Malphegor
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Ch. 81: The Change: The Summoning
🕑 Added 2024-09-16 15:40:09 +0000 UTCIn a tiered lecture hall, dozens of graduates, each wearing a ninja forehead protector, sat solemnly in their seats.
On the podium, most of the chunin teachers from the Ninja Academy were present.
On the blackboard were a few prominent characters spelling out, "Orientation for Qualified Graduates."
The principal stepped forward, his voice carrying across the room. "Congratulations to all of you on successfully graduating from the Ninja Academy and being promoted to genin."
"From today, you will begin taking on missions assigned by the village," he continued. "Going forward, you will form three-person teams, each led by a jonin teacher who will guide you through your missions."
"Now, we will announce the team assignments!"
As the principal read the names, one by one, the ambitious genin were assigned to their respective teams and teachers.
Among these higher-level graduates, two stood out: Itachi and Kagami, both small in stature but drawing significant attention.
Especially Itachi. Among the other graduates were three seniors who had previously attacked him and were now watching him closely, their eyes fixed on his composed face.
Itachi, however, ignored their stares, keeping his gaze straight ahead at the podium.
In contrast, Kagami, who was more curious about his surroundings, looked around at the other students. Since he had graduated early, he didn't know many of them.
Finally, a chance to leave the village and find a home for the spider.
Scanning the classroom, Kagami spotted a few familiar faces. One was Yugao, a childhood friend of his older brother and the only member of the Gekko dojo. She was reputed to be one of the top students in the upper grades, and it was she who had leaked the fact that Kagami could perform Earth Release ninjutsu.
The one who spilled about my jutsu. Ironically, that helped me graduate early.
However, this leak turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as it earned him a chance to explore the wider world.
There were two other vaguely familiar faces. One was a girl with grayish-white hair tied into two braided pigtails, wearing a hood-style forehead protector, which was rare among female ninjas since most preferred not to cover their hair. The other was a ninja with spiky gray-black hair, who looked a bit arrogant.
Their names were Shinko and Tenma, Itachi's future teammates. Hm... Those visions can be handy.
In one mission, both Tenma and Shinko met their end, which was the catalyst for Itachi unlocking his second tomoe in his Sharingan. Their sacrifice, it seems, was caused by none other than...
What was the name again... Obi-Wan? Sounds wrong... I need more visions. But the pain is getting worse.
Looking at them, Kagami shook his head in resignation.
Above Tenma and Shinko's heads, it was as if a sword of Damocles hung, and their fate was already sealed. That sword would fall sooner or later.
Blame it on the world. Or your weakness. What is going on with me...
It wasn't their fault—it was the fault of this cruel world!
Though Kagami knew a few things, he certainly couldn't do anything irrational, like prophesying the future to save them. Besides, the shinobi with one Sharingan was no longer a run-of-the-mill fighter; he was now terrifyingly strong, far beyond most ninjas' abilities.
To Kagami, those two were as good as dead.
"Next, the team composition for Team 8."
Kagami's heart stirred as the wheels of fate began to turn, unstoppable.
"Team members: Tenma."
"Shinko."
Here it comes.
"Okabe!"
Hmm?
"Huh?!"
Kagami, who had been nodding with his eyes closed just a moment ago, shot up in surprise upon hearing this unfamiliar name. What's going on? Are the visions wrong or...
The teachers at the front of the room looked at Kagami with puzzled expressions, unsure why he had suddenly stood up.
"Kagami, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Daiko asked.
"Uh..." Kagami forced a strange smile, then shook his head. "No, nothing."
He awkwardly sat back down, glancing at Itachi, who also gave him a brief look.
By now, most of the teams had been formed, yet both Kagami and Itachi were still unassigned.
He had a bad feeling.
"Now, the team composition for Team 2."
"Team members: Uzuki Yugao."
"Gekko Kagami."
"Uchiha Itachi!"
What the...! At that moment, he felt as though his mind had been struck by lightning, leaving him frazzled.
Why am I on the same team as Itachi? What happened to Tenma and Shinko? Damn. Is fate playing a joke on me? Will I die?
Not far away, Shinko looked disappointed for not being teamed up with the cool Itachi, but she had no idea that Kagami's heart had turned to ice.
"It's a pleasure working with you," Itachi said, turning toward Kagami and extending his hand for a handshake.
Kagami reluctantly extended his hand, forcing a smile. "Yeah, pleasure... to work with you too."
Work with you? You're going to sacrifice me, and I'm supposed to work with you?
At that moment, Yugao walked over and sat next to Kagami.
"Kagami and Itachi, let's work well together from now on," she said with a pleasant smile.
