"Don't ever pull a stunt like that again. Sneaking into enemy territory alone—do you have a death wish?"
For some reason, hearing that Kazuyama had acted alone made Orochimaru think of his former disciple, Nawaki.
Such a bright and promising young man…
Life was fragile. Even someone as cold and detached as Orochimaru felt a rare moment of unease.
Kazuyama—this reckless brat—was certainly infuriating at times, but his talent was undeniable. Orochimaru had taken a liking to him, and with that came something he hadn't felt in a long time—worry.
"Heh, yeah, yeah, I got it," Kazuyama said with a grin. "I just couldn't help myself."
"That Jinchūriki looked so frail, I figured I could just take his head in one swing."
He made a slashing motion across his neck, prompting a few exasperated headshakes from those around him.
With the enemy approaching, everyone sprang into action. Those preparing for battle took their positions, while the logistics teams rushed to move supplies.
By the time Sunagakure's forces reached the base of the mountain, Konoha was fully set up.
Orochimaru stood at the front lines, his gaze calm and unshaken as he faced the thousands of Sunagakure shinobi.
In terms of sheer numbers, Sunagakure had the advantage.
Konoha had always been stretched thin across multiple battlefronts, never able to outnumber their enemies in any single engagement.
Rasa stood at the front of his own forces, scanning Konoha's position. Their troops were backed against the forested mountains—a defensive stance that clearly wasn't his preferred battlefield.
Fighting on open plains was ideal, but Konoha had responded faster than he anticipated, leaving no room to adjust their approach.
With tensions at their peak, there was no turning back now.
"Elder Chiyo, our original plan won't work anymore. We attack immediately."
"The faster we take this battlefield, the fewer losses we'll suffer."
Chiyo said nothing and simply pulled out a scroll.
"Then there's no need to waste time. Let's begin."
"I'll lead the puppet brigade as the vanguard."
"You bring in the One-Tail and crush them with the Tailed Beast's power."
With that, she raised her arm and shouted:
"Charge! Crush them! For Sunagakure!"
Her rallying cry ignited the fighting spirit of Sunagakure's troops, who surged forward without hesitation.
"A long march straight into a charge? No rest at all. Looks like they're aiming for a quick victory," Orochimaru observed.
"Kazuyama, shall we?"
Calmly, he bit his finger, pushed up his sleeve, and smeared a line of blood across his arm.
Kazuyama smirked.
"The master and disciple striking together? Sounds like something out of a legend."
"Let's do it, Sensei. Time to let the snakes run wild."
To most, Kazuyama came off as reckless and over-the-top, but those who truly knew him understood one thing—
He never liked to get his hands dirty himself.
"Summoning Technique!"
Both pressed their hands to the ground, grinning—Orochimaru with eerie composure, Kazuyama with mischievous glee.
Two massive shadows loomed within the rising white smoke.
As the haze cleared, two enormous snakes emerged—one deep purple, the other vibrant blue.
The moment Manda appeared, the purple-scaled serpent let out a thunderous roar, his presence radiating suffocating pressure.
But his moment of dominance was cut short by a teasing voice.
"Well, well, if it isn't Manda. Where've you been slithering around lately?"
The crisp, feminine voice sent a shudder through Manda's massive frame. He whipped his head around—
The coiled blue serpent was staring right at him.
"Ugh, isn't this Yulín, the eldest sister? What are you doing here?"
Manda felt like he must have picked the worst possible day to leave his lair. Of all the creatures he could run into, why did it have to be this violent maniac?
Back when he ruled over Ryūchi Cave, he had the upper hand—until he crossed paths with Yulín and her three sisters. They had beaten him senseless, taken over his den, and thrown him out, luggage and all, from the core territory.
Best not to talk about it. The more he thought about it, the more it hurt.
Orochimaru, meanwhile, studied the massive serpent with mild surprise. After all this time, this was the first time he had seen something that could actually make Manda flinch—and it was one of his own kind.
Curious, he examined Yulín for a moment before smirking.
"Kazuyama, why didn't you summon that golden python from last time?"
"I haven't seen this one before. A golden flower snake?"
Kazuyama grinned. He had his reasons for summoning Yulín.
"Sensei, snakes all have their own abilities. Take Manda, for example. If I had to describe him in one word, it'd be reckless."
"As for my golden flower snake, you'll see soon enough."
With that, he flickered onto Yulín's head.
"Yulín, I'm counting on you for this one."
"Hmph, I can already guess what you're up to. Fine, since I ate your snakeberries, I owe you one."
Yulín flicked her tongue, her eyes locking onto the incoming Sunagakure forces. Her body coiled tighter, preparing to strike.
Chiyo, though not the fastest, was the first to attack.
A kunai flew forward, accompanied by the extension of her chakra threads.
"Manipulating Attack Blades!"
The battle had officially begun.
Orochimaru was quick to react, lifting his hand and slicing through Chiyo's kunai with Wind Cutter.
"Counterattack!"
Both sides surged into action.
In an instant, the battlefield was filled with flashing ninjutsu and clashing weapons.
"Yulín, it's all yours!"
Kazuyama swatted away an incoming kunai and shouted toward Yulín.
She didn't respond with words—just actions.
With a sudden burst of motion, her massive body shot into the sky. Kazuyama could sense the natural energy radiating from her as it slowly spread outward.
Unlike ordinary flying snakes that could only glide, Yulín was different. As a Senjutsu user from Ryūchi Cave, she could truly fly.
Just like the three Snake Princesses, her Sage training revolved around aerial combat. With the power of Senjutsu, she could hover effortlessly in the sky.
A perfect display of a flying snake's true potential.
"Hehehe, so the golden flower snake can actually fly?"
Orochimaru stood atop Manda's head as the giant serpent charged into the enemy ranks. Meanwhile, he looked up at Kazuyama, floating above the battlefield.
"Hmph, Orochimaru! Where do you think you're looking?"
"Your opponent is me!"
"White Secret Technique: The Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets!"
As ten white puppets emerged, Orochimaru leapt from Manda's head, landing smoothly on the battlefield.
Eyeing the puppets, he let out a small chuckle of disdain.
"What, you already repaired them?"
"I'll give you this—puppeteers are very good at fixing things."
In the last battle, he had destroyed these same ten puppets more than once.
But in the end, no matter how well-crafted they were, even the finest puppets were still just puppets.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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