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Chen Xing bit his finger and pressed his blood to the contract scroll, writing his name. As soon as the inked characters glowed, he felt an inexplicable link tighten between himself and the lizard clan.
Following the hand seals written on the scroll, Chen Xing formed the Summoning Technique sequence. He finished the last seal, slammed his palm against the fleshy wall beneath him, and called in a low voice:
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu! Release!"
Summoning methods varied: some drew out the full body of a contract beast, some brought forth only a part of them — like the stomach of a giant toad or serpent. But the unlocking method was always the same: the basic summoning seal sequence.
At once the living wall shuddered. The flesh surged like a tide, and a gale roared out, blasting Chen Xing off his feet. He was hurled backward by the storm-force wind with no way to resist.
Out of the vortex of smoke and chakra, a huge pale lizard took form. It lowered its massive head to peer at Chen Xing — and then dissolved into smoke, leaving only a ruined hall.
"…Great. I'll have to summon it again."
Chen Xing glanced at his thumb, where the wound hadn't fully healed. He bit it again; fresh blood welled out. His hands flashed rapidly through the seals. Since it was his first proper summoning, he wasn't sure how much chakra was required, so he pushed out roughly a tenth of his reserves, slammed his hand to the ground, and shouted:
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"
The sealing formula spread outward in a circle beneath him, lines racing across the stone floor.
With a deafening boom, smoke exploded upward, enveloping him. Chen Xing felt the ground tremble as something vast shifted beneath him.
When the smoke cleared, a colossal white lizard crouched before him. Its scales gleamed faintly, its scarlet eyes glowed, and rows of sharp teeth glistened. A massive tail slammed the ground with a crack, raising a whirlwind of dust.
The lizard's voice rumbled like thunder:
"New contractor… what is your name?"
The sound shook Chen Xing's chest like a drum, making him wince.
"Hello, my name is Chen Xing. Please take care of me from now on." He smiled calmly. A contract meant partnership — comradeship, even.
The white lizard's scarlet gaze flickered with surprise.
"Chen Xing… I can hardly believe it. So young, yet you possess such vast chakra. Even I could be summoned!"
"My name is Bai. Call me that from now on."
Chen Xing nodded. Bai's manner was far more agreeable than he had expected. At least it wasn't like the foul-tempered Manda of Ryūchi Cave. If it had been, he might have considered tearing up the contract and searching for another spirit beast.
After a moment's thought, Chen Xing asked curiously, "Uncle Bai… I've heard of Ryūchi Cave. Where exactly is the lizard clan's home?"
He had always been curious about the so-called "sacred places" of the ninja world. Orochimaru had gained Sage Arts from Ryūchi Cave, Jiraiya from Mount Myōboku, Kabuto too… so where did the lizard clan reside?
Bai answered: "Lunong Mountain. That is where our clan dwells. Ryūchi Cave isn't far from us. Our relationship with them is… not bad."
Chen Xing's eyes widened. So the lizard clan had ties with one of the Three Great Sage Regions? He hadn't expected that.
"Since you've signed the contract, you should visit Lunong Mountain. The elders will want to see you," Bai continued.
"How do I get there?" Chen Xing asked.
"We'll use reverse summoning to bring you. Don't resist."
Chen Xing knew the technique — the same method the toads of Mount Myōboku used to summon Naruto. That the lizards could do the same was unsurprising; their claws were dexterous enough to weave hand seals.
"Understood."
Bai nodded, then burst into smoke, vanishing. A sealing mark appeared beneath Chen Xing's feet, and before he could react, he was pulled away.
When his vision cleared, he stood on a vast plateau. Towering lizards — even larger than Bai — ringed him. Their scarlet eyes locked on him all at once. If he hadn't sensed no hostility, he might have fled immediately.
"So this is the boy who summoned our clan without assistance?" rumbled a gray-scaled giant. Its massive eye lingered on him with surprise.
"To command such chakra at his age… remarkable," said a pale-green lizard, her tone feminine.
Chen Xing gave a polite bow. "My name is Chen Xing. It's an honor to meet you all."
The green lizard inclined her head. "Call me Green."
"Gray."
"Red."
"Yellow."
One after another, the massive lizards gave their names — all by their colors. Chen Xing suppressed a sigh.
Then two tiny lizards, barely the size of basketballs, appeared in front of him without warning. He hadn't seen them arrive at all. One was gray, with white whiskers that made it look ancient. The other was a light cyan, clearly female.
"Xiao Chen Xing," the gray one said. "I am the Elder — called Feather Immortal."
"And I am Yuqing Immortal, the Second Elder," the cyan one added, her voice like an old woman's.
Chen Xing's eyes twitched. These tiny creatures were the "elders"? Yet the giant lizards around him bowed respectfully, some calling them Father or Mother.
"…Are you sages?" Chen Xing blurted. The word slipped out before he could stop himself.
Yuqing Immortal lifted her head proudly. "Our lizard clan may not have the fame of Ryūchi Cave, but as spirit beasts we are no weaker than the White Snake Sage. Do not underestimate us."
Chen Xing's heart stirred. He hadn't expected this contract to link him to a clan with ties to Sage Arts.
Feather Immortal's scarlet eyes glowed. "The chakra in your body is immense. You could summon even us, the clan elders. Yet you are not Senju, not Uzumaki — you do not carry the blood of the First Hokage. It is strange. How do you possess such reserves?"
Chen Xing answered calmly. "I come from Hoshigakure — the Hidden Star Village. Long ago, a meteorite fell there. We call it the 'Star.' It contains vast purple chakra. The people of my village train with it, but its power harms the body. By chance, I was able to absorb it without side effects. That is why my chakra is so large."
The lizards exchanged glances.
"Hoshigakure… I have not heard of it," one muttered.
Chen Xing could only sweatdrop. Of course they hadn't.
Yuqing Immortal nodded slowly. "So that is the source… no wonder."
Feather Immortal sighed. "The shinobi world is truly filled with strange fates."
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