Chapter 22: Chapter 22
"I'll do it, I'll do it!" Aburame Hatsuizumi waved her hands impatiently. After seeing the mighty performance of Tategyo (Magikarp), she was eager to see if she could summon a powerful insect—preferably a massive, ancient one. The bigger and more intimidating, the better.
"Alright, go ahead and try it. Just follow the method I taught you—it's simple," Yamato nodded, feeling nostalgic. He had been just as excited as they were when he first learned Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Summoning Technique). Summoning beasts were invaluable partners for shinobi. Tategyo had accompanied him through his weaker days and had grown alongside him. Their bond ran deep.
Hatsuizumi rolled up her sleeves and repeated the hand seals Yamato had demonstrated. She bit her finger, pressing it to the ground with determination, unfazed by the small wound.
Yamato reminded her, "Don't forget to channel chakra and sense the presence on the other side of the summoning formation. Not all summoned beasts are as mild-mannered as Tategyo. Some have terrible tempers, and others will attack those who attempt to form a contract with them. If anything feels off, cancel the jutsu immediately."
Hatsuizumi nodded. As she felt her chakra drain, she focused on the connection forming between herself and the other side of the summoning realm. Through the delicate chakra bridge, she sensed multiple energies—each distinct in nature.
One was a soft, moist blue energy, akin to a lump of mud. Another was black and white, fuzzy yet firm. A third had a twisted, violet aura, like writhing tentacles filled with madness.
Hatsuizumi drifted through this ocean of energy, searching for the one that resonated with her. There were powerful presences and weaker ones, but none felt quite right. Just as her chakra was nearly depleted, she spotted something—a flickering energy, shifting between emerald green and withered yellow. It wasn't particularly strong, but she couldn't explain why—it just felt right.
The light hesitated before responding to her chakra thread.
Poof!
A small cloud of smoke dispersed as Hatsuizumi slumped to the ground, panting from exhaustion. She had barely enough chakra left to complete the contract.
"I… I did it," she gasped, opening her palm under the watchful eyes of her companions.
A tiny cicada lay quietly in her hand. It looked like a delicate carving made from a fusion of wood and leaves.
Its head was a brownish-yellow, with textures resembling tree rings. Its wings were broad and translucent, layered like delicate leaves. Intricate veins ran through them, forming a pattern identical to real foliage, with a thick central stem from which fine, net-like veins branched out.
But its body lacked any vitality. It looked like a withered tree—its trunk rough and dull, its wings the color of dead autumn leaves, curling at the edges like fallen foliage. It seemed fragile, unhealthy—almost lifeless.
Yamato observed the sickly little cicada and shook his head slightly before patting Hatsuizumi's head in reassurance.
"Don't be discouraged," he said. "You can have multiple summoning contracts, as long as you have enough chakra to sustain them. However, forming too many contracts can be a burden. Also, contracts can be dissolved—so if you feel this summon isn't suited for you, you don't have to keep it."
But Hatsuizumi simply beamed. "No, I think he's perfect."
Yamato blinked in surprise.
"I'm really satisfied with this little guy," she continued. "He may be weak now, but I believe he has the potential to grow strong. Tategyo was weak once too, wasn't he?"
She clenched her fist with determination. "Besides, you said it yourself—summoning beasts and shinobi choose each other. Wouldn't it be cruel to abandon one after forming a contract? I've already decided—I'll train Chōchō into a summon even stronger than Tategyo!"
Yamato was momentarily speechless before letting out a small, wry chuckle. He had always valued strength above all else, believing only powerful summons were worth nurturing. But now, it seemed he had been taught a lesson by his student.
Zixu leaned in, studying the tiny cicada in Hatsuizumi's hand.
"Hmm… looks like I've got a new rival in my path to becoming the strongest summoner in the ninja world," he muttered.
Meanwhile, somewhere else, a silent clone stirred in its sleep, shifting slightly before dozing off again.
Watching Hatsuizumi's success, Hyūga Chinano felt the urge to prove herself. Without waiting for Yamato's instruction, she formed hand seals, bit her finger, and pressed it to the ground—executing the summoning with smooth precision.
Yamato's lips curled into a small smile. "Now that's a top-tier student—quick to learn and fast to act."
Hyūga Chinano closed her eyes and focused her chakra, reaching out to communicate with the summoning beasts in the other dimension. Various energy signatures pulsed around her—each unique, each intriguing. Unlike Aburame Hatsuizumi, who took his time choosing, she quickly locked onto the one that suited her best.
Just as Uzumaki Zixu and Yamato were about to examine whether Hatsuizumi's contracted insect had any unique abilities, a sudden burst of white smoke erupted around Chinano. She stepped forward from the mist, releasing her summoning technique.
"Huh? That fast?" Hatsuizumi exclaimed. "What's your summoned beast?"
Curious, he squeezed his way forward after putting away his contracted insect. Since he wasn't as tall as Zixu or Yamato, only half of his head peeked over Zixu's shoulder.
