Half an hour later, Garfield opened the portal as agreed.
Only one Hashirama clone stepped out, followed by a chaotic procession of summoning beasts.
As for the other three clones, Hashirama said nothing.
However, the strained smile on his face and the subtle twitch at the corner of his eye made it abundantly clear that their return to the village had been… less than peaceful.
The summoned beasts were arranged one by one around Garfield's magic circle, each positioned according to its unique elemental and spiritual attributes.
As their chakra signatures were integrated, two particularly distinct fluctuations stood ou, taking the vague forms of a cat and a dog within the circle.
"These must be the kings," Garfield mused. "The Ninja Dog King and the Ninja Cat King."
As for their names, none were mentioned in any records. Perhaps Inuyasha and Lucky Cat. Who knew.
Next came the others.
Bird.
Snake.
Toad.
Slug.
The slug, naturally, belonged to Senju Hashirama.
This was the ancestral contract of the Senju clan, the same lineage that would one day fade away, leaving behind a violent, pink-haired Inheritor with terrifying strength.
Garfield paused. Wait.
How exactly did Sakura raise Sarada by herself? Was it because Sasuke never came home?
Or did regret finally catch up with him while he wandered the world with his arm permanently wrapped around Sakura's shoulders?
Garfield shook his head sharply. Focus.
With the markings complete, Garfield instructed the summoning beasts to withdraw. One by one, they dispersed until only the slug remained.
A blue-and-white slug the size of a house cat rested on Hashirama's shoulder, staring curiously at Garfield as he inscribed additional runes into the magic circle, recalibrating its parameters.
"Hashirama." The slug asked slowly, "Who is this?"
Hashirama explained.
The slug frowned, if a slug could frown.
"I've never seen this creature. Nor have I heard of such a being among the cat clans. And yet…" It hesitated, "…it feels dangerous."
"It has the appearance of a cat but it is not one."
"…What?" Garfield's ears twitched.
Hashirama tilted his head thoughtfully. "Could it be someone who failed at ninjutsu training and turned into a cat?"
Garfield stared at him. This man's imagination is truly boundless.
"Slug," Hashirama continued, "When did you become so talkative?"
"No one speaks to me in Shikkotsu Forest," The slug replied calmly. "I eat trees. It gets boring."
"That reminds me." Hashirama said casually, "My granddaughter Tsunade can already run around. Would you like to meet her?"
"Oh?" The slug perked up.
"She possesses an exceptionally large chakra network. She is very suitable for channeling through me."
As the two chatted, Garfield completed the final transformation of the magic circle.
He raised his paws and recited the updated incantation: "I will blind you utterly now, reveal yourselves."
The magic circle flared gold.
Its runes multiplied, lines intersecting into a far more complex formation.
Above it, shimmering projections appeared, small figurines shaped like animals and humans, each glowing with a distinct color.
Some remained completely still. Others darted rapidly.
A few flickered in and out of existence, clearly aware they were being observed.
Garfield's gaze lingered briefly on two figures, one shaped like a toad, the other like a snake.
So the ancient ones are still around, he thought. The Great Toad Sage and the White Snake Sage.
Not his targets.
And not worth provoking.
Then he saw… a single marker blazing with immense energy.
"Hashirama." He said calmly, "I've found it."
Hashirama straightened. "The Nine-Tails?"
"Let's go." Garfield nodded.
"Alright."
As for the slugs, Garfield chose to ignore them.
He did not like slug-like creatures hovering nearby. He disliked toads even more… childhood trauma.
As for snakes… well, snakes were fine. Preferably stewed.
The slug noticed Garfield's deliberate disregard and remained silent. As a mere avatar, it had no reason to speak.
Slug Sage or rather, Katsuyu, had existed for as long as the Toad Sage and the White Snake Sage.
Every slug in Shikkotsu Forest was one of her extensions. Their daily routine was simple… eat, split, eat again.
Shikkotsu Forest itself was damp, corrosive, and utterly barren of anything desirable. Aside from slugs and the trees they consumed, there was nothing.
Poverty and isolation ensured that most creatures never even considered coveting its territory.
Garfield opened the portal. Hashirama stepped through, the slug still perched on his shoulder.
The instant they crossed over, two sudden high-energy signatures flared near the Nine-Tails' marker.
They emerged at the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning and nearly died on arrival.
A massive Tailed Beast Ball screamed past them, missing by mere meters before detonating in the distance.
"…That was close." Garfield muttered.
Hashirama nodded in agreement.
"What just happened?" Katsuyu asked calmly. Below them, in the valley, the Nine-Tails roared.
The enormous orange fox Kurama was locked in brutal combat with two figures that Garfield immediately recognized.
Kinkaku and Ginkaku.
Elite Cloud ninja.
They wielded the Sage of Six Paths' treasured tools:
The Golden Canopy Rope.
The Banana Palm Fan.
The Crimson Gourd.
The Seven-Star Sword.
The Amber Purifying Pot.
Individually dangerous, together even more Dangerous. Their chakra rivaled that of tailed beasts themselves.
Garfield had long suspected the brothers were illegitimate descendants of the Sage of Six Paths.
Otherwise, it made no sense why so many artifacts had ended up in their hands. Then again, given how bitter and vicious they were, perhaps they truly were not family.
Neither Garfield nor Hashirama understood why Kurama had ended up fighting these two lunatics.
The Nine-Tails' chakra was practically endless. Tailed Beast Balls detonated one after another.
Kinkaku and Ginkaku, relying on raw chakra and stolen treasures, fought Kurama head-on, trading blow for blow.
Garfield's whiskers twitched.
As an orange cat of the new era, Garfield had principles.
He did not rob the dead, he did not murder for loot.
And helping others, especially helpless ones, was simply the right thing to do.
And look at this situation. These two brothers had slaughtered countless innocents.
Now they were ganging up on a domesticated pet, wandering the wilderness after losing its owner, just trying to find something to eat.
Worse still, they were using the owner's relics to beat the owner's pet.
Unforgivable.
As a proper orange cat, Garfield could not tolerate villains who bullied small animals.
He turned to Hashirama, eyes shining.
"Hashirama." Garfield said seriously.
"Can you really just stand by while a cute orange pet, whose owner has passed away, who is wandering the world in search of food and its reincarnated master, is being bullied by two villains who stole the owner's belongings?"
"No." Hashirama answered without hesitation.
Garfield pointed sharply toward the battlefield. "Then beat those two bad guys and save this poor fox."
Hashirama smiled. "Alright. Leave it to me."
He clasped his hands together.
"Sage Mode."
꧁𓊈𒆜༺⚜༻𒆜𓊉꧂
Phantom your way through a treasure trove of chapters waiting on P@treon!
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