Animal Path

The deal was struck, Mika paid the price, and the merchant bound the Golden Eagle's feet and wings tightly. He handed it over to Mika by its feet.

Upon learning it was to be used as a Summoning Jutsu beast, the merchant even threw in a contract scroll for binding ninja beasts.

However, how could Ito Makoto dare to use this freebie? If it were a fake, the Golden Eagle he bought might just fly away.

Therefore, he discarded the free scroll and went to a shop specifically to buy a proper contract scroll.

The three returned home, Mika placed the Golden Eagle on the ground, and Ito Makoto prepared for the contract.

Sakura seemed even more excited than Ito Makoto himself. She circled around the Golden Eagle, stroking its wings and feathers incessantly, clearly smitten.

A child's love for small animals is innate.

With the contract scroll, most of the preparations for the summoning contract were complete. All that remained was for both Ito Makoto and the Golden Eagle to drip their blood onto the scroll to finalize the pact.

Ito Makoto fetched a Kunai and a small basin.

Mika found this amusing.

"Makoto, why the basin? You only need a small prick for the contract. Why would you need so much blood?"

"To avoid waste," Ito Makoto said solemnly.

Whether in his past life or this one, this was his first time drawing blood with a blade. As a modern person who had never even slaughtered a chicken, he was naturally very nervous about wielding a knife for the first time.

He first lifted the Golden Eagle's legs. Seeing the glint of the Kunai, the bird struggled incessantly. Fortunately, the merchant's knot-tying skills were solid, and Ito Makoto's arm strength was enough to hold it steady.

Not wanting to wound the bird too deeply, Ito Makoto used the Kunai to make a tiny nick on its leg, squeezing hard to draw blood.

The blood dripped into the basin with a rhythmic sound.

"Mom, quick, the blood is out, time to heal it."

Mika rolled her eyes; it was just a shallow scratch on the skin, nothing to make such a fuss about.

"Enough, it's already healing, what is there to treat?"

Ito Makoto felt relieved and pressed the blood from the basin onto the contract scroll. The characters on the scroll began to emit a blue-white glow.

Next was his own blood.

Ito Makoto placed the Kunai against his finger and steeled himself, pricking down hard. As it turned out, he didn't even break the skin.

Sigh, with this temperament, I'm hardly a protagonist. Look at those other transmigrators; they all turn into iron-blooded warriors, unblinking even when hacked or slashed. They get their limbs severed and organs crushed without letting out a single cry of pain.

Unlike me, so small-minded that I have to scream just to prick a finger.

He tried again, the Kunai lightly slicing his fingertip. As the blood dripped, he hurriedly pressed it onto the scroll, then raised his hand and shouted, "Mom, quick, alcohol for disinfection!"

"Enough, it's already healed, what is there to disinfect?" Mika shook her head at the silly boy.

"Hurry and inject your chakra to complete the contract. Don't let the time pass, or this blood will have been shed for nothing."

Hearing this, Ito Makoto hurriedly lowered his hand. He pressed his palm onto the contract scroll and continuously poured his chakra into it.

The blue-white light on the scroll grew brighter and brighter. As the chakra continued to flow, the light reached a peak before fading into nothingness.

"The contract is complete. If anyone else wants to sign it in the future, they won't need to inject chakra; just dripping blood will suffice," Mika said, rolling up the scroll and placing it in Ito Makoto's hands.

"Keep this scroll safe. If it's destroyed, the contract ceases to exist."

Ito Makoto nodded. It was only after learning the Summoning Jutsu that he realized it had such a weakness.

"Even though the contract is signed, based on my understanding of the Summoning Jutsu, the contractor cannot force the beast to obey, right?"

Mika nodded. She had been a ninja once and had seen many summoning beasts. It was common for them to refuse their master's orders.

"Exactly," Ito Makoto agreed. "For now, I can only summon it. I'll need to train and nurture it later."

"In that case, don't let the Golden Eagle out. I'll go buy some chicken, and you can spend these next few days with it to build a bond. I've heard of a technique called Eagle Taming used to train an eagle's obedience. If all else fails, try that," Mika suggested.

"I'll help too," Sakura chimed in.

However, the Golden Eagle proved exceptionally stubborn. Even when Ito Makoto tried to lure it with food, it refused to cooperate.

By nightfall, after a full day of experimentation, Ito Makoto had achieved no results. The eagle was incredibly headstrong; the moment he loosened his grip, it would attack anyone nearby. No wonder the merchant was willing to sell it at half price—he had likely been tortured by this bird himself.

Taking the Golden Eagle back to his room, Ito Makoto opened his eyes, and purple patterns emerged within them.

With the signing of the contract and the mastery of the Summoning Jutsu, Ito Makoto realized his eyes were beginning to awaken. He knew this was one of the six powers of the Rinnegan—the ability of the Animal Path.

It seemed that mastering the Summoning Jutsu had triggered the awakening of the Animal Path.

Previously, Ito Makoto had hidden his abilities, trying to train the eagle through conventional methods, but with little success. Now that he was alone, he could finally test his new power.

Surging chakra synthesized within his body, and under the influence of the Rinnegan, the massive energy underwent a unique qualitative change.

The pale blue chakra gradually turned purple, and at Ito Makoto's command, it flowed into his palm.

He reached toward the Golden Eagle, the purple glow casting a violet hue over its feathers.

Seemingly aware of what was to come, the eagle struggled violently, but it was useless.

As his palm touched the eagle's forehead, the purple chakra rushed into its body, enveloping it and forming a giant purple cocoon.

As the chakra circulated, Ito Makoto could feel his eyes gradually forming a connection with a soul.

After a few moments, the purple cocoon of light shattered, revealing the Golden Eagle.

The Golden Eagle looked almost identical to how it had appeared before, save for its eyes, which now bore the same purple, circuit-like patterns as those of Ito Makoto.

Those were the patterns of the Rinnegan.

At that same moment, Ito Makoto suddenly discovered a new perspective within his consciousness.

From this vantage point, his position was very low, and he could even see his own body, though the view was looking up at himself from below.

It was as if he had grown an extra pair of eyes.

Ito Makoto knew that this was the perspective of the Golden Eagle. Having activated the ability of the Animal Path, he could share his vision with the Golden Eagle.

Furthermore, through the connection of the Rinnegan, Ito Makoto discovered that he could directly control the body of the Golden Eagle to perform any actions he required, much like a remote-controlled robot.

Whatever he willed, the Golden Eagle would do; if he wanted to go east, the Golden Eagle would turn its head to the east, and if he wanted to go west, it would move west.