Encouraged by Jiraiya, Minato Namikaze nodded decisively, mimicking his mentor's earlier actions. He drew blood onto his right palm, formed the seals, and called out:
"Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey, Ram… Summoning Jutsu!"
With a low shout, black markings spread across the ground in an instant. In a puff of white smoke, an orange toad the size of a person appeared, letting out a deep, resonant croak.
"Ribbit…"
Jiraiya's face briefly showed a trace of surprise at this scene.
"You succeeded on your first try! Minato, your talent really is remarkable. Now it's your turn, Shigeo—give it a shot!"
"Understood!"
Shigeo Aburame nodded. Like Minato, he drew blood onto his palm and began forming the seals.
Although his hand seals weren't as swift, each movement was precise, almost textbook-perfect. Once done, he placed his hand on the ground, focusing his chakra to summon his beast.
"Ninja Art: Summoning Jutsu!"
Under the eager gazes of everyone present, a small puff of smoke emerged on the ground. A bean-sized orange tadpole appeared, bouncing energetically.
"Plop, plop, plop…"
"…"
The scene left everyone in stunned silence.
Jiraiya couldn't help but shout, "Use all your chakra, you idiot!"
"Uh…"
Scratching his head awkwardly, Shigeo glanced at the tiny tadpole.
"Well, sensei, I really did use all my chakra. I swear!"
He wasn't lying. Earlier, when Jiraiya had summoned them, Shigeo had just used most of his chakra to synthesize his hybrid insects, leaving only a small amount in reserve.
What he didn't anticipate was Jiraiya suddenly teaching them the Summoning Jutsu, much less including him. The technique's chakra requirements were high, leading to this embarrassing result.
Unaware of these details, Jiraiya shook his head in disappointment at the sight of the tiny tadpole and Shigeo's fatigued state.
"Forget it. Practice more on your own later. If you have questions, ask Minato. For now, Minato stays. The rest of you are dismissed!"
"Yes, sir!"
…
It was clear Jiraiya planned to give Minato some special training again.
By now, Shigeo was used to this and didn't feel particularly envious.
After all, Minato lacked a clan inheritance but was incredibly gifted. It was only natural for Jiraiya to favor him. Moreover, Minato's successful summoning had proven his exceptional spatial ninjutsu talent.
Considering his keen perception during missions, Shigeo speculated Jiraiya might be preparing to teach Minato the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Of course, "teach" was a stretch. Jiraiya likely had documentation on the technique for Minato to study since Jiraiya himself wasn't proficient in it.
"Tsk… Flying Thunder God, huh?"
Shigeo couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. However, he knew it wasn't for him.
Flying Thunder God required an enormous chakra pool, outstanding spatial ninjutsu talent, and exceptional perception abilities—traits he simply didn't possess.
Shigeo's priorities were clear: expand his insect colonies, develop new hybrids, and increase his survival odds during missions. Strength was secondary; staying alive mattered most.
Still, mastering the toad summoning jutsu was non-negotiable. Mount Myoboku, one of the three great summoning sanctuaries, had resources like sage chakra that were game-changers.
Even if he couldn't learn Sage Mode, forging a strong bond with the toads was a vital safeguard. In times of danger, he could rely on reverse summoning to escape to Mount Myoboku.
Unless he faced instant death or a nightmare like Pain's Six Paths, survival would be achievable.
"For now, I need to stock up on special insects as emergency tools."
Having decided, Shigeo took all his savings to the village's ninja tool shop.
"Boss, I'd like twenty smoke bombs and a hundred explosive tags, please."
The shopkeeper's eyes lit up, his expression turning warm and welcoming.
"Of course! Give me a moment!"
During the war, explosive tags had risen to 2,000 ryo each, and smoke bombs to 750 ryo—a steep price. Most ninjas bought only a few at a time, but Shigeo's order made him a big spender.
The shopkeeper carefully counted the items and placed them on the counter, beaming.
"Here you go: twenty smoke bombs and one hundred explosive tags. That'll be 215,000 ryo, but I'll round it down to 210,000 for you!"
Hearing the price, Shigeo couldn't help but wince.
Over the past year, his team had completed many missions, and he wasn't a frivolous spender. Still, his earnings weren't substantial.
D-rank missions paid modestly, with his cut ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 ryo. On higher-ranked missions, he often contributed less and insisted on taking a smaller share.
His principle was clear: handle money and relationships carefully.
Fortunately, with many missions available, his monthly income averaged 40,000–50,000 ryo. Half went to living expenses and soldier pills, while the rest was saved for emergencies—like now.
With Jiraiya heading to the Land of Rain and Minato still maturing, their team's danger level was rising. To prepare, Shigeo used his savings to bolster his arsenal.
After stowing his shrunken wallet, Shigeo left the shop, his face heavy. Back home, he immediately got to work.
Using two smoke bombs and his hybrid insects, he synthesized two smoke-releasing insects. Then, combining five explosive tags with his soldier insects, he created five explosive insects.
These insects replicated the effects of their tools but were waterproof and under his control. Their drawback? A one-month lifespan.
After preparing just a few, Shigeo stored the rest of the materials and climbed into bed, exhausted.
"So tired… Let's start training Summoning Jutsu tomorrow."
With that, he closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep.
*(End of Chapter)*