He truly is a ninja of the Hidden Leaf.

The moon emerged from behind the dark clouds, casting a layer of silver armor upon the deep-purple giant serpent as it charged relentlessly toward the fortress, unstoppable and indomitable. Neither the towering forest trees nor the man-made cages and traps could obstruct its advance in the slightest.

Taking all this in, Jin Uchiha drew a deep breath, suppressing the turbulent emotions within him. He knew he was by no means a match for Mandara, the ten-thousand snakes, and if not for the contract bestowed by Orochimaru, he would not even possess the power to summon such a beast. The Uchiha clan, even among elite jōnin, were never known for their vast chakra reserves; colossal summoned beasts did not suit them.

Such was reality, yet Jin Uchiha refused to accept it. He silently vowed that one day he would subdue a giant summoned beast of his own with sheer strength, and have it defeat Mandara in his stead. When that day came, he would make sure to humiliate Mandara thoroughly.

“All Konoha squads, do not linger in combat—keep pace with Mandara’s advance.”

Within the dense forest, Fugaku’s command echoed. Jin Uchiha reined in his emotions and dashed wildly toward the Kumogakure fortress.

…

Boom—

A bolt of lightning split the forest; “Orochimaru” barely had time to raise his sword before the fist struck his chest.

A spurt of blood escaped his lips as he was sent flying, the force snapping massive trees in half along his trajectory.

The Fourth Raikage, having landed a solid blow, showed little satisfaction. He stood, breathing heavily, eyes fixed on Orochimaru, brow furrowing. The accumulated injuries he had dealt would have killed any other Kage-level opponent twice over, yet this bizarre man still leapt about, even managing a twisted smile.

“Orochimaru” twisted his left hand at his chest with a crack, resetting his fractured ribs, his face contorted with a vicious grin, the markings making his visage all the more sinister.

Healing ninjutsu, solar energy, perhaps even Yamato cells—these three combined in remarkable synergy, granting Orochimaru’s already monstrous regenerative abilities a truly grotesque potency. Even if he could not assimilate his host’s combat experience as fast as the Fourth Raikage adapted to his own power, defeat seemed a distant prospect.

“A troublesome foe, indeed.”

The Raikage clenched his fists, undaunted. He had managed to pin down Orochimaru and gained the upper hand; killing him was only a matter of time.

With that thought, the Fourth Raikage grinned savagely and lunged at Orochimaru once more.

Lightning and crimson flames intertwined and collided, thunderous explosions echoing through the air, countless trees shattered and splintered, instantly reduced to charred cinders.

“Lord Raikage, bad news! Konoha has summoned four giant beasts—they’ve already broken through our defenses!”

At that moment, a ninja’s urgent cry rang through the forest. “The fortress is under attack and can’t hold much longer!”

In the heart of the battlefield, the Fourth Raikage’s brows knotted further, his focus wavering, and his movements lost their prior perfection.

“Orochimaru” spotted an opening, took a heavy punch in exchange for an opening, and with a sweeping arc of the Kusanagi sword, carved a long, narrow gash across the Raikage’s chest. Solar energy clung to the wound, and even with the Raikage’s formidable physique, it would not heal for a while; blood drenched half his body.

“That bastard!”

The Raikage’s fury and shock surged, but the target of his curse was not Orochimaru, but the talkative ninja who had distracted him. Had it not been for that man, how could Orochimaru have seized the moment?

He even suspected the ninja was a Konoha infiltrator rather than one of his own.

In truth, he was right—the ninja was indeed from Konoha.

“Orochimaru” flicked the blood from his blade, a sly smile spreading across his painted face. After all, he was neither truly Orochimaru nor a genuine warrior. Even with the borrowed wish and experience of his previous host, he could not fully unleash their potential in such a short time.

In moments like this, any means were justified.

“Tsk, tsk, Lord Raikage—aren’t you going to check on your fortress? It’s about to fall.”

“Orochimaru” cackled, his expression saturated with mockery. Yes, he was provoking his opponent on purpose—to enrage him.

“Orochimaru, you bastard!”

The Raikage’s beard and hair bristled, his bull-like eyes glaring in fury.

But in the next instant, to “Orochimaru’s” surprise, the Raikage pounded the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust, and vanished.

“Is he not worried I’ll unleash the Eight-Headed Technique before the fortress?” Orochimaru mused. “Well, the fortress is about to fall anyway—no point worrying now.”

“Tsk… For such a brute, he’s surprisingly clear-headed.”

Chuckling, “Orochimaru” also gave chase after the Raikage. At this stage, the location of the battlefield hardly mattered.

…

Boom, boom, boom—

Two giant serpents twisted their bodies, their tails raised high before slamming down. A layer of invisible barrier rippled with distortion but bounced their tails back. The serpents hissed furiously, repeating their assault, the barrier barely holding under their onslaught.

“Let me deliver the final blow to you insects!”

Suddenly, a deep-purple python reared its head and let out a piercing roar. Its body coiled and then shot forward like an arrow. The horn on its head collided with the barrier—the final straw that broke the camel’s back—as cracks spread rapidly across the entire barrier.

In that instant, a series of explosions erupted along the barrier’s edge, smoke engulfing all three serpents.

“You think I’d fall for the same trick twice?”

Mandara shed its skin and slipped out of the blast radius; the other two serpents, not so lucky, were left battered and scarred, though still more fortunate than the one killed outright breaking the first barrier. With a puff of smoke, they returned to Ryūchidō.

On the battlefield, only the purple giant python remained, flicking its tongue and surveying the devastation below, its venomous eyes brimming with satisfaction. The ache in its belly stoked its anger further, and it raised its tail high.

Whoosh—

With a sharp gust, the Fourth Raikage finally arrived at the fortress, just in time to see Mandara’s tail crashing down.

With the barrier destroyed, the fortress was nothing but a toy of earth and stone—how could it withstand Mandara’s wrath? The Kumo-nin who failed to escape in time were buried within.

“Damn it, you bastards!!”

The Raikage’s rage boiled over, bloodshot eyes blazing. At this point, the war with Konoha was all but lost. Realizing this, his fury only intensified; lightning crackled around his fists as he prepared to strike Mandara again.

Suddenly, the ground trembled and the mountains shook. Under the somber moonlight, three colossal figures fought their way forward, heading straight for the ruins of the former fortress.