Three Snake Princesses from Ryūchi Cave appeared out of thin air, along with two massive, elite-level summoning beasts. Instantly, the battlefield was filled to the brim.
But that wasn't the end of it. Even after summoning the red and purple serpents, the priestesses didn't stop. They continued forming hand seals, calling forth swarms of snakes and enormous pythons.
The Kumogakure ninja forces instinctively backed away, eyes wide in disbelief.
Under the gloomy skies, the summoned snake kings slithered forward like sky-piercing pillars. The once-serene forest of the Land of Frost was now alive with writhing snakes—brilliantly colored and venomous—twisting through trees and hissing in eerie unison. The sheer sound sent chills through even the most battle-hardened.
Many Kumogakure ninjas gulped unconsciously. Some sharp-eyed veterans were already shaken—they could sense it. These weren't just ordinary snakes. They radiated chakra. At the very least, every single one of them had the strength of a mid-tier ninja beast.
In normal times, even one of these snake-type summons would be a rare encounter. But now? They appeared en masse.
The Fourth Raikage's face darkened. He had already assumed Orochimaru wouldn't go down easily—but this? He never imagined such overwhelming summoning power. How had Orochimaru managed to call forth this many elite snake beasts so quickly?
The situation had reversed completely. They had come to surround and kill Orochimaru. Now, it felt like they were the ones trapped.
Sensing the morale of his troops faltering, Killer Bee narrowed his eyes and, with a single leap, transformed mid-air into the Eight-Tails. Not far off, the Two-Tails jinchūriki Yugito did the same, morphing into her flaming blue demon-cat form.
The Fourth Raikage vaulted onto the Eight-Tails' back, rising to the same height as Orochimaru, who now stood atop Manda, the giant serpent. The two locked eyes across the treetops, neither willing to back down.
Orochimaru gave a small, amused smile. Beneath him, Manda let out a thunderous roar in response to the Eight-Tails' presence.
That roar was the signal.
In unison, every snake on the field reared back and hissed—a deafening wave of sound surging out like a tidal force.
The Kumogakure army looked ready to attack, but Orochimaru raised his hand. The snakes silenced instantly.
With a smirk playing on his lips, Orochimaru spoke lazily, "Well then, Lord Raikage—do we have something to talk about now?"
Raikage's expression soured. His gaze shifted to the three snake priestesses, brow furrowing.
"You have the backing of Ryūchi Cave?" he asked, voice low and heavy.
"That's right," Orochimaru replied without hesitation. "I've already mastered Sage Mode. I am now the heir of Ryūchi Cave."
As he spoke, Sage markings began to spread around his eyes—his transformation into Sage Mode complete.
The Fourth Raikage's expression shifted. He could feel it—Orochimaru's presence had spiked to a whole new level. The claim wasn't an empty boast.
And behind him, the three princesses were also in Sage Mode.
Even maintaining one elite summoning was chakra-intensive. But clearly, they weren't strained. These weren't just conjured beasts—they were peak-tier combatants.
And with the endless horde of serpents behind them, it was clear that the Kumogakure forces were at a disadvantage—despite their numbers and jinchūriki.
But even if they weren't at a disadvantage, the Raikage knew he had no desire to start a war. If a battle broke out, the lives lost would be Kumogakure's. Orochimaru was a single man—yes, a dangerous snake—but still, just one.
And no matter how dangerous the snake, trading a battalion of elite ninja to kill him would be a devastating loss.
Raikage's posture loosened slightly. His voice was still stern, but the threat behind it had faded.
"…What do you want to talk about?"
Orochimaru's smile widened. "Haven't I already made that clear?"
Though his voice was soft, everyone on the battlefield could hear it—they were all listening.
"Someone used genjutsu to manipulate Tetsuya into his death. It was a setup—to provoke conflict between our villages. Konoha has already tracked traces of the true culprit. That's why we're here… to share that information with Kumogakure."
He paused, his voice turning cold.
"But it seems," he said, eyes locked on the Raikage, "you're less interested in the truth… and more eager to eliminate your strongest threat."
The Fourth Raikage's expression darkened—but he didn't deny it.
What Orochimaru said was true. And he wasn't the type to dance around the truth. He wasn't like the Hokage or Tsuchikage—full of political double-speak.
Still, before the Raikage could respond, someone else stepped forward—unwilling to let Orochimaru's accusations go unchallenged.
To the southwest, Raikage's deputy—Kaede, who had been blocking Konoha's retreat—shouted loudly:
"Orochimaru! Don't you dare slander Lord Raikage!"
"It was you—your Konoha—who made excessive demands during peace talks. You drove our envoy leader to his death, and now you expect us to accept a clearly one-sided agreement? Don't act like you're the victim!"
He gestured toward the vast array of summoned serpents.
"If we hadn't stopped you here—if you'd summoned those inside Kumogakure—wouldn't the entire village have been destroyed?"
The Kumogakure shinobi standing nearby paled at the idea. They could vividly imagine the chaos the snakes would have unleashed. The fear in their eyes quickly turned into resolve.
Where there had been hesitation, now there was determination—a readiness to die if needed. Even the oppressive presence of Orochimaru's serpents no longer shook them.
Orochimaru noticed, casting a glance behind him with narrowed eyes.
'Kaede, you silver-tongued bastard…'
It was clear to anyone with eyes that Kumogakure had instigated this conflict. Yet Kaede twisted the narrative, painting his side as noble defenders who thwarted a disaster before it could happen.
Not that it mattered—Orochimaru wasn't here for politics.
"Kaede, don't throw around accusations without proof," he said with a cold smile. From a scroll, he produced a sealed document and held it high for all to see.
"I have evidence that Gloya was under genjutsu when he attacked the Hyūga Clan."
All eyes focused on the scroll in his hand. Kaede's eyes briefly narrowed, his expression unreadable.
"How do we know that isn't fabricated?" Kaede shot back. "Maybe Konoha faked it to cover its own tracks."
Orochimaru's smile grew faintly wider.
"You're free to verify it. I'm not afraid of battle. But to be misled into killing one another for someone else's benefit—that, I won't tolerate."
Kaede nodded slightly, expression firm.
"Agreed. Dying over lies like this... would be a waste."
Despite their hostility, the killing intent on the battlefield began to ease.
"Then let's talk," Orochimaru offered, nodding calmly.
But when the Kumogakure troops held their position, making no move to advance, Orochimaru chuckled softly.
Then—bang, bang, bang...
Under stunned gazes, the summoned serpents began to vanish in bursts of white smoke. One after another, the giant pythons disappeared. In moments, only the three Snake Priestesses and a single massive purple serpent remained.
The battlefield cleared rapidly.
Yet the Fourth Raikage didn't smile. He knew Orochimaru too well. This wasn't a retreat—it was confidence.
After a pause, the Raikage gave a subtle gesture, and the Kumogakure forces slowly pulled back.
Soon, only a handful remained in the jungle—leaders and their summons, facing each other across the clearing. Behind them loomed Ten-Thousand Snakes and the Eight-Tails.
The Fourth Raikage stepped forward.
"Let me see your so-called evidence."
Orochimaru gave a sly smile. Then, casually, he dropped the scroll to the ground.
"Evidence?" he said. "There is none. Just a few blank pages."
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