"I thought you'd wait until I finished killing everyone before showing yourself."
Orochimaru, perched atop Manda's head, wore a faint smile.
He had sensed Hanzo's presence earlier.
No matter what ambush Hanzo had initially planned, the moment he revealed himself, it had already failed.
"Enough talk!"
Hanzo's face twisted with fury. He hadn't expected his men to be crushed by Orochimaru alone.
This version of Orochimaru was far stronger than anticipated.
"Today, Orochimaru, you will die here."
The Land of Rain could not afford such a powerful Orochimaru, and the other villages had no desire to witness the rise of a second White Fang.
Hanzo tightened his grip on his sickle.
The giant salamander beneath him understood his intent and surged forward, closing the distance to Manda in an instant. Its massive claw swung down toward the serpent's head.
Thud!
The impact sent a shockwave through Manda's body, igniting its rage. It whipped its head around, fangs bared to sink into the salamander's limb—
But the salamander was faster.
Its maw gaped open, unleashing a thick, violet fog.
Poison Mist Jutsu!
The toxic cloud engulfed Manda head-on. Caught off guard, the serpent inhaled deeply, its vision swimming as the potent venom took hold.
Orochimaru, however, had already vanished from Manda's head.
A shadow fell over Hanzo.
Orochimaru descended from above, the Kusanagi Sword gleaming as it arced toward Hanzo's neck.
Hanzo barely raised his sickle in time.
Clang!
The metallic ring echoed as Hanzo shoved upward, forcing Orochimaru back. The Sannin flipped midair and landed gracefully, only to launch himself at Hanzo again—this time faster.
Hanzo met him head-on.
Their blades clashed in a relentless dance atop the salamander's back, steel singing with each strike.
Meanwhile, the salamander focused solely on Manda.
Seizing the serpent's weakened state, it clamped its jaws around Manda's body, tearing away a chunk of flesh—
Yet no blood spilled.
The "wound" revealed only hollow darkness.
Snake Shedding Technique!
Manda's true head erupted from the ground beneath the salamander, slamming into its underbelly with enough force to send the beast flying.
Both Orochimaru and Hanzo dropped flat, clinging to the salamander's back as it tumbled through the air—
BOOM!
The impact cratered the earth, crushing both combatants beneath the salamander's weight.
Manda didn't waste the opportunity.
It slithered forward at terrifying speed, coiling around the dazed salamander to immobilize it. The serpent tightened its grip, but the salamander thrashed with monstrous strength.
Realizing its opponent's raw power, Manda reared back, fangs poised for a killing strike—
Then—
"Fire Release: Exploding Flame Formation!"
A sea of explosive tags erupted from the ground, crawling up Manda's scales like fiery ants.
Manda hesitated.
Why? His summon is still here!
The blast would injure both creatures. Explosive tags didn't discriminate.
KABOOM!
The detonation dwarfed the earlier attacks from the Rain shinobi. While scattered tags had been negligible, this concentrated firestorm was another matter.
But just before the explosion consumed Manda—
The salamander vanished in a puff of smoke.
Manda alone bore the full brunt.
When the smoke cleared, the serpent lay charred and motionless.
Hanzo, having forced Orochimaru back with a sickle strike, pressed his palm to the earth.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
The salamander reappeared beneath him, its hide now marred with burns. It hadn't escaped unscathed.
Orochimaru's footing shifted as the ground bulged—
A scorched but very much alive Manda emerged, while the "corpse" in the distance collapsed into a discarded skin.
No words were exchanged.
The titans clashed anew.
Steel met steel once more as Orochimaru and Hanzo resumed their duel.
"Infinite Serpent! Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
White serpents burst from Orochimaru's sleeve.
Hanzo didn't bother with a Water Clone. Instead, he whipped the chain attached to his sickle, ensnaring the snakes midair—
He knew better than to let Orochimaru's creations siphon his chakra.
A sharp tug reduced them to pulp.
The two kage-level fighters separated again, landing a dozen meters apart.
Nearby, the beasts' battle raged, shaking the earth with each collision.
Orochimaru's hands flew through seals.
"Ten Thousand Snake Formation!"
A flood of snakes erupted from his mouth, a living tsunami surging toward Hanzo.
Hanzo's eyes locked onto the few white serpents hidden among the swarm.
He inhaled.
"Poison Mist Jutsu."
Violet vapor poured from his lips—a toxin born purely from his body, devoid of chakra.
The mist met the swarm.
Every snake fell lifeless... except the white ones.
But Hanzo's sickle flashed, bisecting them before they could reach him.
He hurled the weapon at Orochimaru, disrupting the Sannin's next set of hand seals.
Orochimaru switched to one-handed signs.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow River!"
The ground beneath Hanzo liquefied, dragging him into a churning current.
Yet in the next instant—
Hanzo's body dissolved into water, reforming behind Orochimaru.
"Iaido: Draw Cut!"
The sickle cleaved through Orochimaru's torso in a single motion. Hanzo, too, was a master of the blade.
Purple veins spiderwebbed from the wound—venom already spreading.
But Orochimaru's severed upper half grinned.
Two new arms pushed out from his gaping mouth, followed by an entirely new body.
"Undying Seal Method: Modified! Infinite Serpent!"
A tiny white snake coiled around his wrist.
Orochimaru funneled chakra into it, and the creature ballooned in size—
Soon rivaling Manda itself.
It lunged at Hanzo, who barely escaped with a Water Clone substitution.
The serpent didn't stop. It grew larger, its maw widening—
"An impressive technique," Hanzo murmured.
He didn't move as the Infinite Serpent descended upon him.
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed.
He retreated instantly.
Just in time.
"Dust Release: Atomic Dismantling Jutsu!"
A translucent cube enveloped the serpent.
Light flared—
And the Infinite Serpent was erased from existence.
Orochimaru stared at the new arrival, his expression darkening.
"Third Tsuchikage."
"Ōnoki of the Scales."
...
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(End of Chapter)