To Kagami, it looked like the smile of someone about to die. The sword of Damocles, which had been hanging over Tenma and Shinko's heads, now hovers over Yugao and me.
To the one-eyed Uchiha, it doesn't matter who is sacrificed; as long as Itachi's Sharingan evolves, any teammate will do.
If Hayate knew that the two people most important to him had just been given a death sentence... How would he react?
With the teams formed, it was time for the assigned jonin teachers to come and take their teams away.
Despite the change, Kagami had hoped that their jonin teacher would be replaced by a strong ninja, someone who could protect him from the one-eyed Uchiha.
But no, it was still the same jonin.
After several jonins had appeared, just as expected, the weak jonin who couldn't even defeat a ninja cat, came to take team members.
"Well, look at this promising young team!" Yuki said, his voice brimming with enthusiasm. "I'm Yuki, and I'll be your jonin instructor."
Promising? More like doomed, his internal skepticism was at odds with the polite nod he gave his new teacher.
It seemed that he could rely on no one but himself if he wanted to defy fate.
Strictly speaking, he'd have to rely on his spider which he named Spidey.
---
"Congratulations! Kagami, Yugao, congratulations to both of you on becoming genin!"
As soon as they stepped out of the school gates, they saw Hayate standing at the entrance, waving.
Yugao smiled and ran up to Hayate, and the two happily started chatting. Only Kagami looked somewhat displeased.
Brother, if only you knew what this really means.
Noticing Kagami's odd expression, Hayate asked with concern, "Is something wrong? You seem... off."
"It's nothing," Kagami replied, forcing his features into a neutral expression.
Hayate studied his brother for a moment, then brightened. "Alright, to celebrate your promotion, I'll treat you both to dinner!"
Under his lead, the three of them headed to a barbecue restaurant.
Along the way, his brother never brought up anything about team assignments, as if he already knew the results.
After I decided to become a genin, he must have spoken to the school's teachers. Putting Yugao in my team was probably his request. He wants someone he trusts to protect me.
But Hayate never expected that their team would include Itachi—an absolute bane for teammates, a walking disaster.
This really is a case of losing both the bride and the brother.
On top of that, their assigned jonin was Yuki, which made Kagami feel his future prospects were bleak.
In truth, even if they had another jonin, Konoha currently didn't have anyone who could match the one-eyed Uchiha, so no matter who led the team, the result would be the same.
The only way to break out of this situation is to rely on myself, Kagami concluded grimly. Even if I can't defeat him, at least I have to survive.
If he could use Atlach-Nacha's power to launch a surprise attack on the one-eyed Uchiha, it would probably be seen as some sort of bizarre ninjutsu.
Each time Spidey had a major breakthrough, a new power could be unlocked. Currently, the spider was at Rank 0, just some souls away from reaching the next major rank.
As long as I gain more souls for Spidey, I can unlock some new power. It's my only hope for survival.
However, before that, he had to first solve the issue of housing for the spider.
---
For the next while, Yuki led Team 2 around the village on various missions, all of which were D-rank tasks like helping villagers with labor, finding lost items, and cleaning up.
"Alright, team! Let's make Konoha shine!" Yuki called out, his enthusiasm seemingly boundless as he dove into another menial task.
Normally, a jonin like Yuki, who had seen many big battles, would have no interest in such low-level tasks and would just have his genin handle them under the guise of training.
However, Kagami noticed that Yuki was actually the most enthusiastic participant, even volunteering for dirty jobs like cleaning river trash.
Perhaps this is Yuki's virtue—weak in strength but a kind, passionate uncle.
Meanwhile, Yugao fully embraced her 'big sister' role, treating Kagami and Itachi like they were still students fresh out of the Ninja Academy, occasionally giving them lectures.
"Remember, even small tasks build important skills!" she said, her voice filled with earnest enthusiasm. Kagami nodded, appreciating her care but chafing slightly at being treated like a child.
During training sessions, Yuki would ask each of them about their primary focus areas in training.
"Alright, team! Let's talk about your specialties and how we can improve them," he said, gathering them around.
Yugao stepped forward first. "I'm focusing on Konoha-style swordsmanship, genjutsu, and water release techniques," she said confidently.
Itachi spoke next, his voice calm and measured. "My primary areas are throwing techniques and fire release jutsu."
Kagami nodded, then added, "I'm working on taijutsu and earth release techniques."
Although Yuki seemed weak, he surprisingly possessed three chakra natures. Water release, wind release, and earth release were all part of his arsenal, and while he hadn't developed any unique nature transformations, his overall strength was quite decent.
"I studied under Kurenai, so I can help you with genjutsu, Yugao," he explained, demonstrating a simple illusion technique.
