Summoning: The Demonic Statue of the Outer Path!

That mouth of his was something else.

Just what they expected from Teacher Cangyue!

Aogetsu Hyuga said matter-of-factly, "Reflect on myself? How could I? How could I possibly be the problem?"

Sakura Haruno picked up the scroll beside her, strode over to Aogetsu Hyuga, and said irritably, "Teacher Cangyue, I've made my choice!"

How infuriating!

What made her angriest was Teacher Cangyue's indifferent attitude, as if nobody else mattered to him.

So infuriating!

Aogetsu Hyuga glanced at the Summoning Snake scroll in Sakura Haruno's hand and smiled faintly. "Good. Katsuyu, right?"

Sakura Haruno opened the Contract Scroll, pointed at Manda's portrait, and snapped, "A snake! A Snake Summon!"

She had ultimately chosen the Snake Summon because it was powerful and could spew a wide-ranging poison attack from its mouth.

"Of course I know. The snake-looking slug, right? They're both crawling beasts, so they do look alike." Aogetsu Hyuga tossed the snake Contract Scroll behind him, picked up Katsuyu's Contract Scroll, and placed it in Sakura Haruno's fair palm.

"A snake... Oh, fine. Katsuyu it is." Sakura Haruno was speechless.

Why was Teacher Cangyue forcing Katsuyu on me?

Strange.

But Katsuyu was a good Summoning Animal too. She could keep using Medical Ninjutsu, and Sakura was sorely lacking in staying power right now.

Besides, Sakura was currently learning Medical Ninjutsu herself.

Wait...

Come to think of it...

Katsuyu really is a good fit for me. Did Teacher Cangyue notice that? Is that why he forced Katsuyu on me?

Oh, come on.

Teacher Cangyue may be flippant and careless, but he really is looking out for me.

Maybe Teacher Cangyue isn't so annoying after all.

No wonder so many girls like him. A man who acts cold but cares deep down is pretty attractive.

"Heh heh." Sakura Haruno's anger vanished, and she hummed happily.

"Go ahead and sign the contract." Aogetsu Hyuga gave Sakura Haruno a puzzled look.

That lovestruck brat was apparently imagining something.

But it didn't matter.

Once she summoned Katsuyu, he could ask Katsuyu where Tsunade was.

At last, he could make progress on the Main Mission.

"Okay." Sakura Haruno nodded obediently. She cut her thumb with a Kunai, smeared blood across all five fingers, and gently pressed her hand against the handprint on the Contract Scroll.

"Give it a try," Aogetsu Hyuga said.

Sakura Haruno was talented at controlling Chakra. Even on her first attempt, she ought to be able to summon a little Katsuyu clone at least the size of her palm.

A little Katsuyu would be enough.

After all, every part of Katsuyu was connected.

"Summoning Technique!" Sakura Haruno drew a line of blood across her palm, rapidly formed Hand Seals with her small, fair hands, then slapped the ground with a nervous heart.

Come out, damn it!

It has to be a huge Katsuyu, or Sasuke and Naruto will laugh at me!

Sasuke wouldn't be so bad. He's a genius, after all.

But if that idiot Naruto laughs at me, I'll want to die!

Poof! White smoke billowed outward, and a little Katsuyu appeared from nowhere.

"This..." Sakura Haruno stared at the little blue-and-white Katsuyu on the ground. A palm-sized Katsuyu was adorable, but what use could something so tiny be in a fight?

"Damn it!" Sasuke Uchiha's face darkened. His hands slowly clenched into fists inside his pockets as he glared coldly at Sakura Haruno.

Sakura Haruno's summoning had clearly fallen short, but at least she had summoned an animal!

And him?

He had summoned an egg!

"Lady Tsunade... Huh? W-who are you?" Little Katsuyu turned to greet Tsunade politely, only to find a pink-haired girl she had never seen before.

A new contractor?

I'll have to find a chance to tell Lady Tsunade.

Sakura Haruno picked up little Katsuyu and greeted her politely. "Hello, I'm Sakura Haruno."

Little Katsuyu is so cute!

Katsuyu suddenly spotted Aogetsu Hyuga standing there with a faint smile. After a moment of stunned silence, she cried, "Cang... Aogetsu Hyuga?!"

Aogetsu Hyuga took out a bag of salt and looked calmly at little Katsuyu. "Keep it brief. Where's that Crazy Bitch Tsunade? Lie to me and I'll sprinkle salt on you."

Summoning the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path!

Little Katsuyu glanced at the salt in Cangyue's hand and shrank back in fright. "I'm very sorry, Lord Cangyue. I haven't seen Lady Tsunade in a long time."

The last time Tsunade had summoned her was... the last time.

Had it been two years ago?

She wanted to find Lady Tsunade herself. They hadn't seen each other in over two years.

"Is that so?" Aogetsu Hyuga said flatly.

The little creature wasn't lying. She really hadn't seen Tsunade in a long time.

Oh well.

He would go to Tanzaku Town in a month.

Good thing he hadn't signed a contract with Katsuyu. Breaking it would have been a hassle.

Having more abilities was better, sure, but they had to be powerful and look good. A pile of useless abilities meant nothing and would only get in the way.

"Y-yes. Lady Tsunade is looking for you too, so you'll probably run into her soon," little Katsuyu said, trembling. She was genuinely terrified of Aogetsu Hyuga.

