"Minato-sensei, you're finally back!"
Obito sprang to his feet the moment Minato appeared at the edge of the training ground. His earlier exhaustion vanished as if it had never existed, replaced by a grin so wide it nearly split his face.
"Where have you been these past few days?" he demanded, hurrying across the grass. "I thought you'd forgotten about us! And since you're finally here… you wouldn't happen to know anything about the Chūnin Exams, would you? The test locations, the exam content, secret shortcuts—anything useful?"
The hopeful look in Obito's eyes made his intentions painfully obvious.
Minato smiled apologetically. Although his face remained as calm and gentle as ever, Ren noticed the faint exhaustion hidden beneath his blue eyes.
"I'm sorry," Minato said. "The village assigned me several urgent matters that required my full attention. I didn't forget about any of you."
Obito folded his arms and looked away with an exaggerated huff. "You could have at least left a message."
"You're right. I'll remember that next time."
Hearing such a straightforward apology, Obito immediately lost the will to complain. He scratched his cheek, then leaned closer with a conspiratorial expression.
"So… about the exam questions?"
"Obito," Minato replied patiently, "the Chūnin Exams are designed to select shinobi with the judgment, leadership, and combat ability required for promotion. Leaking the contents beforehand would violate the rules."
Obito's shoulders collapsed.
Minato's smile deepened. "However, I can help all of you improve as much as possible before the examination begins."
Obito immediately straightened again. "That's more like it!"
"For you, I've already found a more suitable instructor."
The moment Minato finished speaking, another chakra presence appeared near the training ground.
Ren had sensed the newcomer before he stepped out from beneath the trees. The man wore Konoha's dark-green flak jacket, and his stern features carried the natural authority of someone accustomed to being obeyed.
Uchiha Fugaku approached without wasting a single movement.
Obito's excitement faltered.
"Uchiha Obito," Fugaku said, his dark eyes settling on the younger clansman. "I heard you awakened the two-tomoe Sharingan during your deployment on the southwestern front."
Obito unconsciously touched the area around one eye.
Fugaku's expression remained severe, but there was a faint trace of approval in his voice. "Awakening two tomoe at once is a respectable achievement. Come with me. I will teach you how to use those eyes properly."
Obito looked at Minato, then back at Fugaku.
Although they belonged to the same clan, Obito had never been close to its leader. He was an orphan who lived near the edge of the Uchiha district, and his habit of arriving late, boasting loudly, and failing to meet expectations had never earned much attention from the clan's senior members.
Under ordinary circumstances, Fugaku would not personally instruct him.
Minato's request had clearly played a major role, but Obito's battlefield awakening had also changed how the clan viewed him.
For the first time, Uchiha Fugaku was acknowledging Obito as a shinobi worth teaching.
"Uh… right now?" Obito asked.
Fugaku turned away. "The Chūnin Exams will not wait for you to feel prepared."
Obito swallowed. "Right. Of course."
He glanced back at Rin, clearly reluctant to leave her behind. Rin gave him an encouraging smile and raised one hand.
"Do your best, Obito."
Those few words immediately restored his courage.
"Just watch me!" Obito declared. "When I come back, I'll have mastered the Sharingan completely!"
Fugaku continued walking without responding. Obito hurried after him, nearly tripping over a root before recovering and pretending nothing had happened.
Ren watched them disappear among the trees.
Objectively, Fugaku was far more suitable than Minato for guiding Obito. Minato's combat style revolved around speed, space-time ninjutsu, sealing techniques, and precise battlefield judgment. Obito's growing strength, however, depended on the Sharingan and the Uchiha clan's Fire Release traditions.
Only another powerful Uchiha could teach him how to fully exploit those eyes.
Once Obito was gone, Minato turned toward Ren.
His expression became more serious.
"Ren, your situation is different. Your current ability already exceeds what most people expect from a chūnin. I'm not worried about whether you'll pass the examination."
Rin looked toward Ren, unsurprised.
Ren tilted his head slightly. "Then what are you worried about?"
"I'm thinking beyond the exam."
Minato stepped closer and reached into his equipment pouch. Instead of removing the sealed mission scroll Ren had noticed earlier, he took out a blank sheet of paper and placed it on a nearby training post.
"How much do you know about the Summoning Jutsu?"
Ren's eyes sharpened.
So Minato was not planning to teach him the Flying Thunder God immediately.
He wanted to begin with summoning.
That was reasonable. The Flying Thunder God was an advanced space-time ninjutsu based on marking, spatial coordinates, and instantaneous displacement. Learning it without understanding the basic principles of summoning would be like trying to build a roof before laying the foundation.
Ren considered his answer before speaking.
