After missing twice in a row, Xia Lan's anger flared even higher.
Spinning in midair, she lashed out with a powerful kick toward Retsu's head.
This time, Retsu didn't dodge.
Instead, he reached out and precisely caught her ankle.
"Let go of me!" Xia Lan shouted.
She lifted her other leg and kicked at his chin—but he smoothly grabbed that ankle as well.
Now both her legs were firmly locked in his hands.
Her body hung helplessly in midair, unable to move.
In desperation, blazing red flames burst from her palms as she swung them toward his head.
But before the fire could reach him, Retsu exerted force with both arms and hurled her away like a flail.
"Bang!"
Xia Lan flipped gracefully in midair and landed steadily more than ten meters away.
She stared at him warily, her expression growing serious.
"Good. Looks like you really do have some skill. Now I'm getting serious!"
Crossing her arms before her chest, crimson flames erupted around her body.
The fire twisted and coiled like living creatures, completely enveloping her.
Her already sharp gaze became even more demonic.
"All right—get ready to beg for mercy!"
"Fire Style?" Retsu rubbed his chin casually.
"I'm not great with Water Style, but dealing with you should be enough."
"Don't look down on me! Take this—Fireball Technique!"
With a sweeping motion, several basketball-sized fireballs shot toward him like meteors, scorching the air.
"Water Style: Water Encampment Wall!"
Retsu formed seals rapidly, took a deep breath, and spewed out a massive torrent of water.
The water instantly gathered into a towering spherical wall, sealing him inside.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The fireballs struck one after another, erupting into thick white steam.
Mist filled the forest, swallowing both figures.
"Tch! Damn water!"
Xia Lan frowned as her attack was easily blocked.
When the water wall collapsed and surged toward her, she reacted like a cat meeting water—leaping onto a nearby tree in panic and narrowly dodging it.
"So you're afraid of water," Retsu said with a mischievous grin.
His hands formed seals again, his voice rising sharply.
"Water Style: Great Waterfall Technique!"
The remaining water suddenly surged.
In an instant, it gathered into a roaring waterfall nearly ten meters high, crashing forward like a raging beast.
"You've got to be kidding me?! That's ridiculous!"
Staring at the incoming flood, Xia Lan felt despair and couldn't help complaining.
She had no time to escape.
The massive torrent swallowed her whole.
Trees and rocks were swept away, rumbling forward in destruction.
Fortunately, the tanuki demons who had followed her earlier had already fled in terror.
Otherwise, they would have been dragged into the flood and crushed.
Retsu had never intended to kill her.
He deliberately restrained his chakra, and without a natural water source, this was only a weakened version of the technique.
Before long, the flood subsided, leaving behind a shallow pool.
Retsu stepped across the water as if walking on flat ground.
Reaching the center, he bent down and lifted Xia Lan from the surface.
She was soaked from head to toe.
Her red hair clung to her cheeks, and her former arrogance was gone.
Her eyes were unfocused, and she looked exactly like a drowned kitten pulled from a river—pitiful and oddly cute.
"Hey, you okay?" Retsu asked, gently shaking her, amusement in his voice.
"Cough… cough…"
She spat out some water and glared at him stubbornly.
With a defiant expression, she said, "You did this on purpose to humiliate me, didn't you? Kill me if you want! My big sister will avenge me!"
"Relax. I'm not going to kill you."
Retsu set her down on the drying ground, his tone turning serious.
"But I have one condition. You'll sign a summoning contract with me and become my summon."
"A summoning contract?"
Xia Lan froze.
Though she didn't fully understand it, she shook her head firmly.
"No matter what it is, I won't agree! I'm a warrior of the Leopard Cat Clan. I'll never submit to a human!"
"I figured," Retsu said, stroking his chin calmly.
He pulled out a scroll from Kamui space, spread it on the ground, and pressed his palm against it.
"Poof!"
A puff of smoke rose.
When it cleared, a fresh sea fish nearly a meter long appeared, still wriggling faintly, carrying a salty scent.
Retsu pointed at it and looked at her with a tempting smile.
"Forget the contract for now. How about I treat you to some fish? Just caught it from the sea. Super fresh."
Xia Lan's eyes locked onto the fish.
She unconsciously licked her lips and nodded.
Then she snapped back to reality, turning away in embarrassment.
"Y-You jerk! Do you think I'm the kind of cat who can be bribed with one fish?! No way!"
Half an hour later, a campfire burned in the forest.
Around it were more than a dozen golden-brown grilled fish.
Oil dripped onto the flames with sizzling sounds, and a rich aroma filled the air.
Xia Lan sat cross-legged by the fire, holding a perfectly roasted fish.
She devoured it enthusiastically, her lips shiny with grease.
All her pride and anger were long gone.
"Delicious!"
She spat out a fish bone and looked at Retsu, who was seasoning more fish.
Her eyes sparkled.
"I want more!"
"Here."
Retsu smiled and handed her another freshly grilled fish.
Watching her take a huge bite and squint happily, he couldn't help laughing.
For today, he had specially gone to the coast, caught dozens of fresh fish, and sealed them in scrolls.
It hadn't been a waste at all.
Ever since Taizang mentioned a cat demon searching for the Shikon Jewel, Retsu had guessed it was probably the Leopard Cat Clan.
As expected, it was Xia Lan, one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
Back then, the Leopard Cats had fought against Inu no Taisho's army and were defeated, forced to leave the Western Lands.
They had been waiting for a chance to return ever since.
Now that Xia Lan had come alone to gather information, it was clear her clan had heard about the Shikon Jewel and planned to revive their lord—just like in the original story.
Retsu's plan to recruit her had been prepared long ago.
His former summoning partners were ninja cats who had long cooperated with the Uchiha clan, so he understood feline habits well.
But after being reincarnated through Edo Tensei, his old contracts were invalid.
He had been looking for a suitable new summon.
The Leopard Cats were perfect.
After all, cats were cats.
For this "recruitment plan," he hadn't only prepared fish.
In Kamui space, he had also stocked catnip, feather toys, and even balls of yarn.
As for Mount Myoboku—
It wasn't that Retsu didn't want to sign a contract with them.
It was that the toads had never liked him.
Back then, he had only been allowed to train there because he won a bet with Jiraiya
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