An Introduction

A month later.

The weather was clear and pleasant.

A Black Cat lounged on a large tree branch, yawning as it lazily watched the children below.

Two boys and a girl stood around a white-haired child, quietly watching him perform.

"Watch closely. I'm not bragging this time."

"Summoning Jutsu."

Jiraiya pressed one hand down. With a bang, a huge cloud of White smoke erupted. As it cleared, an enormous creature appeared beneath his feet—red-skinned, with horizontal pupils like a goat's, a pipe dangling from its mouth.

It wore a blue coat and looked like a frog, except its body was covered in warts.

It was an incomparably massive toad.

Aokiji, Tsunade, and Orochimaru all wore different expressions at the sight of the giant toad.

Aokiji lowered his eyelids slightly. He hadn't expected Jiraiya to successfully sign a contract with Mount Myōboku after all.

Tsunade looked shocked.

Orochimaru remained calm.

Jiraiya put his hands on his hips and burst into arrogant laughter. After all the hardship he had suffered these days, he had finally gotten something in return. How could he not show off a little?

But the giant toad beneath him clearly had no intention of indulging him. It shook its enormous body.

Jiraiya lost his footing and fell face-first onto the ground.

"Jiraiya, why did you summon me?"

The giant toad's voice was like thunder, and it didn't seem to have much of a temper.

Jiraiya climbed to his feet, sidled up to the giant toad, and whispered sneakily, "Please, Gamabunta. This is a rare chance. Let me show off in front of my companions."

Gamabunta gave a cold snort but did not refuse. Who didn't enjoy showing off?

Especially a toad his age.

Still, he couldn't let it show, so he could only agree reluctantly. "What a hassle. Just this once."

"The toad can talk!"

Tsunade cried out in shock.

"It's nothing special."

Jiraiya casually showed off.

Tsunade's astonishment was exactly what he wanted to see.

Looking at the enormous lump of toad, Tsunade asked curiously, "Where did you get such a huge toad?"

Jiraiya did not hide anything and told her the whole story. To make it more vivid, he added a little embellishment here and there.

Tsunade did not believe him at first, but she could not find any reason to refute him. In the end, she reluctantly admitted it and, after a long pause, squeezed out through clenched teeth, "You really stepped in dog shit."

Jiraiya said proudly, "This isn't dog shit. I'm the Child of Prophecy."

Tsunade sneered with contempt. "Give me a break. You, the Child of Prophecy? More like the Child of Misfortune."

Jiraiya smiled and did not argue with her.

After all, his status was different now.

He was the Child of Prophecy, carrying the heavy burden of saving the world. How could he have time to argue with mortals?

"By the way, where's your Summoned Beast? Why don't you summon it and let me take a look?"

Tsunade's face darkened. She could tell he was asking something he already knew. With a cold snort, she said, "I don't have one. Happy now?"

She had not even learned the Summoning Jutsu yet, so naturally she did not have a Summoned Beast.

She had not expected that dead last to get ahead of her. It made Tsunade very unhappy.

She decided that as soon as she got back, she would learn the Summoning Jutsu and ask Grandma Mito to let Katsuyu sign a contract with her.

Yes, I'm very happy about it... Jiraiya said with a smug grin, "Why are you so angry? I was only showing concern for my companion."

After saying that, he glanced at the other person and asked Orochimaru the same question.

How could Orochimaru not know what he was thinking? He rolled his eyes at him speechlessly.

"Don't tell me you haven't signed a contract with a Summoned Beast either?"

Jiraiya covered his mouth and put on an exaggeratedly shocked expression.

Orochimaru: ...

Jiraiya was positively radiant with pride. All this time, he had been left so far behind by those two that he could not even see their shadows. Now that he had finally overtaken them, how could he not flaunt it? They had mocked him enough in the past.

After tormenting Tsunade and Orochimaru, Jiraiya still did not feel satisfied, so he turned his attention to Aokiji.

"By the way, Aokiji, how's that Summoning Jutsu you learned from me last time?"

Aokiji said blandly, "Not bad. I successfully signed a contract."

