Chapter 24: The Summoning Scroll
"Blank?! What… what is this?"
Ruo Feng was shocked. The scroll before him seemed almost empty. Only the first page contained a single Fire Release—Great Fireball Technique. The rest of the scroll was pristine, completely blank, with no other writing.
Ruo Feng narrowed his eyes. "This… isn't right. Something's off about this scroll."
He focused on the lone Fire Release jutsu recorded on the scroll, and suddenly noticed something unusual.
At the end of the page, a line read:
"To view this scroll, the Sharingan is required. The more the Sharingan is enhanced, the more of the scroll's contents can be seen."
Ruo Feng fell silent.
Shaking his head with a bitter smile, he muttered, "What nonsense… I actually need the Sharingan to read this?"
Frustrated but resigned, he could do nothing. He had yet to awaken his Sharingan—so no matter how he stared at the blank scroll, it was useless.
Two scrolls—one written by Madara, far too advanced to be of any help at his current level. The other, the Uchiha clan head's inheritance, required the Sharingan to even read. Truly a pain.
Ruo Feng set the first two scrolls aside and turned to the last one.
He gazed at it thoughtfully. Madara had left behind much, but Ruo Feng didn't know exactly what. In the secret chamber, all the items were here. His grandfather had only mentioned the two scrolls and his grandfather's Sharingan—nothing else. Perhaps even he didn't know.
Ruo Feng brushed away the dust from the final scroll and noticed three large characters written across it.
He squinted. "Beast King Mountain? Why does this scroll bear this name? What kind of scroll is this?"
"This is a Summoning Scroll!"
A hoarse, aged voice echoed through the chamber, startling him.
Ruo Feng immediately turned toward the entrance and saw his grandfather standing there, a sigh of nostalgia and concern on his face.
"Grandfather… you're here!" Ruo Feng exclaimed.
His grandfather let out a gentle sigh. "You discovered these yesterday, and I knew you'd be eager to come today to study the jutsu. But some things can be deadly if practiced recklessly. I couldn't let that happen. So, once you entered the chamber, I followed quietly. Luckily, you still have your wits about you and didn't recklessly attempt the jutsu recorded by Madara—or else I would never have allowed you to step in here at all."
Ruo Feng felt a shiver run down his spine. He hadn't realized his grandfather had been following him all this time. That… was his grandfather's true power.
He calmed his thoughts and turned his attention to the scroll. "Grandfather… this really is a Summoning Scroll?"
His grandfather nodded. "Indeed… this is a Summoning Scroll, the very core scroll of its kind."
"Core scroll… meaning it's the most treasured scroll of the Summoning Clan!" Ruo Feng recalled Jiraiya's words and spoke slowly, piecing the information together.
Ruo Feng had some understanding of Summoning Scrolls. Jiraiya, after all, was a master of summoning techniques. During Ruo Feng's stay at his home, Jiraiya had explained many things, and the Summoning Scroll had been among them.
Summoning Scrolls were divided into three types, with different levels of importance:
1. Core Scrolls: The very heart of a summoning beast's contract. Only those the beast recognizes may form a contract using this scroll. Jiraiya, for example, signed a core scroll. Core scrolls were rarely revealed and usually kept in the hands of the clan's leaders. For instance, the core scroll of Myoboku Mountain was protected by Shima and Fukasaku.
2. Standard Scrolls: More common. Once signed, whether the summoned beast obeyed the user depended on the connection between them.
3. One-Time Scrolls: Could be used by many, requiring the signer's blood. Once activated, the summoning could be performed. For example, the Sound Village's summoning of the giant snakes during the collapse of Konoha.
Ruo Feng's gaze rested on the scroll before him. "Grandfather… this really is a core scroll? Uncle Jiraiya said that core scrolls are kept by the summoning beasts themselves and are rarely seen in the outside world."
Thinking of core scrolls reminded Ruo Feng of the original story—Myoboku Mountain's core scroll. It was always kept by the White Snake Sage, protected from outsiders.
He also wondered whether Orochimaru had signed contracts on ordinary scrolls instead of core scrolls, which might explain why the giant snakes didn't always obey him.
His grandfather shook his head. "Even though the core scroll of a summoning clan is important, what happens when the summoning clan itself is destroyed?"
Ruo Feng froze, staring at the scroll before him. "Impossible… the Summoning Clan of Beast King Mountain has… been wiped out?!"
"Exactly. This clan once belonged to the Uchiha, a proud summoning clan. But they angered Madara Uchiha and were annihilated. The core scroll fell here. Even if you sign the contract, you won't be able to summon much—perhaps you could reach Beast King Mountain, but the summoning beasts themselves no longer exist," his grandfather explained slowly.
Ruo Feng let out a sigh. "Wiped out by Madara… that's brutal."
His grandfather chuckled lightly. "Brutal? Not really. Long ago, Izuna Uchiha's summoning beasts malfunctioned, leaving him gravely injured. Madara, in a fit of rage, wiped out the clan entirely. Summoning beasts can be reliable partners—but to Madara, ordinary ones were nothing but a burden."
Ruo Feng remained silent, absorbing this.
His grandfather thought for a moment and then said, "That's enough for today. The scrolls written by Madara are far beyond your age. The Uchiha clan head's inheritance requires you to awaken the Sharingan yourself. If you wish to train, take this one."
He handed Ruo Feng an ancient, unassuming scroll.
Ruo Feng raised an eyebrow. "What's written on this scroll?"
With a nostalgic smile, his grandfather explained, "This is your grandfather's scroll. It contains his jutsu, insights, and experience with using the Sharingan. It also records some practical things left behind by Uchiha Madara."
Ruo Feng nodded as his grandfather handed him the scroll and walked toward the chamber's exit.
He followed, carefully taking the Summoning Scroll of Beast King Mountain with him as well.
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