Ryūchi Cave Summoning Contract

Across the boundless sea, a Crimson Giant Snake cut through the waves at high speed.

Kazama Kaguya and Kimimaro stood against the wind atop its snake head, which was over three meters wide.

The moon was gradually setting in the west, while a pale sliver of dawn had already appeared in the east.

Too much had happened last night. The two remained silent as they looked at each other, until the Crimson Giant Snake beneath their feet spoke first.

"Hiss... Lord Kazama, we'll reach the Land of Eddies soon, hiss..."

The giant snake's rumbling voice mixed with the roar of waves splitting apart beneath it, making their ears ache.

Feeling the wind battering his face and watching the sea race past beneath them, Kazama Kaguya estimated their speed at around 150 to 180 kilometers per hour. He remarked, "Ryūchi Cave truly deserves to be one of the Three Great Summoning Holy Lands."

Red Snake sounded displeased. "What Three Great Holy Lands? What right do those stinking toads and rotten slugs have to compare with us? Only Ryūchi Cave is the strongest."

When one was out in the world, one's status was something one gave oneself.

Though it was a snake, it had long embarked upon the path toward evolving into a dragon. How could it allow anyone to look down on it?

Kazama Kaguya smiled. Curious about this Tool Snake Orochimaru had sent, he could not help asking, "Then compared to Boss Manda, which of you is stronger?"

The moment those words came out, Red Snake's body stiffened, and its speech became somewhat unnatural. "You know Boss Manda?"

"No." Kazama Kaguya shook his head.

He was not a Ryūchi Cave summoner. Where would he have met that overbearing snake, Manda?

That was the creature who even dared to extort and rob Orochimaru himself, and who knew how many people it had devoured.

Red Snake breathed a sigh of relief. It had no desire whatsoever to mention Manda, who frequently bullied it, so it changed the subject. "Hiss... Lord Kazama, regarding the intelligence Lord Orochimaru needs..."

"Don't worry. Once we reach land, I'll give it to you."

"Alright."

Red Snake immediately felt lighter all over. Its speed surged as it carried the two of them forward like an arrow leaving the bowstring.

When it had first been summoned, it had witnessed the power of All-Killing Ash Bones.

It could not afford to provoke Orochimaru, and it equally dared not offend the lord riding on its back.

If it could obtain the intelligence peacefully, it had no desire at all to court Kazama Kaguya's displeasure.

Half an hour later, Red Snake reached the Land of Eddies.

Just then, the rising sun cast countless golden rays across the sea, turning it a brilliant gold and red. The land where the Land of Water lay had long vanished without a trace.

For a full six hours, Red Snake had traveled at full speed for roughly a thousand kilometers before finally reaching the Land of Eddies.

The formidable endurance of a Summoned Beast was truly astonishing.

If Kazama Kaguya and Kimimaro had run across the water themselves, they would have had to rest countless times over such a distance, wasting who knew how much time.

What lay ahead was land. Continuing to ride the snake would leave too many traces, so they could only proceed on their own.

The two jumped down from the snake's head. Kazama Kaguya tossed out a scroll and said, "Take this back and report in. And tell Orochimaru that if he wants to trade intelligence with me in the future, this won't be the price anymore."

Red Snake swallowed the intelligence in one gulp, then spat out two scrolls, one large and one small. "Lord Kazama, Lord Orochimaru told me to give these to you only after I had successfully received the intelligence."

Kazama Kaguya stepped forward and opened the scrolls. The smaller one contained a means of contacting Danzo, while the larger was a Summoning Blood Contract Scroll.

"Ryūchi Cave's Summoning Blood Contract? For me?" Kazama Kaguya asked in confusion.

Red Snake nodded. "Yes. Lord Orochimaru said that if you sign this contract, it will be more convenient for you to communicate in the future."

"Orochimaru certainly had his calculations, but he was quite generous."

Kazama Kaguya knew that Orochimaru coveted his intelligence, but didn't he also want to fleece Orochimaru?

Besides, this was a free Ryūchi Cave contract. It was not some common cabbage one could find anywhere—it was practically one of the Ninja World's highest-tier summoning contracts. Only an idiot would refuse it.

Still, not everyone could make use of such a thing. Without an enormous amount of Chakra, signing the contract would only make it convenient to use Summoned Beasts to relay information.

For ninjas with limited Chakra, Summoned Beasts were used more for support and rarely participated in actual combat.

He currently had only 0.3 cards' worth of Chakra. Summoning a giant snake could drain him dry, but using one to relay intelligence would indeed be fast and convenient.

Kazama Kaguya took the scroll, flipped to the blank space at the end, bit his finger, and pressed down a bloody handprint. The contract officially took effect.

