"Caw~caw~caw~"
On the sea surface over a dozen nautical miles away from the Summoning Island in the Sea Country,
Two summoned crows bonded with Kei Yamanaka stood on the ship's railing, flapping their wings and squawking loudly.
Even without understanding bird language,
Or any of the Yamanaka Clan's secret techniques to connect minds and transmit or sense emotions,
Minato Namikaze could still clearly tell—those two little guys were cursing a blue streak.
"Alright alright, I get it. Those creatures scared you guys pretty bad, right? Don't worry, later I'll help you beat them back, okay?"
Kei Yamanaka reached into a small pocket on his Jonin flak vest for a moment,
Then pulled out a handful of specially-made pet jerky, offering it toward the beaks of the two little guys.
The squawking pair,
After hearing that Kei promised revenge, hesitated for half a moment before reluctantly nodding.
They hopped closer and started devouring the meat jerky happily.
After multiple recon trips to Summoning Island,
The animals there had been truly terrifying—one more vicious than the next.
Were it not for their owner's excellent skills, darting expertly through the dense forest with extreme turns and maneuvers,
They might've already been dissolved in some unknown raptor's stomach acid by now.
"How's the Third preparing?"
After comforting the two little birds, Kei turned around and asked Minato.
Before he and Minato arrived at the Summoning Island,
No one had expected that this island, locally called the Forgotten Isle and not particularly large in size, would have animals averaging such shocking levels of power.
Creatures matching Chunin-level strength numbered over a hundred.
Several clan leaders even possessed Jonin-class speed or strength!
These beasts, with just a bit of training, could become legitimate summoned beasts—significantly boosting a ninja's combat effectiveness.
Kei asked about Jiraiya's whereabouts.
Upon learning Jiraiya was still in Konoha, he immediately decided to use the belly of Mount Myoboku's Elder Toad to directly package and send them all back to Konoha for a summoned beast auction.
The three percent share for Konoha was essentially just a transaction—
Not referring merely to the minor matter of the village providing the auction site.
Rather, exchanging these benefits for massive prestige—the stepping stones for both their promotions—and quickening their ascent into Konoha's leadership.
To gain greater autonomy or leadership authority in the possible war ahead!
Otherwise, considering Kei's usual way of doing things—who in their right mind would give the village a cut otherwise?!
With the current turbulent situation in the ninja world, with the threat of sudden war looming at any moment,
It would make more sense if he were the one getting paid by the higher-ups!
Minato failed to grasp these subtleties, but the Third and the Elder Council definitely saw right through it. Otherwise, they wouldn't have cooperated in clearing out the Zero training ground especially for this purpose.
"Alright!"
Minato Namikaze followed closely behind Kei Yamanaka's footsteps and leapt onto the ocean surface.
Hua-hua-hua—
They hadn't even gone a thousand meters
When the ocean surface not far from them started to churn violently.
A shadow darker than the water itself shot toward them!
Kei didn't stop moving. From the chest pouch of his Jonin flak vest, he pulled out a sealing scroll.
With one hand, he unfurled the scroll; with the other, he formed a hand seal. Then he pressed it onto the storage seal marked with the character 'fish'.
Release!
[Ninjutsu: Heart-Transfer Cursed Seal Jutsu]!
A fish-shaped puppet made of special materials, no bigger than a palm, appeared.
Under the control of the [Heart-Transfer Cursed Seal Jutsu], it flicked its tail and plunged into the churning currents below.
After just a few breaths,
Kei and Minato simultaneously came to a stop.
Just beneath their feet, a massive swordfish over ten meters long surfaced slowly,
Carrying them both toward the Summoning Island!
Under Kei's control, the swordfish flicked its tail rapidly, quickly reaching speeds over 200 kilometers per hour within mere breaths.
And it was still accelerating!
"Riding the waves like this! I almost don't want to sell you off now!"
Kei glanced down at the swordfish beneath his feet.
Suddenly, he thought having such a transportation method at sea might not be bad at all?
But as soon as he considered that turning this giant swordfish into an actual summon required domestication and cultivation—to increase its intelligence and obedience,
Plus long-term feeding, care, and finding a suitable habitat—he quickly dismissed the thought.
Not that he couldn't afford it—he just didn't think it was worth the effort!
Even Mount Myoboku, which he constantly criticized, didn't require the contract holder to find insects to feed the frogs themselves.
Hua-hua-hua—
Circling around the sizable Summoning Island,
Two powerful sea beasts hiding underneath the surface chased relentlessly behind the swordfish, provoked by Kei's repeated taunts.
"Minato, get ready."
The storage scroll still held in Kei's hand was once again partially unfurled.
Two specialized puppet fish,
Controlled by the [Heart-Transfer Cursed Seal Jutsu], shot forward like bolts of lightning and slammed into the heads of the two sea beasts.
Without exception, both were controlled by the technique.
They meekly drifted toward the shore, joining the gradually slowing giant swordfish.
[Toad Mouth Bind]!
Minato took out a bit of his blood and performed the Summoning Jutsu.
Gamarashi's belly swallowed all three beasts at once.
Then, along with them, he returned to Mount Myoboku.
"Houhou~"
"Sira~"
"Muuu~"
Just as Gamarashi's stomach disappeared, one after another, guttural roars echoed from deep within the dense forest.
Not just the coastline near Kei Yamanaka and Minato Namikaze,
Rather, the entire island—all its creatures—felt, all at once, the presence of a natural predator.
Chaos, unease, fear, hostility...
The once-peaceful island was thrown into chaos in an instant.
"Have we been detected?"
Kei Yamanaka raised a hand to shade his eyes from the glaring sun, gazing toward the volcano at the island's center.
His current sensing range has a maximum diameter of ten kilometers—which means a radius of only five kilometers from where he stands.
They were currently eight kilometers away from the research facility at the island's core—a distance well beyond half of his sensor range.
"We've flown around the whole island on swordfish," he said. "If they still can't track us down, then they're seriously incompetent."
Minato Namikaze also looked toward the distant horizon.
Last night, after arriving in these waters, Kei summoned a Corpse Crow to quietly place his [Flying Thunder God Kunai] at the front gate of the island's central research facility.
If needed, they could teleport there instantly.
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