---
Alaric was now back in Mount Myōboku. The anime did not give justice to what the place actually was. It was beyond beautiful, but Alaric knew that no ordinary human could ever live here, they can't survive.
He looked around again, this time with a more relaxed air, as if he had all the time in the world. He saw the two small toads staring at him, their expressions a mixture of shock, awe, and deep suspicion. He then turned his head, his gaze sweeping over the area as dozens of other toads, large and small, began to converge on their position, drawn by the commotion.
"There!" Shima exclaimed, pointing a trembling, webbed finger at Alaric. "That's the man that suddenly appeared minutes ago!"
Fukasaku narrowed his ancient eyes. "Who are you, stranger?" he croaked, his voice carrying a weight of authority that belied his small size.
Alaric looked at the assembled toads. He could feel their connection to the natural energy of the mountain; it was potent, but a pale imitation of the raw, untamed power he had felt from beings like Emberis. "Good evening," he said, his voice calm and resonant. "I am Alaric Jonathan Kenway. My name should be on your summoner's list."
"A SUMMONER!?" The word was a collective gasp from the crowd of toads. Gamabunta, the colossal Chief Toad, took a heavy, ground-shaking step forward, his massive yellow eye fixing on Alaric. "Uh-laric, you say? Did Jiraiya do this?"
"Jiraiya? No," Alaric shook his head, crossing his arms. "I found the scroll on my journey. After I placed my name on it, I was transported here."
A heavy silence fell over the clearing. The Great Toad Sage, Gamamaru, who had been sitting quietly on a large mushroom, opened one of his perpetually closed eyes a fraction. "How can that be?" he rasped, his voice ancient and filled with a deep, unsettling wisdom. "There is only one summoning scroll, and Jiraiya has it."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Oops?" Alaric offered a wry, unapologetic smile. "Check the list, then. My name's on there."
"There is no need for you to lie," Gamamaru stated calmly, though the other toads tensed, ready for a fight. "I can sense a powerful, unfamiliar force within you. It is… tiring." He seemed to drift off for a second. "I'm sleepy."
"EHHH!?"
"What the hell, Ōjiji-sama!?" Gamabunta roared, his voice shaking the very trees.
"...Um, is there a way for me to get back to my own world?" Alaric asked, his lie smooth and practiced. "You can terminate the contract if you want. I just thought it might be useful. I live near Tanzaku Gai."
Gamabunta stared down at him, his massive eye narrowed in suspicion. "What do you mean, 'useful'? You do not have our blessing. We will terminate it."
"..."
"..."
"So, Tanzaku Gai?" Alaric prompted with another wry smile.
"..."
"..."
"We'll have to wait for Jiraiya," Fukasaku finally sighed, shaking his head in resignation.
Alaric let out a quiet sigh of his own. This was going to be more complicated than he'd thought. 'At least,' he thought, his gaze sweeping over the strange, beautiful, and powerful new world around him, 'I'm here.'
---
Hours later, the initial tension had simmered down to a wary, if slightly surreal, truce.
Alaric now sat on a large, smooth stone near Fukasaku and Shima, with the colossal form of Gamabunta lounging nearby, his massive smoking pipe sending lazy plumes of smoke into the humid air. The other toads had dispersed, leaving the elders to deal with the strange, powerful human.
Alaric, for his part, was using the time to gather intelligence. He had already confirmed his first, most critical suspicion. He had tried, subtly, to access his System. He'd focused his mind, searching for the familiar blue interface, the comforting list of his abilities and, more importantly, his balance.
Nothing.
It was like trying to open a door that was no longer there.
'Maybe it'll only work back on Earth...?' he mused, a flicker of unease passing through him. This made his next moves far more critical.
He'd also confirmed the timeline. He'd casually asked about other great human summoners they had known, which led Fukasaku to speak fondly, and sadly, of the Yondaime Hokage, Minato Namikaze. Alaric had feigned ignorance, expressing his condolences for the man's tragic death during the Kyuubi attack five years ago.
