Sweat poured down his back, he had just walked right into the line of fire.
Yuki Seisui was suddenly at a complete loss for words.
Uchiha Haru noticed his silence and gave a cold snort before turning on her heel to leave.
"I would never be interested in someone like you."
Before Yuki could even react, her next words floated back to him:
"You're not strong enough to chase after me."
"…Amazing!"
Yamanaka Inoichi had appeared beside him out of nowhere, holding a small notebook and scribbling rapidly.
"Seisui, I hereby crown you the Love Master!"
This world has lost its mind.
"So this is what you were aiming for?" said Nara Shikaku, sounding genuinely impressed. He had thought he was operating on a deeper level, only to realize Yuki Seisui had already reached the fifth layer of the game.
"But dealing with the Uchiha… that's going to be tricky."
As a friend, that was the most honest advice he could offer.
Ever since Senju Tobirama, the Second Hokage, infamously branded by the Uchiha as a born bigot, took power, the village's suppression of the Uchiha Clan had never truly stopped.
Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage and Tobirama's student, had inherited that mission of quiet suppression.
But among those targeting the Uchiha, Danzo was by far the most ruthless, he practically wanted to wipe them out.
So yeah, the Uchiha didn't exactly have it easy in Konoha.
Yuki Seisui, being a transmigrator, knew all of this too well.
Still… what had just happened was pure coincidence!
Who would've thought Uchiha Haru would show up behind him out of nowhere, and ask that kind of question?
==========
"The next match: Nara Shikaku vs. Uzumaki Kushina!"
As soon as Yamanaka Yukio's voice rang out, Shikaku, who was right next to Yuki Seisui, lazily raised his hand.
"I forfeit."
Yamanaka Yukio didn't even blink. Clearly, he'd seen this coming. With a faint glance in Shikaku's direction, he moved on like it was nothing new.
"Uzumaki Kushina wins. Next up…"
Kushina, who had been raring for a hot-blooded battle, stood frozen in place, staring at Shikaku like she couldn't believe what she'd just heard.
Someone… actually forfeited?!
"Don't take it personally," said Minato beside her. "Shikaku's like that. He just doesn't get passionate about anything."
Kushina gave Minato a glare, then looked back at Shikaku.
"Hmph! I don't need you to explain!"
And with that, she turned on her heel and walked off, clearly not wanting to be near Minato anymore.
"Tsk tsk tsk… Minato, my man, you've still got a lot to learn."
Inoichi appeared at Minato's side, glasses perched on his face, looking for all the world like some kind of love scholar.
"According to the teachings of the Love Master, the first step to winning a girl over is creating conversation. Then, strike while the iron's hot, find more common ground, and let things develop naturally."
"Compared to him, you've got a long way to go."
"…Then what should I do?" Minato scratched his head, genuinely seeking advice.
"Come, let me show you."
The two of them huddled together conspiratorially, poring over Yuki Seisui's romantic wisdom like students studying a holy text.
==========
When Yuki Seisui got home, it was only a little after 4 p.m.
Not because Ninja Academy had let out early, but because he'd skipped class again, out of sheer habit.
He'd already finished his match; there was no point watching the rookies duke it out. Better to go home and enjoy the thrilling excitement of a ten-roll summon!
It had been a month since the last draw.
Today was a perfect day for a ten-roll.
Opening the summon interface with practiced ease, Yuki Seisui rubbed his hands together in anticipation. But just as he was about to begin, he hesitated. Something felt… off.
He rushed off to wash his hands, wrote down two prayer charms, and even lit incense.
"Oh great Lord Kizaru, noble Lord Fujitora, please bless me with your presence in this draw!"
He looked at the picture of pious devotion.
"If I pull either of you, I'll build golden statues in your honor!"
Only after this solemn ritual did Yuki Seisui begin his ten-roll summon.
[Eternal Mangekyo Sasuke (Fragment) x1, Swimsuit Chiyo (Fragment) x1, Uzumaki Naruto (Academy Student), Summoning Scroll x1, Naruto (Nine-Tails Chakra Mode) Fragment x1, Rainbow Stone x5]
[Duplicate: Uzumaki Naruto (Academy Student) converted into Fragment x5]
Five shimmering Rainbow Stones and a massive scroll materialized before him.
It was a Summoning Scroll. All he had to do was write his name in blood, and he would forge a bond with a summon beast.
Without hesitation, Yuki Seisui signed his name.
Immediately, he felt a pull from somewhere distant. Before he could even process what was happening, he was transported to a vast bamboo forest.
"Rawrr~!"
He looked down to see a panda cub clinging to his pants leg, growling proudly like a general fresh from victory, though its chubby body made it look ridiculously adorable.
"A panda?"
He knew there were pandas in the Naruto world, but he never imagined he'd be meeting one now.
The scroll had summoned a panda?! This was practically a national treasure in his previous life!
He picked up the little panda and leapt to the top of the bamboo grove. It was huge, he couldn't even see the end of it.
As he surveyed the forest, a four-meter-tall panda appeared below, walking upright.
"You must be the new contractor?"
"If you mean the one with the summoning scroll, then yes."
Yuki jumped down and looked up at the giant panda.
"Then you're the one."
The big panda scratched its head sheepishly.
But then it noticed the cub in Yuki's arms.
"Kuma? What are you doing here?"
It sighed, arms akimbo. "Whatever, not like you'll get lost."
Though the bamboo forest was enormous, it was a haven for the Panda Clan, no threats, only pandas.
