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Chapter 95: Manda!
Chapter 95: Manda!
"Trap!"
A shrill warning echoed from the dense forest ahead, only to be abruptly cut off.
The Konoha teams instinctively halted.
Whoosh, whoosh!
A series of fine, continuous whistling sounds filled the air.
Translucent, spider-web-like threads suddenly appeared, sealing off large portions of the area they occupied.
They had fallen into a trap.
Fortunately, most of the teams were led by Special Jounin and Jounin, so no one was easily caught and sliced to pieces by the threads.
A green mist began to spread and envelop the area.
Clearly, it was laced with something dangerous.
The Sand shinobi were known more for their poisons and puppets than their Wind Release, so this method wasn't surprising.
"Take the antidote in advance, then use Fire Release to destroy the threads and plants!"
Orochimaru commanded as he formed the seals.
"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Bullet!"
A terrifying pillar of fire erupted, incinerating the fan-shaped area ahead.
Though he didn't prefer using Fire Release, it didn't mean he couldn't. Combined with his Kage-level chakra, the B-rank fire technique's power was significantly enhanced.
With one strike, a large area was left charred, and the encroaching toxic mist was evaporated by the flames.
"Fire Release: Flame Bullet!"
"Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!"
"Fire Release: Dragon Flame Technique!"
...
Various Fire Release techniques were employed by the others.
After all, they were all elite shinobi; it was impossible for them not to know a few jutsu.
As the Konoha shinobi used their Fire Release to clear the area, the surrounding plants were burned away, leaving behind a vast expanse of scorched earth.
In a complex environment, the Sand shinobi, with their poisons and puppets, had a significant advantage.
Now that the battle space had expanded, it would allow Wind Release techniques to be more effective, but it also limited their most dangerous methods. It was a mixed blessing.
"Summoning Technique!"
After using Dragon Flame Bullet, Orochimaru didn't stop. He continued with the Summoning Technique.
Boom!
The massive white smoke dissipated.
A colossal snake with purple-black stripes and a crown-like horn on its head appeared on the battlefield.
So big!
This was the first impression everyone had upon seeing it.
Even a train would look slender and small in comparison.
Its identity was not hard to guess.
Manda!
From the three great summoning grounds, it hailed from the Ryuchi Cave.
It was also Orochimaru's trump card.
The Three Great Shinobi earned their reputations on the battlefield, in part due to their summoning animals.
The efficiency of human combat, no matter how high, couldn't match the power of these massive summoning beasts. A single attack from them was equivalent to a high-level jutsu.
Not to mention, these large summoning beasts were incredibly tough, immune to ordinary attacks.
A perfect tool for clearing the battlefield!
In one-on-one battles, summoning beasts weren't as effective.
But on the battlefield, these large summoning beasts were the nightmare of ordinary shinobi.
"Orochimaru, I want a hundred sacrifices as payment, or I'll swallow you!"
Manda began negotiating as soon as it was summoned, displaying its rebellious nature.
Orochimaru's relationship with Manda was more like a business transaction than a summoning contract.
One side provided the effort, the other the reward.
"There are plenty of sacrifices, as long as you can eat them!"
Orochimaru responded with a cold laugh.
He rarely summoned Manda because of this.
To get Manda to cooperate, he had to offer something in return, so he usually only summoned it on the battlefield, where sacrifices were plentiful.
Hearing Orochimaru's response, Manda raised its upper body, its massive form towering like a skyscraper, exuding overwhelming pressure.
"Summoning Technique!"
Seeing this, Tomoe also used the technique.
If the commander was summoning a beast, what was the point of hiding your own?
Boom!
A massive dark-golden crow spread its wings and took to the sky.
Quack!
The shrill cry drew countless gazes.
"That's—"
"Can't be, it's so huge!"
"It's almost on par with the great Orochimaru's Manda. It must have grown so fast!"
...
The Leaf shinobi couldn't believe what they were seeing.
They understood Manda's strength, given that he hailed from the Dragon Land, one of the three great sanctuaries. But Taiping's summon, Taiyi, was the envy and source of jealousy for many.
Yes, Taiyi had grown once more.
Before the Fu Sang tree was planted, Taiyi's wingspan was a few meters high and over a dozen meters wide. Staying on the Fu Sang tree, enveloped in natural energy, had accelerated its growth. Its size had nearly doubled.
A colossal creature with a wingspan exceeding twenty meters!
While it still didn't match Manda, it was now in the same league.
The light in the sky seemed to dim slightly when Taiyi appeared. Even Manda couldn't help but raise his head to scrutinize the massive creature circling in the air, showing a newfound respect.
Only a creature of the same caliber could earn such attention; any lesser summon would be ignored.
Hiss!
Manda made the first move.
Boom!
The terrifying snake body, resembling a mountain cave tunnel, plowed a deep furrow in the ground as it moved at high speed.
Faced with this disaster-like behemoth, what could the Sand shinobi do? They were utterly desperate!
Throwing shurikens, using jutsu, and poisoning—all were ineffective against Manda. They could only avoid direct confrontation, which inevitably scattered their formation.
Large summons like Manda were incredibly dominant on the battlefield. Without a way to counter them, they could easily disrupt the enemy's formation.
"Ah!"
"Help!"
...
Occasionally, a Sand shinobi would be swallowed whole by Manda.
No matter how agile a shinobi might be, Manda was no ordinary snake. Its massive size didn't hinder its speed; in fact, it was astonishingly fast. If not avoided in advance, escaping its attacks was nearly impossible.
At that moment, within the Sand shinobi formation—
"Scorch Release!"
A female voice suddenly rang out.
Boom!!
A massive explosion followed, engulfing the area where Manda was.
Even though the situation inside the explosion was unclear, everyone knew a powerful Sand shinobi had appeared.
Yugao!
Her Scorch Release was unmistakable.
Standing atop a charred tree, Orochimaru didn't immediately rush to Manda's aid.
Letting Manda test and wear down the enemy—wasn't that a good thing?
After all, Orochimaru wasn't concerned about Manda's safety, just as Manda wouldn't hesitate to demand his due.
When the smoke cleared, Manda's body lay on the ground, lifeless.
The morale of the Leaf shinobi plummeted.
Manda was a symbol of immense power in their minds. Seeing him defeated in one move was a severe blow.
"How is it?"
Taiping turned and whispered to Hyuga Aizuki beside him.
"It's a shed skin; the real body is underground!"
Hyuga Aizuki, with her Byakugan activated, saw everything clearly.
Indeed!
Taiping nodded inwardly.
He remembered Manda had this deceptive move. It seemed his memory was accurate.
Due to the secretive nature of shinobi, few knew about this technique. Even those who did might overlook it in the face of such a convincing corpse.
Yugao had fallen for it.
Crack!
Before she could approach the snake's body, the ground behind her split open, and a massive snake tail lashed out at her.
At the last moment, the fireballs surrounding Yugao exploded in front of her.
Boom!
The massive explosion and flames engulfed everything around her.
(End of Chapter)
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