Well nearby.
"What is this?" Tsunade jumped off the giant slug, walking over to the fallen wooden post and inspecting it. She was puzzled; it really did just look like a piece of wood.
"It's a tiny part of a powerful monster. A thousand years ago, it was discarded here by the Slug Sage. Though the monster is long dead, and this is just its empty shell, the internal structure and material still carry traces of its power."
The giant slug softly explained to both Tsunade and Kagetsu. Googlᴇ search Nov3lFɪre.ɴet
"If Lord Kagetsu wants to use it to forge ninja tools, then using it as material would be enough to create powerful ninja tools that would satisfy you."
"If it's just for research, I believe Lord Kagetsu could also uncover many secrets from it."
Tsunade, after hearing this, stepped forward and placed her palm flat against the rough surface of the wooden stake. She closed her eyes, carefully feeling it.
Tsunade felt a strong mental shock, and her body staggered back a few steps. The contact between her hand and the stake was instantly broken.
Kagetsu and the giant slug spoke at the same time. Two slug arms, as thick as baby arms, fell from the giant slug's body, plopping onto Tsunade's shoulders and head. They puffed up their cheeks, their bodies glowing as they checked and adjusted Tsunade's condition.
"I'm fine!" Tsunade waved her hand, not stopping the two slugs from using their power to expel the foreign force in her body and stabilize her energy.
"It's absorbing my chakra! Also, the feeling it gave me… it's full of vitality, but also has a violent, mental energy." Tsunade frowned, describing her experience to Kagetsu.
"It's like a plant, but also like a living creature."
What Tsunade didn't continue to say was that, from her perception, she even felt a power similar to her grandfather's Wood Release!
This discovery, along with the earlier introduction of the wooden stake by the giant slug, left her mind feeling a bit chaotic!
Could it be that Grandpa's Wood Release power was inherited from this wooden stake? Or maybe from some monster from a thousand years ago?
Tsunade felt that something must be wrong.
"Lord Kagetsu, you can take it, but be careful. It might still hold some other unknown danger," the giant slug turned its head and quietly warned Kagetsu, who had moved in front of the wooden stake.
"Of course, thank you for this gift! I really like it!" Kagetsu placed his hand on the wooden stake, feeling his chakra being consumed eagerly. There was no panic on his face, only a look of someone who had found a treasure.
Please support me on my ko-fi account and read upto 15 early chapters,
https://ko-fi.com/pirateking24/tiers