Chapter 84: Coordinated Combat
The two stared at each other from a distance. After a moment of silence, Danzo suddenly spoke.
"Kael Cross, how about you join my Root? Become my right-hand man. Whatever that Raikage can give you, I, Shimura Danzo, can give you as well. You should know that Konoha is the strongest village in the Shinobi World!"
It wasn't that he was interested in Kael as a person; he was coveting Kael's summons. In his eyes, the Earth Dragon, the Thunder-Wind Eagle, and the Lightning-Dog—any one of them, if used properly, could change the tide of a small-scale battle.
Hearing his offer, Kael raised an eyebrow. He studied Danzo's face and was surprised to see that the man was completely serious.
When he first arrived in this world, Kael had considered joining Konoha. It was the protagonist's village, after all, and undeniably the strongest of the Five Great Nations. But his status as a commoner from the Land of Hot Water had quickly put an end to that dream.
Seeing Kael remain silent, a faint smile touched Danzo's perpetually cold face. As I thought. No one in the Shinobi World can refuse my offer. They all know I am generous to my subordinates.
He spoke again.
"I must admit, I am surprised that the Raikage was willing to give you the Lightning Style Chakra Mode, and even his ultimate technique, the Four-Fingered Spear Hand. The chakra mode is one thing; its principles are no longer a secret. But only the Yotsuki clan can truly master it. The Hell Stab technique, however, is a secret passed down only in the Raikage's lineage..."
His eyes narrowed, and his voice took on a persuasive tone. "I am not a stingy man. If you join Root, the position of Vice-Commander is yours. You will answer to no one in Konoha but me. And if your ninjutsu-wielding summons require training, I can even grant you access to the forbidden jutsus in Konoha's Scroll of Seals."
A flicker of... something... crossed Kael's face. He seemed to be weighing a difficult decision.
Should I let Kun Kun dance? he thought. Judging by his basketball and singing performance, his dancing must be even more... devastating.
To defeat Danzo, Kael knew he had to use his summons' abilities to their fullest. He made his decision.
"Goldie, use Inferiority Glare!"
"Woof! —You got it, boss!"
Goldie raised his head high, his large, amber, lantern-like eyes narrowing as he glared condescendingly at Danzo. An invisible wave of mental energy shot out.
[Inferiority Glare]: Anyone looked at by the Insight Pup will feel inexplicably inferior and be compelled to attack the caster furiously.
It was an absolute, terrifying jutsu that manipulated a person's will.
Danzo, his eyes instantly bloodshot, drew his blade and lunged at Goldie, consumed by an uncontrollable rage. But the next moment, his expression flickered, and his charge slowed.
Damn it! Kael thought. A ninja as powerful as Danzo, with his immense mental energy and unyielding will, has a slight resistance to this kind of spiritual attack!
With no more time to hesitate, Kael barked, "Kun Kun, dance!"
Kun Kun immediately turned its back to the enemy and began its "Iron Mountain Shoulder" performance.
The moment the overalls appeared, all bets were off.
Its head bobbed left and right like a pecking chicken, its feet moving in a baffling, unpredictable "Eight Trigrams" pattern. It flapped its wings in a motion that was both chaotic and... well, just chaotic. It then leaped three meters into the air, spun around, tucked its left wing, extended its right, and landed in a deep crouch. Its body swayed to an invisible rhythm, like a true grandmaster, its wings a blur of "Cloud-Parting Palms." Then, it leaped again, crossing its wings.
And so, the cycle repeated.
Danzo's eyes had been locked on Goldie. But when the chicken next to the dog suddenly started... dancing... he was overcome with a magical, irresistible rage. His faltering charge instantly diverted, and he lunged at Kun Kun, his eyes blazing, wanting nothing more than to annihilate this... this thing that was searing his very soul.
At that exact moment, Goldie's eyes flashed with a seven-colored light. It focused into two impossibly thin, high-temperature beams that shot toward Danzo's chest, aimed to pierce and melt his heart.
But that wasn't all.
Taking advantage of Danzo being taunted, the Earth Dragon fired its gray Petrification Beam, shooting it straight at the distracted Jonin.
The Wind Eagle, not to be outdone, gathered all its remaining lightning chakra and unleashed a devastating pillar of purplish-black lightning.
Any one of these attacks, striking the undefended Danzo, would be a fatal blow.
Kun Kun continued to dance, its taunt effect still active. It seemed inevitable that Danzo, compelled by the jutsu, would continue his suicidal charge into the wall of attacks.
"AAAAAARGH!"
A guttural roar of pure agony ripped from Danzo's throat. His face contorted, as if his soul were being torn in two. He was fighting against himself. Half angel, half demon.
But in that instant, his will to survive consumed all else.
He bit his tongue, hard. The metallic taste of blood shocked his mind back to clarity. Just as Goldie's high-temperature beams were about to pierce his heart, he threw his body to the left by mere centimeters.
The next second, he felt a searing pain as if a burning poker had been shoved through his chest, the heat instantly cauterizing the flesh and nerves around the wound. A new, even more intense wave of agony followed, and a cold sweat beaded on his forehead.
He had no time to check his wound. His face a mask of rage, he flew through hand seals and slammed his palm on the ground. A massive, elephant-like creature, the Baku (Dream-Eater), erupted in front of him.
The Petrification Beam and the lightning pillar slammed into the summon. The two massive attacks struck the Baku, instantly petrifying and charring its hide. It held for less than a second before vanishing in a puff of smoke.
But it was enough. Using that brief interruption, Danzo's body flickered, and he vanished, escaping the kill zone just as the lightning and the petrification beam collided.
"Is he dead?"
Kael's face was tense, his fists clenched. He had seen Danzo's figure swallowed by the two beams of light, but he'd also thought he saw a massive, bizarre, elephant-nosed creature appear for just a split second. He wasn't sure.