A sharp cry echoed through the sky—an eagle soaring high above, cutting through the air with effortless grace. Below, Kakuzu was in relentless pursuit, but the bird barely spared him a glance. After all, it belonged to the proud "Feathered Eagle Clan."
Their greatest assets were twofold: their feathers, which grew at an astonishing rate—shedding and renewing daily—and their ability to carry the unique earth-elemental chakra infused within them. Once detached, these feathers became explosive projectiles, making them formidable rulers of the sky. The eagle glanced at Kakuzu with clear disdain. To him, the shinobi below was nothing more than an insignificant human. A summoning contract? Laughable.
With a powerful beat of its wings, the eagle propelled itself forward. The wind howled around it as its speed soared to an unprecedented level, and in mere moments, it had vanished beyond the horizon.
Minutes later, the eagle neared a vast canyon. High-altitude flight here was treacherous—narrow aerial passages and dense foliage meant ambushes could come from anywhere. Begrudgingly, the eagle lowered its altitude to navigate safely.
Just as it was about to pass through the gorge, a figure leaped out from behind a rocky outcrop. Green eyes locked onto the eagle's sharp gaze. For the first time, shock flashed through the bird's pupils. Instinctively, it tried to halt its momentum, but it was too late—how could this ninja possibly match its speed? Impossible!
But that didn't matter anymore.
Kakuzu smirked, an amused glint in his eyes. Earlier, the eagle had mocked him from above, sneering at his inability to fly. At the time, he truly had no way to retaliate. But now…
With a single bound, Kakuzu landed squarely on the eagle's back. One large hand reached out and grabbed a fistful of its sleek feathers, yanking hard.
"You bastard! Let go of me! I don't have time for this nonsense!" the eagle squawked in protest.
Kakuzu raised an eyebrow, mildly surprised. "Oh? You can talk? Not bad—most summon beasts aren't this articulate."
"I don't care! I have someone to save! Let go!"
Kakuzu chuckled darkly. "And why should I care? Now, tell me—are you going to detonate your own feathers, or should I pluck them out one by one?"
With a cruel twist of his fingers, he ripped out a handful of feathers, exposing the tender skin beneath.
A piercing shriek filled the air.
Pain seared through the eagle's body, fury rising in its chest—but there was nothing it could do. It wasn't a match for Kakuzu. After a brief struggle, it begrudgingly conceded.
"Fine! Listen, human—I have an urgent rescue mission. If you help me, the Feathered Eagle Clan will acknowledge your strength."
Kakuzu made a noncommittal sound but said nothing.
Without wasting another moment, the eagle spread its wings and surged forward at full speed. The air screamed past them as they cut through the sky, heading straight for their destination.
...
Minutes later, they emerged from the gorge.
Kakuzu narrowed his eyes at the sight before him. The landscape was familiar. He recognized this place—it was within the borders of Takigakure.
The battlefield was a scene of chaos. Smoke billowed into the air, debris littered the ground, and corpses lay scattered across the war-torn land. Though the Second Shinobi World War primarily involved the Five Great Nations, many smaller countries had been dragged into the conflict. Takigakure, a minor village caught between Konohagakure and Iwagakure, dared not openly challenge a major power. However, that didn't mean it was free from internal strife. Old grudges and power struggles within the village had only been exacerbated by the war.
On the ground, more than twenty warriors clad in matching uniforms brandished swords. They stood atop a pile of rubble, sneering at their lone opponent—a ragged fifteen-year-old girl.
A shinobi among the group stepped forward, blade in hand, his expression cold and merciless.
"Hand over the secret technique, or you'll end up like the others."
Scattered around them were lifeless bodies—the girl's family, tortured and slain.
Tears brimmed in her eyes, but she did not falter. Biting her lip, she stood her ground, her voice unwavering.
"This is the last relic of my clan. Even if I die here, I will never give it to you."
The shinobi smirked. "Then we'll just have to capture you and extract the information through genjutsu."
With a nod, he signaled his men. "Take her."
The group surged forward.
The girl had no chance against them.
Just as they were about to strike, a massive shadow descended from the sky.
The eagle dived sharply toward the battlefield, its presence igniting a glimmer of hope in the girl's eyes. She wasted no time—forming hand seals, she slammed her palm onto the ground.
Summoning symbols flared across the earth.
As the eagle entered the summoning formation, a plume of white smoke erupted around them. When the smoke cleared, the bird had undergone a remarkable transformation—or rather, the girl and the eagle had fused into something entirely new.
From his vantage point in the trees, Kakuzu watched with mild interest.
A human merging with a summoning beast…
It reminded him of Konohagakure's Inuzuka Clan and their secret techniques—where shinobi and their ninja hounds combined to create a hybrid combat form.
Things were about to get interesting.
The fusion between the girl and the eagle was different from the Inuzuka Clan's techniques. Rather than forming a new hybrid entity, their combination was more akin to forcibly merging a human with a summoning beast. It was as if they had been stitched together rather than achieving true integration.
There was another strange detail—when the girl performed the Summoning Jutsu, she didn't need to draw her own blood. Normally, summoning required a contract sealed in blood to connect the summoner with their creature from another dimension. This meant that what she was using wasn't a standard Summoning Jutsu. Or rather, she had some other secret connection with her summoned beast.
Kakuzu sensed something else as well—during their fusion. Forcing the fusion of a human and a summoning beast… that was one of the core concepts behind that technique.
The battle below continued fiercely. The girl and the eagle shared chakra, instantly amplifying her reserves to their peak. Perched on the eagle's back, she formed hand seals rapidly, unleashing jutsu after jutsu. Meanwhile, the eagle soared through the sky, shaking its feathers loose—each one triggering an explosion upon detachment. Their coordination was impressive, but their enemies were well aware of their fighting style.
Since their opponents fought as a man-beast duo, their enemies simply adapted—attacking from two fronts simultaneously. After all, they had the advantage in numbers.
Minutes dragged on. Though the Taki-nin had sustained casualties, their relentless assault was wearing the girl down. She was now barely holding on, her movements increasingly desperate as she dodged incoming blades. If she lost this fight, what awaited her would be nothing but interrogation and endless torment.
Realizing this, the eagle couldn't hold back anymore. It turned its gaze toward Kakuzu and finally called out,
"Hey! Stop watching and help us! If you do, we'll sign a summoning contract with you afterward!"
At those words, Kakuzu raised an eyebrow.
"Heh."
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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