"Go to hell, damn it!"
The Fourth Raikage roared like a thunderclap. With a stomp, he shot forward and reached Orochimaru in an instant.
His arm crackled with lightning, swinging down like a battle axe.
Boom!
The strike tore through Orochimaru's figure and slammed into the earth, carving a massive gash in the ground. The shockwave split the soil, toppling a towering tree in the distance.
The Raikage's eyes narrowed.
"A shadow clone? No... it's just an afterimage!"
As a master of taijutsu, he knew better than anyone how insane the speed had to be to leave an afterimage. Orochimaru was a ninjutsu specialist—how could his body keep up with that kind of movement?
Not far away, Orochimaru—no, a different figure entirely—exhaled slowly, deliberately. It was as if he was emptying every last bit of air from his lungs and gut.
Then he inhaled deeply.
Light-colored markings crept up his face, and the Kusanagi blade in his hand began to glow with a pale yellow light.
The Raikage's pupils contracted. His voice was sharp with disbelief.
"Senjutsu?!"
His earlier confusion now made sense. Natural energy could dramatically enhance one's physical abilities—but since when could Orochimaru use senjutsu?
To his knowledge, only Jiraiya had truly mastered it in Konoha. Even the late Fourth Hokage had barely scratched the surface.
Orochimaru smiled, yellow markings flickering across his face like war paint, hardening his normally delicate features.
"Senjutsu? You could call it that. But to be more accurate… it's solar energy."
"Solar… energy?"
The Raikage glared at him, irritated and skeptical. Was this just more of Orochimaru's nonsense?
What he didn't realize was that Orochimaru was being serious.
Solar energy wasn't just sunlight. If that were the case, then techniques like the Sun Breathing Style would only work during the day. How would you combat monsters that roamed the night?
In truth, the Earth absorbed solar energy during the day and radiated it back out even in darkness. Orochimaru's so-called "pattern mode" allowed him to harness that residual energy. Nighttime, ironically, made it safer—there was less risk of overloading his body.
The Raikage didn't know all of that. But he knew one thing for certain—anyone capable of using senjutsu couldn't be underestimated.
And Orochimaru's sudden burst of speed earlier had already made him wary.
"What's wrong? Not attacking?" Orochimaru grinned. "You don't have much time left, you know."
The Kusanagi sword suddenly burst into flames.
"But I get it. Can't always wait around for an opponent to come knocking. Sometimes, you've got to knock first."
Before the last word left his lips, Orochimaru vanished.
The Raikage's instincts screamed. He raised his arm just in time to block to the right.
Clang!
A wave of heat slammed into him, and his golden armband now bore a fresh black scorch mark.
He countered with a heavy backhand—his fist crackling with blinding lightning.
But it hit nothing.
The Orochimaru in front of him shattered into foam, another afterimage.
A dry chuckle echoed nearby.
"Tsk tsk… you're the Raikage, right? With a body like yours, you should just fight in your underwear. Why bother with gear?"
"Orochimaru" dodged onto a tree trunk, a flicker of surprise on his face. He smiled.
"But how many more times can you block like that?"
The Fourth Raikage growled in a hoarse voice, "And how long can you keep this up?"
His sharp gaze dropped to Orochimaru's legs—his ninja uniform there stained a deep red. Even with senjutsu's boost, an untrained body couldn't withstand moving at such speed for long.
He's pushing past his limits. That much was clear.
Orochimaru… that bastard mixed truth with lies. But if nothing else, this really might be his first time using Sage Mode.
"It's difficult the first time, sure," Orochimaru said with a crooked grin, "but lasting a full day isn't out of the question."
His smile widened, sharp and strange. "Then again, you won't have that luxury. Your men won't wait around while you fight."
His implication was clear: the Kumogakure Fortress might fall. A psychological blow.
The Fourth Raikage said nothing, his thunder-charged aura intensifying in answer.
Orochimaru leapt from the treetop, his blade now wreathed in flame. He brought it down with full force.
Lightning and fire clashed. Shockwaves burst through the air, growing fiercer with each strike. The battle was fully joined.
---
Elsewhere, Konoha and Kumogakure shinobi clashed near the fortress.
Three Uchiha jonin exchanged glances, then swiftly formed hand seals.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
Boom!
A puff of white smoke exploded outward. From it emerged three massive brown pythons, each tens of meters long, flattening trees in every direction.
One of the jonin inhaled sharply, holding back excitement. He pointed toward the fortress.
"Go. Destroy it."
"Hisss…"
Instead of obeying, the pythons turned toward their summoners, transparent drool dripping from their fangs.
The jonin took a step forward, waving his arms. "What are you doing? Are you going to defy Lord Orochimaru's orders?!"
Bound by temporary contracts, the pythons hissed in protest but ultimately turned away, unleashing their rage on the Kumogakure forces ahead.
The Uchiha jonin exhaled in relief, turning to his captain. "Should we summon Manda next? He's even more volatile than these snakes."
"We have to," Shinsuke said grimly. "With Manda, we have a real chance at taking Kumogakure Fortress. Clear the area."
Without hesitation, the others vanished into the trees, clashing with Kumogakure shinobi to carve out space.
Only Uchiha Shinsuke remained. He bit his thumb and smeared blood onto the summoning scroll.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A cold voice came from the smoke.
"…Orochimaru? No. You're not him. Who dares disturb my rest?"
The white smoke parted. Manda emerged, his enormous head alone the size of a small house. His lantern-like eyes glared down at Shinsuke, radiating menace.
"He gave you a contract, and you dared to summon me? Are you underestimating me?"
The raw pressure made Shinsuke's veins bulge. His heart clenched under Manda's gaze—but he fought to hold steady.
"That fortress is Kumogakure's. Orochimaru ordered me to tell you—destroy it."
"You dare command me?"
Manda's tail slammed into the ground, leaving a massive crater.
After venting his fury, he slithered past Shinsuke, not sparing him another glance. His eyes fixed on the fortress ahead—filled with deep-seated hatred.
Scars still lined his belly—reminders of his last clash with the Raikage.
Now, it was time for revenge.
Watching him move, Shinsuke's Sharingan glowed with suppressed fury. He clenched his fists.
One day, he swore, this damn snake won't walk away unpunished.
______________
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