Yes. Opportunities like this are pretty rare.
Even in Orochimaru's fifty years of life, clashes between two village Kage were few and far between—let alone four at once. A battle like this was bound to be intense.
But…
When Orochimaru commanded the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, to go head-to-head with the Second Tsuchikage, Mu, it was a one-sided slaughter.
The Fourth Kazekage manipulated his gold dust into a long golden spear and aimed it at Mu, but it was instantly disintegrated by a blinding white light.
"Dust Release: Particle Style Jutsu!" With a clap of his hands, Mu's technique destroyed the golden spear and then rapidly wiped out Rasa's body along with it.
His Edo Tensei form broken, Rasa instantly lost the ability to fight, his fragmented body turning into dust that drifted through the air.
The kind of chakra this technique requires…
Orochimaru suddenly felt uneasy. He could tell something was off—Kabuto's Edo Tensei was actually better than his own.
How was that possible?
Orochimaru had always believed his own Edo Tensei was unmatched, even superior to that of its creator, the Second Hokage.
His version should have been the most perfected.
Kabuto was only ever his assistant, so how could he surpass him? The Kage he summoned could unleash almost all of their original power without losing control.
How was that possible?
Orochimaru didn't mind admitting when others were talented. He had acknowledged that plenty of people were stronger than him in some ways.
But he couldn't stand being surpassed in his own specialty. Especially not by Kabuto, a man he always thought had his limits.
That guy… he was supposed to be just a medical ninja.
Orochimaru had watched Kabuto grow step by step. And even though Kabuto was always weak in actual combat, how could he be so gifted in Edo Tensei, even more so than Orochimaru himself, who had mastered it for years?
On the other front, it was also one-sided.
"Hahahaha… Yagura, you're just the same as you were when you were a kid!" the Second Mizukage, Gengetsu, grinned. He unleashed his Water Gun Jutsu, instantly piercing the body of the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura.
"Second Mizukage…" Yagura's eye twitched as his body seemed to lose all strength and collapse.
In the blink of an eye, Orochimaru's side had been almost totally wiped out.
"You've hidden your skills well, Kabuto…" Orochimaru gritted his teeth, staring at the two reanimated Kage.
He stubbornly tried to buy time. "I'm curious—when did you perfect Edo Tensei to a point that it surpassed my own?"
"Sorry about that, Lord Orochimaru. I suppose my progress did surprise you," Kabuto said, speaking through Mu's body as he floated closer. "It was an honor to have followed you for so long. But I don't have time to chat, and I'm not letting you stall. Please, hand Sasuke over to me."
"Sasuke?" Orochimaru glanced at Sasuke, who was hiding nearby. He seemed to understand instantly, and his eyes went cold. "You're working for Emiya Shirou?"
"To be precise," Kabuto clarified, not wanting to reveal he had fully sided with Emiya Shirou just yet, "I'm currently with the Akatsuki."
"…"
Orochimaru's anger grew. What was the difference between being with the Akatsuki and being Emiya Shirou's follower?
"Sasuke won't go with you." Orochimaru stepped in front of Sasuke, even offering an excuse. "Sasuke's goal is to kill Itachi, and Itachi is with the Akatsuki."
"…"
Sasuke's gaze narrowed.
"Orochimaru," Kabuto said, as if considering the point, "there's no point in hiding it now, is there?
Uchiha Itachi and Kisame are both spies for Uchiha Obito within the Akatsuki, correct? Y
ou don't all actually… think Lord Emiya Shirou would turn a blind eye to that, do you?"
"!!!"
Orochimaru's heart jolted.
No way… Obito messed up again!
That fool thought Kisame and Itachi were sent by Emiya Shirou to broker peace, but in reality, Shirou had a backup plan. Itachi and Kisame were just bait.
The one truly sent to take Sasuke was Kabuto.
This was bad.
Orochimaru bit his lip, grabbed Sasuke, and tried to flee.
"Wait…" Sasuke still hadn't figured things out. He wanted to know which side Itachi was really on, and who would allow him to finally kill his brother.
But Orochimaru couldn't worry about that now. He was only concerned with Sasuke's potential to awaken the Rinnegan in the future.
"Kisame! Itachi!" Orochimaru shouted as he ran, believing they were hiding nearby. "Hold them off! Kabuto's orders are to clean up you guys, too!"