Cangyue's threat to sprinkle salt on her was no bluff. He had done it plenty of times before. One moment she had been happily playing inside Barrier Mountain, and the next, this menace had appeared!

Sigh.

What a hard life. Being a Summoning Animal these days isn't easy.

She remembered the days long ago when Ninja had first begun summoning. Summoning Animals had been so imposing back then!

Aogetsu Hyuga tossed the bag of salt behind him. "Useless little thing. Train my student properly. If she can't summon your main body within five days, I'll soak you in a vat of salt."

"Y-yes!" little Katsuyu answered at once, then muttered under her breath, "That depends on the girl's talent too..."

"Hm?" Aogetsu Hyuga glanced at Katsuyu.

"N-nothing!" little Katsuyu said in a panic.

"Amazing."

Everyone in Team 7 watched the terrified little Katsuyu, then turned to Aogetsu Hyuga with admiration.

Even Summoning Animals from another dimension had to show Teacher Cangyue respect?

Just what they expected from Teacher Cangyue!

"Teacher Cangyue, I've picked mine too! I want to sign a contract with this powerful, awesome-looking guy!" Naruto Uzumaki hugged a large scroll and ran up to Cangyue, brimming with anticipation.

"Just watch, Sasuke. The guy I picked is amazing. He looks awesome, and he can even turn into a weapon that extends and shrinks!" Naruto Uzumaki shot Sasuke a smug look. He had gone through every Contract Scroll before choosing an animal that was both cool and powerful.

"Dead last." Sasuke Uchiha sneered.

Idiot.

Powerful Summoning Animals were usually hard to summon.

Teacher Cangyue might be able to force a contract between Naruto Uzumaki and a Summoning Animal, but actually summoning it would still depend on Naruto's own ability.

"Enma, huh?" Aogetsu Hyuga took the scroll from him and opened it to look at Enma's portrait.

The Nine-Tails brat was an idiot, but he had a good eye. He had picked the strongest Summoning Animal in the Shinobi World: Enma, the Monkey King secretly passed down through the Sarutobi Clan.

Enma was powerful and could transform into a weapon.

Aside from the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path, he was probably the strongest Summoning Animal in the Shinobi World right now. He was also the Third Hokage's ultimate trump card.

Old Danzo was quite the thief. He had even stolen the method for summoning the Sarutobi Clan's secret animal.

A contract was possible, but with the Nine-Tails brat's ability, it would probably take him months to summon the Monkey King.

The Side Mission had a seven-day limit. Given Team 7's current strength and aptitude, they could probably master summoning in five days, provided they chose ordinary Summoning Animals.

"Teacher Cangyue, hurry up and help me sign the contract." Naruto Uzumaki looked at Cangyue expectantly. He had already imagined all kinds of scenes.

Once he summoned Enma, he would show off in front of Sakura Haruno, steal the spotlight from Sasuke, and maybe even beat Teacher Cangyue if he tried hard enough!

"You haven't even learned how to fart, and you're already thinking about constipation. With your pathetic ability, you think you can summon Enma?" Aogetsu Hyuga waved a dismissive hand. "Not happening. Pick another one within thirty seconds, or you won't be learning summoning at all."

By the time the Nine-Tails brat managed to summon Enma, the Lottery Pack would be growing moss!

"Hmph. Idiot." Sasuke Uchiha sneered. He had already suspected Teacher Cangyue would make Naruto choose another one. How could an idiot like Naruto summon such a powerful animal?

He was relieved.

If Naruto managed to summon Enma, Sasuke would be the one left looking bad.

Sakura Haruno glared at Naruto Uzumaki. "Are you stupid? We've only just started learning the Summoning Technique. Of course we have to start with the basics!"

She had seen Enma too, but she had ruled him out immediately.

The scroll said Enma was currently the strongest Summoning Animal and the hardest secret summon to call forth.

"Oh, come on. I finally found one that looked so cool." Naruto Uzumaki complained as he hurriedly rummaged through the Contract Scrolls. He was afraid Teacher Cangyue would refuse to teach him summoning.

With all these scrolls here, he could learn the Summoning Technique on his own. But without Cangyue there to intimidate the Summoning Animals, even securing a contract would be difficult.

Toads were the exception, of course.

Naruto had the Fourth Hokage's blood in him, after all.

"Found one!" Naruto Uzumaki picked up a Contract Scroll he had looked at earlier but passed over, then hurried back to Cangyue.

That wasn't thirty seconds yet, was it?

"Teacher Cangyue, is this Toad Summoning Animal okay?" Naruto Uzumaki asked gloomily.

The Toad Contract Scroll had caught his eye earlier because it bore the name of someone he deeply respected.

The Fourth Hokage—Minato Namikaze!

This Toad Summoning Animal had once been used by the Fourth Hokage!

But Naruto still wanted Enma. Enma was strong and looked cool.

Toads are ugly!

"You've got a good eye, fox brat. This is the animal the Fourth Hokage used." Aogetsu Hyuga picked up the dark-red scroll and studied the rows of names written on it.

The pervy old man's Summoning Animal, huh?

The pervy old man passed it to the Fourth Hokage, and after the Fourth Hokage died, Naruto took over.

An heirloom toad?

That's funny.

Naruto Uzumaki looked puzzled. "It just looks like a weak Toad. Is it actually strong?"

"Idiot. If a Hokage used it, it must be powerful," Sasuke Uchiha said coldly.

Even so...

That portrait of the Toad... It looks weak no matter how I look at it.