https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-126-Yecang-Are-You-Overconfident-or-Am-I-Too-Old-to-Wield-My-Blade-/12832183/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-128-Oh-No-the-Hokage-s-Son-Has-Been-Captured-/12832185/
Chapter 127: Orochimaru!
Chapter 127: Orochimaru!
"Of course, you couldn't fool Orochimaru, could you?"
Chiyo's voice echoed, but not from the poisoned body lying on the ground. Instead, it came from behind Orochimaru.
Only now did they see that the 'Chiyo' on the ground was a puppet, indistinguishable from the real thing.
"No, you did succeed!"
Orochimaru shook his head slightly.
The puppet had indeed deceived him. If he hadn't noticed the discrepancy from another angle, he would never have seen through it.
The question was...
How did they know he was hiding in the shadows?
Those who knew his specific intelligence in Konoha could be counted on one hand, and outside the village, only a few more.
Orochimaru's mind raced, quickly dismissing one suspect after another.
However, he soon refocused his thoughts.
Even if he guessed who had leaked the information, it wouldn't help now. The most important thing was to resolve the current predicament.
"Orochimaru, you're staying here today!"
Another voice cut in.
It was Roshi, who had appeared at Orochimaru's side without anyone noticing.
Now, with Yugao in front, Chiyo behind, and Roshi to the side, the three had formed a tight encirclement.
"It seems the group of Sand ninja you led away was a decoy. The poison I placed in the water source these past few days must have been neutralized, right?"
Despite the dangerous situation, Orochimaru remained calm.
As one of the Sannin, the 'Calm Lord,' this wasn't just a description but a reflection of his style. No matter the danger, he faced it with icy composure.
If he were alone, escaping with his own strength and means would be no problem.
But he wasn't alone this time.
"That's right. Your poison was indeed subtle, but if we knew in advance, it wasn't hard to neutralize. You won't escape today, Orochimaru!"
Chiyo tried to influence Orochimaru's state of mind.
A ninja's mental state greatly affects their combat performance, which is why various wills and ninja doctrines are so prevalent—they genuinely enhance fighting power.
"Lord Orochimaru!"
Nara Shikaku arrived with reinforcements, including Akimichi Choza and Yamanaka Inoichi.
With their 'Boar-Deer-Butterfly' combination, as long as they didn't face a type that countered them, taking on a Kage-level opponent was no issue.
In terms of numbers, Konoha was slightly at a disadvantage.
But in training, strength, ninja tools, and jutsu, the ninja from the Uzumaki clan and other powerful families had the upper hand.
They were only inferior in numbers, experience, and mindset compared to the Sand ninja.
The Sand ninja had divided a portion of their forces to control the southwestern region, leaving about 1,500 elite Sand ninja here.
Konoha, on the other hand, had 1,200 ninja, with 1,000 from the private armies of the ninja clans and 200 borrowed from the southwestern ninja forces.
The key was their higher quality, which gave them the confidence to launch an offensive despite the numerical disadvantage.
Orochimaru's trump card, the poison he had placed in advance, had been neutralized.
With Konoha reinforcements arriving, the battle of the strong began.
Akimichi Choza made the first move.
"Partial Size Expansion Jutsu!"
His enlarged hands slammed toward Yugao, followed by Yamanaka Inoichi and Nara Shikaku.
"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"
Asuma Sarutobi targeted Chiyo.
Among the Sand ninja's Kage-level fighters, the puppeteer Kankuro's Ten Puppets had been damaged, significantly weakening their combat power. Thus, targeting him was a logical choice.
At least they didn't have to worry about being outmatched.
Four Konoha jonin, including Asuma's sister, tried to assist but were blocked by the Sand ninja jonin.
Did they think the Sand ninja jonin were just standing there?
(Hiruzen was commanding the battle from behind the Sand ninja!)
With each side's powerful fighters engaged, only Orochimaru and Roshi were left.
Orochimaru made the first move.
"Shadow Serpent Hands!"
He needed to eliminate one opponent to break the encirclement and win the battle.
Swoosh!
A large shield of sand blocked Orochimaru's attack, and then Roshi formed seals, causing the sand to condense into spears that pierced toward Orochimaru.
"Magnetism Release: Sand Spear!"
If hit, the spears would easily pierce through any target.
"Such a cheap trick isn't like you. Stop stalling and use your real move!"
Orochimaru's body twisted at an impossible angle, and he coldly warned his opponent that he had seen through their plan.