Just as Orochimaru guessed, Itachi and Kisame were hidden in the shadows. Itachi could never give up on his brother's safety.
Under a large tree, Kisame stood with Samehada at his side. Itachi sat on a branch above, quietly observing.
"What now, Itachi-san?" Kisame looked up, asking for his partner's decision. "Should we interfere?"
"…"
Itachi's body dissolved into a flock of crows and disappeared. Of course he had to intervene. His goal was always to keep Sasuke from leaving Konoha. Whether it was Orochimaru or the Akatsuki, both had to be stopped.
Now that Orochimaru was losing, if Sasuke was taken by the Akatsuki, it would be difficult for Itachi to get involved.
No matter what Emiya Shirou intended for Sasuke, Itachi wouldn't be able to stop it. He knew he was no match for that man, even if he risked his life.
On the battlefield, Orochimaru was fleeing fast. But Mu was faster.
The bandaged Tsuchikage blocked Orochimaru's path, while the Second Mizukage, Gengetsu, moved in for a pincer attack.
"Hand Sasuke over, Orochimaru," Kabuto said through Mu, calmly urging him to face reality. "Sasuke's potential can only be truly realized by Lord Emiya Shirou. Leaving him with you would be a waste."
"Hmph!" Orochimaru wasn't interested. He sneered, "You find a new master and suddenly think you can talk down to me?"
"No. I have only respect for you, Lord Orochimaru. When I had lost my way, you taught me how to gather information and find my true self. Now… I've found it." Kabuto finished and then described what he saw in his former master.
"But you, Lord Orochimaru, are still lost. Our talents can't always create the winds that drive the ninja world. Sometimes, being a windmill waiting for the wind is luck enough. You will never be a match for Lord Emiya Shirou. Even Uchiha Obito can't oppose his will."
Kabuto closed in with the two reanimated Kage and began his attempt at persuasion. "Why not stop? Bring Sasuke and surrender with me. I'm sure Lord Emiya's magnanimity will lead him to forgive you, and maybe even restore your position."
"He's not so generous!" A fierce look flashed across Orochimaru's face.
His neck suddenly stretched, lashing out at Gengetsu.
He was ready to fight, aiming to seal the Second Mizukage first, then take on the highly mobile Mu.
But his hope was naive. The two Kage had fought together before. Even if they weren't friends, they could coordinate perfectly. A Water Gun pierced Orochimaru's neck, and Mu slashed down at his chest with a ninja blade.
"Too bad!" Orochimaru's body instantly turned to mud.
"An Earth Clone!" Kabuto was shocked. As a medical ninja, he didn't understand the subtleties of Kage-level combat.
He assumed two Kage working together would be a sure thing. But the puppets he controlled only followed direct orders; they couldn't act on their own, so neither warned him that Orochimaru was just a clone.
But what about Sasuke?
He was the one Emiya Shirou wanted. Fearing they might accidentally harm Sasuke, Kabuto hurriedly ordered the two Kage to pause and took direct control.
The next moment, the real Orochimaru burst out from the dirt under Gengetsu's feet, striking at the Second Mizukage. He was still trying to seal Gengetsu first. After all, a flying Tsuchikage is hard to catch. Gengetsu was the easier target.
A swarm of long snakes instantly pierced Gengetsu's body. As his form was broken, a flood of sealing tags enveloped him like a mummy, sealing him away completely.
Mu realized things were turning bad. Or more accurately, Kabuto, controlling him, realized it.
He had been careless, thinking Kage-level fights were just an exchange of ninjutsu. He hadn't appreciated how these experienced shinobi truly fight.
But it didn't matter. Mu could still finish the mission. Even though Orochimaru had sealed Gengetsu, as long as Kabuto could take Sasuke, it wasn't a total loss.
However, as Kabuto used Mu to reach for Sasuke, a cloud of crows appeared and formed into Itachi, stepping between them.
At the same time, Kisame dashed forward, swinging Samehada and forcing Mu back with a spray of water.
Those two traitors. They showed up at just the right time.
"Your Edo Tensei is excellent…" Orochimaru glanced at the now-mummified Gengetsu, calmly withdrawing his hand.
He looked at the forced-back Mu, then chuckled at Kabuto behind him. "But you don't seem to know how to use them in a real battle, Kabuto."