"It's fine. Even I spent a lot of effort before I successfully signed one... Huh, what did you just say?"

Jiraiya had already prepared his "comforting" words. Why was this not going according to plan? Aokiji looked puzzled. "Is there a problem?"

Jiraiya threw out one arm and roared hysterically like Cao Aman JPG, "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

He had put a great deal of thought and effort into learning the Summoning Jutsu back then.

How long had it even been since Aokiji came to learn it from him? He had mastered it so quickly?

And he had even found a Summoned Beast and successfully signed a contract. That was far too efficient.

Aokiji shrugged. Facts spoke louder than words. He rapidly formed hand seals.

"Summoning Jutsu."

With a bang, a huge cloud of White smoke appeared. As it dispersed, a snow-white fox appeared.

Jiraiya had a loose mouth. Aokiji knew that since he had learned the Summoning Jutsu from him, Jiraiya would eventually blurt it out one day. Rather than that, he might as well reveal it himself.

When Aokiji learned the Summoning Jutsu, he had already made it clear that his purpose was to slack off. This also helped establish his cautious persona.

Jiraiya rubbed his eyes. He had not expected Aokiji to really summon his own Summoned Beast.

Fortunately, it looked rather ordinary.

Jiraiya comforted himself. It was nowhere near as impressive as his giant toad.

"Wow, so cute!"

The moment Tsunade saw the little fox, delicate as a jewel, she immediately fell in love with her.

Orochimaru praised him, "Lord Aokiji is amazing. You learned the Summoning Jutsu so quickly."

Not much time had passed since last time, yet Aokiji had already learned the Summoning Jutsu. That was indeed impressive.

This was supposed to be his own show-off event, so how had it suddenly become Aokiji's? Jiraiya felt a little depressed. With his hands behind his head, he said sourly, "It's just a fox. What's so impressive about that?"

Tsunade bent over, resting both hands on her knees, her eyes smiling. "Little one, what's your name?"

Jiraiya laughed at her. "Idiot. How could a fox possibly talk?"

Tsunade's expression changed, and she immediately turned on Jiraiya. "Your lousy giant toad can talk, so why can't such a cute fox talk?"

Jiraiya said disdainfully, "Tch. Do you really think talking Summoned Beasts are just stray cats and dogs you can find anywhere?"

His toad came from Mount Myōboku.

What kind of place was Mount Myōboku? It was where sages lived. How could it possibly be the same? Though the sage was also a toad...

Fox Spirit looked at Aokiji happily. "Aokiji, why did you summon me? Are you giving me something tasty? I want roasted chicken butts."

"All you know is eating. Eating all day long." Aokiji scolded her with a smile. "Why did I sign a contract with such a Gold-Swallowing Beast?"

Fox Spirit giggled foolishly.

The slap to the face came too quickly, leaving Jiraiya momentarily speechless.

Tsunade retorted, "See? Don't think yours is the only Summoned Beast that can talk."

Fox Spirit noticed the people around her and looked at Aokiji questioningly.

Aokiji shrugged. "I told you about them. They're my friends, more or less."

Fox Spirit nodded, not particularly surprised.

Aokiji did not spend every day training. Sometimes, he still took Fox Spirit out to play and cultivate their bond. After all, she was his Summoned Beast.

Humans no longer surprised her as much as they had the first time.

Besides, Aokiji had prepared for this in advance, so Fox Spirit would not casually blurt out anything about her origins.

Tsunade asked brightly, "Little fox, what's your name?"

"Fox Spirit."

Fox Spirit gave a name that left Tsunade utterly confused, to the point that she wondered if she had misheard.

"Is there a problem?"

Confusion surfaced on Fox Spirit's face.

When her master Aokiji first heard the name, he had worn the same expression. She did not know why.

"That's because..."

Tsunade lightly pursed her lips, unsure how to explain it.

Jiraiya had no such reservations. Clutching his stomach, he nearly laughed himself to death. "Your name is hilarious! You call yourself Fox Spirit? A Fox Spirit is supposed to be a gorgeous, hot-bodied woman. I suggest this little fox change her name, or people will laugh themselves to death when they hear it."

