Chapter 77: The Summons
Two days later, Hidden Hot Water Village.
"Lord Kael, Lord Leader requests your presence."
When Kael had Little Gray answer the door, a voice drifted in from outside. Kael walked out of his room, crossed the 200-square-meter grassy courtyard, and approached the Hidden Hot Water shinobi.
"Lord Leader is asking for me?" Kael was still getting used to being called "Lord" by a ninja in his thirties.
"Yes, sir!" The ninja maintained a respectful bow, his fist clasVped.
"No need to be so formal, buddy. I call Watanabe Musashi 'buddy' all the time. Just call me Kael," Kael said, clapping him on the shoulder with a smile.
The shinobi's eyelid twitched. He darted a quick glance at Kael's smiling face before lowering his head again. "Yes, Lord Kael."
Kael: "..."
He tried a different approach. "Are you in the ANBU?"
"Yes, sir!"
That explained it. As the saying goes, "a new boss lights three fires." This ninja, having just been assigned to the ANBU, probably didn't want to show any disrespect to his new "Captain" and give Kael an excuse to make an example of him.
A cautious man, was Kael's first impression.
"Alright," Kael nodded. He turned to the Thunder-Wind Eagle, which was dozing in the yard. The bird had been out all night and had only returned at dawn. "Little Wind, let's go!"
It was a bit of a walk to Jade's place, and he was too lazy to go on foot. He hopped onto the eagle's back and motioned for the ANBU ninja to join him.
Despite the natural fear of such a large creature, the ninja merely flinched before leaping onto the eagle's back, showing excellent psychological composure. The Thunder-Wind Eagle then took flight toward Jade's home.
In Jade's courtyard.
"That brat..." Watanabe Musashi smirked as he saw a small black dot appear in the sky. He knew Kael was about to make an entrance.
The black dot enlarged rapidly, diving straight toward them.
"Huh?"
"What is that thing?"
"It must be our new Captain. Did you forget the Wind Eagle from Freyal City?"
"Whoa... it's huge!"
The Hidden Hot Water shinobi in the courtyard stirred nervously but quickly settled down once they understood. Their faces, however, were filled with awe. A Summoning Beast that large... you didn't need to be a genius to know it was powerful. Their respect for their new teenage captain grew.
The Thunder-Wind Eagle began to slow its descent about a hundred meters from the ground, gliding toward the cluster of small black dots below. It turned its massive head, its large cyan eyes looking down its beak at Kael with a hint of indignation.
"Chirp, chirp, chirp! —Boss, who's cooler? Me or that Kun Kun kid?"
Kael patted its head. "Be confident. All he has to do is sing and dance, and he's got you beat. You're just a fake 'Thunder God.' He's a true divine descendant, exuding an irresistible Yin-power with his every move."
"Alright, land already. Stop circling, can't you see you're making them nervous?" Kael said impatiently.
"Chirp, chirp! —There's no landing strip down there!"
Kael's face darkened. "You son of a...! You can't slow down without the runway at home? What, do I need to install wheels on your talons? You lazy bird! Just land outside like last time."
"Oh..."
The ANBU ninja behind Kael had a strange expression on his face. From his perspective, aside from the occasional screech, Kael was just having a conversation with himself...
WHOOSH—
A visible shockwave of dust and wind blasted the assembled shinobi, forcing them to shield their faces as their clothes whipped about. They exchanged stunned glances.
"Is this... is this guy Kael really this strong...?"
In the crowd, Watanabe Toneri's expression was complicated. He had once harbored a defiant wish to surpass Kael through his own hard work, to prove to his father and Lord Jade that he, Toneri, was also a top-tier genius. But just seeing the sheer presence of the Thunder-Wind Eagle as it landed, he knew that had been a fantasy.
He glanced beside him, but Tanabe Kaze was already grinning and waving enthusiastically at Kael, who had just jumped down.
Nearby, Jade's wrinkled face was all smiles. He had worried that Kael was too young and wouldn't be able to command the respect of the older shinobi. He had specifically gathered them here to lend Kael his own authority, but it seemed he'd worried for nothing.
"Lord Leader, Brother Watanabe, hello everyone!" Kael waved cheerfully at the assembled shinobi.
A sudden gust of wind—no, a hand—swiped at his head. He dodged, and a large, calloused hand whistled past his ear.
"What are you—? Ouch...???"
Kael instinctively yelped, then immediately slapped himself in frustration. He looked over and saw Watanabe Musashi, veins popping on his forehead. The sight was so bizarre that Watanabe's anger momentarily vanished.
The other shinobi watched with mixed expressions, but all felt a sense of relief. It seemed their new captain was actually pretty easy-going.
"Show some respect!" Watanabe Musashi snapped, his face still dark.
"Tch... be careful, or I'll have Little Gray steal your underwear tonight," Kael muttered under his breath.
But in a courtyard full of elite shinobi, how could he not be heard?
"Pfft!"
"Bwahahaha!"
"Steal Lord Watanabe's underwear? Tsk tsk, how thrilling..."
Hearing the snickers of his colleagues, Watanabe Musashi's head spun, and he nearly fainted on the spot. Jade had to grab him to keep him upright.
"Alright, alright, Watanabe, calm down. He's just a kid, why are you getting so worked up?"
Watanabe struggled slightly, but Jade's grip was firm. He turned his head, his voice trembling with disbelief. "Big Brother! You're supposed to be comforting me, why are you holding me back?"
"Ahem, cough, cough!" Jade began to cough weakly, a performance so unconvincing it was painful.
Watanabe Musashi: "..."
Kael: (¬‿¬)
Shooting a sly, sidelong glance at Watanabe Musashi, Kael quickly went to Jade's side, supporting his arm. "Lord Leader, are you alright? You mustn't overexert yourself!"
CRACK!
The wooden cane in Jade's hand suddenly split.
The old man took a deep, shuddering breath. He wrapped an arm around Kael's neck, pulling him into a headlock, and whispered warmly in his ear:
"Are you trying to die, you brat?"