I'm Inside Naruto Manga

"There doesn't seem to be anyone around..."

Logan remained vigilant in his spot for a while. Apart from a few rolling hills, the expansive plain stretched out before him, offering an unobstructed view, "Logically speaking, I should be in the territory of a certain Summoning Beast now."

In the original, Jiraiya ended up at Mount Myoboku after using the Reverse Summoning Technique. After passing their tests, he signed a contract with the Toad Clan.

Logan had no idea where he had landed this time, 'It might be a summoning territory not mentioned in the original work. Considering the ruined 'birdman' statue was revered as a Deity and the vast land ahead, the Summoning Beast here probably wasn't weak.'

"There is no sun in the sky." Logan looked up at the strange color of the sky and discovered a problem.

For now, he needed to find the local inhabitants. Logan looked at the road extending in both directions and chose one at random.

After passing a moss-covered hill and rounding a bend, his view opened up, and Logan abruptly stopped, eyeing the scene ahead warily.

About two hundred meters away, the terrain was no longer flat. Trees and streams added vibrant colors to the landscape, and in the middle of the road stood a statue about twice the height of a person.

The elegantly posed statue, though now clearly visible, was intricately detailed, with each feather meticulously carved, making it look lifelike.

"It turns out it's just a bird..." After seeing clearly the appearance of the stone statue, which was most likely the complete version of the statue in the shrine, Logan was a little disappointed, "If it were an angel or something, summoning it in a fight would be much cooler."

Despite his initial disappointment, Logan remained cautious of the statue's proud demeanor and its conspicuous placement in the middle of the road.

At first glance, the stone bird looked like a final boss blocking his path. Its dark color stood out in the otherwise warm-toned surroundings, practically screaming 'I have a problem'.

After scrutinizing the statue for a long time and feeling that it was not to be trifled with, Logan decided to turn around and go in the other direction. The most important thing now is to contact the Summoned Beast here. In case the ominous statue was some kind of sacred relic, wouldn't he cause trouble to himself if he triggered it?

"Bird bro, I'm glad to meet you. Goodbye, maybe we'll meet again." Logan said, waving at the stone statue before turning away.

However, ten minutes later, after encountering more trees and streams, Logan found himself facing an identical statue at the 'other end' of the road.

"What the…?" Logan rubbed his eyes. If he hadn't been sure that he had turned back and walked in the opposite direction, he might have doubted his memory.

'Are there stone statues on both roads?' Logan's expression grew serious. He looked around, then leaped to the left side of the road, and started sprinting forward.

His swift figure cut through the air under the reddish sky. What dampened his spirits was that, before long, he found himself back on the 'main' road.

"..."

'What is this? Have I fallen into a Genjutsu from the start, or was I in some kind of spatial formation?' Logan did not miss anything, and also ran to the right side of the road, but the result was still the same.

"Alright then." Logan felt helpless, 'It seemed that there was only one path to take. If it was Space-Time Ninjutsu, let's leave it aside. As for Genjutsu, I could use a Counter-Genjutsu Technique, but I needed a target to apply it to, and so far, I hadn't seen a single person.'

Walking toward the proudly standing stone statue, Logan muttered, "Bird bro, it seemed I have no choice, nicetomeetyoutoo."

When Logan approached within ten meters of the statue, the intricately carved feathers quivered, rustling slightly. Logan's expression turned serious as the statue started moving like a living creature, "Come to think of it, I haven't had a good fight in a while, bird..."

Bang!

The sudden sound of a hard object colliding with him sent Logan flying. He rolled over once before he braced himself against the ground, sliding several meters away.

The kunai he grabbed with his right hand at some point was trembling slightly. Logan lowered his head and glanced at the tear in his sleeve, "As usual, I can't even get a proper fight opening..."

Whoosh, whoosh.

The wings of the statue powerfully fanned the air as if it hadn't moved in a long time. It stretched its body in the air, and its flexible and natural movements were completely unlike the dead statue that had been motionless just a second ago.

Although he was mentally prepared for the statue's sudden shift from stillness to motion, Logan had underestimated its explosive speed and strength, which far exceeded his expectations. Luckily, he hadn't been injured in the first attack.

Suddenly, the air currents from the flapping wings expanded forcefully. Logan's pupils contracted, and without hesitation, he activated his Lightning Release to stimulate his cells. Sparks surged, and both figures vanished almost simultaneously. The ground was clawed out by the statue's talons, while Logan, holding his kunai, dodged to its rear.

"I'm not afraid of a speed contest." Logan's kunai struck the statue's dark feathers with all his might. Sparks flew, but to Logan's dismay, his full-force strike barely left a mark.

Another gust of wind approached. With his initial attack failing, Logan's battle instincts kicked in. Lightning flickered in his left hand, gathering into a Chidori. Then, he thrust it forward without hesitation, crashing into the statue's wing.

The immense resistance felt like a solid barrier. Gritting his teeth, Logan's entire body sparked with lightning. Crushing the stones beneath his feet, he discarded the ineffective kunai from his right hand. With a sharp chirp, a second Chidori was condensed. This time, Logan pulled his arm back to create distance, before launching it again with extreme acceleration.

The fierce clash replaced the reflected red light of the sky with another violent force. The quiet area erupted with noise, and the statue was finally knocked back, rolling away just like Logan had been initially.

"Haaah." Logan exhaled deeply, dispersing the lightning the lightning in his hands. He felt a rare sense of exhilaration, despite the struggle, which he hadn't experienced except against a few formidable opponents.

"Bird bro, we're tied now." Logan drew his short sword, Shimizu, since kunai were ineffective against the statue.

The surface of Shimizu's blade is as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the vast red sky, giving it an almost fantastical hue.

The stone statue got back up. After shaking off the dust with a flap of its wings, it soared majestically into the air.

'Damn, this guy doesn't seem to be hurt much...' Logan squinted at the statue, which moved with its original agility. The Chidori had only left slight scorch marks and shallow pits on its wings.

The stone statue raised its head and seemed to be chirping. It went straight up into the sky and accumulated a tremendous amount of energy before diving down with ferocious momentum.