After a pause, Jiraiya deliberately emphasized the words "Fox Spirit" while holding back his laughter.

Fox Spirit felt offended.

She disliked this human and glared fiercely at him.

Jiraiya bent over, crooked a finger at her, and wore an irritatingly smug grin. "So scary..."

Fox Spirit opened her mouth and bit him while he was off guard.

Jiraiya screamed. Her bite drew blood from his finger.

Tsunade took the chance to mock him. "Serves you right."

"Damn it, you actually dared to bite me! I was only joking."

Jiraiya blew on his injured finger as if that would stop the bleeding.

Fox Spirit tossed her head and huffed. Who told that human to make fun of her name?

Jiraiya became annoyed. He waved one hand and pointed at the fox. "Go, Gamabunta! I choose you! Teach that stinking fox a lesson!"

Gamabunta moved his body and used a tackle attack on Jiraiya.

Jiraiya took damage. His HP was reduced by half.

Gamabunta's sneak attack was successful. It was super effective.

Jiraiya rolled across the ground several times, covered in dirt, and stared blankly at the toad boss. "What are you doing?"

"Idiot."

Gamabunta cursed him.

A moment later, with a bang, he turned into White smoke and returned to where he had come from.

His contractor was simply too embarrassing. Gamabunta could not afford such a contractor.

Jiraiya had been beaten up by his own Summoned Beast. Naturally, Tsunade, his rival, did not miss the chance to ridicule him. "You're so pathetic. You can't even control your own Summoned Beast."

He could not beat Gamabunta, so after the toad left, Jiraiya could only talk tough. "That damn Gamabunta! Next time, I'll definitely kick his ass hard."

With Jiraiya suffering a setback, Tsunade's gloom was swept away, and she felt refreshed. She liked Fox Spirit more and more. With her snowy white fur and adorable appearance, she hit every one of Tsunade's weak points. Tsunade could not help wanting to hug her and shower her with affection.

Fox Spirit leaped to the right, her tail flicking as she avoided Tsunade. She did not want to be held by her.

She was already someone's fox. She could not let just anyone hold her.

The world always held prejudices against foxes, claiming they were promiscuous creatures. In truth, that was purely a product of literary invention. Foxes were actually devoted animals. They only chose one mate in their lifetime, and even if that mate died, they would not seek another.

This notion even affected the contract formed through the Summoning Jutsu. Engaging in intimate acts with any creature other than one's master was no different from NTR.

Tsunade felt awkward. "Your Summoned Beast doesn't seem to like me much."

Aokiji teased, "Maybe she thinks you're too violent, so she's afraid of you. Haha."

"What did you say?!"

Aokiji continued teasing, "See? You're always trying to hit people at the slightest provocation."

Under Fox Spirit's watchful gaze, Tsunade dejectedly withdrew her hand. "Aokiji, where did you find your Summoned Beast?"

Aokiji answered ambiguously, "If I said I picked her up, would you believe me?"

Believe my ass.

Do you take me, Tsunade, for an idiot?

But she could not come up with a reasonable explanation. It could not be that, like Jiraiya, he had used the Summoning Jutsu and summoned himself to Mount Myōboku.

"Forget it if you don't want to tell me..."

A woman's expression changed as unpredictably as autumn weather. Tsunade had been upset just a moment ago, but soon she changed her face again. Smiling sweetly, with a mischievous glint in her eyes, she said, "Aokiji, can I discuss something with you?"

Someone who suddenly acted so nice must be up to no good. Aokiji felt uneasy. "No, no. You're smiling like a Noh Mask. It's creepy."

Tsunade's expression changed abruptly. She grabbed Aokiji by the collar with one hand, looking fierce. "Why don't you make that clearer?!"

"Mm, this is much more normal." Aokiji grinned and teased, "I prefer the way you usually are—proud and unruly."

Tsunade looked at him as though he were a pervert. Rolling her eyes, she gave him a Byakugan. "Pervert."

Aokiji's smile froze. "I refuse!"

"Come on, give me a chance."

"Get lost."