Ninja battles are complex. Factors such as raw strength, terrain, information, morale, and physical condition—all can sway the outcome.
Just like these Konoha ninjas, who had regained their fighting spirit thanks to Kazuya's courage. Their fighting power surged, forcing the Root ninjas into a struggle.
Of course, there was another crucial factor: the Uchiha brothers, both now the heroes of battle.
Itachi's abilities had advanced dramatically; in Kirigakure, he had awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
Now, he was nearly Jonin-level.
An eight-year-old Jonin!
Such talent surpassed even the original storyline.
Amidst the chaos, Itachi could already hold his ground against a Root Jonin! His prodigious skill indeed lived up to his creator's intentions.
Meanwhile, Kazuya shifted from defense to offense, charging directly at Danzo Shimura and his bodyguards.
Danzo was proving himself the coward. Despite all his talk of sacrifice, he always meant other people's lives.
When it came down to himself, though, he was anything but bold.
Even in the chaos of battle, he still had a few elite Jonins acting as his bodyguards. That alone showed his level of cowardice.
Whoosh!
In a flash of white light, Kazuya crossed more than a hundred meters, appearing right in front of Danzo.
"What!?"
Danzo's face twisted in alarm.
Was it his imagination?
How could this Kazuya suddenly be so fast!?
Smack!
Clapping his hands together, Kazuya unleashed, "Fire Style: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
Suddenly, bursts of fire, like blooming phoenixes, shot toward Danzo.
"Wait… Is that a jutsu without hand signs?"
"No way! Can Kazuya use jutsu without hand signs?"
"That's impossible!"
The Root ninjas around Danzo were stunned.
What on earth…?
A Fire Style jutsu with a clap of his hands, no hand signs—how could he manage that!?
Too fast!
The Root ninja didn't even have time to counterattack with Water Style before they were blasted away. Some who reacted quickly managed to escape with a substitution jutsu.
And at that moment, Kazuya closed in!
"Rasengan!"
With chakra flowing through his hand, a swirling blue sphere appeared in his right palm.
In an instant, he sprang into the air, aiming directly for Danzo.
"Damn it!"
"Jiraiya, you fool! You even taught him the Rasengan!"
Danzo's gaze hardened.
It seemed Kazuya's connection with Jiraiya ran deeper than anticipated!
Truly a troublesome opponent.
In retrospect, he should have eliminated him years ago!
Thinking quickly, Danzo grabbed a Root ninja who had been blasted away by the Phoenix Sage Fire, yanking him in front of himself as a shield.
Boom!
The Rasengan collided with the unfortunate Root ninja, unleashing an explosion of raw power.
Bang!
With a loud crash, the unlucky ninja was flung backward by the force of the Rasengan, his body smashing against a tree, his chest caved in—his life nearly extinguished.
Huh!
Behind his mask, Kazuya's eyes widened slightly.
Impressive.
Danzo Shimura, a seasoned warrior of two Shinobi World Wars, had mastered the art of ruthless survival.
Faced with the Rasengan, he hadn't hesitated to sacrifice a subordinate to absorb the hit. Truly a ruthless pragmatist.
Not just anyone could pull off a move like that!
In the meantime, Danzo used the opportunity of his comrade's death to retreat, putting distance between himself and Kazuya. He began forming hand signs, shouting, "Summoning Jutsu!"
Boom!
Suddenly, a burst of white smoke exploded in front of Danzo.
When it cleared, a massive creature with an elephant-like appearance—his summoned Baku, the Dream-Eater—towered amidst the forest.
The enormous beast crushed the surrounding trees as it appeared, its weight sending tremors across the battlefield.
[You picked up 1000 Chakra points]
[You picked up 500 Chakra points]
[You picked up 500 Chakra points]
[You picked up Summoning Technique: Dream Eater Beast, Baku]
[This summoning technique is exclusive, non-upgradable, and each use summons only the specific Dream Eater Beast.]
...
Golden lights continuously flew toward Kazuya.
A summoning technique!
The Dream Eater Beast, Baku!
This was Kazuya's first time picking up a summoning technique.
Previously, when Jiraiya and Orochimaru fought, they had held back significantly, not even summoning any creatures!
But this time, Danzo's move didn't disappoint!
The Dream Eater Beast, Baku, was even larger than Kazuya had anticipated. Its attack method involved creating a whirlwind that devoured everything into its massive jaws.
It was said to be able to swallow nightmares themselves!
In the original storyline, even Sasuke with his Susanoo had a hard time dealing with this Baku.
One could say this summon was potentially even more powerful than Hiruzen Sarutobi's Enma, the Monkey King.
After all, size did matter in the Naruto world.
In the early days, the three Legendary Sannins of Konoha were strong primarily because each had a giant summoning beast at their command.
During the Konoha Crush, Orochimaru's massive snakes, measuring dozens of meters, left even Konoha's Jounin struggling.
Later, during the invasion led by the Animal Path of Pain, the summoned beasts wreaked havoc on Konoha.
By the time of the Fourth Great Ninja War, even Chōji Akimichi and his father, Chōza, were taking on the monstrous Gedo Statue.
That's the sheer power of immense size!
So, when the enormous Baku appeared, countless shinobi couldn't help but show fear in their eyes.
"What is that…"
"It's terrifying!"
"That's Baku, Danzo-sama's summoning beast!"
"Run! If you get sucked in, it's all over!"
Some elite shinobi from the Root organization reacted quickly.
As soon as they saw the Baku, they broke off from combat, retreating to escape its path.
In an instant, what had been a brutal battleground transformed as the terror of this enormous beast ended the fighting.
Damn it!
Kazuya was frustrated.
The hardworking ninja had all been fiercely engaged, fighting with all their strength, grinding away in hopes of some easy experience gains, but Danzo had to go and shake things up again, didn't he?
"Baku!"
"Destroy them all!"
Standing beside the Baku, Danzo's voice was chilling.
With the Dream Eater Beast, Baku, on his side, victory was inevitable!
In the next instant, the massive Baku opened its enormous mouth.
"ROARRRRR!"
With a deafening roar, a ferocious gust erupted.
At that moment…
Forget the shinobi—even the trees and massive rocks in the dense forest were lifted by the wind, all hurtling toward the Baku's gaping maw.
"No, no!"
"It's over!"
"This is terrifying!"
"Help me!"
Shinobi who hadn't managed to escape were swept up, blown off their feet, and hurled toward the Baku.
They were devoured!
Their flesh and blood turned into nourishment!
This terrifying spectacle made every Konoha shinobi pale with fear, their faces as white as sheets.
"This is bad!"
Even Shisui Uchiha showed a look of horror, pulling out a chain from his shinobi pouch and throwing it around a nearby rock.
Then…
He clutched Itachi Uchiha tightly, both of them struggling in mid-air.
Danzo Shimura!
As a high-ranking member of the village, he certainly wasn't an easy foe!
Clang! Clang!
The winds rattled the chain, threatening to snap at any moment.
"This won't work!"
"We have to take down that Baku somehow!"
Red light glinted fiercely in Shisui's eyes.
Just as he prepared to let go, ready to go all out…
A sharp buzzing noise suddenly filled the air nearby.
Even amid the raging winds, that high-pitched buzzing was unmistakably clear.
In the next moment…
Shisui's gaze shifted toward the direction of the sound.
...