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Moreover, this giant serpent appeared to be in a rather foul mood.
Gamabunta had been doing his utmost to keep his own temper in check, which was why he hadn't started scowling or glaring at Naruto. This was solely out of respect for Jiraiya and Minato's legacies.
But now… damn it, Manda was out here! How was he supposed to remain restrained and calm?
"Manda."
The pipe Gamabunta had been clenching between his teeth had unconsciously been put away. Now was certainly not the time for a smoke.
He was acutely aware of just what kind of summon Manda was.
It was entirely possible for the serpent to be perfectly fine one second, only to leap up and take a bite out of you the next.
When dealing with such a capricious snake, the best course of action was to stay on guard and never give it an opportunity to launch a surprise attack.
In contrast to Gamabunta, who couldn't be bothered to even acknowledge Naruto, Manda was coiled obediently, resting placidly at Sasuke's side.
Only its massive eyes remained fixed intently on Gamabunta in the distance.
At the slightest hint of something amiss, it would immediately surge forward to sink its fangs into its opponent.
"Is there any need to continue this match?"
Sasuke had long since lost any desire to waste time on such a meaningless endeavor.
While he was capable of summoning Manda, this was only possible because Kazuki had managed to bring the serpent to heel.
Otherwise, Manda wouldn't deign to acknowledge him so readily.
"Yes!! Of course we continue!! I haven't lost yet!"
Naruto, who had initially been intimidated by Manda's overwhelming presence, immediately became indignant upon hearing this.
I haven't lost! Why shouldn't we continue? Are you, Uchiha Sasuke, willing to concede defeat?
"Kid, don't push your luck," Gamabunta retorted, utterly exasperated.
The match had reached this point; it was more or less concluded. Once Jiraiya stepped in to mediate and declare a draw, that would be the end of it. What more did this brat want?
Did he want to watch him and Manda duke it out?
'A match?'
Gamabunta directly warned Naruto not to overstep, but Manda, whose mental state was already unstable, immediately perked up its head upon hearing those words.
This was during a match?
Which meant that if it performed well…...
Manda's large eyes sneakily glanced toward Kazuki. Noticing a faint smile playing on Kazuki's lips, its heart settled with reassurance.
And so...
Under circumstances no one could have anticipated, Manda suddenly erupted into motion, lunging forward to take a massive bite out of Gamabunta.
"Manda, have you lost your mind?!"
Gamabunta had been just about to lecture the audacious, ignorant Naruto when Manda abruptly burst into action. Its speed far exceeded anything he had anticipated.
Most treacherously, Manda had chosen to attack precisely when his attention had shifted to Naruto.
"Get off!!!"
Gamabunta attempted to evade, but unfortunately, Manda's sudden explosive acceleration was too swift and caught everyone completely off guard.
Although Gamabunta had maintained some level of vigilance, his guard had lowered during his exchange with Naruto.
Consequently, Manda's fangs sank deep, biting directly into Gamabunta's body.
A pained grunt escaped Gamabunta as he was bitten.
It had been a long time since he last experienced the sensation of being torn into by Manda's bite—not since Tsunade and Orochimaru had left Konoha.
The searing pain brought a wave of clarity to Gamabunta's mind. His massive forelimbs instinctively reached for his weapon.
He groped twice, finding only empty air, before the realization struck him.
'Damn it, I was summoned right in the middle of sunbathing at home! I didn't have any time to prepare for combat; my weapons are all still back there!'
"Dammit, Jiraiya, this is all your fault!!!"
Amid the agonizing pain, Gamabunta roared in frustration and began to struggle fiercely, trying to free himself from the serpent's crushing jaws.
This sudden, drastic turn of events left everyone utterly dumbfounded.
Sasuke watched coldly as Manda clamped down on Gamabunta, his mind reeling in confusion. 'I'm pretty sure I didn't issue any attack command.'
The spectators—Tsunade, Shizune, and Izumi—were equally stunned.
'What in the world is happening?'
'Why have the summoned creatures suddenly started fighting?'
Naruto's jaw hung agape, practically hitting the ground in astonishment.
Jiraiya swiftly scooped Narup into his arms and retreated, turning back to look at the two colossal summons now locked in combat. His head was spinning, a cacophony of 'buzzing' filling his thoughts.
The situation had clearly spiraled far beyond anyone's expectations. But why would Manda attack Gamabunta?
It made no sense.
This... they're actually going at it?
Kazuki watched the two battling summons with surprise, not yet fully comprehending why Manda had suddenly initiated hostilities.
Orochimaru, who understood Manda best, offered a faint, knowing smile.
"It seems Manda is very eager to curry favor with you, Kazuki-dono."
'So, they started fighting because of me?'
Manda wanted to ingratiate itself, to prove its worth, and thus had directly targeted Gamabunta...
Gamabunta was simply the unluckiest of the bunch!
Dragged out inexplicably by Naruto's summoning, bitten out of nowhere by Manda, and now forced into a brawl with the giant serpent.
''BOOM!!!''
The two mountain-like summons clashed together, and the scale of the battle was nothing short of spectacular, reminiscent of the giant monster fight movies from his previous life.
'Should I call a stop to this?'
Sasuke instinctively glanced toward Kazuki.
Seeing that Kazuki showed no intention of intervening—on the contrary, he was observing the battling summons with keen interest—Sasuke promptly quashed the thought of calling for a halt.
He obediently walked over to stand beside Kazuki, adopting a posture of detached observation towards the monumental clash.
"Orochimaru, what kind of game are you playing?!"
Tsunade's first assumption was that Orochimaru was behind this mischief.
Good grief! Two immensely powerful summons were brawling right in the middle of the village training grounds. The shockwaves from their combat were absurdly intense.
They had already successfully shattered the peace and tranquility of the entire Konoha. As Hokage, Tsunade certainly couldn't allow this situation to continue unchecked.
Her immediate reaction was to suspect Orochimaru of stirring up trouble.
Otherwise, why would Manda suddenly launch an attack, sinking its fangs into Gamabunta?
While Gamabunta's temper was nothing to write home about, he at least understood and followed rules, unlike Manda, who was notoriously unpredictable and wouldn't hesitate to take a bite out of an ally.
"This has nothing to do with me," Orochimaru replied morosely, spreading his hands in a gesture of innocence. He simultaneously glanced toward Kazuki, subtly hinting to Tsunade that she should be directing her inquiries there, not at him.
'I certainly didn't order Manda to attack that giant toad.'
"Kazuki?" Tsunade fixed her glare upon him.
Kazuki promptly mimicked Orochimaru, spreading his own hands in a show of innocence.
"I didn't give any orders. Besides, Manda isn't 'my' summon."
"....."
'You two bastards… do you believe for a second I won't pummel you?'
Witnessing the dismissive attitudes of both Orochimaru and Kazuki, Tsunade gritted her teeth in frustration, her anger simmering.
"Orochimaru, was this your doing?"
Jiraiya, still holding Naruto, rushed over and immediately directed his accusation at Orochimaru.
The first time he was questioned, Orochimaru could brush it off lightly, stating it had nothing to do with him.
But being questioned a second time, and by Jiraiya no less, caused Orochimaru's patience to wear thin. His face stiffened, the faint smile vanishing instantly.
"It has absolutely nothing to do with me. I did not command Manda to attack."
"You should be directing your questions to that little brat over there. If he hadn't insisted on continuing the match, would Manda have attacked?"