After hearing the system's explanation in full, Ito Akira finally understood what he was dealing with.
The system operated on five distinct summoning tiers. By using these tiers, he could summon the dead from the spirit world—calling them forth as his own summoned beings, bound by contract and system authority.
In simple terms, the dead would become his summons.
However, there was a crucial restriction.
For now, the only spirits he could summon were those who had died as shinobi of Konohagakure.
That limitation didn't dampen his excitement in the slightest.
If anything, it made his imagination spiral out of control.
If I could summon Senju Hashirama… or Uchiha Madara…
Just the thought made Akira's entire body tremble with anticipation.
Those two were legends even among legends.
Hashirama, the God of Shinobi.Madara, the ghost that haunted the entire ninja world.
Who wouldn't want to see Susanoo and Wood Release unleashed together? Who wouldn't want to witness overwhelming power capable of leveling entire regions, turning the battlefield into a personal domain?
And more importantly—
If either of them became his summon, wouldn't that mean absolute invincibility?
Forget the Three Great Sage Regions.Forget the Tailed Beasts.
Compared to those two, everything else was secondary.
And the most critical point of all—
They were both dead.And they were both shinobi of Konoha.
That meant they fell squarely within the system's summoning scope.
Akira took a steady breath, forcing himself to calm down before asking the most important question.
"System," he said carefully, "since there are five summoning tiers, that means there must be requirements, right? What do I need to do to summon someone? Are there mandatory system tasks?"
The response came instantly.
[This system does not issue tasks.][The system will not compel the host to complete objectives.]
[The host may convert silver currency into Wealth Points.][Wealth Points may be exchanged for summoning attempts.]
White Rank Summoning — 10,000 Wealth PointsGreen Rank Summoning — 100,000 Wealth PointsBlue Rank Summoning — 1,000,000 Wealth PointsPurple Rank Summoning — 10,000,000 Wealth PointsGold Rank Summoning — 100,000,000 Wealth Points
[Exchange Rate: 1 Silver = 1 Wealth Point]
[Additional Effect: Each successful summon allows the host to randomly inherit one ability from the summoned individual.]
Akira froze.
The excitement that had been surging through him a moment earlier was extinguished instantly—like having a bucket of ice water dumped over his head.
One hundred million.
One hundred million silver.
That was the cost of a Gold Rank Summoning.
He didn't even need to think about it to know the truth.
Even if he sold the entire Ito clan down to the last brick, it wouldn't come close to that amount.
Silver in the ninja world was no joke.
In recorded bounties alone, Sarutobi Asuma—a highly capable elite jōnin—had been worth thirty-five million silver. And that bounty wasn't just for his strength, but also for his identity as the Third Hokage's son.
And even that didn't crack forty million.
There was no rampant inflation here. Silver had real weight.
Which meant that one hundred million silver was an almost absurd amount of money.
But as Akira calmed down and thought more carefully, a different perspective emerged.
"…Wait."
He frowned slightly.
"If killing an elite jōnin is worth thirty-five million… then summoning one only costs ten million?"
That meant Purple Rank Summoning was, comparatively speaking, a bargain.
As for Hokage-level shinobi?
Their value couldn't even be measured in silver.
From that angle, the system wasn't extortionate—it was downright generous.
And money itself wasn't impossible to obtain.
S-rank missions in Konoha paid at least one million silver per completion. More dangerous missions paid far more. And beyond missions, there were other ways.
Jiraiya had become filthy rich selling books.
Akira had no interest in writing.
But robbing?
That was another matter entirely.
This was a world where the strong preyed on the weak. If he targeted the right people—missing-nin, underground financiers, corrupt war profiteers—getting rich wasn't unrealistic at all.
With that thought, the pressure eased.
Then Akira narrowed his eyes.
"System," he said, "this is technically our first real interaction. And because of your error, you were late binding to me by several years."
He paused.
"You were supposed to be a prosperity system. Now that function's gone. Don't you think I deserve some compensation?"
He crossed his arms.
"Other systems have beginner gift packages. Don't tell me you don't."
There was a brief pause.
Then—
[Beginner Gift Package issued.][Congratulations, host.][You have obtained one Gold Rank Summoning.]
Akira's eyes went wide.
"…Seriously?"
His breath hitched.
"You actually gave me one?"
That was the equivalent of one hundred million silver, handed over for free.
And more importantly—it was Gold Rank.
That meant Hokage-level shinobi.
The number of Hokage-tier individuals who had died as Konoha ninja was extremely limited.
Which meant—
The probability of summoning Senju Hashirama or Uchiha Madara was absurdly high.
Akira's heart began pounding violently.
There was no hesitation left in him.
"System," he said firmly, "use the Gold Rank Summoning."
[Host, please conclude the summoning contract.]
"…I still have to perform the summoning ritual?" Akira muttered. "Even after all this?"
Still, he didn't complain.
He recalled Iruka's lecture perfectly.
Hand seals. Chakra flow. Contact with the summoning array.
Akira formed the seals smoothly and slammed his palm against the ground.
"Summoning Technique!"
Golden runes erupted across the surface beneath him, spreading outward in an intricate array. Blinding golden light surged upward, filling the space with overwhelming brilliance.
From the center of the array, a ball of soul flame slowly emerged.
Within the light, a figure began to take shape.
Red armor.
Wild, spiked hair that flared outward like a battle crown.
Akira's pupils shrank.
"…No way."
As the light faded, the presence alone made the surrounding space feel heavier.
There was no mistaking it.
Uchiha Madara stood before him, arms crossed, radiating pressure like a living catastrophe.
Akira's breath caught.
Golden pull. A true legend.
Madara's eyes snapped open.
"Where am I?" he demanded coldly."Was I revived? Reincarnated?""…Did my plan succeed?"
His gaze sharpened.
"That brat Obito—did he finally do it?"
Then he frowned.
"No… this isn't the ninja world."
His eyes shifted downward, noticing the summoning array.
"…And this isn't reincarnation."
His expression darkened.
"A summoning contract? Impossible. I'm still in the world of the dead."
Madara lifted his gaze—and met Akira's eyes.
Silence fell.
Then—
"Boy," Madara said slowly, power coiled in every word, "you'd better explain what's going on."