What? Lure the dog over just to kill it?

Uzumaki Honoka stared blankly at the young man holding her, his smile as warm as sunlight.

Her slender arm hooked around Namikaze Minato's arm unconsciously tightened slightly.

The stirring in her heart made her lean in without thinking.

???

Damn!

Lure the dog over just to kill it?

Yamanaka Kei watched the dazed Minato awkwardly begin to respond.

His fists clenched and unclenched several times, and he nearly ground his teeth to pieces.

o(▼皿▼メ;)o

Back to Konoha. I'm going back to Konoha tomorrow!

I can't stand another day in this lousy place!

Yamanaka Kei viciously cursed twice inwardly.

Grabbing the Peregrine Falcon by the feathers at the back of its neck, he dragged along the foolish bird, which had been struck by the Four Limbs Heavy Seal and knocked unconscious by the Nirvana Temple Technique, toward the entrance of the research institute.

The temperature atop this volcano crater was hardly low.

With Chakra protecting him, Kei was fine. But if he didn't drag the Peregrine Falcon away soon, it would be plucked, cleaned, and roasted.

In the Ninja World, the ability to fly had always been extremely rare.

Naturally, flying-type Summoning Beasts were also highly sought after.

Although this Peregrine Falcon-like creature was not as gigantic as its underlings, its back could still carry at most two adults.

But as the leader of the island's flying raptors, its speed and strength were both outstanding.

It could even be entrusted to Konoha's Bird Summoning Beast Ranch for care, so it would not require much effort.

Yamanaka Kei had already decided to contract it.

Wasn't it better to do something productive than stay here and watch Minato and Uzumaki Honoka flaunt their affection?

......

Konoha's Training Ground Zero.

The training ground had once been nearly deserted, almost becoming a paradise for all kinds of wild animals. Now, however, it was packed with Konoha shinobi.

As time passed, the crowd showed clear signs of growing larger.

Summoning Beasts had always been a scarce resource in the Ninja World.

Not to mention the shinobi clans and civilian shinobi who did not possess Summoning Beasts in the first place.

Even clans with Summoning Beast inheritances, such as the Uchiha, Sarutobi, and Shimura Clan, did not want to miss this auction.

At the edge of the temporary, crudely built auction platform.

Nara Shikaku appeared to stroll calmly among the various shinobi clans and civilian experts, adjusting the atmosphere between them. In reality, he was panicking inside!

He prayed frantically that Yamanaka Kei would be a little more reliable.

The first three Summoning Beasts had been out for so long already. Why hadn't even one of the later ones arrived after all this time?

If this continued, he would not be able to keep the event going!

Behind the auction platform, Jiraiya sat cross-legged on a large blue-gray rock, resting his chin on one hand.

He looked up at the sun hanging high overhead. Feeling the warm sunlight tickling the tip of his nose, he raised a hand and rubbed it.

He, too, found it somewhat strange.

Given Yamanaka Kei's personality—when carrying out a mission, he would practically investigate even the color of an enemy's underwear—

And considering Minato's strength, which surpassed that of most shinobi after learning the Flying Thunder God—

How could anything have gone wrong?

"Sniff, sniff~"

Feeling the intense scent coming from the tip of his nose, Jiraiya secretly glanced at his right hand, which had just picked dirt from between his toes.

He cautiously looked left and right. Only after confirming that no one had noticed did he relax slightly.

He was one of the Sannin, the Toad Sage, the White-Haired Child Jiraiya. He had his pride to maintain.

Sniffing the hand that had picked his toes and finding the smell oddly intoxicating was rather embarrassing.

Buzz~

The summoning power of the fleeting Reverse Summoning Technique traveled through the Summoning Contract.

Jiraiya's spirits jolted.

He hurriedly leaped up from the ground, bit the thumb he had already bitten once before, and performed the Summoning Technique, summoning the stomach pouch of Gamayu, the Great Toad of Mount Myōboku.

Boom~

A massive cloud of Chakra smoke billowed upward.

Two enormous birds appeared behind the auction platform. Their feathers were covered in stomach fluid, and their talons were clearly somewhat broken, yet they slept more peacefully than the dead.

Nara Shikaku, who had long since grown impatient, flashed onto the auction platform.

After seeing the many wounds on the bodies of the two giant birds, he cautiously checked their breathing.

Thank goodness, thank goodness. They were only asleep.

Damn it!

Could that brat Kei not have gone a little easier with his Genjutsu?

They were sleeping so soundly despite their broken bones that he had thought both giant birds were dead!

With wings and bodies this large, they could easily carry more than a dozen people. They were absolutely strategic-level flying Summoning Beasts.

If they died, wouldn't that be a terrible waste?

The various clan heads stared at the two giant birds that had appeared out of nowhere, their eyes shining.

They had clearly recognized the birds' value as well.

Such enormous birds!

Rare treasures!

Their long wait had not been in vain!

"Two female eagles. They have only minor fractures and will recover within one or two months with a little treatment. The starting price is two million ryo each. Everyone, begin."

After examining the condition of the two giant birds, Nara Shikaku stood on the auction platform and announced loudly.

"Two million ryo. Our Shimura Clan wants them."

"Using your clan's reputation to intimidate others? Heh. Our Kurama Clan bids three million ryo."

"Three and a half million ryo."

"The Uchiha bids four million ryo."

"The Uchiha won't even leave the village, so what do you need such enormous eagles for? Our Shimura Clan bids four and a half million."

The heads and elders of the various clans began calling out bids one after another.

Female eagles capable of laying eggs were worth considerably more to them than male eagles.

If raised properly, they could be passed down for several generations!

The auction proceeded in full swing.

The civilian shinobi with modest savings watched the representatives of the various clans argue until their faces reddened, yet they were not anxious in the slightest.

Flying Summoning Beasts were indeed rare, but they were not necessities for the civilian shinobi.

For those without a clan's foundation, strategic value was meaningless. What they wanted were Summoning Beast companions that could genuinely increase their combat strength.

The six giant female eagles and female hawks summoned over in three batches were quickly divided among the various clans.

After a brief two-minute pause.

Land beasts such as giant rhinoceroses, giant lizards, giant hippos, giant bears, and Giant Wolf Civilization members began appearing one after another.

The civilian shinobi who had waited for a long time, as well as shinobi interested in raising their own Summoning Beasts, began joining the bidding.

Nara Shikaku watched the beasts continue to appear, his face nearly splitting from his grin.

Regardless of how much money they earned, everyone who bought a Summoning Beast would owe the Ino-Shika-Cho clans a favor.

After all, beasts with at least the combat strength of a chūnin had grown increasingly scarce in the Ninja World.

And taking advantage of this opportunity, the Ino-Shika-Cho clans would very likely gain an additional seat in the high-level council!

That was far more important to them than a little money!

"...Why isn't this over yet?"

Jiraiya felt waves of pain pulsing through his thumb.

He secretly swore that once this was over, he would have Kushina make him a small sealing tube for storing blood.

He used to mock Yamanaka Kei and Namikaze Minato for being too delicate.

But after performing the Summoning Technique more than forty times in a row, he realized that those two really had been far-sighted!

Damn it!

All this just to earn a little hard-earned money.

The thumb of the dignified Toad Sage was nearly bitten into minced meat!

Jiraiya sensed Sage Fukasaku of Mount Myōboku notify him once again to use the Summoning Technique.

He viciously dragged his battered thumb across his left palm, gritted his teeth, and performed the Summoning Technique again.

When I get back, I'm definitely finding eight young ladies to soothe my soul!

Not one fewer!