The smoke filled the sky, turning the scene into a foggy day. Logan watched the white mist spread around him, and a sense of unease crept over him. The river above the waterfall began to swell, its waters surging past the statues on either side.
Logan frowned and retreated slightly, observing how the river seemed stuffed with something massive, the torrent crashing down until it spilled out on either side into the open air.
Logan moved gracefully, as light as a falling leaf, and stood steadily on the roiling water's surface. Seeing the environment forcefully transformed into a 'triple waterfall', he realized exactly what Naruto had summoned.
'Borrowing Kyubi's chakra, Naruto had summoned a giant Summoned Beast in one go... Judging from the size, it had to be at least on the level of Gamabunta.'
As the smoke finally cleared, Logan indeed saw a nearly twenty-meter-tall toad sprawling across the Valley of the End. The giant figure nearly blocked the river, dressed in a casual kimono, with a short sword strapped to its leg. Gamabunta held a smoking pipe in his mouth, looking down at his cramped position in the riverbed with visible annoyance.
"Who summoned me into such a tight spot? Are you out of your mind?"
Gamabunta, exuding a strong aura of a seasoned street boss, quickly took in his surroundings, "I just had a fight this afternoon, and I'm exhausted. Is it Jiraiya calling me ag..."
Gamabunta's gaze landed on the small figure of Naruto behind him, and his eyes widened, "It's you again, kid!?"
Naruto raised his head and looked at Bunta. He could only rub the back of his head and giggle sheepishly. He was also a little embarrassed for summoning Gamabunta so soon after the last summon.
Gamabunta was furious, pulling out his pipe and snapping, "Kid, what do you think you're doing, huh? Calling me out right after a big fight… Is it because you think we're close after meeting a few times?"
'That sounded oddly familiar...'
Feeling like he'd been struck in the heart by a bullet, and now being rejected by two big shots, Naruto forced a smile and said, "Haha... Boss Toad, I've run into another opponent, so I called you out to help me."
'Couldn't you call anyone else for help? Don't I get any rest?' Gamabunta stared at Naruto for a while but then remembered that among the higher-ranking members of the Toad Clan, Naruto only really knew him. So, he grudgingly held back his temper.
Since they had a contract with Mount Myoboku, the summoned toad had to aid the summoner in battle. Gamabunta, though reluctant, didn't immediately return to Mount Myoboku. He put his pipe back in his mouth, grumbling but not saying much else, and began to assess Naruto's opponent.
Black hair, black eyes, a standard Jonin vest, a youthful face... "There is only one opponent?"
Gamabunta questioned, and Naruto nodded in response. Realizing that Gamabunta hadn't met Logan before, he hesitated for a moment before explaining: "The other party is our teaching assistant in Team 7. He's really strong..."
Doubts flashed in Gamabunta's eyes, "Teaching assistant?"
He then noticed the distinctive slash across the forehead protector on Logan's head. The meaning of that mark became clear to Gamabunta instantly.
"Hattori-sensei suddenly decided to leave the village and join some group called 'Akatsuki'. We're here to stop him, and this is our last chance." Naruto clenched his fist, glancing at the unconscious Sasuke lying nearby.
"I see." Gamabunta sized up the lone figure, whose size was insignificant compared to his own. The word 'Akatsuki' floated through his mind, as he recalled he'd heard it mentioned by Jiraiya before, "To put it bluntly, he is a Missing-nin. Why not just say he's a Missing-nin and you're bringing him back to the village?"
After hearing this, Naruto instinctively wanted to retort but stopped short, tacitly agreeing with Gamabunta's assessment.
"I've long heard of your reputation, the top combat power of the Toad Clan." Logan said, gazing at the massive figure before him. His expression shifted from solemn to calm as he spoke, "Your name is Gamabunta, correct? I'm Raiden Hattori, a former Ninja of Konoha."
Gamabunta puffed out two rings of smoke from his nostrils, white steam swirling like twin tornadoes in the air. As he sized up Logan, he couldn't shake the strange feeling that something about the man was deeply unsettling...
"Naruto, I really didn't expect that I would be able to witness you use Summoning Technique..." Logan's voice carried a peculiar sense of admiration.
Naruto, thinking Logan was intimidated by Gamabunta's grand entrance, confidently replied, "It's good that you recognize his power. If you don't want to get hurt, Hattori-sensei, surrender now!"
"..." Logan said nothing in response.
Gamabunta adjusted the short sword strapped to his leg, his keen senses picking up on the peculiar aura that seemed to linger around the man in front of him, 'What exactly was it?'
Though the opponent seemed suspicious, Gamabunta had fought countless battles over his long life and wasn't one to back down, especially not in front of Naruto. That would be too embarrassing.
So with a sneer, Gamabunta addressed Logan, "You don't need to worry about my name, human, and I'm not interested in yours."
"Oh."
The atmosphere grew tense for a moment, a vein appearing on Gamabunta's forehead as he turned to Naruto, "Whatever the situation is now, whether it's a mission or something else, as long as we beat this guy until he can't fight back, it's fine, right?"
"Uh, yeah, pretty much..."
"Great, let's finish this quickly. I'm ready to go back and sleep." Gamabunta's tone was deliberately taunting, aimed at Logan, who merely chuckled, unfazed.
"Humph." Gamabunta snorted. He was too lazy to say anything else. His oppressive aura increased, and the water beneath his feet suddenly erupted with a powerful force.
'He's coming.' Logan watched Gamabunta's movements carefully. While he appeared composed, it didn't mean he wasn't taking the battle seriously.
Boom!
The accumulated power released like a coiled spring, water droplets scattering into the air. Enhanced by Chakra, the once gentle water turned razor-sharp. Gamabunta became a dark blur, moving with speed unfitting for his massive size, charging straight at Logan.
Gamabunta didn't bother drawing his short sword, feeling it unnecessary. Logan's clothes whipped in the fierce wind as the giant figure leaped into the night sky, water droplets flying around him.
Logan squinted, the sheer speed and power creating a visual impact akin to a small mountain bearing down on him, leaving no room to consider a direct counter. He used Lightning Release to enhance his speed, dodging out of the area before Gamabunta landed.
A thunderous crash followed as the giants clashed, the sheer force creating a monumental spectacle. Gamabunta, seeing Logan evade, braced himself against a statue. His hand scraped against the statue's head, leaving deep, jagged marks as his body slammed into the ground, sending dust and debris flying everywhere.
Gamabunta landed on the ground from above the waterfall, dissipating the three-waterfall phenomenon. The river returned to its normal state as Logan watched Gamabunta crush a large swath of forest, clicking his tongue in acknowledgment.
Challenging a Summoned Beast of such size and power with a human body alone was nearly impossible. Logan observed Gamabunta, who was almost as tall as the statues, turn and fix his cold gaze on him.
At this moment, Logan made up his mind.
Calculating his remaining Chakra, Logan leapt to the opposite statue. Naruto had moved to Gamabunta's side, taking the opportunity to drag Sasuke away from the battlefield. Summoning Gamabunta had nearly drained the Chakra Naruto had borrowed from Kyubi.
"Naruto, I I've seen the results of your training, but you might be mistaken about one thing." Logan suddenly said, forming the hand seals for the Summoning Technique.
"I also have a Summoned Beast."
Though his remaining Chakra could sustain combat for a while, Logan wasn't confident he could take down Gamabunta alone. In this case, he'd match a behemoth against a behemoth.
Moreover, Logan was curious to test the battle prowess of the Divine Bird Clan.
Chakra surged into the summoning mark on the back of his left hand, its glow intensifying, "Summoning Technique!"