Damn it! Why won't you believe me? If we all stand by you, Lord Third won't punish you too harshly! Why do you have to choose defection?!"
"…Sorry. You wouldn't understand."
Kakashi's desperate cry echoed through the forest. And even though Aoyama had joined Konoha with the perspective of a transmigrator, memories of his life here had etched deep enough that faces and moments—like going to the academy with Kakashi—still flickered in his mind.
But the path of a rogue ninja was not one you could simply turn back from. Every monster in the Book of Beasts—the Monster Compendium—required conditions to be met before it could be summoned.
To unlock the ancient titan Behemoth, Aoyama had to abandon his identity as a Konoha shinobi, to cast aside the bonds of the village and walk the road of a despised rogue.
The Book of Beasts was his "cheat," yes—but unlike other transmigrators' convenient systems, this one demanded sacrifice. Each monster had its condition, its trial to unlock.
Yet its power was undeniable. The Book could summon the titans of the MonsterVerse—creatures on par with, or even far beyond, the great beasts of the Three Sage Lands. Some titans weren't just stronger—they were monsters many times mightier than any toad, snake, or slug.
So far, Aoyama had unlocked three.
The first was a young Godzilla—barely three meters tall, still in its growth phase, needing massive amounts of food to evolve.
The second was Kong, Skull Island's absolute ruler. Like Godzilla, he too was still juvenile, shorter and smaller than his future glory.
But the third… the third was unlocked only by abandoning Konoha. And unlike the other two, this was no child. Behemoth was a full-grown adult titan—a colossal mammoth with curved tusks that could shatter mountains, whose every step shook the earth like an earthquake.
So when Behemoth emerged, even Kakashi—who had seen war, who had faced countless giant summons—was struck speechless. This wasn't just size. Its thick, fur-covered body had shrugged off the Fireball Jutsu as if it were nothing more than a spark.
Kakashi knew. If Aoyama refused to turn back, the only option left was to subdue him by force.
Pakkun swallowed hard, sensing Kakashi's resolve.
"Kakashi… that guy's summoning jutsu—who knows how many monsters he's contracted? I don't think we can do much here. Should we go call for backup?"
Kakashi gave a curt nod.
"Yeah. Please do. Aoyama's summoning jutsu is his greatest strength. That giant beast alone… I'll struggle against it. If you can bring reinforcements, maybe I'll have a chance of taking him back to the village."
Without a moment's hesitation, Pakkun and the seven hounds bolted, tails tucked, terrified that a single step too slow might see them crushed beneath a titan's foot.
As they vanished, Aoyama's gaze dropped to the Book of Beasts. His hands blurred through seals.
"Summoning Jutsu—come forth, Godzilla!"
"Summoning Jutsu—come forth, Kong!"
Two more titans emerged, their roars shaking the air.
To Kakashi, who couldn't see the Book and only assumed these were ordinary summoning contracts, the sudden appearance of two additional monsters was suffocating. Even with his life on the line, he doubted he could restrain his former classmate now.
Aoyama gave him a look of pity. Summoning three titans at once left no doubt—this was no longer a game. He had to finish things quickly. Still in the Land of Fire, he couldn't afford to waste time; ANBU or Root could appear at any moment.
His eyes hardened. He shot forward like a cannonball, launching himself off Behemoth's head straight at Kakashi.
Boom!
Kakashi dodged at the last instant. The ground where Aoyama landed caved in, leaving a smoking crater. Aoyama sprang up, fists already flying at blinding speed.
Yes—he could have commanded the titans to crush Kakashi. But deep down, he couldn't bring himself to do it. Not yet. He wanted to prove something with his fists.
After all, at this stage, Kakashi was still limited. His Sharingan had reached only the three-tomoe stage. He had abandoned the swordsmanship of his father, leaving his taijutsu hollow. And while his Sharingan allowed him to copy thousands of jutsu, his chakra reserves and stamina could never keep up. His strength was far from invincible.
Kakashi was shocked nonetheless. He had expected Aoyama to rely on his beasts, not to rush in himself. But when their fists clashed, Kakashi's eyes widened.
Each strike was like steel crashing down—harder than iron, fiercer than any ninjutsu blast. And faster—much faster—than any string of hand seals. A lightning-quick fist blurred through the air and smashed across Kakashi's face, hurling him several meters away.
He tumbled across the ground, crashing into a tree before finally stopping. Groaning, he pushed himself up, his Sharingan spinning wildly. The three tomoe trembled, almost vibrating.
A sudden dizziness struck Aoyama. His vision swam, his head heavy, his limbs unsteady—as though he had stayed awake for days and was staggering out of an internet café.
"Genjutsu!" he realized.
Above, several hawks circled in the sky, each wearing a Konoha forehead protector. They didn't leave. They lingered. Watching.
Aoyama quickly formed a release seal, dispelling the illusion. The haze lifted from his mind, his strength returning just as Kakashi charged in with a kunai, spinning it between his fingers like a dancer's ribbon.
Steel clashed with steel. Aoyama caught a kunai with two fingers through its ring and drove it toward Kakashi's chest. Kakashi's blade met it head-on. Sparks flew as their weapons locked.
They broke apart, and Aoyama's eyes flicked to the circling hawks above. His expression darkened.
Messenger hawks… ANBU must have caught up already? Tch. I can't keep playing around with Kakashi. If I get dragged back to Konoha before I even escape the Land of Fire… I'll be a laughingstock.