Ito Akira couldn't help swallowing hard.
The oppressive pressure radiating from Uchiha Madara was overwhelming—far beyond anything Akira had ever experienced. He wasn't even a genin yet, and simply standing in front of Madara felt like trying to breathe beneath a collapsing mountain.
Moments ago, Akira had been thrilled beyond words when the summoning succeeded.
Now, belated fear crept in.
Someone like Uchiha Madara… would he really submit to becoming a summoned beast?
If Madara found out the full truth, wouldn't he casually slap Akira into nothingness?
"System!" Akira called out urgently.
[I am here.]
"Uchiha Madara… he's my summoned beast now, right?!"
[Yes.]
"Then—then can he attack me?! Like… accidentally kill me or something?!"
[Undead summons maintain the same contractual relationship as ordinary summons.][The system guarantees that summoned beings cannot directly harm the host.][However, the system does not control the summon's thoughts or emotions.]
[Due to the special nature of undead summons, a summoning space has been formed within the host.][Summoned undead will temporarily reside within this space.][If the host dies, the system will dissolve and the summon will return to the world of the dead.]
"…A summoning space?" Akira asked. "Like Naruto's seal?"
[Yes.]
Akira finally let out a slow breath of relief.
As long as Madara couldn't kill him directly, that was enough.
At the very least, he didn't have to worry about being erased on a whim.
And more importantly—Madara couldn't allow him to die either. If Akira died, the system would vanish, and Madara would be sent straight back to the world of the dead, returning to an incorporeal existence.
In a twisted way, this contract was a different form of resurrection.
Ironically, resurrection had always been Madara's ultimate goal.
This state… could be considered half a success.
"Hey," Madara's deep voice cut in sharply. "Kid. I'm talking to you."
Madara had already confirmed something strange about his condition.
He was undeniably alive.
A physical body of flesh and blood. Chakra flowing freely. And not weakened—this body was close to his peak state.
But something was wrong.
His chakra… was connected.
Especially to the boy standing in front of him.
The sensation was unmistakable.
It felt disturbingly similar to a summoning contract.
Madara narrowed his eyes as he assessed Akira.
Who is this brat?And how did someone this weak end up tied to me?
The boy's chakra was pitifully small. Madara was confident he could crush him effortlessly.
Yet—
Something prevented him from doing so.
"Uchiha Madara," Akira said, forcing himself to meet Madara's gaze.
Madara's eyes widened slightly.
"…You know my name?"
For a brief moment, Madara wondered if the boy was an Uchiha descendant.
The looks were there—sharp features, composed eyes, a certain calm dignity.
But the strength wasn't.
Have the Uchiha really fallen this far? he thought coldly.
"Introduce yourself," Madara said. "Now."
"My name is Ito Akira."
"Ito?" Madara repeated, frowning.
So not an Uchiha after all.
That made more sense.
"There's no way the Uchiha clan would produce someone this weak," Madara muttered.
"Yes," Akira continued. "Ito Akira. I'm from Konohagakure, in the Land of Fire."
"…Konoha."
At that name, Madara's expression shifted subtly.
Anger. Nostalgia. Regret. A longing for something long lost.
All of it flickered across his face.
"You're a child of Konoha," Madara said slowly. "Then explain this to me. If I'm not mistaken, we're still in the world of the dead."
"Why are you here?""And why am I alive like this?"
Akira hesitated.
There was no way he could reveal the system.
No one—especially not Madara—could ever know about it.
But the truth of Madara's status as a summon couldn't be avoided either.
After a moment's thought, Akira spoke carefully.
"I know you're in a hurry," he said. "But listen first."
"I was reverse-summoned from the world of the living."
Madara's eyes narrowed.
"Reverse summoning?"
He knew the term. But he had never heard of the world of the dead summoning the living.
And even if that were possible, how did it explain his resurrection?
"There's a contract," Akira continued. "A contract with the world of the dead."
"By paying a price, someone can form a summoning contract with the dead."
"You, Uchiha Madara… are the first summon under that contract."
Madara listened in silence.
"But originally," Akira added, "you were supposed to appear as a soul—like soul fire."
"After the contract was completed, your body was reconstructed. That's why you're alive."
The air went still.
Then—
"…What?"
Madara stared at Akira.
A summoned beast?
Me?
Uchiha Madara—the Shura of the Ninja World.Founder of Konoha.Rival and friend of Senju Hashirama, the God of Shinobi.One of the two greatest legends the ninja world had ever known.
And now—
A summon?
The absurdity of it made his chakra explode.
BOOM—!
Terrifying chakra erupted from Madara's body, surging upward like a pillar of destruction and tearing through the void above them.
Akira's heart nearly stopped.
But he forced himself to stay calm.
He can't hurt me, Akira reminded himself. The system won't allow it.
"Kid," Madara growled, stepping forward, eyes burning. "Do you have any idea what you're saying?"
He reached out, intending to crush Akira's throat in a single motion.
Calling him a summoned beast was unforgivable.
Absolutely unforgivable.
But—
His hand stopped midair.
Madara's eyes widened.
His body wouldn't move.
No matter how much strength he exerted, his arm refused to obey him.
"…What?" Madara muttered.
He looked down at himself, disbelief creeping into his expression.
"Kid," he said slowly, tension creeping into his voice, "what did you do?"
"Why… won't my body move?"