More importantly, Shinichi knew that time was running short. Based on the intelligence he had deliberately collected and analyzed through various channels recently, the third Kazekage had not appeared in public for quite some time.
Shinichi could even assert with certainty that this man, known as the strongest Kazekage in history, had already been murdered. With this as the fuse, the Third Shinobi World War that would engulf the entire Shinobi World was already imminent.
For this reason, Shinichi had also submitted his second report, further consolidating his image as a genius strategist in the mind of the third Hokage.
The clone, Isshin, sat quietly in front of him. The fading glow of the campfire flickered across his firm face as he watched his original body use his own (the clone's) blood to draw ancient and mysterious runes on the contract scroll. His gaze remained calm and without ripples.
If it succeeded… it would mean the clone would gain an extremely convenient, rapid deployment capability.
No matter what kind of training he was conducting in the Land of Iron, what plan he was executing, or even what danger he encountered, as long as the main body performed the Summoning Technique, he could cross thousands of mountains and rivers and instantly descend beside the main body.
The strategic value and flexibility contained in this were immeasurable.
Thinking even further, if this contract, based on the clone's special nature, could somehow achieve a degree of bidirectional summoning like the legendary reverse summoning of Mount Myoboku…
If the clone could also summon the main body to the Land of Iron or another safe area when necessary, its value would be beyond imagination.
In that case, during the brutal and chaotic Third Shinobi World War that was about to arrive, as long as Shinichi did not deliberately seek death by heading to the most dangerous battlefields, it would almost be impossible for him to die easily with such a trump card.
After all, Shinichi and the clone, Isshin, were essentially one mind controlling two bodies. This connection ignored distance, allowing them at any time to clearly sense the specific condition of each body.
In comparison, even the summoning animals of the three unexplored sage regions, despite possessing the legendary Reverse Summoning Technique, could never constantly grasp the contractor's condition anytime and anywhere.
A few minutes later.
The intricate runes drawn in blood on the scroll were finally completed with the final stroke. The entire contract text flowed with a dim luster, emitting an ancient and mysterious aura.
Shinichi took a deep breath, then bit open the thumb of his right hand with his teeth. A bead of bright red blood seeped out and gathered at his fingertip.
Pressing his finger onto the signature area reserved at the bottom of the scroll, he used blood as ink and steadily wrote his name, Shinichi Higashino.
The moment the name was completed, all the runes on the scroll seemed to flicker faintly, as if infused with a kind of directional spirituality.
Immediately afterward, Shinichi's hands quickly formed the most standard hand seals of the Summoning Technique.
Almost at the same time, Isshin, who was sitting in front of him, suddenly trembled slightly. He clearly felt a strange and indescribable sense of calling appear out of thin air deep within his consciousness.
It was like a coordinate anchoring and summoning permission request derived from a bloodline and contract connection, directly acting upon the essence of his existence.
Isshin did not hesitate at all. The moment he sensed the summoning, he gave a clear and affirmative response within his mind.
The next moment…
Bang!
A puff of white smoke that was not particularly dense yet sufficiently noticeable burst open in the empty space before Shinichi.
The mist quickly dispersed.
The tall and sturdy Isshin was already standing there steadily, no more than ten meters away from the campfire where he had been sitting earlier.
But both Shinichi and Isshin show faint smiles at the corners of their mouths at the same time.
This short ten-meter displacement had been achieved in an entirely different way.
It was a genuine instantaneous movement that crossed space.
The summoning mechanism of the Summoning Jutsu had successfully taken effect on the clone, Isshin.
"It worked."
Shinichi murmured softly, a sharp glint flashing through his eyes.
The first verification had passed. The clone could be summoned as a summoning unit.
"Let's try reverse summoning."
Shinichi raised his eyes toward the clone, preparing to conduct the next key test. If both sides could achieve bidirectional summoning, its strategic value would grow exponentially.
The clone Isshin also bit his finger. His hands formed the exact same Summoning Technique hand seals as the main body. Chakra surged as he attempted to use himself as the contracting party to reverse-summon the main body.
The seals were completed, and the chakra was consumed. However… nothing happened.
The forest remained quiet. There was no white smoke, no spatial fluctuation.
Shinichi still stood in place, quietly watching his clone, his brows slightly furrowed.
Reverse summoning had failed.
Shinichi carefully sensed the situation. Just now, when the clone Isshin formed the seals and activated the Summoning Technique, he had not sensed the strange calling feeling within the clone's heart that had appeared earlier.
However, one-way summoning was already sufficient.
Shinichi did not dwell on it too much.
Being able to summon the clone to his side at any time was already a trump card capable of changing many things in the coming chaos.
In addition, because the clone's fundamental origin came from Shinichi himself, when Isshin used the Transformation Technique to assume the main body's appearance, it could almost be said to achieve a perfect replication.
This might produce unexpected effects during battle.
As for reverse summoning, perhaps it could be indirectly researched later through the contract principles of the three unexplored sage regions or through spatial Ninjutsu such as the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Thinking of this, Shinichi took out another storage scroll. As he looked at this scroll, his usually calm and composed eyes rarely revealed a trace of obvious heartache.
Inside were almost all of his savings over the years, bounties from missions, consultation fees from the hospital, prize money from food competitions, royalties from his manga, and so on.
In fact, it was not only the savings accumulated by the main body over the years.
In order to complete the plan, even the clone, Isshin, would have to suffer a major financial loss.
Shinichi placed the scroll on the ground, then released two Shadow Clones and handed something in his hand to them.
Soon, the two Shadow Clones set off one after the other toward the northwest of the Land of Fire.
After completing all this, Shinichi's figure moved slightly, as if merging into the shadows of the forest, silently leaving the forest clearing.
The night wind passed through, leaving behind only the gradually cooling air and the embers of the campfire.
...…
The bulk procurement and maintenance of weapons and tools, the stockpiling of consumables such as Explosive Tags, the construction and reinforcement of border defense fortifications, the frequent mobilization of ninjas and additional allowances, and the storage of medical supplies each required enormous expenditures.
Although the Daimyo of the Land of Fire had provided support, the overall economic contraction and slowing tax revenue under the shadow of war were also undeniable facts.
The village treasury was becoming visibly thinner at a speed that could be seen with the naked eye.
Moreover, some time earlier, the report submitted by Shinichi that directly judged the third Kazekage to already be dead, although the contents were well-reasoned and supported by evidence, still felt somewhat abrupt to the third Hokage.
If you like the story, please don't forget to vote and leave a review.