Jiraiya squeezed an awkward smile on his face, and the huge stone in his heart that had been hanging because of the 'Karsten incident' finally fell by half. Good, good, this time it was normal, it was a toad from Mount Myōboku.
He was about to say something, but found that Naruto had already squatted down, making eye contact with Gamakichi.
"How is your combat capability?" Naruto asked, his tone as flat as if he were interviewing a new recruit. "Jumping height, toxin secretion, and stress resistance on the battlefield."
"Huh?"
The blade of grass in Gamakichi's mouth dropped to the ground with a 'plop'. It was the first time in his toad life that he encountered such a question, and for a moment, he didn't know how to answer. What was this? Jumping height? Toxin? Stress resistance? What nonsense was this kid spouting?
"Kid, are you playing some kind of role-playing game with me?"
"Cough, cough!" Jiraiya quickly stepped forward to smooth things over, pulling Naruto up. "Naruto, he... he's just a kid, a little toad, don't scare him."
Naruto nodded, straightened up, and looked at Jiraiya, calmly giving him his conclusion: "The experimental sample is too small to draw valid conclusions. I need to summon a unit with standard combat power to evaluate the practical value of this technique."
Jiraiya's mouth twitched. It was those words again that made him sleepy.
But he still bit the bullet and encouraged, "Alright! Then try again, use more Chakra this time! Call out the big guy!"
While he said this, he was incredibly nervous, his hands already secretly prepared to provide support at any moment. He stared intently at Naruto's movements, afraid that the next second a tin can with a gun would emerge from the magic circle again.
Naruto didn't waste words, forming hand seals again.
This time, the Chakra in him surged out like a flood through an open gate, the immense energy even causing the air to visibly distort.
"Summoning Technique!"
His palm slammed heavily onto the ground.
Boom—!
With a loud bang, a cloud of white smoke, obscuring the sky, instantly enveloped the entire training ground. The smoke rolled like a living thing, rushing towards the sky, blocking out the sunlight, and the ground vibrated violently.
Within the smoke, a mountain-like giant figure slowly emerged.
It was a huge red toad, wearing a blue short coat, with a giant pipe in its mouth proportionate to its size, and a pair of unfriendly eyes, looking down at everything on the ground from above.
It was Gamabunta, the great toad of Mount Myōboku.
"Bastard!"
Gamabunta's voice was like rolling thunder, shaking the ground of the entire training ground. "Which reckless brat dares to summon me out!"
He immediately saw Jiraiya nearby, but his gaze quickly locked onto Naruto in the center of the summoning circle, his eyes filled with impatience and disdain.
Hinata was so frightened by this immense aura that she retreated repeatedly, her small face pale, instinctively hiding behind Jiraiya.
Jiraiya laughed heartily.
He knew Gamabunta's temper too well; he was violent, arrogant, and ordinary people couldn't control him. A disagreement could easily lead to him tearing down the entire training ground.
And Naruto was even less of a pushover. It was a clash of titans, and he could watch the show for a while.
In a daze, he recalled the comical and hilarious scene of his first use of the Summoning Technique.
"Although I'm clumsy, I always meet exceptionally talented people. Perhaps this is my talent as a writer, always having strange encounters to provide new material for my stories. So, my next book will be about a tough Political Commissar ~"
Jiraiya nodded slightly, smiling involuntarily, already beginning to plot the story in his mind.
Naruto merely looked up, meeting Gamabunta's fierce gaze that would scare any child, his ice-blue pupils without a ripple. He didn't shout like others, nor did he humbly try to please.
He spoke in a tone of almost cold calmness:
"Summoned creature, Gamabunta."
"I am your new contractor, Uzumaki Naruto."
"Now, I need to confirm your obedience and potential for cooperation."
Every word he spoke was crystal clear, not like a request, but more like a high-ranking officer reviewing a subordinate's file, assessing whether he was qualified for battle.
The entire training ground fell silent.
Even Gamabunta's huge breathing stopped for a moment.
His giant eyes blinked, the sparks in his pipe dimmed a bit, wondering if he had misheard. He had lived for so many years, from the Sengoku period until now, he had seen at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, Ninja. This was the first, the very first time a brat dared to speak to him in such a tone.
Confirm obedience? Assess cooperation potential?
Gamabunta laughed in extreme anger, his huge mouth widening into a ferocious arc.
"Ha? Obedience? Brat, do you believe I'll stomp you flat and show you what respect means!"
The violent aura transformed into tangible pressure, crushing down on Naruto.
"Threats are the least efficient way to communicate." Naruto interrupted him, his voice not loud, but like a fan, it dispersed Gamabunta's anger.
He looked up and continued in the tone of an assessment report: "Your size is an excellent battlefield barrier and mobile assault platform; this is your value. But your personality is a clear flaw. If you cannot effectively control your emotions, you will become the most unstable factor on the battlefield."
Naruto paused, then said something that almost made both Gamabunta and Jiraiya faint.
"At that time, I will consider replacing you with a more reliable strategic partner."
Gamabunta was completely stunned.
His impending rage, like being doused with a bucket of ice water from head to toe, instantly extinguished.
From this blond boy, he felt not a trace of fear, nor any blustering bravado. He only felt a pure, cold rationality, and an authority stemming from absolute confidence.
Those ice-blue eyes told him that this kid was not joking, nor was he boasting.
If he really proved to be 'unqualified', he really would replace him, this 'strategic partner'.
What a joke?!
Gamabunta took a deep drag from his pipe, exhaling smoke that formed a huge smoke ring in the air, slowly dissipating. He looked at the boy below him, who was like an ant in size but had an aura stronger than his own, and suddenly felt... this situation seemed to be getting interesting.
"Interesting brat..." He bared his huge mouth, the anger in his voice greatly diminished, replaced by a playful scrutiny, "Much more fun than Jiraiya."
"Alright, I acknowledge you."
Gamabunta tapped his huge pipe on his shoulder, and ash fell like snow.
"However, whether I take action depends on my mood."
This was a tacit compromise, and also the arrogance of a strong individual.
Jiraiya stood to the side, mouth agape, completely at a loss for words. He felt his brain wasn't working. Why was Minato's son so 'unlovable'?
"I really hadn't considered creating such a strong and ruthless protagonist before. Perhaps this could also be a refreshing change, leading to a bestseller." Jiraiya constantly reassured himself.
Naruto was noncommittal about Gamabunta's 'acknowledgment'. He merely nodded, seemingly satisfied with the result.
"Your mood will be taken into consideration," he replied calmly. "Now, release the summoning. I will need you during the Chunin Exams finals."
With that, he clapped his hands.
"Release!"
Before Gamabunta could say anything else, his massive body disappeared with a 'bang', turning into a huge cloud of white smoke.
×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×-×
Read Extra Chapter Visit My Patreon
I have only 1 tier
19$ Tier – Access to 40 advance chapters
patreon.com/Lempil
patreon.com/Lempil