Chapter 31: The Key

With a puff of smoke, before Minato could get a clear look at the toad he had summoned, he collapsed to the ground. 

For that brief moment, he had released almost all of his chakra. However, even so, based on his expectations, his current abilities were unlikely to summon a decent Summon Beast. To perform such an advanced ninja technique usually only mastered by jonin was too much for his current strength.

He raised his eyes to see an oddly shaped toad before him. The toad summoned by Minato had an extremely elongated body, resembling a rolled-up scroll.

"Gamatori?" Jiraiya's expression changed when he saw this scroll toad.

The scroll toad glanced around, ignoring Minato and addressing Jiraiya instead. "Since you're in the village, you probably don't need me to deliver any intelligence. Why did you summon me?"

Gamatori seemed slightly impatient, but when Minato saw it, his blue eyes instinctively narrowed.

"Key...key..." he unconsciously muttered something, his expression becoming grave.

As Jiraiya was explaining to Gamatori, Minato's voice suddenly grew louder and more urgent. "Gamatori, can you open up your scroll body and let me see?"

Both Gamatori and Jiraiya were startled by Minato's tone, turning to look at him.

"Minato, what's wrong with you?" Jiraiya had never seen him with such an expression before.

"Hey, kid, who are you?" Gamatori sounded impatient, especially being addressed so directly by a child.

Minato's expression seemed almost crazed as he dragged his weakened body towards Gamatori, immediately realizing his inappropriate tone but still appearing anxious.

"I'm sorry, can you please let me see what's written on the scroll inside your body?" Minato pleaded.

Gamatori still ignored him.

Jiraiya then appeared beside Minato, facing Gamatori. "He summoned you, so according to the contract, you must obey his commands."

"Are you kidding me?" Gamatori scoffed. Minato was just a seven or eight-year-old child. While not an exceptionally powerful Summon Beast itself, it was unlikely a child without chunin-level abilities could summon it.

"Whether I'm joking or not, why don't you verify it yourself?" Jiraiya suggested. Due to the contract, Summon Beasts would bear a trace of their summoner's chakra when summoned.

Gamatori skeptically sensed the faint chakra lingering on its body, realizing it didn't belong to Jiraiya but instead matched the blond brat before him.

So this kid had indeed summoned it!

"Please, let me see," Minato's strange expression persisted, seemingly oblivious to Jiraiya's inquiries.

Gamatori clicked its tongue in annoyance but could not defy the contract's rules. It formed hand seals, and its scroll-like body unraveled, revealing a blank surface. As a scroll toad used for delivering intelligence, the previous message it had carried was erased at Jiraiya's behest.

Minato stared blankly at the empty scroll, seeming to recall something.

He crouched down, pushing his hair back with his palm as the image of the red-haired woman appeared in his mind again, this time with a crimson smear of blood on her pale lips.

Not only her, but there seemed to be someone else behind her, their figure more blurred.

Minato could only make out that it appeared to be a man, with blood at the corner of his mouth as well, bearing an indescribable emotion.

Reluctance? Resignation? Sadness?

Minato couldn't discern the exact expression, but it made his body tremble uncontrollably.

"Key..." he kept muttering that word.

Gradually, the vision in his mind faded, and his struggling expression finally relaxed.

"Sensei," Minato finally noticed Jiraiya watching him closely.

"Are you alright?" Jiraiya asked with concern.

"Yes, I worried you," Minato replied. His consciousness had been hazy earlier, his body seemingly wracked with anguish.

He looked up to find the scroll toad he had summoned was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Gamatori?"

Jiraiya smiled awkwardly. "It was a bit disgruntled about being summoned by you, so it dispelled the summoning and returned to Mount Myoboku."

Although the contract compelled Summon Beasts to obey their summoner's commands, they still had a choice. Gamatori's reaction was relatively mild – some more powerful Summon Beasts could react much more severely if displeased with their summoner.

After all, summonings typically occurred during combat situations where mistakes could not be afforded.

"I was rude earlier," Minato acknowledged his strange behavior.

"More importantly, what happened to you?" Jiraiya asked, his concerned expression prompting Minato to consider telling him about the recent strange occurrences. However, it felt as if some force was restraining him, an ominous feeling stemming from the depths of his heart.

Contrary to his intentions, Minato blurted out, "It's nothing, I probably just overtrained and used too much chakra today."

However, such a dismissive excuse could not deceive Jiraiya, who saw the helplessness in Minato's expression and did not press further.

"Then you should go home and rest. You have classes tomorrow, don't you?" Jiraiya reminded him.

"As for my personal training guidance, it's best not to tell others. It's considered a secret order from the Third after all."

Minato nodded in understanding.

"This is about all I can teach you for now. Further practice will require your own perseverance. Run at least twenty laps around Konoha every day, allocating the time yourself. I'll periodically set up obstacles for you at random locations, so be prepared mentally."

"Yes, sensei!" Minato nodded as Jiraiya gave him a smile before watching him leave.

However, after Minato's departure, Jiraiya's expression grew solemn as he gazed in the direction his student had gone, wondering to himself, "What could this child be hiding from me?"

(end of chapter)