Konoha urgently needed to withdraw its forces from the Land of Rain to prepare for the impending conflict in the Land of Rivers.
Compared to Amegakure, Sunagakure posed the real threat.
"Xin is Manda's new master? How did he manage to tame Manda?" Tsunade and Jiraiya exchanged puzzled glances, still trying to wrap their heads around the situation. Meanwhile, Orochimaru just smiled faintly, the pieces falling into place in his mind. He knew that Xin's summoning beast must have intervened. The injuries on Manda made that much clear.
As expected, Xin wasn't just some cute pet. She was a fearsome beast.
If Sage Snake hadn't been sleeping in Ryūchi Cave, Orochimaru might have started to suspect that Ophis was sister of White Snake Sage.
With Xin's help and Ophis's own strength, subduing Manda shouldn't have been a problem.
Orochimaru wasn't inclined to make a fuss, primarily because he didn't rely on Manda's power that often.
After all, Manda always demanded a tribute, and finding suitable sacrifices wasn't easy.
Moreover, Ryuchi Cave housed many snakes whose strength rivaled Manda's, there was no need to be fixated on him.
If Manda no longer responded to his summons, Orochimaru could simply form a new contract with another snake that would be easier to manage.
"Begin preparations. The decisive battle is approaching. Send a message to the camp requesting reinforcements!" Orochimaru ordered.
The forces at their position were limited, and to defeat Amegakure, reinforcements would be necessary.
The most challenging aspect of winning this war would be overcoming Hanzō!
As long as Hanzō appeared on the battlefield, he was almost a one-man army.
Wherever he went, death followed, with no distinction between friend and foe.
Even with gas masks, the poison from Hanzō's salamander could be lethal.
If they could neutralize Hanzō, Konoha's chances of victory would significantly increase.
Looking at Jiraiya and Tsunade, Orochimaru couldn't help but sigh inwardly:
If only Sakumo-senpai were here.
Hatake Sakumo's fighting style was the perfect counter to Hanzō. He was faster than Hanzō and his blade even quicker.
As long as they could defend against Hanzō's poison and join forces, defeating him wasn't out of the question.
However, at this point, the three of them hadn't yet reached their peak strength.
Relying solely on their abilities to defeat Hanzo would be difficult-they needed outside support.
Unfortunately, Sakumo was currently on the battlefield in the Land of Rivers and couldn't just abandon that front to assist in the Land of Rain.
....
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