Uchiha Tōshirō knelt on one knee, lowering his head in a show of deep humility: "My name is Uchiha Tōshirō, and I ended up here due to my careless use of the summoning technique. Please, Snow Empress, how can I return?"
The name "Uchiha" was well-known, so when the Snow Empress heard it, a glint of interest appeared in her icy eyes: "You possess the Ice Release ability, correct?"
"Yes. My father has the Sharingan, and my mother has the Ice Release."
The Snow Empress could see his powers with a single glance, and Tōshirō wasn't too surprised, as it would be strange if a being of her level couldn't see through him.
Moreover, his Ice Release powers had an affinity with the Snow Empress's abilities.
What the Snow Empress said made him wonder, so he asked, "Does that mean my arrival here was due to the summoning technique being linked to my Ice Release ability?"
"That increased the probability slightly, but it's still extremely rare to arrive here by accident."
The Snow Empress spoke with a contemplative tone.
The Polar Ice Lands are not on this continent, and reaching them usually requires extremely rare methods.
The summoning technique, if used without a prior contract, can be extremely dangerous. For instance, it might summon an unknown creature that could go out of control and attack the user.
In the past, many who did not sign a contract with summoned creatures ended up being killed by them.
This is why people are warned when learning the summoning technique, so it's rare for someone to use it without a prior contract.
The Snow Empress seemed friendly, so Tōshirō scratched his head and laughed, saying, "So, it seems I was lucky not to end up in a strange place!"
After that, he asked about how to return to his original home.
The Snow Empress didn't make it difficult for him and told him the way back, which was simple: just drain all of his chakra.
The summoning technique, at its core, is space-time transportation, and the time it takes to transport depends on the amount of chakra.
That simple? Tōshirō wondered.
He thought it would require a lot of effort, but it was surprisingly straightforward.
Since people rarely use this method, it had become little-known.
Tōshirō thought for a moment, and if he returned now, it would be difficult for him to come back again.
Places where Senjutsu can be learned are not everywhere.
Although the three sacred lands can teach Senjutsu, Kōzan felt that the magic system there might not suit his Ice Release ability as well as it does here.
He decided to ask a question to test the waters, thinking it wouldn't hurt to ask.
"If I return now, will it be difficult for me to come back here in the future?"
The Snow Empress answered, "Yes."
Reaching the Polar Ice Lands through the summoning technique was a stroke of luck, and it would be difficult to repeat it.
"May I ask a bold question?"
"Go ahead."
"I heard that there is Senjutsu here. If I wanted to learn it, what are the conditions?"
When dealing with ancient beings like this, it's best to be straightforward without deceit. He still had the appearance of a child, and a child should act innocently, without guile.
The Snow Empress didn't refuse, but instead asked a question: "Why do you want to learn Senjutsu? Learning Senjutsu carries great risks, and if you're not careful, you might turn into an ice statue."
Tōshirō answered honestly, "To become stronger."
The Snow Empress continued, "And then?"
"To live peacefully."
"..."
The Snow Empress expected many answers, but she didn't anticipate this one. She even found herself unable to comprehend Tōshirō's intentions: "What do you mean?"
Tōshirō explained, "I'm not interested in fighting; all I want is to live a quiet life."
The Snow Empress's curiosity was piqued: "If that's the case, why do you seek power?"
"Because to live peacefully, you need to be the strongest."
To some extent, Tōshirō's words made sense, impressing the Snow Empress, who smiled: "If you wish to learn, I won't object."
Tōshirō felt relieved, his anxious heart finally at ease.
He had prepared for the worst when expressing his desire.
At this moment, the penguin Mani appeared, opening its beak to produce a scroll with names written on it. These were the names of those who had signed contracts with the Polar Ice Lands in the past. These contracts dated back decades.
Tōshirō smiled, bit his finger, and signed his name in the empty space on the scroll, using his usual hand to place a blood mark, thereby signing a contract with the entire Polar Ice Lands.
Typically, a contract is signed between a person and a summoned creature, but Tōshirō's contract was special, as he signed with the entire Polar Ice Lands. He could summon any creature whose information he knew and pay the appropriate chakra, provided the summoned creature agreed to the summoning.
