บท 51: Reverse Summoning
A/N: Our target of the week is to reach 1000 powerstones by Sunday for a Triple Release. This story's continuation depends on your support—so don't forget to give the story powerstones! Goal: 1000 Powerstones!
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Two weeks had passed since Goro had declared himself the new Takikage. Following this announcement, Pain decided to host a meeting. The Gedo Statue was situated in the center of the room, a few of the statue's fingers occupied by a projection of the Akatsuki members, their images transmitted from different locations.
Pain's expression was unreadable as he spoke in his usual commanding tone, his voice echoing through the cavern. "I've called you all here because there are rumors of a new leader emerging in the Hidden Waterfall Village. He has already begun making significant changes," Pain said, his Rinnegan eyes scanning the faces of his gathered subordinates.
Kisame, standing on one of the fingers, grinned, his only features distinguishable were his shark-like teeth and eyes. "Kakuzu's death and now the Hidden Waterfall Village getting a new leader? Almost too coincidental, don't you think?" he mused, his voice carrying an edge of intrigue.
Pain had already thought about the connection but found no evidence to back the suspicion. After doing some of his own digging, he found that Kakuzu's killer was a ninja from the Leaf. "Though I believed the Hidden Waterfall had worked with the Leaf in order to kill Kakuzu. My sources tell me that it was the jounin Asuma who killed him. It is clear to me now that Kakuzu was bounty hunting, and this wasn't a planned killing. Kakuzu allowed worldly desires to get the better of him," Pain pondered.
Shifting his gaze from Kisame to the other members present, Pain continued, "This new leader, though his village has never been known for its military might or economic strength, has taken a title for himself—'The Takikage.'"
Zetsu spoke up, his eerie voice filling the silence. "That's quite arrogant of him. By declaring himself the Takikage, he's severing ties with the Leaf and establishing the Waterfall as an independent entity. Only someone strong or foolish would make such a bold move."
Pain nodded subtly, his face impassive. "He has opened the entrance to the village, allowing outsiders to pass through easily. Though this weakens the village's security, it has increased trade and traffic. There are rumors of a new ninja system being developed, along with the construction of new homes. It seems he is reshaping the very foundations of the village," Pain explained.
Itachi remained silent throughout the conversation, his sharp Sharingan eyes glowing faintly in the darkness. He said nothing, his expression hidden behind the raised collar of his cloak, but his mind followed the conversation and was assessing the implications. "Sasuke…" Itachi thought.
"So, why bring this up?" Kisame asked, folding his arms. "What do you want done about this 'Takikage'? Perhaps you want us to go pay him a little visit?"
Kisame's words prompted Pain to explain their next move. "Zetsu," he commanded, turning toward the dual-faced figure. "I want you to investigate. Appear in the Waterfall Village and meet with this new leader. Your task is simple—find out what he wants. Determine if he will get in our way."
Zetsu nodded, his white half grinning darkly. "And if he does?"
"If he proves to be a threat to our plans," Pain continued, his voice cold, "then Itachi and Kisame will pay him a visit. The Hidden Waterfall Village relied heavily on our services in the past. By asserting independence and opening their village to outsiders, he's not only risking confrontation with the Leaf but also cutting off one of our income streams. Foolish. This new leader must believe he is strong enough to provoke Konoha and weaken his village's defenses at the same time. Proceed with caution."
Kisame's grin widened, clearly intrigued by the prospect of a confrontation. Itachi gave a brief nod, acknowledging the assignment without a word.
With that, the projections began to disappear one by one. First, Itachi and Kisame's images faded into nothing, followed by the rest of the Akatsuki members, until only Pain remained, standing alone in the darkness. His Rinnegan eyes gleamed as he turned toward the towering Gedo Statue, trying to figure out Goro's plans.
Meanwhile, in the Hidden Waterfall Village, Goro stood in one of the village's remote training grounds. His system screen floated before his eyes, displaying a list of his skills.
