Summoning Jutsu!
Tsunade, Uzuki Yugao, and Uchiha Itachi all bit their thumbs at the same time.
Thick smoke suddenly billowed forth.
Three giant creatures from the Shikkotsu Forest and Ryūchi Cave appeared.
Their massive bodies shattered the ground in layers.
The slug was a split body of the Slug Sage.
But the two snakes were not.
After signing a contract with Ryūchi Cave, in theory, you could summon any snake.
But some snakes have nasty tempers.
For example, Manda always asks for a live sacrifice.
Itachi and Yugao both avoided summoning it.
Itachi's snake was white, Yugao's was purple.
Regardless of their combat power, their size alone was impressive.
Natsume estimated they were at least fifty meters long.
With such commotion, even a blind person would notice. The Hidden Cloud ninja were quickly roused.
Many gaped at the three summoned beasts, almost thinking they were still dreaming.
"Slug and snakes?"
Dodai looked shocked. "Could it be Orochimaru and Tsunade attacking together?"
"That direction is where the Thunder Expansion Device is."
Lightning crackled all over the Fourth Raikage, dazzling in the night. "Dodai, organize the forces. I'll go first. You all follow."
With a boom of thunder and lightning, the Fourth Raikage landed in front of Tsunade and her group.
His landing left a crater in the ground, swirling smoke around him.
The entrance was pure spectacle—visually stunning.
He glanced around—good, only Tsunade, no Orochimaru.
The only trouble was the three summoned beasts.
He regretted not bringing Killer Bee or Yugito Nii.
But if they joined the battle, Konoha would notice.
Then Konoha's Jinchuriki would likely show up.
That would escalate into all-out war.
The other villages were watching closely.
Without more words, the Fourth Raikage attacked ferociously.
His target: Tsunade.
He ignored Shisui, Itachi, and Yugao for being too young.
Tsunade stood still, not moving at all.
The Raikage hesitated for a split second, but his fist didn't stop—he punched right through her body.
No blood, no scream.
He looked around in shock, immediately realizing something was wrong.
"Genjutsu? When did this happen? And I didn't even notice?"
This was the work of a top-tier Genjutsu master.
"Genjutsu Dissipation!"
Blue lightning erupted from his body.
The illusion vanished instantly.
Tsunade was gone.
Only Uchiha Shisui stood before him.
"Uchiha brat."
Raikage narrowed his eyes, noticing the three-tomoe Sharingan. He remembered who this was.
Over the last two years, Shisui had made a name for himself.
As they squared off, Dodai arrived with hundreds of Cloud ninja.
They were met by the massive serpents controlled by Itachi and Yugao.
The two snakes, tail to head, formed a giant ring.
They completely encircled the Thunder Expansion Device.
To get in, Dodai's team would have to break through like Raikage—or kill the two beasts.
But how many in the whole village could rival the Raikage?
Their only real option: take down the summoned beasts.
Battle broke out.
Raikage soon realized he had underestimated Shisui.
He thought Shisui was just a rising rookie—but after a few exchanges, realized he was even trickier than Tsunade.
Countless Genjutsu attacks.
A single misstep would spell disaster.
On top of Genjutsu, his Fire Style and swordsmanship were top-notch.
And thanks to the Sharingan's dynamic vision, the Raikage's famed speed was suddenly much less effective.
…
A kilometer away, at the riverside, Natsume was fighting too.
But for him, it was easy and enjoyable.
Maybe the enemy didn't expect anyone to attack the riverbank, or maybe they just thought the main camp could reinforce in seconds—so only a single ninja squad was left here.
"Water Style: Great Waterfall Jutsu!"
As soon as Natsume arrived, he formed hand seals.
Chakra gathered in his throat, and he spat out a massive torrent of water.
At the same time, the river nearby surged up, joining the attack to form a super-sized water ball.
This is the advantage of fighting near water.
With this river, Natsume's Water Style was at least 10% stronger.
The water ball burst apart, a waterfall crashing down from above.
"Look out!"
The squad's lone jonin reacted fastest.
But it was too late—the waterfall was too vast.
Only he managed to escape.
"Dammit!"
The Cloud jonin roared, drawing a long sword from his back.
He leaped toward Natsume, lightning crackling along his blade, slicing straight through Natsume's body.
He paused, confused.
The sliced body turned into vines, wrapping him up.
"Water Style: Water Fang Blade!"
Natsume appeared behind him, chakra forming a water blade in his right hand, which he drove through the Cloud ninja.
Withdrawing the vines, Natsume checked the riverbank.
