After bidding farewell to Tsunade and her companions, Rinjin found a serene, uninhabited spot outside the village, surrounded by lush mountains and flowing streams.
Replaying the hand signs and sequence of Jiraiya's summoning technique in his mind, he chuckled at himself mockingly.
"Heh, here I go courting death again. Can't wait!"
"My expectations aren't too high—just Shikkotsu Forest will do!
Soft and squishy slugs, my favorite~"
Muttering to himself, Rinjin bit down hard on his finger.
...
Nothing happened.
Staring at his unscathed finger, Rinjin covered his face in exasperation.
Now he understood why the Third Raikage didn't have a summoning beast—probably because even if he did, he'd be too lazy to summon it. After all, having to stab oneself with an Ippon Nukite every time before summoning? Who the hell could endure that?!
Taking a deep breath, Rinjin raised his left index finger and shouted,
"Salted Fish Stab: Ippon Nukite!"
With a faint tearing sound, his left index finger pierced through his right thumb.
Face darkened, Rinjin smeared the hard-earned blood onto his palm and quickly formed the seals.
"Boar - Dog - Rooster - Monkey - Ram!"
"Summoning Jutsu!"
With a loud poof, the time-traveling scenario he had been anticipating did not occur.
As the white smoke dispersed, instead of a mystical creature, a massive scroll, about a meter long, appeared before him.
The scroll had an ancient, intricate design, somewhat reminiscent of the Scroll of Seals he had seen before.
Scratching his head in confusion, Rinjin walked over and picked up the scroll.
Unrolling it, he saw only a sparse line of dark red vertical text at the top, followed by five dark red dots, and then a long stretch of blank space.
He couldn't read a single word of it.
After pondering for a while, Rinjin's eyes suddenly lit up.
Could this... could this be the legendary Contract Scroll?!
He remembered that in the original series, Jiraiya also had a similar scroll, which he later had Naruto sign.
Without hesitation, Rinjin quickly used the remaining blood on his thumb to write his name next to the first name on the scroll.
But just as he finished the last stroke, something strange happened.
The name he had written on the scroll suddenly vanished!
Weird!
Very weird!
Was this thing picky about its summoners?
You've already been summoned by me, and now you won't even let me sign my name?!
Unwilling to let it go, Rinjin decided he had to figure out what kind of creature this scroll could summon. Otherwise, how could he sleep at night?
If he couldn't do it himself, he'd just have to find someone else to try!
With that thought, a certain face popped into his mind.
In the next moment, he grabbed the scroll and formed a single-handed seal.
"Flying Thunder God Technique!"
In Amegakure, inside the Raikage's office building, the secretary's office.
Yawayi, dressed in her Cloud Village ninja uniform, sat at her desk, her expression blank as she busily worked.
Over the years, this woman had grown even more mature. In her early twenties, she now had the allure of a perfectly ripened peach.
Suddenly, she felt a faint breeze behind her.
Instinctively, Yawayi grabbed the ninja blade on her desk and slashed backward.
But behind her, there was nothing—only a piece of paper, sliced in two, slowly drifting to the ground.
Scanning her surroundings, a trace of anticipation flickered deep within Yawayi's eyes.
The only one who could appear behind her so effortlessly and then vanish without a trace was that man.
With a small surge of excitement, Yawayi picked up the paper from the floor.
On it were two familiar words: Come home!
Recognizing the handwriting, Yawayi's heart leaped with joy, and a smile unconsciously spread across her lips.
The sound of her high heels echoed crisply as she hurried out of the office, leaving behind her pen and ninja blade.
Standing in front of her own home, Yawayi felt an unusual nervousness.
Patting her trembling chest to calm herself, she took a deep breath, suppressed the smile at the corners of her mouth, and put on an icy expression.
Taking out her key, she opened the door.
With a soft click, the door swung open.
There was no man holding flowers, looking at her tenderly.
No candles or wine set on the table.
No warm, romantic "Welcome home~" greeting.
Instead, there was just a certain idiot sitting cross-legged on the floor, gnawing on a massive scroll with his teeth.
Seeing Yawayi return, Rinjin immediately raised his head and waved his hand anxiously.
"Yawayi, do you have scissors?"
Yawayi's face instantly darkened.
No, something wasn't right!
She must have opened the door the wrong way!
Let's try again!
Face black as coal, Yawayi stepped back out, slammed the door shut, crossed her arms, and muttered a small prayer. Then, trembling, she took out her key again and reopened the door.
Inside, everything was exactly the same as before.
Rolling her eyes in exasperation, Yawayi stomped over to Rinjin, crouched down beside him, and puffed her cheeks in frustration.
"Alright, spill it. Why did you call me back?"
Grinning, Rinjin handed her the scroll that was laid across his knees, his eyes brimming with anticipation.
"Here, try this—the Summoning Scroll!"
"How do I try it?" Yawayi asked, clearly annoyed.
