Lost Summoning Scroll

"The insights into Fire Release and Wind Release must surely come from Pakura," Shiba Seika guessed in his mind.

If he remembered correctly, Scorch Release was a Kekkei Genkai formed from the combination of Fire and Wind.

As for the Summoning Technique rewarded afterward, he wasn't sure whether it came from Ajisai, whom he had saved, or from stabilizing Hanzo the Salamander.

Both of them were quite skilled in Summoning Techniques.

Still, Shiba Seika didn't dwell too much on the source of the reward. What intrigued him more was this: the system said the lost Summoning Technique scroll would be rewarded to him later in the form of an event. How exactly would that work?

His question didn't linger for long.

Just two days later, the event arrived.

That day, an Akatsuki member came to inform Shiba Seika.

"Seika, did you know? Our organization has new recruits!

A few ninjas who fled from the border have joined us. I heard they're from a declining minor ninja clan. They were moved by Leader Yahiko's ideals, and not only did they join, but they also offered up all the ninjutsu scrolls their family had treasured as a contribution to the organization!"

Shiba Seika asked, "What kind of ninjutsu scrolls are there?"

"A good variety. I heard there's even a treasured Summoning Technique scroll that they themselves haven't contracted with."

So that's it. Hearing this, Shiba Seika immediately realized that the event the system mentioned had arrived.

It seemed this system of his probably couldn't directly create physical objects outside his own body; otherwise, it wouldn't have to go through such a roundabout way to deliver his reward.

It abided by the conservation of mass-energy in the strangest of places—how was that unexpectedly scientific?

Afterward, Shiba Seika followed the Akatsuki member to meet the new ninjas.

They were gathered around Yahiko, listening to his speech.

The theme was, unsurprisingly, "I have a dream—a dream of a world where people understand each other."

Shiba Seika didn't interrupt; instead, he stood to the side and remarked with a smile, "Leader Yahiko does have a unique charm in some respects."

Good thing he hadn't been in a hurry to push Yahiko out. This guy was practically born to be a propaganda officer or a cult leader—a natural-born orator.

If it were Shiba Seika, at most he could trick people into losing everything, but he'd never have the ability to reel someone in like Yahiko did, making them willingly give up everything.

Someone like Yahiko wasn't fit to be a leader, but he was still a great hand at recruiting new members and handling ideological work within the organization.

As long as he didn't get his hands on command authority.

Shiba Seika stopped paying attention to the brainwashing process of these declining clan ninjas and instead asked the person beside him, "Where are the scrolls they contributed?"

"Over here, Captain Seika. Follow me."

By now, those scrolls had become public assets of the Akatsuki Organization.

Soon, Shiba Seika found the lost Summoning Technique scroll in the important supplies warehouse.

"Do you know what kind of summoning beast this is?" Shiba Seika asked.

The Akatsuki member beside him shook his head and replied, "Not sure. I heard from those ninjas that, years ago, an elder of their clan did something terrible to the summoning beast while fleeing, causing that clan's summoning beasts to refuse to serve their family anymore.

These younger ninjas don't even know what the summoning beast on the scroll looks like anymore."

Shiba Seika thought to himself: No wonder the system called this the lost Summoning Technique scroll.

It felt like opening a blind box.

Trusting the system, Shiba Seika didn't hesitate much. Right under the astonished gazes of the members, he decisively unrolled the scroll, signed his name at the end, and pressed his handprint.

"Captain Seika, you... aren't you going to think it over?"

"It's fine. Consider this me scouting ahead for the organization." Shiba Seika gave a carefree smile.

Then he formed hand seals.

Boar—Dog—Bird—Monkey—Ram!

"Ninja Art: Summoning Technique!"

With the guidance from his dream lessons, Shiba Seika succeeded on his first try.

With a loud "bang," white smoke burst out, and what appeared in the Akatsuki warehouse was—

An adorable pure white kitten.

"A cat?"

One Akatsuki member, charmed by the white cat's beauty, couldn't resist reaching out to pet it.

But the moment his hand was about to touch the white cat's head—

The cat's eyes on the ground instantly sharpened!

A flash of cold light!

"Ah!" The Akatsuki member stumbled back in fright, nearly thinking his hand had been sliced off.

"The cat stood up?! My god, is this a Ninja Cat?"

The other Akatsuki members exclaimed in surprise, their voices thick with envy and excitement.

These days, powerful, intelligent summoning beasts were all monopolized by the great ninja villages.

Even for a ninja like Ajisai who specialized in the Summoning Technique, being born in a small country meant she could usually only summon mindless birds and beasts.

In the future, even after she became the Animal Path of Pain, the beasts she summoned would still lack intelligence—just massively enlarged in size.

Ninja cats, ninja dogs, ninja frogs—these were once unattainable dreams for ninjas from small villages.

Yet now, they had witnessed with their own eyes Captain Shiba Seika contracting a ninja cat!

How enviable!

At that moment, the pure white ninja cat, now standing upright and dropping its disguise, raised a paw and said impatiently.

"Making such a fuss, meow. Such ignorant humans, meow.

Which one of you summoned me? Hurry up and step forward, meow!

Let this Cat see if you're worthy of becoming the new employer of Cat Country!"

Intelligent summoning beasts choose their own masters—signing a name on a scroll doesn't guarantee anything.

In the original story, Naruto went through Gamabunta's trial, and in the anime, they spent an entire day at it.

Shiba Seika watched the little cat with interest.

Its voice was a crisp, girlish tone, full of energy, and oddly pleasant to hear.

"I'm the one who summoned you. How should I address you?" Shiba Seika said.

The white cat looked Shiba Seika up and down, and as time passed, its scrutinizing gaze gradually softened.

"Not bad, meow. Your chakra is excellent, your body is sturdy, meow, and you don't carry the bloodline of that betrayer.

Then the contract is sealed, meow. Young man, do you crave power?"

Shiba Seika's eyes lit up.

"You can see a ninja's chakra? And discern bloodlines?"

Just these two abilities alone marked this ninja cat as a valuable reconnaissance partner.

But the pretty little white cat had even more surprises in store.

"Of course, meow~ The ninja cats of Cat Country have been working as ninja partners for decades, meow. Such skills are just the basics for us, meow~"

"What else can you do?"

"Tama is skilled in Taijutsu, claw strikes, throwing, knows simple Sealing Techniques, the Body Flicker Technique, sensory ninjutsu, a bit of Medical Ninjutsu, and oh, I can read your ninja script too, meow~"

What a treasure of a cat!

Shiba Seika smiled happily. "So your name is Tama. I'm Shiba Seika. I look forward to working with you."

"Easy, easy~ But let's get this straight: at least one can of Dried Fish per hour on the job, meow~ Tama's rates in Cat Country are very fair, meow~ No ripping anyone off, meow~"

Shiba Seika chuckled but agreed without hesitation. "No problem. What flavor of dried fish do you like?"

"Spicy, meow~"

At that moment, Tama's eyes lit up too.

Felt like she'd found a good master, meow~