"The Summoning Jutsu uses a contract and chakra as a medium to connect two locations through space. The most common form is a blood contract with a clan of summon creatures, allowing the shinobi to call them into battle."
Minato nodded.
Ren continued. "There are also summoning techniques used for objects or specific defensive structures. The First Hokage's Rashōmon is one example."
"Very good," Minato said. "Most Academy graduates only understand that the technique produces a large animal after forming several hand seals. You've already grasped the most important concept."
Minato used one finger to draw a simple circular diagram in the dirt.
"The technique does not create the summoned creature. It establishes a temporary connection between the user and the target through a predetermined contract. Your blood confirms your identity, your chakra activates the technique, and the formula determines the destination."
Ren crouched beside the diagram.
Minato added several markings inside the circle. "Jiraiya-sensei and I both signed contracts with the toads of Mount Myōboku, one of the Three Great Sage Regions."
Rin's eyes widened slightly.
Even among shinobi, the Three Great Sage Regions were surrounded by mystery. Mount Myōboku, Shikkotsu Forest, and Ryūchi Cave were spoken of as places that existed somewhere between legend and reality.
"The toads of Mount Myōboku are powerful allies," Minato continued. "Some specialise in direct combat, while others possess sensory, barrier, or support abilities. More importantly, Mount Myōboku preserves a complete tradition of senjutsu."
The word caused Ren's attention to sharpen further.
Senjutsu.
Natural energy.
Sage Mode.
Minato looked directly at him. "Your talent and potential are exceptional. If you gained the support of Mount Myōboku, it could greatly expand your future path."
He paused before delivering the real offer.
"I've already spoken with Jiraiya-sensei. If you're willing, I can recommend you as the third active Konoha contractor of Mount Myōboku."
For the first time since Minato arrived, Ren's composure nearly cracked.
The offer carried far more weight than an ordinary ninjutsu lesson.
Contracts connected to the Three Great Sage Regions were treasures most shinobi could never obtain, regardless of rank or wealth. A powerful summon could completely change the balance of a battle.
Even a genin who managed to summon Gamabunta would temporarily possess combat power capable of threatening an elite jōnin.
Mount Myōboku also offered something even more valuable than its giant toads.
It offered a path toward Sage Mode.
However, accepting was not a decision Ren could make lightly.
The toads of Mount Myōboku were powerful, but many of them were proud, stubborn, and difficult to command. Signing the contract did not guarantee their obedience. He would still need to prove himself, gain their recognition, and develop relationships with individual summons.
Ren had another possible choice.
Through Tsunade, he might be able to obtain the contract of Shikkotsu Forest.
The slugs did not possess the same overwhelming direct-combat ability as Mount Myōboku's giant toads, but their healing, communication, and support capabilities were extraordinary. Katsuyu alone could divide into countless smaller bodies, distribute chakra, heal multiple people across an enormous area, and relay information between distant locations.
For warfare, medical support, and survival, Shikkotsu Forest might be the superior option.
There was also the unanswered question of its senjutsu inheritance.
The original history of Hashirama Senju's Sage Mode remained unclear. His markings did not resemble Jiraiya's or the known traits of Ryūchi Cave. It was possible that his Sage Mode had come from Shikkotsu Forest—or from an entirely separate tradition.
Ryūchi Cave was the third option, but Ren dismissed it almost immediately.
The snakes were dangerous, treacherous, and far more likely to devour an unworthy contractor than teach them patiently. Even Orochimaru had failed to master the full power of that Sage Region.
Ren already had enough dangerous relationships.
He did not need to add a giant snake that might eat him during training.
The greater problem was exclusivity.
The great summon clans rarely tolerated contractors who signed competing blood contracts. Choosing one could close the door to the others permanently.
Ren remained silent for several moments.
Minato did not pressure him.
Rin, who had been listening intently, raised her hand. "Minato-sensei, does every shinobi need to sign a contract with a summon creature before using the technique?"
"In most cases, yes," Minato replied. "Powerful summon clans are selective, and very few shinobi receive invitations from groups like Mount Myōboku. Most people search for suitable creatures on their own."
Rin blinked. "How do they convince them?"
"Some negotiate," Minato said. "Others build trust over time. A few defeat the creatures in battle and force them to acknowledge their strength, although that method often creates an unstable partnership."
Rin looked down at the formula drawn in the dirt.
"What would happen if someone performed the Summoning Jutsu without having a contract at all?"
"Usually, nothing. The user would simply waste chakra because there would be no destination connected to the technique."
Minato's lips curved into a faint smile. "But rare exceptions do exist. When Jiraiya-sensei was young, he attempted the Summoning Jutsu without a contract. Instead of summoning a creature, he accidentally triggered a reverse summoning and transported himself directly to Mount Myōboku."