Despite the intense fighting, it felt like they were trying to stall for time, suggesting they had a setup that needed more time to complete.
"True to form, Orochimaru!"
Rosha gave Orochimaru a deep, penetrating look.
Among the Three Great Shinobi, the other two had obvious weaknesses, but Orochimaru was flawless. Not only was he immensely powerful, but his leadership skills were also impeccable.
That was why they had tried to hunt him down first, but unfortunately, they failed. They only managed to force him to withdraw from the battlefield for a while.
Bang! Bang!
Several fireworks exploded in the sky behind the Konoha shinobi forces.
This signaled one thing: a Sand shinobi unit had flanked them from behind.
"Retreat!"
Orochimaru, seeing the situation, immediately took command and issued the order.
Neither Sarutobi Asuma nor Nara Shikaku found anything amiss with this. As a highly decorated Kage-level shinobi and the Hokage's student, Orochimaru was the undisputed choice for command.
Soon, the Konoha forces signaled their retreat. However, the Sand shinobi were not willing to let them go so easily and clung on tightly.
" summoning: Sea of Serpents!"
Orochimaru spat out a flood of snakes.
The overwhelming tide of serpents surged forward, aiming to disrupt the pursuit.
These snakes weren't particularly lethal, but their venom was extremely dangerous. A single bite could either kill or severely wound the victim.
"Magnetism Release: Sand Gold Funeral!"
Rosha, naturally, wouldn't let the snake tide spread unchecked. He slapped his hands on the ground.
Swoosh! Swoosh!
Countless grains of sand gold surged toward the snake horde like a vast sea.
One by one, the venomous snakes were engulfed in the sand gold and crushed into pulp.
The two Kage-level shinobi continued to unleash their most powerful techniques.
After using his first major technique, Rosha, heedless of the chakra cost, followed up with another.
"Magnetism Release: Sand Gold Tsunami!"
This technique was a follow-up to the previous one.
It involved controlling the sand gold to surge and impact the enemy.
If the earlier sand gold resembled a rolling sea, this one was like a raging tsunami, capable of shattering anything in its path.
Boom!
With a deafening roar, the raging sand gold swept through, reducing everything in its wake to rubble.
In a one-on-one fight, such a combination of techniques could be avoided with various methods.
But on the battlefield, it was a godlike skill.
Because even if your opponent could dodge, it didn't mean everyone else could.
An indiscriminate area-of-effect attack!
Though some Sand shinobi were caught in the blast, the numbers were few, and Rosha could adjust the technique, so there was no need to worry.
Orochimaru bit his thumb, formed the hand seals, and slapped his hand on the ground.
"Summoning: Triple Rashomon (Triple Uncle's Repair Gate!)"
A massive array of black runes spread out.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three enormous ghost-faced gates rose one after another from the ground in front of him, blocking the surging sand gold.
The sand gold, carrying an overwhelming force, continuously battered against the triple ghost-faced gates but was held back, unable to advance a single inch.
The Rashomon!
A special summoning technique with astonishing defensive capabilities.
It could even block or deflect attacks as powerful as a Tailed Beast Bomb, which was comparable to a nuclear strike.
The only drawback was the high chakra cost.
Even with Orochimaru's vast chakra reserves, using the Sea of Serpents and Triple Rashomon in quick succession had taken a toll.
"Summoning!"
Orochimaru used the summoning technique again.
This time, he summoned a summoning creature.
Bang!
A massive cloud of white mist spread out.
A colossal purple snake appeared on the battlefield.
"Orochimaru, you almost got me killed last time. If you don't give me three hundred sacrifices, I'll swallow you whole!"
Manda, the serpent, immediately brought up past grievances.
In the previous battle, due to Hiruzen's sealing technique, he almost died in the crossfire between Toho and Yugao's ultimate techniques. Now, he demanded compensation.
"As long as we can break through this time, the sacrifices are yours for the taking."
Orochimaru made the promise, acting as if he didn't know what Manda meant by sacrifices.
"Remember your promise!"
Manda's massive body surged backward.
His body was the best weapon.
Whether it was tools or jutsu, everything could be shattered by a direct collision.
Among the Sand shinobi, only Rosha was best suited to deal with a large summoning creature like Manda.
Yugao and Chiyo were more adept at fighting humans.
Against such a large summoning creature, defensive lines and formations were useless, and the Sand shinobi couldn't hold them back.
If this continued, the Konoha shinobi would definitely break through.
But just as the Konoha shinobi saw hope of breaking through, someone kicked them back into a desperate situation.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
