"It's not that I'm picky," Kono Taketori said, unable to stop herself from complaining to Sarutobi Hiruzen. "It's just that Guy's summon is too useless. I wouldn't even use it as a stepping stone. I'd be afraid I'd crush it by accident."
Two years ago, Might Guy really had tried to give her his ninja turtle as a summoning beast.
That turtle didn't understand ninjutsu, moved at a glacial pace, and had not a speck of combat ability. It could extract chakra, so it was a little smarter than an ordinary animal, and its shell was decently sturdy, which was why Guy often used it as a literal footrest.
Guy had looked at her age and tried to sell her a fairy tale, babbling about how turtles lived long, had limitless potential, and if she waited a few hundred, a few thousand years, it might evolve into a Turtle Sage.
Pure nonsense.
Forget becoming a Turtle Sage. Even if it could evolve into Son Goku, she still wouldn't want it. With that kind of ti, she could plant a God Tree today and have it bear fruit. Who would bother "raising" a summon for a millennium?
"The monkey tribe is different," Hiruzen said, stroking his beard, chuckling as he listened to her rant.
The Sarutobi clan's ancestor had been born before the Warring States era. Back then, he had been an ordinary civilian. They called him a shinobi, but really he was just a commoner with chakra. The only two jutsu he ever learned were a Chakra Extraction Technique he'd picked up by accident on a battlefield, and the C-rank technique that had been bundled with it.
Summoning Jutsu.
To search for power and find a mighty contract, the ancestor used Reverse Summoning just like Jiraiya would later do, slipping through space itself. That was how he encountered the monkey tribe's king of that era, the Monkey King, Sarutobi.
The ancestor was saved by the Monkey King, and from then on followed him, learning the monkey clan's adamant staff style and their fierce Fire Release. The two were teacher and student, friends and comrades all at once.
Out of gratitude for that guidance, and to commorate their bond, the ancestor, who had no family na to speak of, took the Monkey King's na as his clan na and founded the first Sarutobi clan.
One could say the Sarutobi clan earned its footing in the Warring States era, and later rose into one of Konoha's most prominent clans, entirely because of the inheritance passed down from the monkey tribe. And because of that, the monkey tribe's standing within the Sarutobi clan was almost sacred.
There was even an unwritten rule.
Only a Sarutobi who earned the current Monkey King's approval, and fought alongside him as a true partner, was qualified to inherit the position of clan head.
Because of that rule, each generation's Monkey King and Sarutobi clan head beca brothers-in-arms, bound by life and death. The two clans had remained close for more than a hundred years without a single crack between them.
This summoning scroll was one of Hiruzen's most precious possessions, a treasure he kept at the bottom of his chest.
Once, he had wanted Jiraiya to sign the monkey contract. But Enma hadn't taken a liking to Jiraiya, and the contract failed.
Later, Hiruzen's three disciples each found their own fate and inherited the three great sage traditions. His strongest summoning inheritance, the monkey tribe, ended up with no one to carry it forward. It was a regret he had never fully swallowed.
And now, heaven had placed an extraordinary last disciple in his hands.
Kono mastered all seven chakra nature transformations. She carried the bloodline inheritances of both the Hyūga and the Kaguya, the two great taijutsu clans. She was the most perfect heir to Sarutobi Hiruzen's full repertoire that could possibly exist. There simply could not be a better choice in this world.
Hiruzen's fingers stroked the aged scroll on the desk, a relic that had endured a century. It was proof of the ancestor's friendship with Sarutobi the Monkey King.
"Co, Kono," Hiruzen said. "Swear it in blood. Sign the summoning contract, and you'll be able to call upon the strongest of the monkey tribe to fight for you."
"Yes."
Kono steadied her breath. Her eyes shone.
Even if the monkey tribe had no senjutsu and no natural energy, the fact that they could transform into an adamant, freely extending staff was reason enough for anyone to want this contract.
She stepped forward, staring at the densely packed nas on the scroll. She lifted her right hand slightly, and a sharp crimson gleam blood at her pale fingertips.
Sss.
Blood, hot enough that steam rose from it, dripped onto the paper, but it didn't seep in. Instead it rolled across the surface like liquid rcury.
Hiruzen was about to remind her to write her na in blood when he saw the rcury-like droplet move on its own, sliding to the bottom of the list. Strokes curved and crossed, forming four tiny characters.
Then Kono pressed her palm down.
The blood characters sank into the scroll. Moisture hissed away into vapor. In less than half a second, the blood pact was branded into place.
When she lifted her hand, Kono could sense it.
A faint, mysterious connection had ford between her and the contract scroll. If she perford the Summoning Jutsu now, she could ride that link across distance and space itself and call the monkey tribe from wherever they lived.
"Sensei, is that it?" she asked.
"Ah… yes, mm…"
Hiruzen stared at her hand in astonishnt.
