The Dream-Eating Tapir… legendary creature devouring nightmares and swallowing dream worlds.
This summon resembling an elephant, but with tiger-like backward-jointed legs, was named Baku. Though lacking dream-world devouring abilities, it possessed a similar one.
Its stomach was immensely large.
None knew its exact capacity, but compared to its cabin-sized body, it was absolutely disproportionate.
Upon summoning, it raised its trunk, sucking powerfully.
The tremendous suction accelerated airflow, creating a giant typhoon, carrying sand, debris, rubble, plants, trees... everything within hundreds of meters ahead was pulled into its mouth.
The sky-blotting sand tsunami encountering such force collapsed like waves meeting gales.
"Don't even think it!"
Karura waved her hand, infusing more vast Chakra. The collapsing sand wave reformed into a sea, mixed with sucked-in debris, becoming even vaster.
Facing this natural-disaster-like attack, buildings and shinobi in its path seemed insignificant. Even if Karura didn't target them, merely passing over swallowed them mercilessly, like small boats capsized by tsunamis, without even splashes.
But Danzo remained unmoved.
Calmly watching the approaching sand tsunami, he formed seals unhurriedly, then inhaled sharply.
Leveraging Baku's suction, he easily stored immense airflow.
Though sand mixed in displeased him, the quantity stored in one breath sufficed to destroy everything.
[Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Wave!]
Several scythe-like wind blades spewed from his mouth, crisscrossing mid-air, slashing the sand sea, tearing the tsunami apart, continuing toward the distant girl.
"What!?"
Karura's heart jolted, wanting to dodge.
But the sand wave collapsed. The unimpeded violent suction abruptly pulled at Karura's body, making balance difficult, let alone dodging.
Helplessly, she raised remaining sand as temporary shields.
But this attack could even tear Susanoo. Could a makeshift shield of few sand grains block it?
Thud!
The makeshift sand shield tore like paper, offering no resistance against the giant wind blades.
'Am I dying here?'
Watching the approaching wind blades, Karura's eyes widened, mind blank.
At the critical moment, a figure blocked before her.
Reddish-brown hair, black Shinobi attire, slender build... This figure appearing daily in her mind now made her heart tremble.
Whoosh~
Wind blades tearing through air snapped her back.
About to warn, she just uttered 'Watc…' before wind blades struck the youth.
But unlike tearing sand waves and shields earlier, upon meeting the youth's palms, they shrank continuously, transforming into primal Chakra absorbed.
'Resolved so simply?'
The girl stared, stunned.
"You alright?"
The voice snapped Karura back.
Looking up at the familiar handsome face, a blush rose on her gentle features.
"What's the situation?"
Hearing this, Karura regained focus.
Seeing the youth only glance back once, then vigilantly survey surroundings, she sighed in relief, yet felt loss.
But thinking of Pakura, accompanying him since childhood, then Aka, Kana, and others, that sense of loss quickly subsided.
"I'm fine. The other teachers hid inside this building."
This was why Karura stayed on the street fighting Konoha's Shinobi.
The elite teachers studying abroad lacked combat prowess like the puppeteers learning Medical Ninjutsu.
Even Karura had severe combat inexperience.
Within Konoha, facing the siege, escaping unharmed with everyone was impossible.
Only hiding people in cover, blocking enemy attacks herself, awaiting reinforcements, was correct.
Results proved her correctness.
"Keep guarding the building. Others arrive soon."
Leaving these words, Ryuji gracefully descended from the rooftop.
Watching the departing back, Karura felt momentarily lost, but the immense suction quickly brought her back.
Sensing her own strange mood, the girl patted her cheeks, reminding, "Karura, Karura, he's several years younger, already has a girlfriend. What are you expecting?"
After self-mockery, feeling refreshed, she immediately manipulated sand, forming protective walls around the building.
Ryuji jumped from the building, pulled by strong suction toward the Baku.
Amidst sandstorm, visibility was poor.
But effortlessly blocking enhanced Vacuum Waves indicated the newcomer is no weakling.
Danzo narrowed his eye, briefly considered, then drew two shuriken.
Spinning them rapidly on his middle finger, he gently exhaled before them. Gentle yet sharp breath wrapped around the shuriken, forming fan-blade-like edges spinning at high speed.
"Go!"
Danzo flung them left and right consecutively.
The two wind-blade shuriken traced arcs mid-air, cutting a building corner, shooting toward the approaching figure from both sides.
Ryuji smiled lightly, spreading his hands, aiming at the sides as shuriken approached, slipping fingers into the central holes.
