Chapter 54: My Summoning Technique is a bit... off

Ten Days Later – Konohagakure, Hokage Office

"Chūnin Link, regarding your request for ninjutsu training scrolls—"

Even the elderly Third Hokage couldn't help but smile wryly, recalling the stack of requests Link had submitted. "Some of them have been approved."

He pulled two scrolls from his desk drawer and slid them across the table, adding with a note of praise, "You did an excellent job on the mission in the Land of Rivers."

Only two?

Link felt a twinge of disappointment but quickly consoled himself. Something was better than nothing. He accepted the scrolls with genuine enthusiasm and bowed deeply. "Thank you, Lord Third."

His gratitude was sincere. Without connections, he doubted he would have gotten even a single scroll.

Typically, acquiring ninjutsu scrolls required purchasing them, and receiving them for free was akin to being handed a significant amount of money. Konoha was a military organization, not a charity. Handing out free resources without reason was unthinkable.

The Third Hokage chuckled softly, offering no further explanation, and said wistfully, "The future of the village rests with young talents like you, Link-chan."

He's really getting old.

"I'll do my best," Link replied, bowing slightly. "If you'll excuse me, Lord Third."

With that, he turned and left. As soon as he exited the Hokage's office, he could no longer contain his excitement and immediately unrolled one of the scrolls—

Inside was not a code but a diagram of interconnected black runes of varying lengths encircling a central symbol that read "忍" (Shinobi).

"A summoning scroll for objects?!"

After a moment of confusion, excitement surged through him. He quickly opened the second scroll, which indeed contained the encoded instructions for the Summoning Technique.

[Note: Summoning isn't limited to animals or people. It also includes objects, such as Tenten's weapon summoning from scrolls.]

The fact that it required storage in scrolls meant it wasn't just one or two techniques—it was likely a significant collection.

"Thank you, Lord Third. I promise I'll save your life someday!"

Beaming, Link carefully closed the scrolls and hurried out of the Hokage building. He used his custom Flying Thunder God technique to zip home.

[Konoha kids: Mom, there's another head flying through the air again!]

As for whether he should train later or if basic drills were important—

Who cares about training when I've got a whole treasure trove of jutsu to study?!

Link was practically giddy as he arrived home, immediately diving into the summoning scroll.

The Summoning Technique was incredibly versatile. Whether it was summoning sealed objects, contracted beasts, specialized tools like the Rashōmon gate, or even summoning people or the deceased, it had endless applications.

However, learning it wasn't difficult. It was classified as a C-rank jutsu with straightforward hand seals.

[C-rank? Like Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique?]

The process for that jutsu was: refine chakra, form hand seals, gather chakra in the mouth, and release it. That was it. Even the Uchiha clan, known for their fire techniques, taught it to their children with just those steps. The rest was practice until the fireball's size was sufficient.

For Link, a jutsu of this difficulty was child's play. After casually studying the scroll for a little over an hour, he had a rough understanding of how to perform the technique. Acting on impulse, he refined his chakra, formed the seals, and activated the jutsu—

Placing his hand on the storage scroll, he felt the chakra drain from his body. Only then did his overexcited mind cool down, realizing there might be something off about his version of the technique.

[What the heck did I summon?!]

The thought had barely formed when he sensed countless faint presences surrounding him. A familiar voice echoed in his head—

"Huh? Is that...?"

"Son!"

"Dad...?"

Link froze, covering his face as he felt a distant consciousness link to his own. Somehow, he had managed to summon his deceased father.

"Wow, a technique that can connect with the dead…" His father's voice sounded lively, likely because he had died young, in his twenties. "Our Link-chan mastered something like this?"

"Link, you—"

"Zzzzz~" The connection abruptly cut out, leaving only static as the sensation of linked consciousness faded.

While the ability to communicate with the dead was undeniably impressive, Link hadn't been aiming for that. He wanted the scroll's other jutsu!

Frustrated, he took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves.

"Maybe I should ask Ensui-sensei for help," he muttered to himself. At this point, he was out of better options. Involving his less experienced teammates wouldn't work, and going back to the Third Hokage to complain seemed out of the question.

…

Nara Ensui's Residence

"Ding-dong~"

Carrying an empty bag and a box of wagashi sweets, Link rang the doorbell.

"Click." Ensui opened the door, raising an eyebrow at his subordinate. "What brings you here, Link?"

Knowing his diligent student's usual habits, Ensui found it unusual for Link to drop by unannounced. Surely this wasn't a casual visit.

"Come in." Ensui stepped aside. "What do you want to drink? Tea, juice, or beer?"

"…Oh, right, you can't drink beer." He caught himself, forgetting that despite Link's maturity, he was still a child.

"Thank you for having me," Link replied, stepping inside and removing his shoes. "Water is fine."

It wasn't his first visit—he had stopped by after his Chūnin promotion—but he still felt a bit formal.

Once they were seated in the living room, Ensui sipped his hot green tea and asked casually, "So, what's this about?"

"Well," Link chuckled awkwardly, pushing a scroll across the table. "I need your help retrieving the jutsu scrolls from this."

"Didn't they give you a summoning scroll?" Ensui asked, unrolling the scroll and skillfully forming the seals. Pressing his hand on the central "忍" character, a puff of smoke appeared.

"Bang!" Over twenty scrolls tumbled onto the table.

"Wow, that's quite a haul. How many did you request?" Ensui asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not that many..." Link quickly opened his bag, gathering up the scrolls. "The Third did give me a summoning scroll, but, uh… I think I might've done something slightly wrong, so I thought of asking you for help."