His gaze lingered on one particular skill, Impure World Reincarnation. The thought of testing the forbidden jutsu briefly crossed his mind. "I could try it," he mused. But as his eyes wandered, they landed on another skill, Monkey Summoning Jutsu.
A smirk tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I wonder what would happen if I tried this…"
Goro's decision was made. Seeing as he didn't need to perform the ritual due to the jutsu being classified as a skill by the system, Goro simply made the intention to summon Enma, but before he could complete the summoning, a strange sensation gripped him. Instead of Enma appearing before him, it was him who vanished in a puff of smoke.
The world around him shifted instantly, and when the smoke cleared, Goro found himself standing in an unfamiliar forest. The trees were enormous, towering hundreds of feet into the air, their trunks thick and ancient.
'Smoke? But it's around me? What's going on?'
"Where am I?" Goro muttered, his eyes scanning the area, trying to make sense of the situation. He hadn't expected to be summoned, least of all to a place like this.
'This looks like a jungle… The only conclusion I can come up with is that I've been reverse-summoned…'
Suddenly, there was movement from above. Goro's sharp eyes caught a figure leaping gracefully from branch to branch, and within moments, the imposing form of Enma, the Monkey King, landed before him. Enma slowly rose, going from a crouch to standing upright. His arms crossed over his chest as he looked at Goro with suspicion written all over his face.
'He summoned me, then jumped into the trees, just to swing back down to the ground? What a show-off...'
"I don't recognize your chakra," Enma said, his voice carrying a level of hostility. "Who are you?"
Goro had forgotten the situation he was in due to Enma's flashy entrance. He couldn't reveal the secret behind the system, but he knew a weak excuse wouldn't cut it either.
'Quite the predicament I've ended up in. Maybe I didn't think this through…'
"Are you deaf?" Enma's voice boomed, louder this time, laced with a growing impatience. His piercing gaze refused to waver. "Who are you?!"
'These creatures have free will. They could choose not to help me, even if I do summon them. And losing access to the Adamantine Staff…'
Goro clenched his fist slightly at the thought.
'The Adamantine Staff would be a valuable weapon. Losing this ability would be a significant setback. Damn! What should I do?! If I mess this up, I could also lose any chance I had at learning Monkey Sage Mode later down the line.'
Unable to come up with an excuse, Goro asked the system the only question he knew would get him out of his current predicament.
'System, is my blood on the summoning contract?'
[Yes, your blood has automatically been added to the contract.]
Just as Goro was about to tell Enma about the contract, Enma grabbed Goro by the collar of his cloak, yanking him close until their faces were nearly touching. "So you're choosing not to answer?" Enma growled, his eyes burning with fury. "Fine, I'll deal with you myself and beat the answers out of you!"
Without hesitation, Enma swung his fist, aiming to strike Goro, but Goro activated his Storm Chakra Mode just in time. The Monkey King's punch sank into Goro's liquid-like aura, getting stuck as it slowly sank deeper into the chakra.
Enma's eyes widened as he tried to pull his fist back, but it wouldn't budge. Frustrated, he cocked his free hand back and attempted to land another punch, only to have that fist get stuck in the aura as well.
"He's not normal... That aura..." Enma thought, gritting his teeth as he struggled.
"I've signed a contract already. My blood should be on it," Goro said calmly, releasing Enma's fists.
Finally free, the Monkey King jumped back, putting distance between them. "He's stronger than me, I can tell that much. If he wished harm for this place, he'd have killed me right here... I don't know what his intentions are, but for this place, it's best if a fight is avoided. But why did he take so long to answer? Was this show of strength perhaps his intention all along?"
Enma turned around and glanced back at Goro. "Wait there. I'll confirm the information you've given me," he said before dashing off.
As Enma disappeared, Goro smirked to himself. "Storm Chakra Mode is very useful," he muttered.
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Reminder: We've hit our first target, so there will be a Double Release. Our target of the week is to reach 1000 powerstones by Sunday to get a Triple Release. This story's continuation depends on your support—so don't forget to give the story powerstones! Goal: 1000 Powerstones!
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