Another puff of white smoke exploded, filling the surroundings.
Ren waved away the white smoke that obscured his vision, and upon seeing the figure in front of him, Ren knew he had succeeded.
It was the same colour as Gamachu under Jiraiya's feet, also covered in black patterns, not too large in size, about one meter tall, with several layers of armour plating armouring the frog from head to toe, and two iron-like plates tightly attached to its left and right arms, its emotionless eyes silently observing Ren.
"Iron Arm Frog? Not bad, it seems you summoned a very good partner."
Jiraiya was also slightly surprised when he saw the Iron Arm Frog, then stroked his chin and said.
Iron Arm Frog? Although it only appeared for half a minute in the original work, that doesn't mean its strength is weak. At that time, Uchiha Itachi and Kisame Hoshigaki, who were rogue ninja, came to Konoha Village to capture the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki Uzumaki Naruto. When Uzumaki Naruto was unable to deal with the two, Jiraiya promptly summoned the Iron Arm Frog to block Kisame Hoshigaki's attack, timely salvaging the situation. From this, one can see how strong the Iron Arm Frog's defence is.
Summoning it was somewhat unexpected yet also somewhat expected for Ren, after all, his current Chakra only exceeded that of a regular Chunin, and there was still some distance from a Jonin's Chakra level. Although the Summoning Technique is a C-rank Ninjutsu, as a type of Space-Time Ninjutsu, its consumption is only more, not less. Just summoning the Iron Arm Frog consumed one-third of his Chakra, and it is estimated that summoning frogs of the size of the Toad Sannin would be unaffordable for now without being an elite Jonin. He truly envied the Crown Prince's Chakra. The Whirlpool Clan's naturally massive Chakra combined with the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki's blessing allowed him to summon the Toad Sannin as if it were child's play, without changing his expression or heart rate.
Recalling his thoughts, Ren was the first to greet the Iron Arm Frog.
"Hello, I am Hoshimi Ren."
The Iron Arm Frog's gaze shifted, focusing on Ren. After a moment of observation, it opened its mouth, and what it said instantly shocked Ren to his core.
"Hello, I am Gamarin."
After speaking, it even raised its iron arm and extended it towards Ren.
"H-hello..."
Ren's eyes widened, and he instinctively reached out and touched its hand. Although he already knew frogs could talk, seeing it firsthand still felt incredible.
"Surprised, aren't you? It's all normal. You'll get used to it."
Jiraiya laughed heartily as he watched the dumbfounded Ren, then jumped down from Gamachu and walked over to Ren.
"Gamarin, when you go back later, please help me deliver a message to the two Sages, asking them to use the Reverse Summoning Technique to bring us over."
"Alright, I understand."
Gamarin nodded, then dispelled the Summoning Technique. A flash of white smoke, and the two frogs disappeared from the spot.
Soon after, Ren felt spatial fluctuations around his body. Looking at Jiraiya beside him, he saw him calmly standing with his arms crossed.
"Don't resist, it will be over soon."
As soon as Ren heard Jiraiya's instructions, he felt his vision go black, a sense of weightlessness came, and then white smoke erupted from the spot. When the smoke dissipated, the spot was already empty.
When his eyes regained sight, Ren found himself falling from mid-air towards the ground. After realising what was happening, Ren immediately used a nearby rock to push off, performing a somersault to cushion his fall, and finally landed steadily.
Just as Ren wiped away a cold sweat, an aged voice came from behind him.
"Young man, your skills are quite good. No wonder little Jiraiya would ask you to sign a contract."
Ren turned around and looked in the direction of the voice. What met his eyes was a half-human-high rock. His gaze moved up, and a small, green frog, completely green, was grinning at Ren. Beside it, smiling and looking in their direction, was none other than Jiraiya.
White beard and eyebrows, wearing a black robe, this was the second-in-command of Mount Myōboku, Sage Fukasaku.
Sage Fukasaku is one of the two Great Toad Sages of Mount Myōboku, a trusted elder of the Great Toad Sage, skilled in Sage Mode Water Release. He is Jiraiya and Naruto's Sage Mode teacher, with unfathomable strength. He has cultivated Sage Mode for over eight hundred years without ageing, possesses powerful Sage Mode Chakra, and is primarily responsible for screening those who enter Mount Myōboku for training.
"Kid, hurry up and greet Sage Fukasaku."
Jiraiya looked at Ren, constantly winking at him.
Although the contract had already been signed, if the Sages did not agree, signing it would be useless.
"Hello, Sage Fukasaku, I am Hoshimi Ren. Please take care of me in the future."
Ren took two steps forward and bowed to Sage Fukasaku, showing respect.
"No need to be so polite, young man. Stand up, I'll take you on a tour of Mount Myōboku, so you'll be familiar with it when you come back later."
Sage Fukasaku reached out and patted Ren's shoulder, then turned and jumped onto Jiraiya's back. The two led the way towards the depths of Mount Myōboku.
"Phew, it seems my status as a contractor has been accepted."
Ren followed behind, letting out a long sigh of relief, his body relaxing. His gaze began to wander, appreciating the unique scenery of Mount Myōbōku.
Ahead was a straight path leading directly to the centre of Mount Myōboku. On both sides of the road were countless giant mushrooms and various strange flowers and plants. The huge mushroom caps provided shade from the scorching sun. Because Mount Myōboku was far from human habitation, its environment had not been damaged by humans.
Unknowingly, the three had reached the end of the road. A wooden house was built against the mountain. Jiraiya familiar walked forward, opened the door, and went inside. Ren hesitated for a moment before following behind the man and the frog.
What met his eyes was a very normal living room, with a large table in the middle and several chairs nearby. The table was covered with a large spread of dishes, three dishes and one soup at a glance. But when Ren looked closely, his face turned green. All the delicacies on the table were made with "insects" as raw ingredients.
Insect ramen, larva soup, they seemed to be still "wriggling" wildly.
"Honey, I'm back, and we have guests."
Just as Sage Fukasaku called out, not long after, a response came from around the corner.
"Honey, you're back. I was just about to call you for dinner."
Following the voice, Ren's gaze fell upon a small green frog with purple hair and purple lips, also wearing a black robe. It walked towards them while looking at the group.
Ren looked at this housewife-like frog and immediately thought of another Toad Sage, Sage Shima.
Sage Shima, another Toad Sage of Mount Myōboku, also a trusted elder of the Great Toad Sage, possesses excellent sensory abilities and a snake-like tongue that can spray corrosive venom. She also has not aged after cultivating Sage Mode for over eight hundred years. She has a sharp tongue but a kind heart and can make various colourful insect dishes, which are deeply loved by her husband, Sage Fukasaku.
"Oh, is the guest little Jiraiya? And this young man, who is he?"
Sage Shima looked at Ren with a puzzled expression, then turned her gaze to Jiraiya, seeking an answer.
"Long time no see, Sage Shima. This is Ren, a new contractor of Mount Myōboku. I brought him today to visit the two Sages."
Jiraiya greeted her while clearing up Sage Shima's confusion.
"Hello, Sage Shima, I am Hoshimi Ren. This is my first visit, and I apologise for the intrusion."
Ren, as before, took two steps forward and then bowed in greeting.
"So that's how it is. Don't just stand there, sit down quickly. Dinner is ready, let's eat together."
...
Jiraiya and Ren exchanged glances, then sat down reluctantly, looking at the large bowl of insect ramen in front of them. Ren felt goosebumps all over his body. Looking at Sage Shima, who was so hospitable that he couldn't refuse, Ren felt a cold sweat break out on his back.
This... to eat or not to eat.