"Hmph, all showy nonsense—always doing useless things!"
"Dance of the Seedling Fern!"
Kimimaro grumbled again, then immediately plunged both hands into the ground. The earth began to tremble. Before anyone around them understood what was happening, white bone spikes burst upward from beneath the surface—and shot straight toward the two massive puppets.
"Tear them apart!"
With Kimimaro's furious roar, the bone spikes pierced through the two giant puppets and ripped them to pieces. Unlike Bai's graceful style, Kimimaro aimed for clean, instant kills. As long as the enemy died, any method was acceptable.
"Hmph! Brute! Not stylish at all!"
"Oh shut up! I don't have time for you!"
Neither bothered to acknowledge the other. The battle continued without pause.
"Hmph, two damn brats."
"All giant puppets—deploy!"
Kabuto still maintained excellent control over the battlefield. Seeing more and more elites from the Allied Forces join the front lines, he stopped holding back. He opened another scroll, releasing dozens more giant puppets and sending the battlefield into chaos once again.
"Heh… Don't think I'm out of tricks just yet."
"Come forth—Third Kazekage, Iron Sand Realm!"
"Kakuzu—Earth Grudge Fear!"
Another puppet appeared beside him—the Third Kazekage, previously shattered by Kazuyama Gekkō. That was the advantage of puppets: even if damaged, they could be repaired, the difficulty simply depending on the extent. Kabuto kept the Third Kazekage and Kakuzu by his side because these two represented overwhelming strength.
Black Iron Sand filled the sky, countless spikes raining downward. Earth Grudge Fear burrowed into the ground, splitting open the earth as it launched attacks at the Allied ninja from below.
"Tch, this puppeteer is a real pain."
"Bunta! Oil! Let's burn him all at once!"
"Got it!"
As one of the Sannin, Jiraiya knew plenty about puppet masters, but this was the first time one had genuinely stalled him. He had to admit this puppeteer was powerful—but no matter how many puppets there were, they wouldn't stop him.
"Fire Release—Toad Oil Flame Bullet!"
The massive Fire Release unleashed by Jiraiya and Gamabunta ignited the battlefield in an instant.
Ordinary puppets were primarily wood, so fire was the ideal counter. Unfortunately, that only worked on ordinary puppets.
"Red Secret Technique—Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
Ninjutsu released through a puppet's body wasn't the same as ordinary techniques. They were jutsu Kabuto had pre-loaded into the puppets. He sealed various techniques into scrolls hidden inside each puppet, then activated them with puppet strings whenever necessary.
Facing Jiraiya's massive flames, Kabuto triggered dozens of Water Release defensive techniques in rapid succession. Surging torrents erupted from the puppets' bodies, walls of water rising to block the attack.
"Seriously? These puppets can use ninjutsu too?"
"Scrolls? How the hell does he have so many scrolls?!"
Watching his flames get stopped and steam flood the battlefield, Jiraiya's expression darkened. Great—visibility had been perfectly clear, and now the entire battlefield was drowning in steam. How was anyone supposed to fight like this?
"Where's the Sensor Division?"
"Hurry up and confirm enemy positions!"
"Jiraiya, you idiot!"
Tsunade, still treating the wounded, had steam blasted directly into her face. She erupted into furious curses. If even the Sannin were thrown off, the rest of the ninja stood no chance—their vision was blocked, while the enemy puppets weren't. A puppet was like a blade; as long as the wielder could see, the blade would cut.
"Sigh… After all these years, you're still that dramatic."
"It's just steam. Blow it away."
"Wind Release—Great Breakthrough: Rapid Volley!"
A cold, mocking voice rose from the rear of the battlefield. As the words fell, a violent wind swept forth. The gusts were so strong they could only be called a storm. Everyone had to raise an arm to shield themselves, but the wind carried no killing intent—just raw force. Yet that was enough. The gale scattered the steam completely, restoring visibility across the battlefield.
"That voice…?"
"Orochimaru!"
Jiraiya instantly recognized it—after all, he had spent years searching for this man. He snapped his head toward the sound and saw Orochimaru in casual clothes, standing atop a tree, looking effortlessly relaxed.
"Hehehe… long time no see, everyone."
"How could I not take part in a war like this? I didn't intend to intervene, but it seems things will be difficult for you without my help."
"So, allow me to lend a hand."
Orochimaru's arrogance rivaled that of the Uchiha. A few words from him were enough to irritate half the battlefield. But what could they do? Who dared talk back? As one of Konoha's Sannin, Orochimaru's strength sat at the pinnacle.
"Orochimaru…"
"Didn't expect him to show up."
"But with his power, he's a massive boost."
Tsunade glanced at Orochimaru while continuing her treatment. As fellow Sannin, she and Jiraiya had fought beside him for years—she knew his strength well. Though he had left the village, he hadn't truly become its enemy. Even the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, never pursued him. It was Jiraiya who had spent years clinging to Orochimaru's departure as a personal obsession.
"Summoning Technique!"
Of course, if a Sannin joined the battle, the first move was always a summoning. The purple-black Manda roared thunderously the moment it appeared.
"Hey, Orochimaru, it's been ages since you called me out."
"Relax—I don't need living sacrifices anymore. Snakeberries! I only want snakeberries!"
Orochimaru sighed and nodded helplessly.
"I know. Do your job first. Otherwise, when Kazuyama asks, I won't have a good explanation."
Manda: …You bastard, Orochimaru! Using Kazuyama Gekkō against me… Fine. This serpent won't argue with you!
Manda's massive body surged forward, diving straight into the battlefield. Orochimaru stood atop its head, casually drawing the Kusanagi Sword. He aimed the blade at Kabuto in the distance.
"To catch the thief, seize the leader first. I'm planning to check the main battlefield afterward anyway."
"Pierce him—Kusanagi Sword!"