Overall, Kagami felt that Yuki was a well-rounded ninja, though not particularly exceptional in any area.
"Kagami, is there any particular jutsu you want to learn? I can teach you," Yuki said, turning his attention to the younger Gekko.
Knowing that Itachi, as the son of Fugaku, didn't need much guidance from outsiders, he focused on Kagami.
After thinking for a moment, Kagami replied, "I want to learn the Summoning Jutsu."
Hearing this, Yuki rubbed his stubbled chin and, after a moment's thought, said, "Summoning Jutsu is a good choice. Paired with your Earth Style Wall, it could make you a great support ninja."
"The common types of summoning are animal summoning, where you summon a creature you've made a contract with in the real world; ninja beast summoning, which is similar but involves specially trained ninja animals; and tool summoning, where you can summon non-living items like weapons or supplies in unlimited quantities."
"If you want to learn summoning, I'd recommend tool summoning. It's easier to master and practical when you don't have a powerful ninja beast to summon. For example, during missions, you wouldn't need to carry too much gear, lightening the team's load and improving task efficiency."
"Though it doesn't help directly in combat, supporting logistics is an essential part of being a ninja."
But just as Yuki was passionately explaining the benefits of tool summoning, Kagami suddenly shook his head.
"No, I want to learn animal summoning."
"Animal summoning?"
Yuki's brow furrowed slightly as he considered Kagami's request. "But to summon an animal, you need to first sign a contract with it. Plus, the first animal you sign with may not even be useful in combat. In that case, summoning tools would be more practical."
"I understand the risks, Yuki-sensei. But this is what I want to learn."
"Kagami, maybe we should start with something simpler? Tool summoning could be really useful for our missions."
"Thanks, Yugao, but I've made up my mind," Kagami replied, his tone polite but firm.
Itachi remained silent, his dark eyes observing the exchange with keen interest. What are you planning, Kagami?
For a newly promoted genin, it's true that they generally don't have access to powerful summoning beasts. If they end up summoning something like a tadpole or an ant, there's really no point in using the technique.
Yuki nodded, his expression turning serious. "Let me explain why animal summoning is challenging for genin."
He began listing off the issues: "Even if someone wants to summon a powerful beast, the size of the summoned animal depends on the summoner's chakra. If the chakra isn't sufficient, even if the summoner has a strong contract beast, they won't be able to summon it."
He recalled his own early attempts at summoning. "Trust me, it can be quite embarrassing when it goes wrong."
"Additionally, most powerful summoned beasts are prideful and hard to tame, making it difficult for them to recognize a genin as their master."
Kagami listened attentively, then countered, "But Yuki-sensei, doesn't starting early give me more time to grow with my summon?"
"Well, yes, but..."
"You know, Yuki-sensei," Yugao interjected, her earlier hesitation replaced with support, "Kagami has a point. And he's always been mature for his age."
Kagami shot Yugao a grateful look as Yuki sighed in defeat. "Alright, Kagami. We'll give it a try. But don't get discouraged if it doesn't work out immediately."
Left with no choice, Yuki pulled a scroll from his chest and laid it out on the ground. The scroll looked ancient, its edges slightly frayed but the writing still clear and bold.
"This scroll has been used by generations of Konoha ninjas to learn summoning," Yuki explained, handling it with care.
"This is called a summoning scroll, a tool to help beginners learn the summoning technique."
"As long as you form the signs and think of what you want to summon in your mind, then place your hand on the scroll and release chakra into the summoning circle, there's a chance you'll summon something."
Yuki demonstrated the hand signs slowly. "Watch closely. It's Boar → Dog → Bird → Monkey → Ram."
Kagami's fingers twitched slightly as he mentally practiced the sequence.
"However, what gets summoned may not be what you're thinking of—this depends on your personal talent."
"Go ahead and give it a try."
Yuki, Yugao, and Itachi all stepped back, leaving Kagami alone in front of the summoning scroll.
"You can do it, Kagami!" Yugao called out encouragingly.
Itachi leaned forward slightly.
Kagami approached the scroll. This is it. Time to see if my plan works.
The hand signs for summoning are not the key factor, as most summoning jutsus use the same signs. The important factors are the innate affinity and chakra of the summoner.
It could be an animal or even a non-living object.
Kagami swiftly formed the hand signs. As he did so, he activated his secret technique: Spider Vision.
Without hesitation, he placed his hand on the summoning circle of the scroll.
Bang!
A puff of smoke erupted, and as it cleared, a dark shape appeared in front of everyone.
"This is..."
"A spider."
