Starting with rogue ninjas, building the insect kingdom.

Chapter 97 Forming a Spiritual Contract with Chongming

Aburame Shicheng raised his head again, a smile on his face: "Because I live with insects. Countless insects coexist with me in my body."

"I see." Seven-Tails let out a crisp laugh. "Interesting. You are the second... no, the third human to understand me."

A flinched and asked, "Those who sealed you away, did they never call you by your name?"

"No." Seven-Tails' voice carried a hint of grievance. "They call me Seven-Tails, monster, calamity. No one has ever asked me what my name is."

Aburame Shisei said, "How could they do this? You're clearly very easy to communicate with."

Upon hearing this, her tone became more lively.

"Do you know what? I was sealed away for decades, and no one spoke to me for decades. Those humans were all fierce and menacing, locking me in a dark place, with no one to keep me company. I was so bored I almost wore out my wings counting them!"

Aburame Shisei: "..."

This tailed beast talks a lot.

"Oh, right, who's that little girl next to you?" The Seven-Tails' attention shifted to Shirai Uzumaki. "Red hair... she looks like she's from the Uzumaki clan? Are you going to turn her into a Jinchūriki?"

Aburame Shisei did not deny it: "If you're willing."

"Of course I'd!" Nanami answered quickly. "Being sealed inside a human body or in a broken jar is the same to me. But—"

She paused, then her tone became somewhat expectant.

"Could you let me out for some fresh air once in a while? Just once! Like when the weather's nice, let me fly around and see the world. I promise I won't run away or hurt anyone!"

Aburame Shisei looked into those golden compound eyes, which shone with a pure longing. It was the yearning for freedom from a life trapped for decades.

He suddenly thought of the insects trapped in petri dishes. Did they also yearn for something? Did they also long for the day they could fly away in the darkness?

"No need," he said.

Nanami was taken aback: "No need? What do you mean?"

"I don't need to seal you inside a Jinchūriki's body," Shisei Aburame said slowly. "I have other methods."

Just then, a faint buzzing sound came from behind.

Aburame Shicheng turned around and saw dragonfly larvae hatching in the culture tank. One, two, ten, a hundred—emerald green wings unfolded from the culture solution, and their wet bodies trembled slightly in the air.

They struggled to crawl out of the petri dish and crawled towards Yu Nu Zhicheng.

No, not towards him, but towards the Seven-Tails!

The newly hatched dragonfly larvae crawled towards Qiwei with their feeble strength, emitting soft chirps.

"Mommy...Mommy..."

Aburame Shisei was stunned.

Nanami was also stunned.

She looked down at the little things, her huge compound eyes filled with confusion.

"Are they...are they calling me?"

Yu Nu Zhicheng nodded.

"They were nurtured with your chakra; to you, they truly are your children."

Nanami remained silent for a long time, and for the first time, her voice trembled slightly.

"I...I have a child?"

The dragonfly larvae had crawled to her side, gently touching her carapace with their tiny mouthparts. Seven-tailed Qi remained motionless, as if afraid of hurting them.

"They're so small," she murmured. "So fragile..."

Aburame Shisei walked to her side, and Nanao Shigeaki raised his head, his huge compound eyes looking at him.

"I think……"

The Seven-Tails' voice sounded somewhat uncertain.

"I want to protect them."

Aburame Shisei sat down in front of Nanao.

"I have an idea."

"What are your thoughts?"

"Establish a sacred sanctuary," he said slowly, "with you at its core and these dragonflies as its members. You are the progenitor of this sanctuary, their spiritual faith."

"A sacred site for spiritual communication? Like Mount Myōboku or Shikkotsu Forest?"

"right."

"But after that, will I be summoned by you humans and become your summoned beast?"

Aburame Shicheng smiled: "Not a summoned beast, but a partner. Humans and the Zerg choose each other and achieve mutual success. You don't need to be sealed or imprisoned. You can live here with your children. You will only be summoned through a contract when humans truly need you."

Nanami fell silent again. She looked down at the dragonfly larvae surrounding her, then at Shisei Aburame. It seemed that for the first time, she was truly using her mind and beginning to think.

She used to feel like a happy little bug, but now she feels she has to think about the future—the future of the children.

"You're not going to take advantage of me?"

"Not to be used."

"Not imprison me?"

"No imprisonment."

"Is it really okay for me to be with the children?"

"real."

Seven-tailed Fox stared at him for a long time, and then she suddenly brought her huge head close to his face.

"Then you can carve it."

Aburame Shisei was stunned for a moment. Before he could recover, Nanao Shigeaki urged, "Didn't you say you wanted to form a contract with me? Hurry up, hurry up, before I change my mind!"

Aburame Shisei stared at the enormous head so close to her, raised her hand, bit her fingertip, and began forming hand seals. The final black pattern of the summoning spell rapidly spread above her head.

A golden light shone, enveloping the two of them, and the spirit contract was officially established.

The moment the contract was completed, Aburame Shisei suddenly felt a strange connection—a resonance with the cheat system.

With a thought, the Seven-Tailed Fox vanished from its spot. The next second, Chongming appeared in the space of his cheat ability.

It was a chaotic space, boundless and filled with a faint golden light. In the center of the space was a pool of golden water—the primordial energy accumulated by Aburame Shisei over three thousand years.

Aburame Shisei thought she would enter the grid, but unexpectedly, he was judged to have entered the core of energy.

Seven-tailed Fox stood by the pool, its huge compound eyes wide open.

"What is this?"

She could smell the aura of that energy—high-level, pure, and brimming with boundless life force. Just smelling it made her feel completely comfortable.

"It smells so good..." she murmured, "I really want to eat it..."

She lowered her head and tried to drink the pool water.

But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't drink it. The pool water seemed to be separated by an invisible barrier; she could see it, but couldn't touch it.

"Why can't I get a drink!"

Seven-Tails cried out, "Let me have a sip! Just one sip!"

Aburame Shisei's consciousness appeared in the space, and he found her impatient appearance somewhat amusing.

"Would you like a drink?"

"think!"

Seven-Tails nodded frantically: "I'm going crazy!"

Aburame Shisei thought for a moment. The primordial energy from over three thousand years ago would indeed require a long time to accumulate. But the Seven-Tails had already formed a contract with him and was considered one of his own, so letting her drink a little wouldn't hurt, especially since war was imminent.