Then he called Kimimaro over. "You leave a handprint too. If you miss out on something this good, there won't be another chance."

Red Snake stood to one side. Not only did it not stop him, it was delighted by the prospect.

Ryūchi Cave had too few contractors. It spent all day cooped up in the cave, bored out of its mind.

Orochimaru did not think much of it either, and summoned it pitifully few times. With one more contractor, it would have more chances to come out and eat delicious food. Only an idiot would stop this.

After Kimimaro added his handprint as well, Kazama Kaguya returned the scroll to Red Snake.

"Looks like I can play around with summoning giant snakes from now on."

Red Snake nodded repeatedly. "If Lord Kazama needs anything, feel free to summon me. I'm not like Boss Manda—I never eat people. For each battle, all I need is for you to provide ten Roast Suckling Pigs."

"A foodie snake?" Kazama Kaguya raised a brow, thoroughly surprised.

"Hiss-ha... What's so good about people? Roast suckling pig is the real delicacy. Slurp..."

Kimimaro stood to one side and clearly saw Red Snake drool out a huge puddle.

Bang...

A cloud of smoke burst forth, and Red Snake dispelled the Summoning Jutsu on his own, returning to Ryūchi Cave.

Kazama Kaguya stood by the shore, gazing up at the rising sun in the east with deep emotion.

"At last, we've left Kirigakure."

Kimimaro replied, his tone worried. "Lord Kazama, are we going to the Land of Fire next? I wonder if the Kirigakure Anbu will come after us."

"They'll definitely come after us."

Kazama Kaguya patted Kimimaro on the shoulder and reassured him, "But there's no need to worry too much. Before I left, I found myself a bodyguard. I believe he's already learned that we've defected."

"Let's go. We need to cross the Land of Eddies as quickly as possible. Our destination is Konoha in the Land of Fire."

Bang!

Inside Kirigakure, Kisame Hoshigaki punched the wall, venting the frustration in his heart.

"Dammit, Kazama Kaguya! You set me up!"

The coldness vanished entirely from Kisame's bluish-gray shark face, leaving only stifled resentment.

God knew how badly he had wanted to kill someone when, after the Kaguya Clan Rebellion was put down, he learned that Kazama Kaguya had long since fled with several children and the money.

Yet what left him feeling helpless and frustrated was that, from that moment onward, he had to pay the price for obtaining that intelligence.

"Protect you for three months without restricting your freedom?"

Kisame Hoshigaki bared his huge mouth, his shark-like teeth gleaming coldly as he gritted them. "Very good, Kazama Kaguya. You really did plan this well. Once those three months are up, I'll be the first to take your head."

As he spoke, he slammed his palm furiously onto the mission scroll before him.

It clearly read:

B-Rank Mission: Hunt down rogue ninja Kazama Kaguya and eradicate the Kaguya Clan bloodline. Jonin Itō Keisuke and the Swordfish Chunin Squad under his command have accepted the mission.

Yes, Kisame Hoshigaki had discovered the news of Kazama Kaguya's defection on the Intelligence Protection Force's mission list.

As Suikazan Fuguki's right-hand man, there was no need for him to personally handle a mere B-Rank Mission—hunting down a Genin afflicted with Bloodline Disease and several little brats who had defected.

Sending out any Jonin along with a Chunin squad would be more than enough to complete the mission.

Naturally, Jonin Itō Keisuke and the Swordfish Chunin Squad had set out. More than an hour had already passed.

"Dammit!"

The more Kisame Hoshigaki thought about it, the angrier he became, yet he could not afford to stay still.

"That complaint before leaving? Wanting to go to Konoha, with its pleasant climate? Kazama Kaguya, you truly are a fine disciple I trained. You've even turned your schemes and tricks on me."

Kisame gritted his teeth, angrily put away the mission scroll, activated the Body Flicker Technique, and dashed toward Suikazan Fuguki's location.

Now, he needed to take on another dangerous long-term mission involving Konoha and persuade his superior to approve it. Otherwise, during the next three months of protecting Kazama Kaguya, he feared he would be treated as a rogue ninja himself.

As he ran, he thought, I remember there's always been a long-term mission in the Anbu concerning the Plundering Mangekyo Sharingan. It's too dangerous, so no one has accepted it. Three months is too long—only a mission like that can probably cover this up.

And the Fourth Generation's stiff performance in tonight's battle, along with the Kaguya clan head being killed instantly for no apparent reason... the Fourth Generation was probably truly being controlled. I have to report this to Elder Genji before I leave as well.

The Ninja World is getting more and more chaotic.

Kazama Kaguya, I hope you stay alive until I find you, so that three months from now, I can take your head with my own hands.

The village's bloodline limits must never be allowed to leak out!