If the dam was broken, the water would flow downstream.
And the Hidden Cloud's camp was to the left of the riverbank—safe from the flood.
Natsume needed to carve a channel.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow Rampart!"
Pouring vast chakra into the ground, he raised a massive earthen wall over twenty meters high.
Natsume's face went pale.
He clutched the First Hokage's necklace, regained chakra, and cast the jutsu seven more times, finally creating a huge canal.
Afterward, he cut the nearby cables.
Now, the lightning amplifier couldn't spread far, but would concentrate at the main camp.
He just had to wait for his shadow clone by Tsunade's side to relay the news.
A few seconds later, Natsume perked up, turning back to the riverbank.
"Water Style: Severing Wave!"
A high-pressure stream of water, sharp as a blade, sliced the riverbank in half.
The pent-up river water surged forth.
Guided by Natsume's canal, it rushed toward the Hidden Cloud's main camp.
"What's going on?"
The deafening water made the Cloud ninja fighting nearby uneasy.
"Everyone, get out of the way!"
The Fourth Raikage leaped up, shouting, "Don't touch the water!"
But the next moment, countless lightning bolts burst from Tsunade's location.
Without the cables, the attack was indiscriminate.
Many Cloud ninja were paralyzed before they could dodge.
Then the floodwaters rushed in, leaving them completely immobilized.
Only the jonin and some chunin escaped in time.
"Dammit!"
Raikage was livid.
Lightning plus water—over a hundred losses in a single blow.
"Don't let them escape!"
Seeing Tsunade and the others retreat, he ordered pursuit.
The remaining jonin and chunin went berserk.
A hard fight began.
Even with Tsunade, one of the Sannin, and geniuses like Shisui and Itachi, they were outnumbered.
Just then, Yugao's face twisted in pain.
The curse mark on her neck spread, black spots covering her body.
"Don't resist."
Orochimaru's voice echoed.
Yugao's heart trembled, but she dared not speak.
A moment later, she lost control of her body.
Now Orochimaru was in control.
But her target wasn't the Cloud ninja—it was Shisui.
Powered by the curse mark, she moved as fast as a jonin.
Shisui, locked in fierce battle, never saw the attack coming from his teammate.
Hearing a rush of wind, he turned—just in time to see her hands reaching for his eyes.
"No!"
Itachi saw this, his Sharingan evolving from two tomoe to three in a burst of red light.
"Water Style: Water Prison!"
At the last instant, a stream of water bound Yugao's right arm.
Shisui seized the chance to retreat, escaping the danger.
Natsume, having followed the water, noticed Yugao's curse mark and kept a close eye on her.
As expected, trouble struck.
He didn't want the Mangekyo Sharingan to fall into Orochimaru's hands.
That would spell disaster.
By saving Shisui, he gained his trust.
That would make things easier later if he needed to betray or manipulate him.
And maybe, just maybe, he could one day obtain Kotoamatsukami.
"Yugao, what are you doing?!"
Itachi used a Body Flicker to appear, blade instinctively swinging at her.
"Wait! Something's wrong—she's not herself. If you kill her, we'll never know the truth."
Natsume shouted urgently.
Itachi stopped, noticing Yugao had collapsed, unconscious.
Orochimaru's consciousness had withdrawn just in time.
"Let's go!"
Tsunade shouted.
She too had noticed the strange scene, but now wasn't the time to investigate.
"Fire Style: Great Dragon Fire!"
Shisui reacted quickest.
Nobody noticed his eyes spinning, forming four black, connected blades.
The fire lit up everything.
The charging Cloud ninja felt a chill and momentarily lost focus.
Tsunade and the others escaped.
[Because of your actions, Uchiha Itachi's fate has changed. You gain 49 Fate Points.]
[Because of your actions, Uchiha Shisui's fate has changed. You gain 68 Fate Points.]
[Because of your actions, Uchiha Sasuke's fate has changed. You gain 49 Fate Points.]
[Because of your actions, Orochimaru's fate has changed. You gain 89 Fate Points.]
[Because of your actions, the Fourth Raikage's fate has changed. You gain 19 Fate Points.]
[Because of your actions, Dodai's fate has changed. You gain 8 Fate Points.]
[Because of your actions, Uzuki Yugao's fate has changed. You gain 7 Fate Points.]
Natsume was stunned by the sudden flood of notifications.
So many?
Setting aside Yugao, the Raikage, and Dodai, the Fate Points from the other four were quite impressive—clearly, the changes were significant.
And Natsume didn't even know the specifics.
In other words, events had already deviated from the original plot.