The little slug shrank back at the sight of the salt in Ayato's hand and squeaked in a trembling voice, "I'm sorry, Lord Ayato… I haven't seen Lady Tsunade in a long time."
The last time it had been summoned by Tsunade… must have been two years ago. It really had been trying to find her—it had been gone for over two years.
Ayato's tone stayed flat. "I see."
The slug wasn't lying; it truly hadn't seen Tsunade in ages. Fine. He'd go to Tanzaku Town in a month. Good thing he hadn't sealed any contract with the slug himself—otherwise untangling that mess would be a headache. More powers were useful, but they had to be powers that were both flashy and strong. A bunch of useless summons cluttering up his life would only be a nuisance.
"Y—yes. Lady Tsunade is also looking for you… you should meet soon," the slug stammered, body trembling. It was genuinely terrified of Ayato—salt wasn't a joke to that creature. The last thing it remembered was playing happily in the barrier mountains; the next moment it'd seen Ayato and everything went downhill.
Being a summoning beast was a rough life.
Ayato tossed the salt pouch aside and spoke in a threatening tone, "You useless thing—help my student train properly. If she can't summon your true form within five days, I'll soak you in a salt bath."
"Y—yes!" the little slug answered, then mumbled sotto voce, "That depends on the girl's aptitude…"
"Hm?" Ayato glanced at it.
"N—nothing!" the slug babbled.
Impressive. The whole of Team 7 watched the frightened little slug and then looked up at Ayato with renewed respect. Even an extradimensional summoning beast would show Ayato dues—no surprise. Ayato had done well.
"I've chosen!" Naruto bounded forward, clutching his large scroll, chest puffed with excitement. "Wait and see, Sasuke! I picked a powerful, cool summon that can transform into a flexible weapon!"
Sasuke scoffed. "Trash."
Most of the time, powerful summons were hard to actually call. Even if Ayato could force a contract, actually manifesting a mighty beast depended on the summoner's own chakra control. Naruto's dreams of summoning the strongest beast were naïve.
"Monkey summon?" Ayato accepted Naruto's scroll and examined the illustration. Naruto had surprising taste—he'd picked the famous Sarutobi clan's legendary ape-king, Enma. Enma was formidable and could turn into a weapon. Aside from the Outer Path Gedo Statue, it ranked among the strongest summoning beasts—Third Hokage's trump card. Danzo had been thorough in stealing oddities; he'd even hoarded the summoning methods.
Contracting that beast was one thing—actually summoning it would likely take months for Naruto. The side quest window was seven days; given Team 7's current level, ordinary summons might be manageable in five days, but grand beasts like Enma were a different story.
"Ayato, help me seal the contract!" Naruto's eyes sparkled. He was already picturing himself showing off before Sakura and stealing the spotlight from Sasuke. Maybe he'd even embarrass Ayato for fun.
Ayato waved dismissively. "Don't be ridiculous. With your skill level, you won't summon Enma. Pick another within thirty seconds, or forget summoning."
Naruto's face blanched. He'd only just started his search, but the clock was ticking.
Sasuke snorted. He'd already guessed Ayato would force Naruto to pick again. If Naruto could call Enma, Sasuke would be the one humiliated.
Sakura glared at Naruto. "Are you stupid? We're just starting the summoning training—you begin with basics!"
She'd seen Enma in the scrolls too, but she gave it up immediately—the description listed it as the most powerful and secretive of the contracts.
"Fine—fine." Naruto hurriedly rifled through the pile, anxious Ayato would refuse to teach him otherwise. He found a scroll he hadn't considered and ran to Ayato.
"Ayato, what about this toad?" Naruto asked, holding it up.
A toad contract… this one bore the name he respected most: the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze. The toad in that lineup had once been Minato's summon, later used by Naruto. The toad didn't look flashy, but being associated with the Hokage meant worth.
Ayato tilted the dark red scroll in his hand, reading the line of names and smirking. "Good eye, you fox. That's a summon the Fourth used."
Naruto frowned at the drawing. "But it looks weak…"
"Silly," Sasuke said coldly. "If the Hokage used it, it's powerful."
Ayato drew out the moment, then deliberately exaggerated his praise. "It's powerful—super—powerful." He stretched the syllables to stoke Naruto's confidence. Anything to get the brat to finish the training quickly.
"Great! I'll seal it now!" Naruto burst with renewed enthusiasm. He bit his finger and pressed the blood to the dark-red contract.
Ayato said, "Try it."
Naruto, all puffed-up bravado, drew a line of blood across his palm and began the seals. Then he slammed his hand onto the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A little puff of white smoke rolled on the earth—and a tiny, tadpole-like black creature appeared.
