Ito Hiromi swallowed hard.
The pressure Uchiha Madara exuded was overwhelming. Hiromi wasn't even a Genin yet, and just the aura coming from Madara was enough to make his knees go weak.
At first, he'd been thrilled to summon Madara. But then reality hit—someone like Uchiha Madara wouldn't willingly become someone's summon beast, right?
What if he figured it out and decided to kill him on the spot?
"System!!!"
[I am here.]
"He's my summon beast now, right?!"
[Affirmative.]
"So, uh... is there a chance he might kill me?! Accidentally, you know, crush me or something?!"
[Spirits summoned via this system follow the same principles as standard summon contracts. The system guarantees the summon cannot harm the host. However, it cannot control their thoughts or behavior.]
[Due to the nature of spirit summoning, a Spirit Domain has formed within your body. The summoned entity resides there temporarily. If the host dies, the summoned spirit returns to the Spirit Realm.]
"A Spirit Domain? Like Naruto's seal space with Kurama?!"
[Correct.]
That finally gave Hiromi some peace of mind. At least Madara couldn't kill him outright.
Besides, Madara needed him alive. If Hiromi died, the system would vanish, and Madara would be sent back to the Spirit Realm. This setup might be a weird form of resurrection for Madara.
After all, wasn't Madara's entire life about returning to the living world?
"Hey, brat! I'm talking to you!"
Madara's voice snapped Hiromi back to the present. Madara had clearly assessed his situation—his body felt real, like flesh and blood. It was even in his prime condition.
But his chakra... there was something strange about it. It felt faintly linked to this boy, like a summoning contract.
Who the hell was this kid?
How had he come back to life this way?
And this chakra... so weak. He could probably crush this brat without even trying.
"Uchiha Madara," Hiromi said, trying to stay calm. "You know my name?"
Madara raised an eyebrow. "You know who I am?"
Hiromi nodded. "My name's Ito Hiromi."
"Ito...?"
Madara frowned. So he wasn't a Uchiha? That explained the pathetic chakra. No way a Uchiha would be this weak.
"Yes. Ito Hiromi. From the Hidden Leaf Village."
At the mention of Konoha, Madara's expression shifted—anger, nostalgia, even a trace of warmth.
"A child of Konoha... Then tell me—what's going on here?! This is still the Spirit Realm, right? Why are you here?! And how am I alive again?!"
Hiromi's brain raced. He couldn't reveal the system—no one could know about it. But he had to give Madara an answer.
"Look, I know you've got a lot of questions. Just hear me out first. I was Reverse Summoned to the Spirit Realm."
"Reverse Summoning?!"
Madara's eyes narrowed. That was a real thing—but he'd never heard of someone being summoned into the Spirit Realm. And what did that have to do with him?
Madara could feel it—his chakra was tied to this boy. There was no mistaking it.
Hiromi continued, "I signed a contract with the Spirit Realm. By offering payment, I can summon spirits to serve me as summon beasts."
Madara narrowed his eyes.
"You, Uchiha Madara, are the first spirit I summoned. Normally, spirits would appear as soul-fire, but you... your summoning triggered a full resurrection."
At first, Madara had been listening quietly. But that last sentence hit him like a slap.
A summon beast?! He'd been summoned... by a child?!
Ludicrous.
Absurd.
Blasphemous!
He, the great Uchiha Madara!
The Demon of the Uchiha!
Konoha's co-founder!
The God of Shinobi's rival and brother-in-arms!
Feared as the twin storm of the ninja world!
A summon beast?!
BOOM!!!
An explosion of chakra erupted from Madara, shooting into the sky like golden pillars. The sheer force of it threatened to crush the space around them.
Hiromi's face paled. He wasn't exactly calm—but he reminded himself: He can't hurt me. He can't hurt me...
"Brat! Do you understand the words coming out of your mouth?!"
Madara took a step forward, hand outstretched to crush the boy's throat.
But the moment he reached for Hiromi—
His body froze.
"What...?! What is this?! My body—it's not responding!"
Madara's hand trembled in midair. It hovered just inches from Hiromi's neck—but wouldn't move any closer.
"What have you done to me, brat?! What is the meaning of this?!"