Clad in super combat life-fiber gloves, he feared no friction from high-speed rotation. The wind-blade shuriken spun rapidly on his fingers, then flung back faster toward the Baku.
Ryuji didn't aim deliberately, but under Baku's suction, attacks seemed self-guided.
Moreover, sandstorm obscured vision initially.
When wind-blade shuriken neared, making them visible, canceling the summoning was too late.
Thud! Thud!
Wind-blade shuriken sliced the Baku from both mouth corners, continuing to its abdomen before flying out.
Blood gushed like fountains. Baku screeched miserably, collapsing, then vanishing in thick white smoke, returning home.
The violent suction ceased.
Ryuji landed gracefully before Danzo, smiling. "Danzo-dono, long time no see. Meeting as opponents now… life is truly unpredictable, it's truly heartbreaking!"
Danzo's face darkened, not replying.
Suddenly, howling came from above. A giant orange fireball descended from the sky.
As if psychic, Ryuji jumped beforehand.
Danzo reacted slower but retreated promptly.
The fireball exploded where they stood, unleashing unparalleled impact, sweeping everything around.
Besides leveling the already ruined street, it achieved nothing.
Above, a mechanical bird flew, catching Ryuji, circling once before returning.
Seeing Danzo alive outside the blast range, Ryuji felt regret. "It seems I really couldn't ambush the old fox."
Danzo's strength was formidable. Killing him unexpectedly would've been ideal.
But he was extremely cautious, calculating every threat meticulously.
'In that case, only facing him head-on with strength.'
The mechanical bird dove, skimming the ground.
Ryuji opened his dimensional space. The Iron Fortress' eight steel legs bent, jumping out, quickly anchoring.
"Cover fire!"
While commanding, Ryuji rode the mechanical bird toward Danzo.
The six-barrel Gatling already extended, firing madly. The war fortress unleashed full firepower… giant crossbows, kunai launchers, explosive shuriken… all firing.
Instantly, various Chakra attribute rounds, projectile weapons filled the sky, forming a barrage.
"So this is your ability? Truly terrifying!" Danzo remained calm and composed.
He tore off bandages on his right cheek, revealing a crimson Sharingan. The three tomoe spun wildly as he formed hand seals.
[Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!]
Danzo inhaled sharply, spewing a sea-bowl-sized vacuum shell from his mouth.
Compared to attacks from the mechanical bird and war fortress, this shell seemed isolated and helpless.
But Ryuji steered the mechanical bird upward.
Next moment, the vacuum shell met the barrage, exploding abruptly.
Violent shockwaves swept around. Chakra attribute rounds, affected, destabilized, bursting continuously, forming continuous explosions, blowing away subsequent weapon rain.
'Not just the Third. Prime Danzo is also far stronger than in old age!' Ryuji crouched on the mechanical bird, expression grave.
Though current Danzo lacked Izanagi and Wood Release, in his prime, both physical capability and Chakra far surpassed his future elderly self.
His usual Wind Release Ninjutsu, whether speed or power, surpassed his later battle with Sasuke.
"Whoosh!"
Amidst thoughts, sound of something cutting through the air came from behind.
Using explosion smoke as cover, while Ryuji pondered, Danzo used building jumps to reach behind him. His cane-sword infused with Wind Release Chakra slashed fiercely.
Being attacked from behind undetected meant no time to defend. Ryuji, experienced, knew this, so he jumped off the mechanical bird immediately.
Boom!
Danzo's slash severed the mechanical bird. Stepping on the wreckage, he leaped toward Ryuji, narrowed eyes overflowing with killing intent.
"Next is you."
Danzo just uttered threats when a dragon-hunting crossbow bolt shot from the side. The arrow capable of piercing dragons forced him to abandon pursuit, facing the bolt.
He tilted slightly, dodging the bolt, then raised his cane-sword, slashing downward.
Clang!
Wind Release Chakra's sharpness easily severed the arrow. But he didn't pause, swinging his sword behind him upon landing.
Ryuji, landing earlier, seizing the opportunity to attack, was startled. Leaning his upper body back, he narrowly avoided the blade edge.
Seizing this, Danzo adjusted his stance, charging again with his sword.
This character who in the original couldn't dodge shuriken, after witnessing Ryuji beating Setsuna to death with Taijutsu, still chose close combat.
"It seems you wanted to die quickly!"
Ryuji's robes fluttered without wind. Fearlessly meeting the charge, two short blades slid from his sleeves into his hands.