Child, This Is Fate's Arrangement

Looking at the contract scroll Sage Fukasaku had spread out on the ground, the three children, who had just been discouraged by their failure to cultivate Senjutsu, immediately perked up and gazed at it eagerly.

Sage Fukasaku pointed at Sasuke. "You first!"

"Yes!"

Sasuke's face was full of excitement as he quickly stepped before the contract scroll.

Neji and Hinata did not think much of it. They merely watched Sasuke nervously as he underwent the contract test. Since there were three of them, it was only natural for there to be an order.

Standing before the contract scroll, Sasuke lowered his head and examined it carefully.

The contract scroll before him was nearly as tall as he was and bore a long row of names written in blood. The second-to-last name at the end was Jiraiya, who had brought them to Mount Myoboku, while the very last name on the scroll, after Jiraiya's, was Minato.

Sage Fukasaku pointed to the blank space after Minato's name. "Use your own blood to write your name there!"

Sasuke nodded. Without hesitation, he bit his finger and neatly wrote the words Second Pillar in the blank space after Minato's name. Then, with all five fingers stained in blood, he pressed a five-finger handprint beneath his name.

Sage Fukasaku nodded in satisfaction and smiled. "The hand seal sequence for the Summoning Technique is Boar, Dog, Rooster, Monkey, Ram. Give it a try. If you can summon one successfully, you'll have passed the test."

Jiraiya added, "Sasuke, use as much strength as you can!"

"Sasuke, you can do it!"

Neji and Hinata, standing nearby, cheered Sasuke on as well.

Sasuke took a deep breath, gathered all the chakra in his body, and slowly formed hand seals. "Summoning Technique!"

Poof...

In an instant, a huge cloud of