Masashi Kishimoto is just some guy who draws manga; what the hell does he know about Naruto?
Natsuhiko had heard that meme more times than he could count before he crossed over.
As for how much irony and absurdity were packed into that sentence, he couldn't really judge.
But one thing was undeniable—
Everything Natsuhiko knew about this world came entirely from Masashi Kishimoto.
Now that he suddenly saw this name again, he wasn't exactly surprised.
After all, he remembered this scene from before.
Still, he couldn't help but feel a strange mix of amusement and disbelief.
In a certain sense, that name belonged to the "Creator God."
"Don't tell me this guy really left himself a backdoor in case he ever transmigrated?"
Natsuhiko couldn't help laughing inwardly as he carefully put the scroll away.
"No wonder Kakashi acted so strangely.
No wonder this summoning beast was so loyal.
No wonder it showed such restraint even after attacking humans.
So it was all Masashi Kishimoto pulling the strings, huh?"
He joked to himself.
But honestly, he didn't truly believe this Masashi Kishimoto had anything to do with the one who created the entire Naruto world in his previous life.
Back then, it was just an Easter egg—a playful gag.
In this world, it was most likely just someone with the same name.
After securing the scroll, Natsuhiko finally relaxed.
He plopped down onto the ground, sitting beside Kakashi.
"That was terrifying," Kakashi sighed as Natsuhiko sat down next to him. "That thing… but it looks like we handled it."
"Yeah. Terrifying indeed."
Natsuhiko nodded, gazing at the now-empty stone foundation.
"That thing really exceeded my expectations."
It truly had.
The moment he signed his name on the scroll, he felt a connection form between himself and the giant lizard.
Through that link, he could sense some of its condition.
He had underestimated it.
The lizard's name was rather rustic—
It was called Lizardmaru.
And through the contract, Natsuhiko realized just how frightening its true strength was.
It had been trapped there for over thirty or forty years.
It had lost its summoner.
It had also been starving for a long time.
Even now, its power was only a fraction—perhaps a tenth or less—of its original peak.
And yet, even in that weakened state, it had left both him and Kakashi battered.
At full strength—
How powerful would it have been?
Natsuhiko couldn't even begin to estimate.
As expected of "Masashi Kishimoto's summoning beast."
"So what now?" Kakashi propped himself up weakly. "Is that guy obedient?"
"Obedient?" Natsuhiko shook his head. "I haven't even talked to him yet. How would I know if he listens?"
Though he had never personally dealt with summoning beasts before, he had certainly seen some in his previous life.
For example—
Naruto's giant toad, Gamabunta.
To be honest, that guy didn't have the best personality.
Naruto had suffered quite a bit while trying to negotiate with him.
Of course, no matter how bad Gamabunta's attitude might be, he was still far better than Orochimaru's Manda.
That snake would threaten its own summoner at the slightest provocation.
Honestly, Sasuke selling it out was practically deserved.
If we're talking about the best personality among summoning beasts, it was probably Tsunade's slug.
But Natsuhiko wasn't overly worried.
This lizard's loyalty was extremely high—of that, he had no doubt.
Just look at how it had guarded this godforsaken place for decades.
It had already fulfilled its duty to its previous summoner.
Besides, like Orochimaru's and Jiraiya's summoning beasts, this lizard belonged to a large clan.
The lizard clan also had a hierarchical structure—from lower ranks to higher ones.
The weakest possessed only basic observational abilities.
The strongest were beings like Lizardmaru.
Although the lizard clan didn't have a Sage Mode—after all, they didn't reside in any sacred land—that was more than enough for Natsuhiko.
He already possessed Sage Mode himself.
And now that he had contracted this giant lizard, if he ever needed to reveal his abilities in the future, he could simply claim that his Sage techniques came from the lizard clan.
The Senju clan originally had Sage Mode as well.
Unfortunately, Natsuhiko had never gained the slug's recognition.
He still remembered trying to sign the summoning scroll when he was ten years old.
But the enormous slug had bluntly rejected him, saying he "failed to gain recognition," and sent him away.
As for why he wasn't recognized—
The slug hadn't bothered to explain a single thing.
"Let's go. Find somewhere to rest properly."
After sitting there for a while, Natsuhiko stood up.
"Sitting here looks ridiculous. And I need to have a proper talk with that big lizard."
"Mm." Kakashi stood as well, rubbing his still-aching lower back. "We do need to rest. I also need to think carefully about that new technique."
"New technique?" Natsuhiko blinked, immediately recalling it. "You mean that mutated version of Chidori?"
"Yeah." Kakashi nodded. "It was kind of a coincidence. You told me to cover you, and the situation was critical. I was thinking about how to defend against those tentacles, cover you, and protect myself at the same time… so…"
So you just came up with an offense-and-defense integrated technique based on Chidori—and succeeded on the spot?
Natsuhiko's expression turned slightly strange.
Is this what a true genius looks like?
Facing a sudden crisis, having a flash of inspiration, daring to try it—and actually pulling it off?
He couldn't help sighing.
Within the Senju clan, he was considered a genius too.
But compared to a true prodigy, there was still a significant gap.
Then again, strictly speaking, I don't rely on talent… I rely on my cheat.
Shaking his head, Natsuhiko decided not to dwell on it.
He casually asked,
"By the way, that new technique of yours is very interesting. An integrated offense-and-defense move like that has immeasurable potential. What do you plan to name it?"
"I haven't thought of one yet." Kakashi shook his head, then suddenly looked at Natsuhiko. "Any ideas? After all, you indirectly helped me come up with it. If not for that situation, I wouldn't have thought of it."
"You want me to name it?"
"Yeah. Tell me what you think."
Natsuhiko smiled faintly.
"How about… Chidori Current?"