Kōen looked at the summoning scroll and then up at Kei.
There was no escape. No tricks. No games.
Just the weight of what had happened—and what might come next.
A second passed. Then another.
And then Kōen raised his paw, bit it lightly, and pressed it to the scroll.
A flicker of chakra.
A faint glow.
Kei bit his thumb and pressed his own blood beside the fox's.
[Ding!]
[Host has obtained Summoning Beast: Kōen]
[Opening Summoning Beast Attribute Page...]
[Summoning Beast: Kōen]
[Race: Crimson Fox]
[Talent: Lightness, Agility]
[Shared Talent: Reflex]
[Evolvable]
[Evolution Requirement: Red Fire Pepper (100)]
The seal dimmed. The chakra link settled into place.
Kei inhaled sharply.
His mind snapped into clarity. His limbs felt light, fast, reactive. His breath flowed easier, every motion more precise.
Lightness. Agility. Reflex.
Even without raw chakra reserves, Kōen's body control talents made Kei feel sharper—more dangerous.
'I'm stronger,' Kei thought. 'By at least two levels, just from this.'
Beside him, Kōen let out a surprised yip and flinched, then yipped again, louder, almost celebratory.
Power surged through the fox's limbs. Kei's chakra, strength, and spirit had flooded into the new bond.
Kōen rolled once in the grass, testing his paws, and looked at Kei with widened golden eyes.
A quiet hum passed through the bond.
'Warm. Strong. Safe.'
'He really meant it...'
Kei knelt down and reached out.
Kōen didn't flinch this time.
"I told you. Evolution. Strength. Trust."
He gently picked up the fox.
Hayate padded forward, sniffed Kōen once, then barked.
Shadow landed on a low branch with a soft thump.
Hayate's thoughts were simple: Kei was his master. The alpha. Shadow and he were brothers. And now this strange fox—Kōen—was one of them.
But Hayate still gave him a look.
Not a challenge.
Not a welcome.
Just a reminder.
'Kei told me to spare you. Don't make me regret it.'
"Woof."
Shadow, ever the observer, clicked his beak and tilted his head.
'A fire-type. Ambitious. Fast. Smells like cooked leaves.'
He gave Kōen a short nod, then added:
'Welcome to the squad.'
And under its breath Hayate grumbled,
'Even if you are another funny-looking dog.'
Kōen let out a light snort.
Kei chuckled.
Then turned his gaze back toward the road.
They were heading home.
The Forest of Death was behind them.
But something new had begun.
Kei sat in his room that evening, Kōen curled near his leg.
The system prompt still hovered in his thoughts:
[Evolution Requirement: Red Fire Pepper (100)]
Red Fire Pepper.
Konoha's spiciest vegetable. Nicknamed the King of Heat.
Sold by the bushel in any street market.
'Easiest evolution material yet,' Kei mused.
But the irony wasn't lost on him.
'A month of intense combat, survival, and recruitment... and the next great power-up needs groceries.'
Still, he was grateful that at least this time, the power-up was simple.
And a pattern was emerging.
The first evolution of his beasts had been easy to handle—he'd been able to get them alone: A flower common to Konoha's forest, crow feathers easily accessible near where Shadow was traded from Shisui, and now a common ingredient available all over Konoha.
The second evolution required connections: Hayate needed Wind Cutting Iron, a refined chakra metal. Shadow needed hair from the Nara clan. Although still somewhat simple to get, chakra metal was ridiculously expensive—and not just anyone could pluck hair off a Nara's head.
The third evolution looked like it would require strength: Only Hayate had reached his second evolution, but the next step required tailed-beast chakra from the One-Tail, Shukaku. This wasn't a material available in street stalls or classrooms. Kei was going to have to either discreetly siphon it from Gaara… or go head-to-head.
Definitely not a walk in the park.
Kōen's evolution would grant fire-based power. That much was obvious.
And Kei already had a reason to pursue it.
Wind's essence was flow. Flow came from heat differentials. But in his experiments, Kei had discovered that excess heat destabilized the [Storm Combat Body] and drained chakra too quickly.
'But if I can integrate fire safely… if I can anchor it through Kōen's evolution… I might overcome that weakness.'
Not just overcome it.
Control it.
Adapt it.
Maybe even weaponize it.
He looked at the three scrolls now bound to him. Hayate. Shadow. Kōen.
One for wind. One for stealth and Yin.
And now one for fire.
'A pack,' he thought. 'And a system.'
He reached down and stroked Kōen's fur. It was soft—and warm.
"Tomorrow," Kei said, "we start your evolution."
Kōen opened one eye, yawned—and wagged his tail once.
Challenge accepted.