The giant panda gave Yuki a warm look. "Our elder has been waiting for you. Come with me."
Yuki hesitated briefly, set the cub down, and followed.
The deeper they went, the more pandas they passed, many even larger than the four-meter-tall guide.
Some were ten meters tall.
And off in the distance, he could see even larger ones, though they ignored him completely.
Some pandas played around. Others chewed bamboo or napped.
It was an idyllic, lazy paradise.
Yuki muttered, "If Shikaku were here, he'd fall in love with this place."
The Panda Clan really matched Shikaku's entire vibe.
Eat, sleep, chill, that's the dream life for that guy.
Eventually, they reached a cliffside, where an enormous elderly panda, at least thirty meters tall, sat leaning against the rocks.
Surrounded by other pandas twenty meters tall, they all wore oversized shorts for some reason.
"At last, you're here!" the elder panda opened its eyes with excitement. "The Panda Clan finally has a contractor again!"
"Wait... again? So there were none before me?"
"Great question!" the elder panda laughed heartily.
"Nope. You're the first."
"But I've seen people summon pandas outside…"
"Those are mindless beasts," the elder waved a paw dismissively. "Our clan has lived here for generations. The ones out there are inferior."
"They're nothing compared to our strength."
He stood tall and declared: "From now on, you may call me Panda Sage!"
Yuki's eyes lit up, Panda Sage?!
In this world, only those with sage arts earned such titles. Like the Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku, the Snake Sage of Ryuchi Cave, or the Slug Sage of Shikkotsu Forest.
"Then, Panda Sage… do you know sage techniques?"
The panda paused. "What are sage techniques?"
"I don't. I just know the other clan leaders call themselves sages, so I did too."
So this old guy's a fake sage?!
The Panda Sage clearly read his thoughts and added, "I may not know sage arts, but our clan is very strong."
He called out, "Someone give our contractor a demo!"
A massive panda stepped forward, shorts and all, chewing on a bamboo twig.
Yuki couldn't shake the feeling he'd seen this one before.
"Name's Panda Wu. Watch closely, this is my signature move!"
"Elbow Smash!"
With a roar, Panda Wu shot forward like a bullet, slamming into a cliff face.
BOOM!
The ground shook. A massive crater appeared in the stone wall.
"Damn…" Yuki gasped.
"Hahaha! Impressive, right? This is the might of our clan!" the Panda Sage laughed proudly.
"Panda Wu is one of our best."
"Can I summon him, then?"
Yuki looked over at Panda Wu with newfound respect.
"Of course. You can even summon me," the Sage declared.
"Just don't summon any cubs into battle. Summon anyone else as you like."
"But with your current chakra, you can only summon someone like Panda Ming," added the panda who guided him here.
Yuki glanced at the towering pandas around him, then back at his own chakra reserves… and fell into deep self-doubt.
He actually had above-average chakra for his age, comparable to a Special Jonin.
Chakra came from spiritual and physical energy. While his spirit was strong, his body was still that of a six-year-old.
He sighed and turned to Panda Ming. "In that case… I'll be counting on you."
Panda Ming nodded earnestly. Still looking adorably dopey.
"We'll be in your care, Seisui-dono."
"Grow up fast, kid," added the Panda Sage. "I wanna see the outside world again!"
"I've been stuck in this dump for what, a hundred years? Two? I need to get out before I lose my mind!"
He grabbed a long bamboo stalk and stripped it clean, wielding it like a stick, looking like some washed-up gang boss.
With all the shorts-wearing pandas sitting around, some chewing bamboo like cigars, the place really did feel like a panda mafia gathering.
"Alright, go train and get stronger," the Sage waved him off.
As Yuki walked away, the Sage shouted after him, "If you ever run into danger, just come back here to hide! Don't go dying out there!"
Yuki rolled his eyes. I get that you want out, but could you be any more obvious?
He had no desire to linger. With a hand seal, he activated the Summoning Jutsu and returned to his room.
This ten-roll summon had been a huge success.
Forget the character fragments, the panda summoning scroll alone made it worth it.
And getting a duplicate character had given him extra chakra.
All in all, a massive win.
Yuki was already imagining the next time Minato caught up to him, he'd hit him with a summoning, a shadow clone, plus himself… total overkill.
Though his talent didn't match Minato's, the moment the summon period ended, Minato's talent and relentless training always let him catch up fast.
It constantly left Yuki feeling like Minato's the one with the cheat code.
Before they had chakra, they were evenly matched.
But once chakra entered the picture, Minato just took off.
"Training?"
A familiar voice called from outside his window, Uchiha Haru.
Yuki turned to see her standing there.
"You couldn't have knocked?" he sighed, opening the window to let her in.
"Is that a summoning scroll?" she asked, clearly surprised.
Yuki didn't try to hide it. It wasn't something he could conceal for long if he ever used a summon.
"Wait, you skipped class too?" Yuki suddenly realized it was still school hours.
Haru froze for a moment, then replied casually, "I came to train with you."
After thinking about it, she added, "That's the most efficient option."
Yuki nearly laughed. Classic tsundere, prickly on the outside, soft on the inside.
"With Miss Haru inviting me personally, how could I possibly refuse?"
Haru turned away, hiding her smile as she looked around his room.
"I'll give you a chance to pursue me," she said with a smirk.
==========
A/N: Yep, pandas do exist in Naruto canon! Pain actually summons one during his fight with Jiraiya. In my fanfic, I decided these chakra-infused fluff tanks deserve way more screen time, because why should toads and snakes have all the fun?