Time ticked by, second by second.
At one point, after another fierce exchange, both Orochimaru and Jiraiya suddenly backed off in sync.
It was clear neither of them was in great shape. Both bore injuries, and their chakra reserves were running low—definitely not enough for much longer.
After all, not everyone was Uchiha Madara or Senju Hashirama. Just because they could fight for three days and nights non-stop didn't mean the rest of the shinobi world could.
Even top-tier powerhouses like Orochimaru and Jiraiya had limits.
After two hours of sprinting, followed by over an hour of intense battle, their conditions had dropped significantly.
Fighting any further like this was pointless.
So, the two simultaneously decided to stop holding back—and instead, go all-in with their ultimate techniques.
They stared each other down for a few moments, then both suddenly raised their hands and—chomp—bit into their thumbs.
Blood trickled down their fingers as they began weaving hand signs, activating the Summoning Jutsu.
POOF! POOF!
Two massive clouds of chakra smoke exploded into the clearing.
When the mist settled, two enormous creatures loomed before them.
One was entirely purple, covered in hardened scales, with horn-like protrusions on its head—Orochimaru's summoned beast, the boss of Ryūchi Cave: Manda.
The other was Gamabunta of Mount Myōboku—a massive toad with warts all over his body, an orange back, white belly, a short sword tucked at his side, and a pipe clenched between his lips, exuding the aura of a straight-up mob boss.
"Phew~~"
Gamabunta let out a long exhale, sending rings of smoke rising from his head.
He looked toward Manda and the figure standing atop its head—Orochimaru—then glanced up at Jiraiya perched on his own noggin. "Jiraiya, what's going on? Why are you fighting with Orochimaru?"
Jiraiya gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "Long story. Just help me take him down, okay?"
"…Got it."
Gamabunta squinted at Manda and Orochimaru, his gaze serious. Clearly, he knew how dangerous that duo was—so much so, he skipped his usual wisecracks.
Meanwhile, Manda was not having a peaceful chat.
After glaring at Jiraiya and Gamabunta, he turned his cold eyes to Orochimaru and hissed, "Orochimaru, you've summoned me to fight such troublesome enemies again. Are you looking to die?"
But Orochimaru didn't even flinch, let alone look down at Manda—completely ignoring the threat.
Not because he was trying to be disrespectful, but because he knew Manda well. The serpent was cruel and arrogant. No amount of sweet-talking would make him more agreeable.
So Orochimaru didn't waste a single breath.
Manda, of course, did not appreciate the silent treatment.
He began thrashing his massive head wildly, trying to fling Orochimaru off while growling, "You wanna die that badly, huh?! ANSWER ME!"
Still, Orochimaru said nothing.
With chakra-anchored feet, he stayed glued to Manda's head like a nail, unmoving no matter how hard the snake bucked.
Of course, knowing he still needed Manda for the battle ahead, Orochimaru didn't push things too far.
After letting Manda vent for a while, he finally opened his mouth:
"One hundred human sacrifices."
Manda immediately stopped.
For a summoned beast like him—cruel and bloodthirsty—human sacrifices were the tastiest of delicacies. He couldn't refuse.
But that didn't stop him from haggling. "Not enough. This time I want two hundred."
"Fine," Orochimaru agreed instantly.
In the past, Orochimaru might've hesitated—concerned about appearances or public opinion. But now, with his goals and ambitions crystal clear, he no longer cared for the lives of ordinary people.
Human sacrifices? Just resources, nothing more.
Seeing Orochimaru agree so easily, Manda was tempted to ask for even more—but when he remembered who he was dealing with, he swallowed the thought.
Arrogant he might be, but not stupid.
He might try to push around weaker shinobi, but against an elite like Orochimaru, he knew when to shut up.
In fact, when he did agree to a deal, Manda actually followed through—he didn't want to pay the price of angering Orochimaru.
Off in the distance, Jiraiya overheard their exchange—heard how Orochimaru was trading human lives for power—and his face darkened.
He wasted no more time.
He slapped his hand down on Gamabunta's head and shouted, "Bunta, go!"
Gamabunta didn't say a word. He bent his powerful legs and launched himself into the air, descending like a mountain to body slam Manda.
Seeing the looming shadow, Manda looked up and snarled, "Filthy toad! You're asking to die! I'll make you my appetizer today!"
He coiled himself tightly, muscles tensed like steel cables, and launched upward to meet the attack head-on.
As for Orochimaru on his head?
Yeah, Manda didn't give a crap.
Orochimaru calmly leapt off, leaving Manda to clash alone against Jiraiya and Gamabunta.
Up above, Gamabunta heard Manda's taunt and responded with a mocking grin: "Heh! You stinkin' snake—I've been needing a new snakeskin wallet. Looks like you'll do nicely!"
With that, he drew the short sword from his waist—short being relative. For a giant toad, sure it was short, but by human standards, that blade was over ten meters long.
An absolute giant sword.
And now, that massive blade came slashing down toward Manda's head.
But Manda was no easy opponent.
At the last possible second, he twisted his body violently, narrowly dodging the strike—and then lunged at Gamabunta's arm with a vicious snap.
Gamabunta wasn't about to let a venomous snake sink its fangs into him. He quickly brought his sword across to block.
CLANG!
A sharp, metallic ring echoed across the battlefield, sparks flying as Gamabunta's blade clashed against Manda's fangs.
The impact sent both titans hurtling backward through the air.
BOOM!
Gamabunta landed hard, butt-first, flattening an entire stretch of forest.
Dirt, rocks, and shattered branches exploded in every direction, creating a storm of debris. The crashing shockwaves echoed through the trees.
This—this was why people feared tailed beasts and massive summons.
Creatures of this scale didn't need fancy jutsu—their very existence was dangerous.
Take Gamabunta just now: one butt-drop and the shockwave alone hit like a full-powered C-rank jutsu.
If any ordinary ninja had been nearby?
Forget attacking—just surviving would've been a miracle.