Souta Kazuki's hands trembled as the golden text of the system materialized before his eyes. His breath hitched. Summon the dead as his own spirits? At first, it sounded absurd. But the words glowing in front of him weren't lying.
A summoning system that could call forth the spirits of Konoha's fallen warriors. Five tiers of summoning, ranging from white to gold. The stronger the spirit, the higher the cost.
And the most exciting part? If he was lucky, he could summon Senju Hashirama or Uchiha Madara—legends that once shook the world. The thought alone sent a rush of adrenaline through his veins.
"Madara and Hashirama as my summons... the strongest shinobi in history at my beck and call?" Souta clenched his fists. "That would make me invincible!"
No tailed beast, no sannin, not even the so-called "Three Great Sage Lands" would compare to that power. If he had them, he could shape the world however he pleased.
But then, his excitement crashed down like a kunai to the chest.
[Golden Summoning Requires 100 Million Wealth Points.]
100 million Ryo. The realization stung like a slap. He scoffed bitterly. Even if he sold his entire family a hundred times over, it wouldn't come close to that amount.
"Tch, even Asuma Sarutobi's bounty was only 35 million ryos… and he was the son of a Hokage!" Souta gritted his teeth. The shinobi world didn't run on generosity. Money was everything.
S-rank missions paid well. Some even rewarded a million ryos. But that would take too long. There had to be a faster way.
"Jiraiya got rich by writing smutty books…" Souta mused. "But I don't have the patience for that. What if I just… took the money?"
A sinister grin crept onto his face. The shinobi world was ruled by the strong. If he wanted to stand at the top, he needed to play by its rules.
Suddenly, a thought struck him.
"Wait… the system should give me a newbie bonus, right?"
He quickly called out, "Oi, system! This is our first meeting, yeah? Don't other systems give starter packs? Where's my freebie?"
[Distributing Novice Gift Pack...][Congratulations! You have obtained a Golden Summoning!]
Souta froze. His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
"Golden summoning...?! A chance to summon a Hokage-level legend… for free?"
Excitement surged through him. This was it. His first step toward power. He didn't hesitate for a second.
"System! Use the golden summoning!"
[Host, please initiate the summoning.]
Souta bit his lip. Right. He had just learned the summoning technique from Iruka-sensei. He quickly formed the necessary hand seals and slammed his palm onto the ground.
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
A golden summoning circle spread beneath him, ancient symbols glowing with blinding brilliance. A roaring energy swirled in the air. The ground trembled.
Then—flames. Ghostly, golden flames erupted from the center of the array. A shape began to form. First, a soul fire. Then, armor.
Souta's breath caught in his throat. Red armor. A towering figure. A wild, spiked mane of jet-black hair.
"No way…"
The golden glow faded, and a powerful presence filled the air. Standing before him, arms crossed, was Uchiha Madara.
A suffocating pressure crushed down on the space around them. Even though he was just a spirit, the sheer aura he emitted felt overwhelming—like standing in the face of a storm.
Madara's crimson Sharingan burned into him.
"Where am I?" His deep, commanding voice echoed. His eyes darted around, sharp and calculating. "Reincarnation? No… not Edo Tensei either. This energy… it's something else."
He slowly turned his gaze to Souta.
"You." His voice was calm but carried the weight of an executioner's blade. "Tell me what's going on."
Souta's mouth went dry. This wasn't just any spirit. This was Uchiha Madara. A man who had fought Hashirama to a standstill. A man who had crushed the Five Kage effortlessly. A man whose very name struck fear into the shinobi world.
And now… he was standing right in front of him.
Summoned.
But the real question was—who was truly in control?