Monsters, I Want You to Help Me Cultivate!

Gamakichi looked at the group of monsters radiating powerful auras behind Menma, his attitude growing ever more respectful. "Yes, Lord Jiraiya mentioned you before. Judging by your majestic bearing and your aura of looking down upon the world, you must be Lord Menma Namikaze.

Lord Menma Namikaze, I am your most loyal subordinate, Gamakichi!

May I ask if you summoned me because you have something to entrust to me?

Please rest assured, your subordinate Gamakichi is willing to brave fire and water for you, generation after generation!"

"Gamakichi, as it happens, there really is something I need you to do!" Menma looked at the little toad before him and briefly explained the current situation.

After explaining everything, Menma handed Gamakichi several containers filled with monster blood. "In a moment, dismiss the summoning and return to Mount Myōboku. Then ask the Great Toad Sage to make a summoning scroll for me.

Oh, and tell Master Jiraiya not to worry. I'm fine, and I'll be back in a few days.

Also, at this time three days from now, I'll summon you again. Remember to bring the scroll with you. Understood?"

"Yes, I will complete the mission!" Gamakichi promised loudly.

With that, Gamakichi dismissed the summoning.

After Gamakichi left, Menma could no longer hold on and collapsed to the ground.

Tengu hurried forward to support Menma and asked anxiously, "What's wrong? Are you all right?!"

Menma forced a smile and gestured for Tengu not to worry. "It's nothing. I just used too much chakra at once, so my meridians were damaged a little, and I'm somewhat exhausted. I'll be fine after resting for a while."

Only then did Tengu relax, having Snow Woman carry Menma into a room in the residence to rest.

After Snow Woman left with Menma, the monster that had once served as a shikigami sighed. "What an extraordinary human. From so far away, he actually managed to use the Summoning Technique successfully!"

Tengu asked, "Shuten-dōji, you were once human, and after becoming a monster, you dealt with humans often. Have you ever seen anyone like him?"

Shuten-dōji shook his head. "Whether it was the eminent monks and virtuous masters I saw as a human, or the onmyoji I encountered as a monster, none of them could compare to him!"

Tengu asked doubtfully, "Not even Abe no Seimei?"

Shuten-dōji answered firmly, "Not even Abe no Seimei!"

Tengu sighed. "If it's him, then perhaps he truly can help us fulfill our long-cherished wishes of revenge and returning home!"

Meanwhile, after Menma was carried into the guest room to rest, Gamakichi also dismissed the summoning and returned home to Mount Myōboku, finally allowing the deeply worried Sage Shima to breathe a sigh of relief.

The moment he appeared, Gamakichi called toward Sage Shima, "Grandma, I found Lord Menma, Jiraiya's disciple!"

Shima's expression changed at once. "What? What did you say?!"

Gamakichi said, "Grandma, the one who summoned me away just now was Lord Menma Namikaze, Jiraiya's disciple!"

Only then did Shima react. She immediately grabbed Gamakichi, leaped swiftly out the window, and rushed toward the Great Toad Sage's palace.

Upon arriving where the Great Toad Sage lived, Shima shouted at Fukasaku and Jiraiya, who were studying the summoning scroll and trying to find a solution. "Old man, little Jiraiya, there's news about little Menma!"

The man and the toad immediately set aside their work and looked toward Shima.

Shima placed Gamakichi on the ground and ordered, "Gamakichi, tell them everything that happened again!"

"Yes!" Gamakichi did not dare delay and hurriedly recounted what had happened after he was summoned.

After finishing, he took out the containers holding the blood of several great monsters and told the two sages of Menma's request for Mount Myōboku to make a summoning scroll.

"What about Menma? Is Menma all right? Why didn't he come back?" Jiraiya asked anxiously.

Gamakichi described everything he had seen and heard in detail. "Lord Menma is not only fine, he has also subdued several powerful summoned beasts! Every one of those summoned beasts had an aura even stronger than Dad and Grandpa's!

Besides that, Lord Menma told us to wait three days. After three days, he'll summon me again and have me bring the new summoning scroll over!"

Upon hearing this, the heavy stone weighing on Jiraiya's heart finally fell away. If anything had happened to Menma under his care, he truly would not have known how to face Minato and Kushina.

Fortunately, Menma was safe now.

"Honestly, since he's been found, he should just come back properly. Why make us wait another three days?" Jiraiya was delighted inside, but he still complained aloud.

"All right, Jiraiya. Menma being safe is what matters most. And since Menma can summon Gamakichi, then likewise, we can use Reverse Summoning to bring Menma back, so stop worrying blindly.

For now, we only need to wait quietly for three days. When Gamakichi goes over, have Menma prepare himself, and we'll summon him back!

Also, didn't Menma ask us to make a summoning scroll? Jiraiya, don't stand around idle either. Go help gather the materials for the scroll!"

Jiraiya nodded and turned to head outside.

After an unknown amount of time, Menma woke from the darkness.

He quietly checked the condition of his body and found that the chakra he had exhausted when summoning Gamakichi had almost completely recovered. Even his injured meridians had fully healed.

He was just incredibly hungry...

Clutching his growling stomach, Menma got up and walked out of the room. He found Tengu in the shrine courtyard and explained his current predicament.

Upon hearing this, Tengu promptly arranged a meal. Fortunately, the High Plain of Heaven was vast and sparsely populated by monsters, and many monsters did not need to eat, so supplies were abundant.

Even so, Menma ate enough food to last great monsters like Tengu three entire days, leaving Tengu clicking his tongue in amazement. "Those who accomplish extraordinary things must have extraordinary qualities!"

After Menma finished eating and sat on the ground burping, Tengu brought over a tea set and brewed tea for him to aid digestion.

With movements wholly at odds with his size, he elegantly rinsed the teacups. After pouring Menma a cup of tea and pouring one for himself as well, he casually asked, "How is your recovery, sir?"

Menma answered, "Thanks to all of you, I have fully recovered!"

"What formidable recovery ability!" Tengu exclaimed. "Then what are your plans going forward?"

Menma lifted his teacup and slowly sipped from it. After thinking for a moment, he said, "If possible, I would like all of you to guide my cultivation! Also, it's time for all of you to begin cultivating as well!"

Tengu set down his teacup, carefully studied Menma, and said, "The cultivation methods of our monster race differ from those of humans. I fear it will be difficult for us to guide you.

Moreover, our cultivation has already reached its limit. Even if we began training from now on, I fear our strength would be difficult to improve greatly."