Of course, the summoned creature could refuse the summoning or delegate it to another creature, like a group chat where someone requests help, and if the creature is busy, it can pass the request to another creature.
"I understand now," Tōshirō said excitedly, "Can I now start training in Senjutsu?"
Mani the penguin spoke: "Not yet. Although you have the Snow Empress's approval, you still need to pass a test."
Tōshirō asked nervously, "A test? What kind of test?"
He tended to expect the worst, especially when it came to training, and feared it might be like the Ryūchi Cave test, where failure could mean death.
Mani the penguin smiled: "Did you bring any money?"
Tōshirō was puzzled: "Money? Why would I need money?"
"That's the test."
"Um..."
A test like this seemed rather superficial.
"How much do you want?"
"According to your currency, one million will be enough."
Oh my god, they asked for a million right away—why not just rob him?
The amount of money a ninja earns depends on the difficulty of the missions.
S-rank missions are the highest-paying, granting hundreds of thousands of currency.
In other words, Tōshirō would need to complete at least ten S-rank missions to secure the required amount.
That's a significant amount—even if he sold his kidney, he couldn't come up with it.
Tōshirō said hesitantly, "I don't have that much money."
Mani the penguin's expression changed, and he asked, "You have no money and want to learn Senjutsu?"
"Can I pay in advance?" Tōshirō asked, feeling wronged. "I don't have that much money now, but when I'm older, I can work to pay off the debt."
Mani the penguin refused flatly, "No."
What if the contractor died midway?
Tōshirō became angry. This isn't how penguins behave at all.
"Why do you need the money?"
"Watch closely."
Mani the penguin took out a scroll, unfurled it, and revealed strange symbols written on it. Then he took a pile of money and placed it on top of the symbols. After that, he clapped his hands and pressed one hand on the money.
"Sage Art: Money Release - Equivalent Exchange Technique!"
With a "poof" sound, white smoke billowed from all sides of the scroll, and when the smoke cleared, a table appeared out of thin air.
This process amazed Tōshirō. It wasn't the table itself that surprised him, but the luxurious food and fresh fruits on it.
Wait, what did he just say? Money Release?
Teacher, I want to learn this!
Tōshirō was impressed and said, "That's amazing."
"Did you see? This is my secret technique. As long as I have money, I can exchange it for anything." Mani the penguin took an apple, bit into it, and enjoyed the crisp, refreshing taste, unable to resist sighing, "Money is really wonderful."
Tōshirō nodded in agreement, "Money isn't everything, but without money, nothing can be done."
Mani the penguin pondered these words and fully agreed: "Haha... You, young one, see things very clearly. Alright, asking you to come up with this amount of money all at once is difficult. So, you can owe me now and repay me when you have the money. Based on your understanding of money, earning it should be easy for you."
Tōshirō was overjoyed and swore that when he made money in the future, he would reward the "old teacher" well.
Mani the penguin nodded in satisfaction, "You're a promising student. From now on, you can call me Master."
"Yes, Master." Tōshirō knelt on one knee and bowed his head in thanks. "So, does this mean I can now learn Senjutsu?"
The tuition had been paid, the master had been acknowledged—surely it was time to learn the Sage Arts now.
But the penguin shook his head, indicating it was still not possible.
"Why?"
Is this person trying to mess with me?
Suddenly, Tōshirō understood Senjutsu and said, "Ah, I see. As they say, haste makes waste. Training in the Sage Arts is extremely dangerous, and we need to lay a solid foundation. So, what should I learn next?"
Penguin Manni was surprised, "Is that so?"
"Oh, actually, that's not the case. You can start training in Senjutsu anytime. However, the one million ryo you paid earlier was just the initiation fee, and you'll need to pay more to learn Senjutsu."
More money?
You've got to be kidding me...
In the end, Tōshirō found himself burdened with a huge debt without learning anything, and the worst part was that he couldn't even express his dissatisfaction; he had to remain grateful.
This penguin really knows how to make money.
This is not penguin-like at all.
(End of Chapter)
────────────────────────────────────
"If you're interested, please support me in my other novel [One Piece: General Blue]."
"Power stones if you like them"
"If you want an early access join my patreon:- patreon.com/BaDwYGaMeR"