She had just signed a blood pact, yet there was no wound on her fingertip. Not even a sar, not even the faintest stain. Her skin was still clean and pale, immaculate as if nothing had happened at all.
He'd long known his last disciple was unusual, but the little abnormalities she revealed without even trying were becoming impossible to ignore.
Hair that could coil itself up without any effort. Ninjutsu that flowed out without hand seals. And now blood outside the body that could still be controlled.
None of these were earth-shattering on their own. Compared to truly bizarre kekkei genkai, they were hardly worth ntioning.
And yet, each one silently declared the sa truth.
She was not the sa kind of creature as ordinary humans.
It inspired yearning, and also a naless unease.
"So I can summon Enma now?" Kono asked, still riding her excitent.
She was already reaching toward that unknown space through the contract, eager to call forth the Adamantine Staff and see whether the old Sarutobi's gifted weapon truly suited her hand.
Or maybe she could ask for an entire set.
A golden chainmail, a phoenix-winged coronet, cloud-walking boots?
"Of course not," Hiruzen said, and his expression turned serious. "Before you summon Enma, I need to explain a few things."
He looked straight at her.
"The monkey tribe is not like ordinary summons. They've been allies of the Sarutobi for generations. This isn't a master-servant bond. They are precious comrades and war partners.
They are proud by nature. You must never think of ordering them, and you absolutely cannot carry yourself as their 'master.' If you offend the Monkey King, the contract will be void on the spot. And after that, no monkey will ever answer your call again."
Kono nodded. Just from Hiruzen's tone, she could tell the Sarutobi and the monkey tribe's relationship ran far deeper than a simple contract.
"Contract void" was the polite phrasing.
The ugly truth was probably this: the Sarutobi clan would cut her off on the spot, and whatever teacher-student bond she had with Hiruzen might end right there.
Seeing that she understood, Hiruzen raised two fingers.
"Second. The monkey tribe is proud, but also fiercely loyal.
Each monkey chooses only one human partner in its lifeti. They live and die together, never abandoning each other. Even if their partner dies, they will never respond to anyone else's summons again.
Enma has been my partner since childhood. If you are in danger, he might help you out of respect for . But if you want to summon him at will and command him into battle the way I do, that's impossible. You'll need to find your own partner."
So that was why Enma vanished after Hiruzen died.
The monkey tribe really did have a personality.
Kono's thoughts turned. Enma only recognized Hiruzen. If she wanted Enma to fight for her, it likely wouldn't go the way she hoped.
"And the last point," Hiruzen said, lifting a third finger, "the most important point."
"You've signed the contract, but you don't yet have a monkey partner bound by life and death. So even if you perform the Summoning Jutsu, no monkey will respond.
If you want to summon the monkey tribe, you must first earn Enma's approval. Then he will help you choose a suitable monkey. Only after you both recognize each other as partners will summoning work normally."
That troubleso?
Kono frowned.
The monkey tribe truly was different from the Three Great Sage Regions.
With the Three Great Sage Regions, you signed the contract and could summon imdiately. They might not listen, so might even retaliate, but at least sothing would answer.
With the monkey tribe, if no one recognized you, you wouldn't even get a response.
And their rules were strict. A single partner for life. Unlike the Three Great Sage Regions, where you could summon different creatures depending on the situation, here, whoever bonded with you was it. No switching, no replacents.
Thinking carefully, the rule had pros and cons.
The monkey tribe wasn't just a summon, it was also a weapon. You needed deep coordination and years of shared rhythm to draw out its full potential. A rigid contract culture made sense.
And their loyalty and strength justified the hassle.
Proud. Loyal. Stubborn.
They were like adamant staves that would rather snap than bend, their nature and power carved from the sa steel.
"So I still have to pass Enma's test," Kono said.
She tried to recall the original story. Hiruzen had introduced Enma to Jiraiya once, and it hadn't gone well. That was why the monkey contract never happened.
But the exact reason Enma disliked Jiraiya… she couldn't quite rember.
"Relax," Hiruzen said, though his expression was oddly complicated. His tone, however, was absolute. "If it's you, you'll definitely earn his approval."
So my compatibility with the monkey tribe is high?
Kono felt a quiet thrill.
She didn't like frogs or snakes. Compared to them, a humanoid Monkey King was far more her style.
Hiruzen had said everything that needed saying. He didn't hesitate.
He rose, hands flashing through seals as he vaulted over his desk. He bit his finger, drew a blood line across his palm, and perford the Summoning Jutsu.
Boom!
A great plu of smoke erupted in the Hokage's office, only to be swept out the window by Kono's wind in the next breath.
Then, beside the stooped old Hokage, a massive, domineering ape appeared.
Over two ters tall. White fur. Dark shinobi garb. A circlet on his head. A strong nose bridge and faintly visible fangs.