"Five years?" Shima had corrected sharply. "It's been thirteen years, young man! A terrible day it was."
Thirteen years. That placed him squarely in the timeline he had expected. Naruto was a genin. The world was on the cusp of great, terrible changes.
'I could perhaps have the family visit Konoha after Hiruzen's death,' Alaric thought, taking a slow, contemplative drag from a cigar he'd produced, much to the toads' surprise. The idea of bringing them here during Orochimaru's invasion was a definite no. 'Or maybe I can save Hiruzen, put him in my debt... then I could also get rich in this world. Ah no, a man like that won't necessarily grant me money just for saving his life.'
"Ah, Uh-Laric," Gamabunta grunted, his deep voice rumbling like a distant earthquake. "Are you famous?"
Alaric raised an eyebrow at the odd question. He used the tip of his index finger, glowing with a faint, controlled heat, to light the end of a fresh cigar. "Not really," he replied, exhaling a plume of smoke. "I live a normal life. I'm not even a shinobi."
"A normal life..." Gamabunta muttered, taking a puff from his own pipe. "You look like a distant cousin of Minato's. Not that it matters."
"..." Alaric's other eyebrow rose at that. He was about to press for more details when another, larger explosion of smoke erupted nearby.
POOF!
A man appeared, as tall as Alaric, but made to look even taller by the three-inch geta sandals on his feet. He had a wild mane of white hair, a large scroll strapped to his back, and a wide, lecherous grin on his face. This was Jiraiya, one of the Legendary Sannin.
"Gamabunta, I brought sak- huh?" Jiraiya's boisterous greeting died in his throat as he saw the unfamiliar, crimson-coated figure sitting so casually with the toad elders. "W-Who the hell are you?"
"Ah, hell-"
"His name is Uh-Laric," Gamabunta cut Alaric off, his tone flat. "He stumbled upon a summoning scroll of ours."
"Summoning scroll?" Jiraiya's grin vanished, replaced by a sharp, suspicious frown. He handed the large bottle of sake to Gamabunta, his full attention now on Alaric. "Wait, don't I have the only one?"
"Yeah... about that," Alaric said, putting on his best 'aw, shucks' expression and scratching the back of his head. "I saw it in Tanzaku Gai. Thought I'd get something out of it. You know, having a summon is like hitting the jackpot."
"Tanzaku Gai? Bullshit," Jiraiya's eyes narrowed, his gaze becoming sharp, analytical. This was no ordinary civilian. "Uh-laric, right? It would be better for you to be honest. Now."
"Alaric," he corrected, shaking his head and taking a drag from his cigar. He let out a weary sigh, deciding to change tactics. "Look, I'm sorry for the trouble. I just want to go home." 'Since this realm is different from the Elemental Nations, I need Jiraiya to get out,' he thought, before offering a hopeful smile.
"It'd be nice if you could escort me back to Tanzaku Gai, if you don't mind. I'll reward you handsomely."
"..." Jiraiya stared at him for a long, silent moment, weighing the man's words, the casual mention of a handsome reward. He finally let out a sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly. He turned to Gamabunta. "His contract with the scroll is cancelled, right?"
"Of course," the Chief Toad grunted. "He doesn't have our blessing, and he doesn't seem to want to be tested."
"So, just pure curiosity..." Jiraiya murmured to himself. It was suspicious as hell, but the man didn't seem hostile, and Jiraiya wasn't one to start a fight without a very good reason. "Then… I guess we'll share a drink next time, Gamabunta."
The giant toad nodded.
"Jiraiya-boy!" Fukasaku's sharp voice cut in. "You're not going to greet me just because there's a stranger? Is that it?"
"A-Ah, Fukasaku-sama," Jiraiya stammered, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "L-Let's have dinner next time. My treat."
"Alright."
Jiraiya turned back to Alaric, another long-suffering sigh escaping him. "Let's get you back, then." He walked over and placed a heavy hand on Alaric's shoulder.
And with that, they vanished from Mount Myōboku in a swirl of smoke and leaves, leaving behind a very confused, and slightly irritated, assembly of toads.
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