Rin stared at him.
"He used a technique he didn't understand and threw himself into an unknown location?"
"That is a simplified but accurate description."
Ren almost laughed.
That sounded exactly like something Jiraiya would do.
Minato turned back toward him. "You don't need to answer today. Choosing a summon clan can affect the rest of your life. Mount Myōboku's invitation will remain open while you consider it."
Ren nodded. "I appreciate that."
"For now, I'll teach both of you the technique itself."
Minato crouched and erased the crude diagram with his hand. He then drew a larger, more precise summoning formula, explaining each section as he worked.
"This outer ring stabilises the connection. These markings identify the contract, while the central formula guides chakra into the spatial transfer."
He demonstrated the hand seals slowly.
"Boar. Dog. Bird. Monkey. Ram."
Ren and Rin copied him.
"The sequence must remain uninterrupted," Minato said. "After the final seal, place your hand against the surface and release your chakra through the formula. A blood contract requires a small amount of blood as proof of identity."
He continued explaining the technique step by step, breaking down every element with remarkable patience.
Minato did not merely tell them which seals to form. He described how the chakra should move, how much force to use, how the spatial connection felt when it formed correctly, and what mistakes could cause the summoning to fail.
Ren listened more carefully than he had during any ordinary ninjutsu lesson.
The Summoning Jutsu was not merely useful on its own.
It was a space-time technique.
The formula created a temporary bridge between two distant points, while the contract functioned as a fixed coordinate. The same principles could eventually lead toward the Flying Thunder God.
Minato confirmed his thoughts a moment later.
"Pay special attention to the sensation when the connection forms," he said. "Summoning and the Flying Thunder God are very different techniques, but they share certain fundamental principles."
Rin looked toward him in surprise. "The Flying Thunder God?"
Minato nodded. "Both involve recognising spatial coordinates and bypassing the physical distance between locations. The Flying Thunder God is far more complicated, but mastering summoning will give you a foundation for understanding advanced space-time ninjutsu."
Ren concealed his growing excitement.
He had been right.
Minato was laying the groundwork.
The Summoning Jutsu was not the final lesson. It was the first step toward the Flying Thunder God.
Minato demonstrated the complete technique.
He bit his thumb, formed the hand seals, and slammed his palm against the earth.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Black markings spread across the ground.
A burst of white smoke exploded across the training field, followed by a low croak. When the smoke cleared, a small orange toad sat beneath Minato's hand, looking mildly irritated at being disturbed.
"You summoned me for a demonstration?" the toad asked.
"I apologise," Minato said. "I'm teaching my students."
The toad glanced at Ren and Rin before giving a reluctant nod. "At least choose promising ones."
With another puff of smoke, it disappeared.
Rin stared at the empty space it had left behind.
Ren focused on the fading traces of chakra.
At that exact moment, a familiar chime rang inside his mind.
Ding!
A translucent system window appeared before his eyes.
[High-quality conquest target detected: Summoning Jutsu.]
[Would you like to trigger the Encounter Event?]
[Yes / No]
Ren's attention immediately locked onto the new target.
He silently selected yes.
The world around him seemed to fade.
A vision unfolded inside the system window.
He saw himself standing alone on the western training ground outside Konoha. An enormous summoning formation covered the earth beneath his feet, its markings far more complicated than anything Minato had just demonstrated.
The symbols lit up one after another.
Silver light erupted from the formation.
The air twisted.
Instead of a toad, slug, snake, or any creature Ren recognised, a young woman slowly emerged from the light.
She appeared almost human.
Almost.
Long golden hair flowed behind her as though suspended underwater, and her pointed ears gave her an otherworldly appearance. She wore a pale dress embroidered with ancient runes that glowed faintly across the fabric.
Her bare feet never touched the ground.
She floated above a pool of silver water that had not existed moments before.
Translucent chains encircled her wrists and ankles. They stretched downward into the liquid, disappearing beneath the rippling surface as if binding her to something hidden far below.
Her eyes remained closed.
Then she yawned.
"Ah… it feels as though I've been asleep for a very long time."
The chains trembled.
The silver water began to spread across the training ground.
Slowly, the girl opened her eyes.
Her gaze passed through the system vision and settled directly on Ren, filled with ancient curiosity and quiet amusement.
It did not feel like an illusion.
It felt as though she could truly see him.
A playful smile appeared on her lips.
"Finally," she whispered. "A living person."
She leaned forward slightly, studying him as if he were an unusual toy that had wandered into her prison.
Then she asked the question that made Ren's heart stop.
"Little one… may I ask, are you my Master?"
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