After many years, the ancient medium once again connected to this space. Chakra stirred the wind, rolling and dispersing the white mist like an ocean of clouds.
Naruto and Gamabunta were utterly stunned by the grand spectacle of the summoning before them. The night was ending, and dawn had just begun. A powerful vitality undeniably filled the air as a beam of fiery red light pierced through the mist, resembling the first light of dawn.
The dawn's light grew more intense, glowing a brilliant deep red, melting away the white fog. The summoned beast, towering even higher than Gamabunta, revealed itself. Naruto's jaw dropped, seeing this radiance was merely an unintentional emission from the creature. His pupils filled with the brilliance of a blazing sun as he asked Gamabunta beside him in a daze.
"Boss Toad... what, what kind of Summoned Beast is that?"
"..."
Gamabunta didn't respond immediately. He snapped out of his shock, hand reaching for the short sword at his leg. The casual attitude he initially held vanished entirely as he fixated on the unfamiliar Divine Bird, a sense of unease tightening around him.
'That posture, wreathed in flames, resembled a bird… but I'd never heard of anything like it.'
Whoosh!
The creature flapped its wings, sparks trailing through the air in a stream carried by the wind. Gamabunta watched as the beautiful flames neared his pipe, the sudden surge of heat confirming his suspicions, 'So that's how it is.'
Gamabunta glanced at Logan's left hand, 'That's the source of the unsettling aura. A bird made of flames... this one's got some serious background.'
Meanwhile, at the Valley of the End, Logan found himself in a bit of a predicament as he looked down at the Divine Bird he had summoned. He had intended to call forth the more approachable Kotonami, but as luck would have it, the one who answered was the egocentric Akiyama.
Facing a threat from the enemy, having such a commanding presence in the sky to shift the balance of the battlefield was undoubtedly impressive. Logan gazed at Gamabunta, now positioned below. But, this is all there is to it...
He stomped his foot and cleared his throat, calling down, "Why is it you?"
The bird, with deep crimson wings and an imposing presence reminiscent of facing a living flame, gracefully stretched his body.
"I remember it was Kotonami I tried to call."
The mere presence of the Divine Bird brightened the surroundings, dispelling the darkness, "Why can't it be me?"
The crimson glow retracted as Akiyama curiously surveyed the scene, speaking with disinterest, "Kotonami sensed your summoning, but I decided to come and take a look first. I didn't let her come."
'Wait, what?'
'So, you basically shoved her aside and took the spot for yourself?' Logan's eyelid twitched, 'This guy clearly had issues, and trusting him in battle was highly questionable.'
"So, what do you need from us, the Divine Bird Clan?" Akiyama didn't seem to find anything odd or inappropriate. He had seen enough of the scenery, and nothing in this world seemed all that impressive.
Logan decided not to delve into the Summoned Beast's code of conduct with Akiyama. After all, he had already exhausted his chakra just to bring the bird out. If Akiyama decided to return to the Paulownia Forest in a fit of displeasure, it would be game over for him.
"Look, over there. There's a big toad." Logan pointed ahead, thinking over his words carefully, "His size poses a significant challenge for me. He's also a Summoned Beast... all you need to do is send it back home."
It was impossible for Akiyama to have missed the enormous Gamabunta, yet he only gave it a brief glance, focusing more on Naruto.
"A big toad." Akiyama's face took on a remarkably human-like expression that seemed to sting Gamabunta's pride. He pretentiously preened his feathers, scattering dreamy, soft red sparkles, and let out a sarcastic, "Haha."
Akiyama's laugh was devoid of any humor, sounding more like he was just flatly uttering the two syllables. He looked at Gamabunta's less-than-impressive appearance and ran his feathers through again. It's not intentional, as this was a natural, complete defeat, a genuine mockery.
'Whoa, whoa, isn't that expression a bit too obvious?' Logan looked blankly, suddenly feeling a cold sweat.
Sure enough, Gamabunta could hear the commotion here. He didn't pay attention at first, but after a while, he soon realized, 'Was this a jab at my looks?!'
'Summoned Beasts should prove themselves with strength!'
A large tic mark popped up on Gamabunta's forehead. He couldn't tolerate this insult to his appearance. He glanced at Naruto, who was supporting an unconscious Sasuke nearby, and unsheathed his short sword.
"Boss Toad, Hattori-sensei also has a Summoned Beast, and it looks very strong. What should we do? Can you handle it?" Naruto asked anxiously.
Gamabunta's voice was calm but impatient, "You think he's strong without even fighting him? Don't be ridiculous, kid. Step back. I'm gonna pluck this red bird's feathers."
Without waiting for Naruto to further inflate the opponent's morale, Gamabunta suddenly charged forward.
"You red bird with a skin disease, what's so funny?!"
'Skin disease?' The corner of Logan's mouth twitched at this, 'Gamabunta was actually so mad that he was just spewing nonsense.'
After Akiyama heard this, the point of contact between his claws and the statue began to smoke and sizzle, "Hehehe..."
Faced with Gamabunta's powerful and heavy sword, Akiyama effortlessly floated off the statue, landing several dozen meters away. Dangerous glints flickered in his eyes.
"Ugly toad, do you really not know why I'm laughing?" It was the first time Akiyama's deep red wings were insulted as a skin disease. He was equally furious, though his response was cold and merciless, "What ignorance. Looks like you're not only pitifully ugly, but your eyes are defective too."
"..."
Logan felt uneasy as he listened. He didn't expect that first encounter between these two top-tier Summoned Beasts had turned into a hostile confrontation.
Gamabunta's strike hit nothing, the sharp whistle from slicing through the air even cracked the surface of the statue. His massive body crashed to the ground with a thundering noise, "Quit running around and let me show you what it feels like to be sliced open!"
Akiyama huffed coldly, tempted to confront Gamabunta head-on, but mindful of Logan, he growled at the person perched on his back, "Raiden Hattori, when did I allow you to stand on me? You're out of Chakra, aren't you? What use are you now? Get down and don't get in the way!"
With a sigh, Logan said nothing, unwilling to embrace the negativity of the situation, and quietly jumped off.
Once Logan had stepped aside, Akiyama's entire body flared up, flames clinging to his form, and his fiery aura caused the surrounding trees, towering over ten meters, to bend in unison. Half-immersed in flames, Akiyama coldly fixed his gaze on Gamabunta before him.
"Come on, ugly toad."
Gamabunta puffed up his cheeks and spat out a massive water bullet.
"Let's cool down those flames of yours!"
The enormous water bullet streaked across the sky with astonishing speed and force. However, Akiyama didn't even bother dodging. His fiery red wings flapped sharply, whipping up a fierce wind. The intense heat rapidly expanded, reaching a critical point where the wind transformed into surging fire waves, lighting up the pre-dawn sky.
The two attacks collided with a thunderous roar, their combined force spreading out in a ring-shaped shockwave.
Logan, hiding behind a giant tree, could still feel the immense destructive power dissipating. Grass clippings and pebbles were sucked sideways as if caught in a reverse flow.
Bang!
A half-split tree trunk as thick as a bowl crashed into the tree Logan was hiding behind, and the impact nearly sent him flying.
"Damn, are those two idiots?"