But instead of answering immediately, Chinano had an expression no one had seen before. It was as if she was torn between laughing and crying. With a somewhat stiff movement, she stretched out her left leg, revealing her summoned beast for everyone to see.
It was a furry creature, round and soft, with two dark circles around its eyes forming a bold "eight" shape. Its nose resembled a small cake, with the tip shaped like a piece of black chocolate resting on white cream. Its pink little paws hadn't completely turned black yet, and at this moment, it was curled up tightly, clinging onto Chinano's leg for dear life.
"This is a crime," Zixu muttered in disbelief. "You can lock a guy up, but you can't imprison him like this..."
If this had been his previous life, this thing would have served a lifetime sentence of picking up soap in prison.
This... this wasn't a panda! It was a cub!
"The panda cub is cute, sure… but its combat ability is pretty weak," Chinano huffed, crossing her arms. "I just hope it won't hold me back in the future."
Despite her words, Zixu could see the corner of her mouth twitching as she fought off a grin. Her hands trembled slightly—clearly, she was dying to squeeze and cuddle the tiny creature.
"Waaah! So cute!!! Sniff, sniff, sniff~"
Unlike Chinano, Hatsuizumi had no such reservations. She launched herself at the red panda, scooping it up and rubbing it all over. Her fingers pinched its short, furry ears and pink little paw pads as she giggled uncontrollably.
The poor panda cub shook in terror, clinging onto Chinano's leg even harder.
With a sigh, Chinano peeled the black-and-white fluffball off her leg and cradled it in her arms. She then shoved away the drooling Hatsuizumi, who looked like she was about to explode from cuteness overload.
She glanced at Zixu, who was still mentally debating how many years this crime deserved, and said, "Hurry up, it's your turn. I really want to see what your summoning beast looks like."
Yamato stared at the panda cub in Chinano's arms and silently thought, "Tategyo is the best. It's okay if I don't get to squeeze one of these. Tategyo is the best…"
Snapping out of his thoughts, Zixu took a deep breath. He didn't want to contract anything weird. His only requirement was that it should be a normal summoning beast.
Based on what Chinano and Hatsuizumi had described, the process seemed simple—just choosing an energy ball that suited them.
"Alright," Zixu thought. "I'll just pick a normal one and be done with it."
But just as he was about to perform the summoning, a system notification suddenly popped up.
---
[Temporary Mission: Reverse Spiritualism]
Task Requirements: Use the Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Gyaku Kuchiyose (Summoning Technique: Reverse Summoning).
Mission Introduction: How can you fear the unknown when you are meant to be the Overlord of the Seas? Only by challenging the unknown can you forge an unbreakable will.
Task Reward: The host's Willpower will be strengthened.
Do you accept the task?
---
"...?"
Zixu hesitated.
"What's wrong? Hurry up and sign the contract—it's not that hard," Yamato encouraged, thinking Zixu was nervous.
"Oh... yeah, sure."
Zixu originally wanted to decline, but then something clicked in his mind.
For some reason, summoning a beast suddenly reminded him of gacha pulls in his past life.
Gacha... pulls...
When it came to rolling for his precious son, Xu Ke, he was never sleepy!
It was well-known that certain rituals and beliefs could increase the odds of a lucky draw. And now, this temporary mission felt like a tutorial for metaphysical gacha summoning.
He had no choice but to accept!
---
With his hands forming the opposite seals, Zixu channeled his chakra into the summoning technique.
Before Yamato could finish his words of encouragement, Zixu had already completed the jutsu. But since Yamato wasn't paying close attention, he didn't notice that Zixu had reversed the technique.
The sensation was exactly like what Chinano and Hatsuizumi described—floating energy balls of various elements drifted before him.
But unlike theirs, the ones in front of him were massive.
One pulsed with a warm, soft golden light.
Another was blue-green, moist yet filled with endless vitality.
The last one was white, but it radiated violent, freezing energy.
There was no way he was choosing the violent and cold one.
Naturally, he reached for the golden energy ball. Everything seemed to go smoothly. There were no unexpected incidents.
"Alright," Zixu thought, "this is going well—"
WHOOSH!
A violent force suddenly yanked at him!
The white, freezing energy released an overpowering suction force, pulling in Zixu's chakra thread with zero resistance.
Puff!
White mist erupted—but instead of a summoned beast appearing, Zixu himself vanished into thin air.
"...Oh no. Did I just become the summoning beast??"
Zixu felt his body shift, teleportation taking hold.
Puff!
When he reappeared, he was no longer in the summoning field.
A dim cave surrounded him, dripping water echoing in the distance. The air carried an unsettling scent.
And in front of him stood a long-haired man in plain robes, with snake-like golden vertical pupils and purple markings around his eyes.
The man stared at Zixu, narrowing his reptilian gaze with a look of suspicion. He slowly raised his pale hands, checking them as if to confirm something.
It was as if he was wondering—
Had he used the wrong technique?
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