Hearing this, Rinjin eagerly spread the scroll out before her and explained,
"Write your name here, in blood, and then press your fingerprints over these five spots!"
Although her face was still dark, Yawayi didn't hesitate. She bit her right thumb, letting the blood flow, and signed her name on the scroll.
Then, she pressed her fingerprints below her name.
Rinjin watched her every move intently, his eyes wide with focus.
The reason he had sought out Yawayi to test the scroll was simple: he believed that whatever creature this scroll could summon had to be incredibly powerful, and he didn't want anyone else to benefit from it.
And now, what he saw made him both happy and angry.
Happy because Yawayi's blood-written name didn't disappear—it remained perfectly intact on the scroll.
Angry because the scroll wouldn't let him write his name!
Grinding his teeth, Rinjin poked at the scroll disdainfully.
Who would've thought?! This scroll's a damn pervert—it lets women sign but not men.
The summoning beast behind this scroll must be a pervert too.
Just wait. I'll have Yawayi summon it, beat it up, and then leave a Flying Thunder God mark on it. I'll track it back to its lair and beat it up again until it agrees to a contract with me!
Damn it! Who do you think you're looking down on?!
With that thought, Rinjin furiously rolled up the scroll and wrapped an arm around Yawayi's slender waist.
"Flying Thunder God Technique!"
The world spun around them.
In the next instant, they found themselves standing on a vast beach, with endless ocean stretching out before them.
Yawayi quickly scanned her surroundings, momentarily stunned.
Then, with a look of disdain, she pushed Rinjin's hand away and scolded,
"Not in the wild!"
Upon hearing this, Rinjin rolled his eyes dramatically, looking utterly speechless.
"What are you thinking? I was worried that summoning some massive creature would destroy your house! Now hurry up and use the summoning jutsu!"
Hearing this, Yawayi froze for a moment, her face instantly flushing bright red. She shot Rinjin a fierce glare before reluctantly starting to form hand seals.
"Boar - Dog - Rooster - Monkey - Ram."
Watching Yawayi perform the hand seals, Rinjin's muscles tensed, his eyes gleaming with ferocity as arcs of electricity crackled across his body.
"Old pervert! Come on! Let me see what kind of creature you are to dare reject my contract!"
Just as he readied himself, Yawayi completed her seals.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
With a delicate shout, no bizarre or grotesque creature appeared.
Instead, Rinjin himself felt a powerful force pulling at his body. A familiar sensation of space-time distortion overtook him.
In the next instant—
Poof!
White smoke exploded, and a dumbfounded Rinjin appeared face-to-face with Yawayi, their eyes locking in mutual shock.
...
Silence.
Rinjin was utterly dumbstruck.
Me?
I'm the summoning beast?!
Are you kidding me?!
Ōtsutsuki Hamura, get out here and explain this nonsense!
Seeing Rinjin's face shift through various shades of disbelief, Yawayi bit her pink lips tightly. Her mouth twitched as she tried to suppress her laughter, but her sparkling eyes betrayed her amusement.
Noticing her reaction, Rinjin's face grew darker, his mood sinking like a rock.
"Seriously?! We're all supposed to be trainers here, and you suddenly whip out a Master Ball to catch me?!
What's next? Are you going to make me fight pseudo-legendaries like Salamence, Metagross, or Dragonite?!
Damn it! I'm just a Machoke!"
Watching Rinjin's increasingly frustrated and twisted expression, Yawayi finally lost it. Her bell-like laughter echoed across the beach.
"Hahaha! Oh my god, this is killing me!
I've never seen a human summoning beast before—this is priceless!
Hahaha! You're doomed now! You'll never escape from my grasp!
Serves you right for bullying me!"
Seeing Yawayi laugh so hard she was practically rolling on the ground, Rinjin suddenly furrowed his brows. A peculiar detail from earlier came to mind.
At the time, he had been fully focused on preparing to counter any summoned beast and hadn't paid attention, but now that he thought about it, something seemed off.
With a sly grin, Rinjin took a few steps back and provocatively said, "Yawayi, try the summoning jutsu again!"
Still laughing so hard she was bent over, Yawayi nodded repeatedly, clasped her hands together, and swiftly formed the seals.
In an instant, Rinjin felt a familiar chakra ripple through space, lightly brushing against him.
At that moment, a realization dawned on him.
If he responded to this familiar chakra, he would be summoned.
If he ignored it, nothing would happen.
Without hesitation, Rinjin chose to ignore Yawayi's chakra.
One second...
Three seconds...
Five seconds passed...
Staring at the empty ground in front of her, Yawayi's smile froze. In contrast, Rinjin smirked triumphantly.
"Come on, let's have some fun~"
Hearing this, Yawayi's face flushed with embarrassment and anger. She lunged at Rinjin, tackling him to the ground.
"I don't care! When I call you, you have to answer!"
