With a sharp whistle of wind, Manda's massive body twisted and lunged. In the blink of an eye, he coiled tightly around the Eight-Tails, like a giant boa constrictor constricting its prey.
"So fast?!"
Killer Bee's expression changed as he unleashed all eight tentacles, desperately struggling to break free from the serpent's crushing grip.
"A Jinchūriki, huh..."
Manda sneered arrogantly. His coils tightened further, his jaws snapping forward to bite directly at the Eight-Tails' thick neck.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
The forest echoed with thunderous collisions. Debris flew, trees shattered, and dust billowed into the sky as the two titans clashed. Neither showed signs of backing down.
"Hiss..."
Orochimaru, in his Yamata no Orochi form, flicked his tongue with a sly, almost human-like grin. He split seven of his eight heads off to keep the Fourth Raikage entangled, while the remaining head lunged toward the battlefield, targeting the Kumogakure ninja hidden in the forest.
Like a white blur, the serpent lashed out. Uchiha Shinsuke, mid-fight, saw his opponent—the Kumo Jōnin—suddenly vanish from sight.
He quickly adjusted his stance, instincts on high alert. A moment later, a mutilated body dropped from the serpent's mouth, lifeless and bloodied.
A chill ran through Shinsuke. Just then, an enemy blade slashed toward him. He pushed the fear from his mind and launched toward his next opponent.
Still, one thought lingered—thank the gods this monster isn't our enemy.
"Damn it!"
The Fourth Raikage exploded from a massive serpent's body in a flash of lightning, tearing through flesh with raw force. But there was no triumph in his eyes.
Even as he escaped, the wound on the snake head began to knit itself shut before his eyes.
To an outsider, it looked like he was gaining the upper hand. But in truth, Orochimaru was simply buying time, fully capable of tearing through Kumogakure's forces in the background.
"All units, fall back!"
The Fourth Raikage roared toward the forest.
Kumogakure's ninja immediately disengaged and began retreating from the battlefield.
"Hisss... My turn."
Orochimaru's white snake head turned toward the Konoha side, a sly smile curling across his face.
"All Konoha shinobi, stay within 100 meters of me. Let Kumogakure run."
The pursuing Konoha ninjas paused instinctively. Then they realized—he was right.
They were the defenders. If Kumogakure wanted to flee, let them. There was no need to chase.
And so, Konoha's forces held their ground, watching the fleeing Kumogakure shinobi with smirks—calm, composed, and ready.
Freed from immediate threats, some of the elite Uchiha—Sharingan spinning in their eyes—moved to support Orochimaru from a distance. Even their illusions, cast from afar, were enough to hinder the Fourth Raikage's movements, disrupting his offensive rhythm.
"Damn it... Damn it all!!"
The Fourth Raikage seethed with frustration. The Kumogakure ninja who had just retreated now felt cornered and agitated. Gritting their teeth, they turned back—risking everything to assist their commander.
They couldn't just stand by while Raikage was surrounded by Konoha forces.
But hesitation dulled their combat edge. With morale faltering, their coordination weakened. As the tide shifted, Konoha—despite being outnumbered—began pressing the advantage.
It wasn't surprising. The Konoha forces under Orochimaru's command were no ordinary unit. Many were veterans from the Uchiha Guard—elite among elites. And now, in the darkness of night—an ideal battlefield for those with Sharingan—they became even more terrifying. Not to mention, Orochimaru himself was wreaking havoc like a force of nature.
"This can't go on..."
Realizing the situation was tipping against them, the Fourth Raikage's heart sank. He hadn't anticipated things turning so dire.
If this stalemate dragged on, Kumogakure would suffer devastating losses.
He roared:
"Killer Bee! Destroy Konoha's fortress!"
The strange, bulbous structure—decorated like a glowing light fixture—had somehow survived the battle so far. Orochimaru had deliberately kept it intact. Despite weak defensive barriers, the surrounding damage had been minimal—mostly broken trees and shattered stone.
Killer Bee, hearing Raikage's command, didn't hesitate. Ignoring Manda's crushing bite, he pushed the Eight-Tails into action and began charging a Tailed Beast Bomb.
"Not happening!"
Manda, unwilling to let him fire freely, coiled tighter around the beast's head. But Killer Bee didn't care—he pressed on, focusing chakra. Yin and Yang energy spiraled rapidly in front of his mouth. If interrupted now, the Tailed Beast Bomb could detonate at point-blank range.
The sheer recklessness made Manda freeze.
This wasn't worth dying for.
Manda had only answered Orochimaru's summons for payment—this wasn't his fight. Orochimaru wasn't even from Ryūchi Cave, nor did he have the right to practice Sage Arts. Why risk death?
The Tailed Beast Bomb took time to charge. Killer Bee clearly wasn't yet at the level of later-generation Jinchūriki. But still—once complete—it was a catastrophic threat.
The massive chakra sphere shot toward Orochimaru and the fortress, tearing through the air like a comet.
Raikage leapt away immediately. Even someone as tough as him couldn't just tank a Tailed Beast Bomb.
What Orochimaru did next shocked everyone.
The Yamata no Orochi—his eight-headed snake form—moved to intercept the bomb, placing itself between the attack and the fortress.
"Wait… is that fortress real?"
The question flashed through Raikage's mind. Why else would Orochimaru try to protect it with his own body?
Even Uchiha Fugaku, watching from a distance, found himself confused by Orochimaru's intent.
But Orochimaru's thoughts were far from defensive.
His goal wasn't to protect the fortress. It was to prolong the war.
Raikage feared losses. Orochimaru welcomed them.
He didn't care how many died—as long as the battle between Konoha and Kumogakure reached its end.
They finally had the upper hand. He wasn't going to let that slip away.
Just when everyone thought Orochimaru had abandoned the fortress, the Yamata no Orochi twisted. One of its massive heads whipped the incoming Tailed Beast Bomb—striking it like a hammer against a spinning top.
Boom!
The attack veered off-course, soaring above the fortress and detonating in the distant forest. The ground quaked from the shockwave.
The fortress was spared.
But the snake head used in the deflection was obliterated.
Still, no one from Kumogakure felt any relief.
Because before their eyes, the severed neck began to regenerate—blood and flesh bubbling back into place.
"Damn it, Orochimaru... when did you become this terrifying?"
Even Manda felt a chill at what he just saw.
But then he remembered—Orochimaru has always been like this.
Cruel to others. Cruel to himself.
And worst of all—he had just exposed Manda's cowardice.
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