Silence.
Naruto blinked at the small tadpole and then scowled. "What the—Ayato, you said it would be a powerful summon! Why's it a silly tadpole?"
The small slug's voice, calm and pleasant, explained, "A contract's sealed, but the size of the summoned form depends on the user's chakra control."
Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose. Sasuke allowed a cold smile of satisfaction to curl—his earlier anxiety subsided.
"You buffoon," Sasuke said with contempt. "You summoned trash."
"Me? You summoned an egg!" Naruto shot back, outraged.
Sakura intervened with a lightly indignant flick, landing a clean punch on Naruto's torso. He collapsed in theatrical pain and tried to bargain. "Let's swap!" he pleaded, clutching the tiny tadpole.
"Who'd swap with you?" Sakura hissed.
Ayato, coolly surveying the scene, patted Sakura's head. "Sakura did well. As for the two of you… you're the worst genin I've seen."
He pulled out their Chūnin application forms and waved them. "Five days. If you don't master summoning in five days, I'll cancel Team 7's Chūnin entry. You two are dragging Sakura down."
Naruto and Sasuke fell silent, ashamed. Sakura, to their surprise, had done best on her first try.
Sasuke's jaw tightened into a grim line. He looked at the slug curled in Sakura's hands—the small creature had become proof that he couldn't be complacent. He had to be the strongest; he would not be surpassed by some "flat-chested girl," as Ayato mockingly put it.
Naruto clenched his fists, memories of being last in class flashing through his mind. He refused to be the tail-end any longer. He vowed to get stronger—not to hold the team back, not to ruin their chance at the Chūnin Exams.
Sakura bit her lip, cheeks burning. "Are you praising or insulting me, Ayato?" she demanded. She wanted to punch him, but her anger was mixed with determination—she would grow stronger.
Ayato watched Sasuke and Naruto's reaction with satisfaction. Good. Pressure produced results. Sakura's natural skill with chakra control—born of her super-strength training—meant she naturally handled summoning flow well. The others needed a prod to reach that level.
He eyed the team with a touch of greed. Last time the gacha rewarded him a pair of Rinnegan-Sharingan—what would this draw give? He felt a small thrill.
Sakura tilted her head and asked in a deliberately cute tone, "Sensei, have you ever contracted a summon? Will you show us?"
Sasuke and Naruto both looked up, curious.
Ayato sniffed. "Annoying. Stop the fake cuteness—it makes me want to punch." He'd been waiting for this trigger.
A summoning? Of course he had one. The Outer Path Gedo Statue.
He rarely used "second-rate" techniques, but since they wanted to watch so badly, he'd perform once. Tear their eyes with something they'd never forget.
Ayato bit his thumb and slammed his palm to the ground.
"Summoning—Gedo Statue."
The earth trembled violently. A massive presence swept across the field. Cracks spidered outward and then an enormous statue rose up, towering into the sky.
A roar echoed as the Outer Path Gedo Statue unleashed a primal, chill-inducing bellow. The shockwave hurled Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke backward like ragdolls; the statue's chakra pressed down like a physical weight, filling the air with dread.
Ayato sat imperiously on the statue's shoulder, looking down at the trio with a cool, arrogant gaze. "A third-rate technique… more or less," he said, tone bland.
Sorry, Nagato. The Gedo Statue was for now on his stage. Some things were necessary for show.
Team 7 stared up at the towering figure, every hair on their bodies standing on end. Its chakra was heavy, unlike anything they'd felt before—an oppressive, chilling current that made the ground feel thin under their feet. Even to look at it made their insides clench.
This was Ayato's summon? It was terrifying—impossibly so. Plain sight itself was an ordeal.
Naruto's eyes went wide. He swallowed hard and then, starry-eyed, shouted, "So—so—so cool!"
Sakura's face paled as fear rippled across her features, but then awe replaced it. She gaped up at Ayato, flushed with adoration. "Sensei… you're amazing."
Sasuke, expression dark, stared at the statue through his Sharingan, twin tomoe gleaming. Ayato called such a horrific thing "third-rate"? The statue embodied a power Sasuke had craved since the day of his clan's destruction—the sort of force that could carry out revenge.
His hands trembled. He found himself whispering in disbelief, "Why am I shaking? Am I afraid of a summon…?"
Unbelievable.
The statue's chakra bore a strange resonance—one that felt eerily similar to the Mangekyō Sharingan's power. Could Ayato—an alleged Hyūga—really possess something that echoed Uchiha bloodline levels?
Impossible.
Ayato was Hyūga-born; he couldn't possibly hold an Uchiha nature.
But the sensation was there, close and real.
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