On the summoning circle, a black spider, about half the size of a palm, appeared. Its hairy legs moved nimbly, and its eight scarlet eyes gleamed with a frightening light.
Seeing the spider, Yugao immediately took a half-step back. "A-a spider? That's... unexpected," she said, trying to hide her discomfort. Even though she was one of the top kunoichi of her age group, most girls can't help but feel disgusted by spiders.
However, Yuki and Itachi were more surprised than scared.
"Kagami, you actually summoned a spider? Summoning beasts like this are pretty rare."
"Insects have weak bodies, and powerful individuals are quite rare in nature. That's why insect summons are generally not popular. In Konoha, only the Aburame Clan regularly uses insect summoning beasts."
"But for you to summon a spider on your first try means you have a considerable talent for insect summoning."
"Don't get discouraged. With enough practice, even insect summoning can be powerful. One of the Legendary Sannin, Lady Tsunade's summoning beast is a slug, and it's incredibly strong!"
Worried that Kagami might feel disheartened by the weak appearance of his summoned beast, Yuki quickly reassured him.
Meanwhile, Itachi silently noted something to himself.
"A slug is a mollusk, not an insect, right?"
Still, his teammate's determination to learn summoning reminded Itachi that it might be time for him to learn summoning as well.
He had once seen Shisui's summoning beast, which wasn't as strong as he'd imagined—just a flock of crows.
Shisui had said that the role of summoning beasts wasn't always to fight head-on; they could serve a variety of other purposes.
For instance, his crow summon had almost no offensive capabilities but could be used to confuse the enemy's sight and hearing, making it a perfect match for the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan.
This inspired Itachi to consider making crows his own summoning beast.
Even a seemingly weak summon like crows could be useful if used properly.
But a spider, like the one Kagami summoned, seemed excessively weak. It was hard to imagine how such a fragile creature, one that could be easily squashed, could be of much use.
While it's possible to use their numbers and intimidating appearance to scare enemies, that tactic might only work against women or ninjas with weak mental fortitude.
The spider's notable traits were probably its venom and web-spinning abilities.
However, in a high-level ninja battle, these abilities would likely be too slow to be effective, as even the most agile spider couldn't match a ninja's speed.
In short, Itachi struggled to see how Kagami's spider summon could be useful.
Yuki rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Well, spiders have venom and can spin webs. Perhaps we can work with that."
"Maybe it could be used for reconnaissance?" Yugao suggested, forcing a smile. "Spiders can get into small spaces."
Kagami nodded gratefully. "That's a good idea, Yugao. Thanks."
Itachi spoke up, his voice calm and analytical. "Shisui once told me that even seemingly weak summons can be valuable if used creatively."
"You're all giving me a lot to think about. Thank you," Kagami said, nodding thoughtfully. If only they knew what this spider is truly capable of.
What they didn't know, though, was that Kagami had intentionally summoned this spider.
While forming the summoning hand signs, Kagami had used the Spider Vision to randomly select a spider from anywhere in the world.
With just a thought, this spider was successfully summoned.
The process felt smooth, like casually reaching into your pocket and pulling something out, without any delay.
Even if other ninjas had a strong affinity for a particular summoning animal, they wouldn't be able to summon one with such ease.
But Kagami possessed the power of Atlach-Nacha, granting him the ability to command any spider with ease. Selecting a specific spider and summoning it was as simple as picking something from a pocket.
Of course, the chakra cost for summoning still existed. The larger the spider summoned, the more chakra required—this is simply the nature of summoning jutsu and wasn't altered by Kagami's divine powers over spiders.
However, the chakra cost was still manageable for his current reserves.
And after this successful experiment, his bold inner plan started to take shape.
That was to make Spidey his summoning beast and summon it whenever he needed.
Although Spidey hadn't shown any direct combat abilities so far, this was mostly because it never needed to fight.
As an avatar of the Great Old One Atlach-Nacha, ordinary people would be paralyzed or even die from sheer terror just by seeing the human face on its back. This was how it had killed a homeless man before.
Even for ninjas, a lower-level one like Hayate would be rendered immobile after a single glance.
The stronger a ninja's chakra, the weaker Spidey's mental intimidation would be, but this was only based on its current size.
As Kagami's power grew, so too would its size and its ability to instill fear.
This was likely one of the benefits of having a divine avatar as a summoning beast.
Kagami looked at the spider, a subtle smile playing on his lips. Step one, complete. Soon, Spidey, we'll show them your true power.
The spider turned, its eight scarlet eyes seeming to lock onto Kagami's gaze. There was a connection that went beyond mere summoner and summoned animal.
With this, I might just survive what's coming. No, we'll do more than survive – we'll thrive!
