After missing twice in a row, Natsume's temper ignited.
She twisted midair and snapped a kick toward his head.
This time, Kagetsu didn't dodge.
He casually caught her ankle with one hand.
"Let go of me!" Natsume snarled, immediately swinging her other leg upward toward his chin,
Only for that ankle to be caught as well.
Now both of her legs were locked in his grip, and she hung upside down in the air, completely immobilized.
Humiliated and furious, she gathered demonic power into her palms. A blazing red flame roared to life between her fingers as she prepared to blast him at point-blank range.
But before the fire could touch him,
Kagetsu swung his arms.
Like a meteor hammer, he hurled her away.
Bang!
Natsume flipped nimbly in midair and landed more than ten meters away, boots skidding across the ground. She glared at him, her expression finally turning serious.
"…Not bad. You've got some skill."
She crossed her arms over her chest.
Scarlet flames erupted around her body, spiraling upward like living serpents. The air shimmered with heat as her aura surged violently.
"Fine," she declared arrogantly. "Now I'm getting serious. You'd better start begging."
"Fire techniques, huh?" Kagetsu rubbed his chin lazily. "I'm not exactly known for Water Release… but I think it'll do."
"Stop looking down on me! Take this,Fireball!"
She thrust her hands forward.
Several basketball-sized fireballs shot toward him, streaking through the air like blazing meteors.
"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
His hands formed seals in a blur.
He exhaled sharply,
A torrent of water surged forth, rising instantly into a towering, spherical barrier around him.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The fireballs slammed into the water wall and exploded into clouds of steam. Thick white mist swallowed the battlefield, obscuring both figures.
"Tch. I hate water."
Natsume clicked her tongue as the flames hissed uselessly against the barrier.
When the water wall collapsed, the remaining current rushed toward her feet.
Like a cat startled by a bath, she leapt onto a nearby tree trunk and clung to it, avoiding the flow with clear disgust.
"Oh?" Kagetsu smirked. "So you're afraid of water."
His hands moved again.
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
The remaining water that had been dissipating suddenly surged upward. It condensed into a massive, roaring torrent nearly ten meters tall.
With a deafening crash, it barreled toward Natsume like a charging beast.
"You've got to be kidding me?!"
Her eyes widened.
Before she could escape, the wave swallowed her whole.
Trees splintered. Rocks shattered. The torrent carved through the forest with unstoppable force.
Fortunately, the Dōri Oni who had followed her had already scattered in terror. Otherwise, they would have been swept away entirely.
Kagetsu had no intention of killing her.
He had deliberately limited his chakra output, and without a nearby water source to sustain it, the technique quickly weakened.
The torrent receded, leaving behind only a wide, shallow pool.
Kagetsu stepped lightly onto the water's surface, walking across it as if on solid ground. He bent down and lifted the red-haired yōkai floating face-up in the puddle.
Natsume was drenched from head to toe.
Her short crimson hair clung to her cheeks. Her fiery arrogance had been washed clean away, replaced by a dazed, soggy expression.
She looked exactly like a kitten fished out of a river.
Adorably pitiful.
"Hey," he said, giving her a light shake. "Are you still alive?"
"Cough,!"
She sputtered, spitting out water, then glared at him weakly.
"You bastard… You're humiliating me on purpose, aren't you?"
She clenched her fists.
"Do whatever you want. Kill me if you dare. My Big Sister Leader will avenge me!"
"Relax. I'm not going to kill you."
He set her gently on the now-damp ground, his tone turning serious.
"But I do have a condition."
She stared at him warily.
"Sign a Summoning Contract with me. Become my summoning beast."
"…What?"
Natsume blinked, stunned.
She didn't fully understand what that entailed,but the word "contract" alone made her bristle.
"No! Absolutely not!" she snapped. "I am a warrior of the Leopard Cat Clan! I will never submit to a human!"
"I figured you'd say that."
Kagetsu sighed lightly.
He pulled out a scroll from his Kamui space and spread it across the ground. Pressing his palm onto it, he infused chakra.
Poof!
A puff of white smoke cleared,
And a massive, nearly one-meter-long sea fish appeared on the grass, still twitching faintly, carrying a fresh salty scent.
He pointed at it.
"Putting the contract aside for a moment… How about some fish? Freshly caught from the seaside."
Natsume froze.
Her eyes locked onto the fish.
Her tongue darted out unconsciously, licking the corner of her mouth.
Her head nodded before she realized it.
Then she jerked away, face flushing red.
"You jerk! Do you think I'm some cheap cat you can bribe with a single fish?! I'm telling you,it's impossible!"
,
Half an hour later.
A campfire crackled in the forest clearing.
Over a dozen golden-brown sea fish were skewered around the flames. Fat dripped and sizzled. The rich aroma filled the air.
Natsume sat cross-legged by the fire, holding a perfectly roasted fish,crispy on the outside, tender within.
She devoured it without restraint, oil glistening at the corners of her mouth.
"Delicious!"
Any trace of her previous pride had vanished.
She spat out a bone and turned to Kagetsu, eyes sparkling.
"I want another!"
He chuckled and handed her a freshly roasted fish.
Watching her take an eager bite and squint happily in satisfaction, he couldn't help but smile.
The preparation had clearly paid off.
Earlier that day, he had deliberately gone to the seaside, caught dozens of fresh fish, and sealed them into a scroll for preservation.
He had anticipated this.
When Kōzō mentioned a cat yōkai searching for the Shikon Jewel, Kagetsu had immediately suspected the Leopard Cat Clan.
And sure enough,it was Natsume, one of their Four Kings.
The Leopard Cat Clan had once warred against the forces of the Great Dog Demon, Inu no Taishō. After their defeat, they were driven from the Western Lands.
Now, sensing the power of the Shikon Jewel, they were clearly plotting a return,likely intending to resurrect the Leopard Cat Lord, just as in the original tale of Inuyasha.
Kagetsu's plan to recruit Natsume had never been spontaneous.
His previous summons had been the Ninja Cats who worked closely with the Uchiha Clan. He understood feline temperament better than most shinobi.
Unfortunately, after being reincarnated through Edo Tensei, his former summoning contract had become invalid.
He needed a new partner.
And the Leopard Cat Clan… was perfect.
For this carefully planned "subjugation," he hadn't prepared only fish.
In his Kamui space were also catnip bundles, feather teasers, and even yarn balls.
He had once considered signing a contract with Mount Myōboku.
But the toads there had never approved of him.
Back then, his opportunity to train in Senjutsu had only come because he'd won a wager against Jiraiya.
This time, however,
He intended to secure his own summoning partner.
Even if it required… a bit of strategic bribery.