Summoning Skill Tree

7 nodes, 17 JP. "Contracts with creatures, called through a seal of blood and chakra."

Learning Summons

Each summon node needs (and consumes) its summoning contract item: Hawk (Lv10, Nin 4, 2 JP), Ibuse (Lv25), Manda, Gamabunta, Katsuyu and Elephant/Baku (Lv30, Nin 8, 3 JP each).
The first contract signed awakens Summoning itself and gives you the Summoning release.

Hand signs, then the charge must reach the full 1.0 (about 1.2 s); an under-charged cast fizzles with its chakra refunded and its cooldown cleared.
You can't summon while riding.
The creature appears at your feet in a big smoke puff and you are mounted on it at once. It lasts 180 s, and getting off (sneak) sends it back immediately.
Costs: Hawk 600 chakra (20 s cooldown); Ibuse 1,000; the others 1,200 (30 s).

Health is ten times the creature's listed value; blows are x8, capped at 250. All have 10 armour and full knockback resistance.

Hawk: 300 health, attack 9 (72), a fast flier (ridden flight speed factor 1.7).
Manda: 3,800 health, attack 20 (160).
Gamabunta: 4,000 health, attack 18 (144).
Katsuyu: 4,200 health, attack 10 (80), slow.
Ibuse: 3,600 health, attack 16 (128).
Baku (Elephant): 4,200 health, attack 22 (176). Special: hold right click while riding to inhale: a 22-block, 32-degree cone pulls enemies in, hurts them (more within 4 blocks), swallows enemy jutsu projectiles, and tears soft blocks out (restored after 30 s).

All summons:

Movement keys steer (big creatures turn toward your look); sprint gives x1.35 speed; the jump bar leaps.
The attack key runs a combo: signature blow, signature blow, tail lash (a wide ring), slam (Baku: three blows then the slam).
Landing from more than 3 blocks causes a ground slam.