Hirofumi couldn't help but swallow hard, his throat tightening at the overwhelming aura radiating from Madara. The sheer intensity of it was almost suffocating. At that moment, he was merely a genin, and the pressure Madara exuded felt like a weight pressing down on him, nearly unbearable.
Initially, he had felt a thrill at the prospect of summoning the legendary Uchiha, but now a troubling thought struck him: how could someone as powerful as Madara willingly accept being his summoned beast? If Madara learned the truth of his situation, wouldn't he just smite Hirofumi with a single blow?
"System…" he whispered, barely able to contain his anxiety.
[I'm here.]
"Right now, Madara has become my summoned beast, correct?"
[That's correct.]
"Then will he attack me? Like, what if he accidentally kills me or something?"
[The summoned beasts formed from the undead maintain the same relationship with their summoners as any other summoned beings. The system guarantees that the summoned beast cannot harm the host, though it does not control the thoughts or actions of the summoned entity. Due to the unique nature of the undead, a summoning space will be created within the host's body, where the summoned undead will temporarily reside. Furthermore, since the host is integrated with the system, if the host dies, the summoned beast will return to the realm of the dead.]
"Summoning space? Is it similar to the sealing space used by Naruto Uzumaki?" Hirofumi asked, trying to grasp the concept.
[Exactly.]
After hearing the system's explanation, Hirofumi finally breathed a sigh of relief.
As long as Madara couldn't harm him, he felt a bit safer. At least he wouldn't have to constantly worry about Madara accidentally ending his life. Moreover, Madara had no incentive to let him die. Because if Hirofumi died, the system would vanish, and Madara would revert to being a spirit in the realm of the dead.
In a way, Madara's current state could be viewed as a form of alternative resurrection. After all, wasn't Madara's greatest ambition to resurrect himself? This situation should be seen as half-complete, right?
"Hey, kid. I'm talking to you."
At that moment, Madara began to comprehend his condition. It was indeed unique, but he had returned to life; his body was now fully flesh and blood, and he felt himself in the prime of his life. However, he sensed a slight anomaly with his chakra, particularly regarding the child before him.
It felt like there was a connection, almost as if he had previously signed a summoning contract with this kid. Who exactly was this boy? In what manner had he returned to life?
Madara had sensed the child's chakra just moments ago, and he could say, it was painfully weak. With a flick of his wrist, he could probably crush the boy without even trying.
"Madara," Hirofumi said, gathering his courage to meet the legendary warrior's gaze.
"You know my name?" Madara asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion. Could it be that this boy was a descendant of the Uchiha clan? He had a strikingly handsome appearance that carried the air of an Uchiha member. Yet, his feeble chakra made Madara doubt the strength of the clan's offspring these days.
"Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Hirofumi Itou."
"Itou?"
Upon hearing Hirofumi's surname, Madara's frown deepened. He hadn't expected the boy to be unrelated to the Uchiha clan. It made sense, really since the Uchiha clan couldn't have fallen so low as to produce such a weak descendant.
"That's correct. My name is Hirofumi Itou, and I come from Konohagakure in the Land of Fire."
"Konohagakure?" At the mention of the village, a complex array of emotions flooded Madara's expression—anger, nostalgia, and a hint of beautiful reminiscence danced across his face.
"Kid from Konohagakure, can you explain what the situation is now? If I'm not mistaken, this should still be the realm of the dead, right? Why is a kid like you here? And why did I return to life in this state?"
Hirofumi pondered how best to explain everything to Madara. There were certain things about the system that he couldn't disclose since he couldn't risk sharing its secrets with anyone. But how could he convey that Madara had become his summoned beast without revealing too much?
After a brief moment of contemplation, Hirofumi finally spoke. "I know you're anxious, but please, don't rush. I was summoned back from the realm of the dead through a reverse summoning."
"Reverse summoning?" Madara's narrowed his gazes. He understood what reverse summoning meant, but he had never heard of a living person being summoned from the realm of the dead. Furthermore, how did Hirofumi's reverse summoning connect to his own resurrection?
Madara was now certain that his return was somehow intertwined with the boy in front of him. He could clearly sense the faint connection between their chakras. But how could this seemingly weak child possess the means to resurrect him?
"That's right, it's reverse summoning. I signed a contract with the realm of the dead. After paying a certain price, I can summon a beast from the realm of the dead. And you, Madara, are my first summoned beast. Originally, you should have existed in a state of soul fire, but after I contracted with you and summoned you, you were resurrected."
Madara, who had not heard a human voice in what felt like an eternity, initially listened with great interest. However, as Hirofumi continued speaking, Madara's interest quickly morphed into disbelief. He had been summoned by this child? The notion was laughable—no, it was utterly absurd.
I, Madara.
I, the Shura of the ninja world.
One of the foremost figures in Konohagakure .
Best friend of the God of Ninjas.
The man heralded as one of the dual heroes of the ninja world.
And I have been reduced to a... summoned beast?
Madara struggled to accept this degrading reality.
Buzz... Zing....
Suddenly, an overwhelmingly terrifying chakra erupted from Madara's body, shooting skyward like a brilliant beam of light. Witnessing this, Hirofumi felt a rush of unease, yet he reassured himself by remembering the system's guarantee: Madara couldn't harm him. This thought provided a modicum of comfort in the tense moment.
"Kid, do you have any idea what you're saying?" Madara said, striding toward Hirofumi, his hand outstretched with the intent to strangle the insolent boy who dared label him a summoned beast.
How could he endure such an insult? It was utterly unforgivable.
But in the next moment, Madara found himself dumbfounded. He felt an unnatural force holding him back, as if his entire body had become immobilized. No matter how hard he strained, he couldn't wrap his fingers around the kid's neck. His body was completely out of his control.
"Uh... kid. What exactly did you do? What is going on with my body?" Madara asked, a mix of confusion and anger threading through his voice.
"Heh."