Kono's gaze t his as he snapped open sharp golden eyes, and the air itself seed to harden with his authority.
This was the current king of the monkey tribe.
Enma.
"Hiruzen," Enma said, crossing his arms. He glanced at Kono. She didn't look like an enemy. Then he turned to his old partner. "What is it?"
"This is Kono," Hiruzen said. "My last disciple, taken in a few years ago. She graduated from the Academy yesterday. She doesn't have a suitable summoning beast yet, so I want her to form a contract with the monkey tribe.
Kono, this is my partner, Enma."
Hiruzen introduced them, bridging the distance carefully. Whether Kono could truly form a bond with the monkey tribe depended on Enma's judgnt. He couldn't force it.
"Hello, Enma," Kono said with a warm smile, suppressing every trace of her aura as tightly as she could to avoid misunderstandings.
"Mm. Hello."
To her surprise, the cold-looking Enma nodded imdiately. His golden eyes swept over her from head to toe, and then he gave a calm, decisive nod.
"Acceptable."
Huh?
Kono froze.
She'd been secretly brewing chakra, preparing to display her strength, and now she was left staring like an idiot. She clearly rembered Enma being extrely difficult when Hiruzen introduced him to Jiraiya. So why was he agreeing so casually?
Instinctively, Kono looked above Enma's head.
A steady stream of emotion lights rose from his white fur, glowing with unmistakable favor, completely at odds with his stern, regal face.
"If you approve, that's enough," Hiruzen said, not surprised at all by Enma's easy response. "Then please help Kono find a suitable child to sign as her partner."
Watching his old partner be so cooperative, Hiruzen's face stayed calm, but inwardly he was entirely unsurprised.
He knew Enma too well.
Enma looked cold and aloof, like nothing in the world could impress him, but inside he was the quiet type of looks-obsessed romantic.
When he was younger, he'd deliberately put on that icy facade to attract the prettiest she-apes in the tribe.
Back then, Hiruzen had introduced Jiraiya to Enma because he thought they'd share a "common language" and it would be easier to gain approval.
Who could have guessed Jiraiya would open with, "My dream is to net every beautiful woman in the world."
Enma had been furious on the spot. Of course the contract never went through.
"No problem," Enma said easily, agreeing to his old friend. "But I need to test little Kono's taijutsu first. That way I can choose a partner whose strength matches hers."
His golden eyes narrowed slightly as he looked at Kono.
To him, she looked delicate. Soft. Pretty enough to be mistaken for fragile.
In his mind, he was already sorting candidates.
A girl who looked this gentle probably had a quiet temperant. But the young brats on the mountain were all wild as fire. None seed like a match.
If necessary, he'd have to choose from the females, but their strength might be a little lower.
Still… judging by her appearance, her taijutsu probably wasn't that strong anyway. A weaker she-ape might be just right.
Kono had no idea what was going through Enma's head.
She also didn't know this majestic, kingly figure was cut from the sa cloth as Hiruzen and Jiraiya.
Seeing Enma agree so smoothly, and watching those sharp eyes appraise her again and again, she assud Enma had sensed her strength and approved of it.
Is Enma's perception really that sharp?
Kono's heart tightened.
She was wrapped in barrier techniques so thoroughly that even the Byakugan couldn't see through. She had her pheromonal "pressure" sealed away by the flesh curse marks. She hadn't released malice.
And yet Enma still seed to have detected sothing.
No wonder he was called the strongest summon.
With that thought, Kono's gaze grew more serious.
Her dead-gray ocular power swept over Enma's body again and again, scanning the fad adamant flesh.
"Little Kono," Enma asked, stepping closer. His towering body blocked the light, casting her completely under his shadow. "Are you ready?"
"…Yes."
Kono nodded solemnly.
Knowing he was testing her taijutsu, she stirred muscles that hadn't truly moved in a long ti. Under the mbrane of her bones, her flesh began to swell and twist, like a giant python coiling, like steel rebar being wound tight.
Creak. Creak.
An eerie, strained sound rose from within her body.
Her small, seemingly soft fist clenched bit by bit, until even the air around it felt heavier.
"Use your full strength," Enma said, mistaking her focus for nervousness. "Don't be tense."
Beside them, Hiruzen licked his lips, wanting to warn his old partner not to underestimate Kono.
But thinking of Enma's adamantine, unbreakable body, and Kono's five years without taijutsu training, he hesitated for half a second and changed his words instead.
"Kono," Hiruzen said, voice firm, "this test determines the strength of your future partner. You must go all out and let Enma see your limit."
"Understood."
Kono raised her right fist.
The gentle smile faded from her face.
Heat began to spill from her breath, scalding steam curling out from her nose and lips.
Seeing that, Enma grinned with confidence. He puffed his chest out and thumped his left side with a fist the size of a sandbag.
"Co. Hit here!"
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