Feeling the pressure of two "soft bunnies," Rinjin wiped his nosebleed expressionlessly and firmly shook his head.
"No way. You'd definitely abuse this power for no reason."
"I won't!" Yawayi looked at him with wide, innocent eyes, her tone full of conviction.
"Then let's set some ground rules!
First, unless you're in serious danger, you can't summon me for trivial reasons.
Second, during wartime, you're forbidden from going to the battlefield or the frontlines.
Third... I haven't thought of it yet. I'll let you know when I do."
Hearing this, Yawayi pondered for a moment before her eyes lit up. She nodded enthusiastically.
Noticing her sly smile, Rinjin sighed helplessly and added,
"One more thing—when you get back, help me schedule a meeting with your uncle, the Raikage. I need to discuss something with him."
"You still dare to meet with Uncle?!" Yawayi exclaimed, still perched on top of Rinjin. "Aren't you afraid he'll beat you to a pulp?"
"Not at all." Rinjin shrugged indifferently. Just then, his usually obedient body suddenly felt slightly out of control.
Yawayi clearly sensed the change too. She quickly pushed herself off the ground, clutching her chest as her face turned crimson.
"Not in the wild! Not in broad daylight! At least... at home..."
Rinjin rolled his eyes at her nonsense and ignored her antics. Sitting up, he continued,
"Don't interrupt! This time, it's about a big deal."
"What kind of big deal?" Yawayi asked, pouting.
"Iron."
Before Rinjin could finish his sentence, Yawayi interrupted him.
"I knew it! The Land of Iron—it's all your doing!
No wonder the task force reported sightings of the Two-Tails near the Land of Iron.
You sly dog, unleashing the Two-Tails to wreak havoc there while secretly monopolizing their iron mines!
And here I was wondering why the price of iron keeps skyrocketing!"
Hearing this, Rinjin froze for a moment, a strange glint flashing in his eyes.
This woman's brain works fast—no wonder she's one of the core strategists of the Cloud Village.
I underestimated you!
With a playful smirk, Rinjin stared at Yawayi and asked casually,
"Go on, keep guessing. Let's see what else you can figure out."
Frowning slightly, Yawayi crouched in front of him, staring intently into his eyes as she analyzed.
"You want to negotiate business with the Raikage, so obviously, you're aiming to make even more profit.
But under what conditions would iron prices soar even higher?"
As she spoke, Yawayi's brows furrowed deeper. Suddenly, her expression shifted, and she plopped down onto the sand, staring at Rinjin in disbelief.
"War!!!
You want war!!!"
Hearing this, Rinjin sighed inwardly. This woman was sharp, but she was still missing a piece of the puzzle.
"Wrong. What I want is the illusion of war."
Yawayi, who had been growing anxious, froze at his words.
Moments later, her eyes sparkled with understanding, and she exclaimed,
"Rinjin, you're so devious!
If war breaks out, you can manipulate iron prices to skyrocket!
We clans, who trust in the stability of iron prices and stockpile large amounts, would naturally buy even more!
Because we know that iron prices will hold strong, and war demands a massive amount of ninja tools, which require iron.
We'd buy your stock at exorbitant prices and resell it to the villages preparing for war.
But since the war is fake, you could then crash the market, buy back the iron at dirt-cheap prices, and slowly raise the price again to sell later!"
Listening to Yawayi's analysis, Rinjin couldn't help but clap softly, praising her.
"Not bad. You're pretty sharp."
He then added,
"Tell the Raikage that the plan to stage a war will be discussed in twenty days.
Once we sell off this batch, I'll halt all iron exports from the Land of Iron.
Then, the Land of Lightning and the Land of Fire can reconcile.
The profits from this operation will be my dividend to both villages."
In truth, Rinjin's real goal was to use this large-scale trade to completely reshape his standing in the minds of the two Kage, paving the way for his ultimate plan to take control of the Land of Rain.
That's right—Rinjin wasn't just aiming to reclaim Amegakure; he intended to swallow the entire Land of Rain whole.
Becoming the leader of a village only symbolized military power. But becoming the Daimyō of a nation—that was the foundation for true, lasting development.
Finishing his explanation, Rinjin stood up and extended a hand to Yawayi, who was still sitting on the ground.
"Let's go."
Yawayi nodded, grabbing his hand tightly. In the next moment, the two vanished.
After dropping Yawayi off at her home, Rinjin teleported to the outskirts of Konohagakure.
Just as he was about to head back, a soft, sleepy voice echoed in his mind.
"Meow~ Did you miss me?"
Rinjin's grin widened as he muttered to himself, "So, you're awake, huh, kitty?"
The voice of Matatabi, the Two-Tails, lazily replied in his mind,
"Of course. I wouldn't want to miss the show of you being summoned as a pet~
Hilarious! In all my years, I've never seen a human get summoned. Truly priceless!"
Hearing this, Rinjin stumbled mid-step and face-planted into the ground.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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