Lightning crackled across the Third Raikage's body as he unleashed his strongest offensive ninjutsu, Hell Stab.
This technique earned him the title of wielder of the strongest spear.
The Raikage's figure vanished like a bolt of lightning, his speed blinding. In an instant, he stood before Orochimaru, his four fingers poised like a blade, capable of piercing nearly any material in the ninja world.
"So fast." Orochimaru gasped, unable to react as the Raikage's attack pierced his body.
But the Raikage didn't smile. The Orochimaru in his grasp crumbled into mud, a clone Orochimaru had somehow substituted to absorb the blow.
"As expected of one of Konoha's Sannin. You have some tricks." The Raikage said, turning toward Orochimaru's true location.
Orochimaru didn't bother hiding. Against a powerhouse like the Raikage, concealment was laughable.
He eyed the Raikage warily. Even if he unleashed all his techniques, defeating the Raikage would be challenging.
Meanwhile, the other Konoha ninja were tied up battling Cloud forces.
At that moment, a calm voice echoed from above, and a figure descended from the sky.
"Teacher Orochimaru, I hope your disciple isn't too late." The figure said, landing lightly on the battlefield.
"Tengen." Orochimaru said, stunned. He hadn't expected Tengen here, especially at such a critical moment.
Did Tengen have some kind of mind-reading ability, showing up whenever trouble struck? How else could his timing be so perfect?
If Tengen knew Orochimaru's thoughts, he'd shrug and say it was just protagonist privilege.
Back in his original world, Tengen had read a book called Battle Through the Heavens, where the hero always appeared at the most perilous moment, neither too early nor too late. That was the protagonist aura.
To some extent, Tengen carried that same aura.
"Tengen." The Third Raikage said, his face darkening. He hadn't anticipated Tengen's presence. Wasn't he on the Kiri-nin front?
Even if Konoha's intelligence had leaked, Tengen couldn't have arrived this quickly. The Cloud's assault on this front had only just begun.
The Raikage had aimed to exploit this timing gap, but instead, Tengen had turned the tables.
"Tengen." A and Killer B abandoned their opponents, joining the Raikage's side.
They knew Tengen's fearsome reputation. Even the Raikage had fallen to him before. They hoped to face Tengen together.
Even if Tengen used Susano'o, they believed they could hold their ground.
"Tengen-sama!" Konoha ninja gradually noticed his arrival, their eyes lighting up with joy.
To them, Tengen was the embodiment of victory. His appearance in their moment of crisis was like a beacon of hope.
"Konoha's genius, Tengen." The Kumo-nin muttered, fear and unease creeping into their hearts.
Their focus wavered, weakening their performance against Konoha's forces.
"Tengen, you're right on time. Perfectly timely." Orochimaru said with a faint smile. Tengen's arrival spared him from revealing his trump cards.
If other Konoha ninja saw those techniques, he'd have trouble explaining himself.
Hiruzen Sarutobi would surely question him, and Orochimaru had no desire to defect from Konoha yet. He still coveted the Hokage's seat.
"Teacher Orochimaru, leave the battle to me." Tengen said, turning to the Raikage and his allies.
"Tengen, how did you get here? Weren't you on the Kiri-nin front?" The Raikage asked, his expression grim.
The Cloud's plan might be ruined by Tengen again. He was like their nemesis.
"The Kiri-nin front." Tengen said with a slight smile. "It doesn't need me anymore."
"Doesn't need you?" The Raikage froze. Did Tengen learn of this front's crisis and rush to aid it?
But that was impossible. The Cloud's plan had been airtight.
"You're mistaken." Tengen said, shaking his head. "We've already driven back the Kiri-nin."
The news would leak eventually. Once Tengen appeared here, other villages would investigate the Mist front, so he saw no harm in revealing it now to gain a strategic edge.
"We defeated the Kiri-nin? How?" The Raikage and his allies exchanged incredulous looks. The war between Konoha and the Kirigakure hadn't lasted as long as their conflict with Konoha.
By all accounts, the Mist shouldn't have been defeated so swiftly.
Suddenly, the Raikage's gaze settled on Tengen.
Perhaps only he could achieve such a feat, crippling the Kirigakure single-handedly.
If Konoha seized the right moment, victory was plausible.
Orochimaru, hearing Tengen's words, was quietly shocked. He hadn't realized Konoha had won that front.
"What now?" The Raikage said slowly. He knew they faced a choice: retreat or fight Tengen here.
Other battlefields might still hold, offering a chance for victory.
But if they couldn't handle Tengen and were defeated, it could trigger a domino effect across the other fronts.
"What now? You Kumo-nin attacked Konoha. What do you think happens next?" Tengen said with a faint smile, forming hand seals.
"Wood Clone Technique!"
Dozens of Tengen clones appeared across the battlefield.
***
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