**Chapter 30: The Art of Summoning (Part 2)**

Hattori wanted to go to the Summoning World—not to look for any "Forest of Damp Bones," but to have a legitimate excuse. An excuse to openly summon the giant slug.

After all, summoning techniques differ from medical ninjutsu. The chakra disturbance is substantial and easily detected by sensory ninjas.

"I don't want to end up a rogue ninja so soon, so I have to be cautious—beyond cautious. I can't let myself get carried away!"

Of course, Chiyo had no idea what Hattori was thinking. To her, his eagerness to explore the Summoning World was the classic case of "a newborn calf not fearing the tiger," or, more plainly, "reckless youth."

So, naturally, she refused to allow it.

However, Hattori wasn't one to give up easily. Over the next few days, he leaned into the three great weapons of a child: whining, pestering, and clinging!

He had plenty of time, considering he couldn't gain experience for the time being.

Unfortunately, despite his best efforts, Chiyo remained unmoved, even going so far as to actively avoid him. It was then that Hattori finally realized: Chiyo saw him as the future of the Sand Village's medical corps. No matter what he did, she wouldn't allow him to risk himself.

Even if the risk was only theoretical.

Now, Hattori found himself in a quandary.

"Without summoning the slug, I can't grind experience. Without experience, I can't level up. Without leveling up, I can't get stronger. Without strength, I'm expendable. And then the cold-blooded high command of the Sand Village will sacrifice me! It's a vicious cycle!"

Feeling a chill run down his spine, he bit the bullet and made a decision.

"I have no choice. Although I'd like to continue playing it safe, I need to break out of this deadly cycle, even if it means taking a few risks!"

Having decided, he returned to his quarters to prepare.

First, he took off the Sand Village headband and sand-resistant jacket, changing into short sleeves and cropped pants to make movement easier. He then pulled a black cloak with a hood over his outfit, covering himself completely.

Once prepared, he lay down to rest, gathering his strength.

When night fell, he slipped out of the camp, heading to the rocky beach a kilometer behind the camp.

Though there was some risk in moving a kilometer away from the battlefield hospital, Hattori had no choice.

If he didn't go far enough, the chakra disturbance from summoning might catch the attention of Sand Village ninjas, and that would be even worse!

With a "choose the lesser evil" approach, he ventured farther out, confident that this wasn't the command post and thus unlikely to be patrolled.

His guess proved correct. A few minutes later, he reached the rocky shore without encountering anyone.

After confirming that the area was clear, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Phew... I can finally start grinding some experience. Let's do this!"

With that, he prepared to summon the slug.

But before he could act, he heard faint footsteps around him.

In the silence of the night, even a small sound was impossible to miss.

He immediately looked up and found himself surrounded by several figures.

They wore black hooded cloaks and eerie animal masks, wielding kunai and ninjatō, closing in on him.

Realizing they might be hostile, Hattori quickly checked the profiles of two of them.

- **Name**: Gen

- **Level**: 41

- **HP**: 473/473

- **MP**: 310/331

- **Specialty**: Fire Style

- **Battle Power Rating**: A

- **Name**: Fujimoto 

- **Level**: 52

- **HP**: 575/575

- **MP**: 436/436

- **Specialties**: Swordsmanship, Lightning Style

- **Battle Power Rating**: A+

Scanning the group, Hattori was shocked to find that even the weakest among them was over level 40, with several at 50+!

An A+ battle rating meant elite jōnin-level opponents!

"The level gap is too wide—I definitely can't beat them, and escaping doesn't seem likely either!"

Seeing the dozen or so ninja closing in, Hattori's heart pounded as he quickly assessed his options.

"From the animal masks, they must be Anbu, probably from the Leaf Village. Deceiving them won't be easy—I'll have to go all in!"

He made up his mind and immediately activated his summoning technique.

Unlike other summoning techniques, Hattori's didn't require finger-biting or chakra release—just MP.

He could use anywhere from 1 to 999 MP, but given the high stakes, he opted to go big.

"If my MP is drained, I'll pass out, so I'll keep a little to stay awake and put the rest into the summon!"

With that, he executed the summoning technique.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

With a shout, he slammed his palm onto the ground. Instantly, black symbols radiated out from him, forming a wide circle and encompassing the approaching Anbu.

The leader's expression changed dramatically.

"Retreat, now!"

He yelled, using the Body Flicker Technique to retreat instantly.

The others reacted just as quickly, following his lead and getting out of the summoning range.

Meanwhile, Hattori's MP dropped rapidly as the summoning circle expanded.

When only a sliver of MP remained, he made the final call.

"Come forth, Slug!"

With a loud "poof," thick white smoke billowed out, blanketing the area.

When the smoke cleared, a colossal slug appeared, towering dozens of meters high and stretching over a hundred meters long.

- **Name**: Slug

- **Level**: 78

- **HP**: 7780/7780

- **MP**: 7500/7500

- **Special Abilities**: Sticky Acid, Large-Scale Division, Sharing, Sage Techniques, Spatial Transference

- **Battle Power Rating**: S+

Hattori, standing atop this massive creature, couldn't help but gasp, eyes wide.

"This giant slug that looks even stronger than Shukaku rampaging in the Sand Village... was summoned by me? Fuck…"

His awe was interrupted by a gentle but commanding female voice that resonated around him.

"Master Hattori, thank you for your praise. However, no matter how impressed you are, please mind your language!"

Hattori: "Σ(°△°|||)︴" 

(End of Chapter)