The Grass shinobi charged forward recklessly, but to Manda, they posed no threat at all. The colossal serpent twisted its massive body, swinging its thick tail in a single sweep that sent the fragile humans flying through the air like ragdolls.
Even though by the time of Shippuden, the power of summoned beasts had been greatly diminished—Gamabunta was obliterated instantly by Pain's Deva Path, and Manda was killed by Deidara's self-destruction—there was no denying one truth:
For ordinary shinobi, facing a monster like Manda meant certain death.
This was one of the reasons Orochimaru had risen to the rank of one of the Legendary Three Sannin.
Forget these Grass ninja—even a top-level jōnin like Kakashi couldn't immediately think of a viable way to fight such an overwhelming beast.
And the Grass ninja weren't completely reckless either. Among them were several jōnin-level fighters, who unleashed coordinated ninjutsu in a desperate bid to wound Manda.
But their combined efforts were useless. Not even the faintest scar remained on the serpent's body. Their sharp weapons bounced off his armored scales as if striking solid stone.
Manda's defense was monstrous.
Senju Haruto, however, didn't rush to act.
Aside from checking in and protecting Karin, he had another reason for coming to the Hidden Grass Village:
To expand the Land of Fire's territory.
At first, Haruto had considered negotiating directly with the Grass Village's leader. If talks failed, he could always use force.
But Haruto wasn't interested in the Grass shinobi themselves. All he wanted was their land.
In other words, the carnage and destruction caused by Manda didn't bother him at all. If anything, it made things more convenient.
After all, Orochimaru would be the one blamed for the massacre.
But Kakashi didn't see it that way.
The Grass Village and the Leaf had been allies for years. More importantly, these Grass shinobi were living people. Watching them be slaughtered before his eyes was something he couldn't accept.
Once again, Kakashi activated his Lightning Release Chakra Mode. Bursting forward in a blur of speed, he closed in on Manda.
Taking advantage of the serpent's focus on devouring Grass shinobi, Kakashi gathered chakra into his hand and thrust forward with a decisive Chidori.
The crackling blade of lightning slammed against Manda's side—
—and to Kakashi's shock, it barely pierced the serpent's skin. The scales split, but the muscles beneath were completely untouched.
The pain, though minor, was enough to draw Manda's attention.
The serpent writhed violently, whipping his body around. The shockwave alone sent Kakashi flying like a rag doll.
Boom!
With a dull crash, Kakashi slammed into the ground, rolling several times before finally skidding to a stop at Haruto's feet.
Orochimaru, standing atop Manda's head, let out a helpless sigh.
As much as he wanted Manda to focus on fighting Haruto directly, the serpent had an uncontrollable temper.
Manda always acted according to his own will.
"Haruto…"
Kakashi forced himself up with a kip-up, grimacing. If he hadn't concentrated his Lightning Release chakra into a protective shield at the last instant, Manda's attack would have killed him outright.
What worried him most wasn't his own injuries, but the rising death toll.
With every swing of Manda's body, more Grass shinobi were crushed. If this continued, the entire Hidden Grass Village would be reduced to ruins.
And Manda wasn't just killing shinobi. His sheer size meant that every lash of his tail toppled buildings, reducing entire blocks to rubble.
Kakashi could feel the terror radiating from the Grass shinobi as they fought against an opponent beyond comprehension.
Even Karin was frozen in fear. She collapsed onto the ground, trembling uncontrollably, unable to make a sound.
Haruto observed the scene quietly, then finally decided it was time to intervene.
He bit into his thumb, drawing blood.
Thanks to his contract with Mount Myōboku, Haruto was now capable of performing Summoning Jutsu himself.
Manda might look terrifying to others, but in Haruto's eyes, he was just a slightly stronger animal.
"Perfect. I'll use him to test my jutsu."
Haruto muttered under his breath, pressing his bloodied hand onto the ground.
Boom!
With a thunderous crash, an immense cloud of white smoke erupted, towering like a mushroom cloud into the sky.
Everyone—Grass shinobi, Manda, Orochimaru, and Kakashi alike—stopped moving at once, their eyes locked on the billowing smoke.
When it finally cleared, another colossal figure stood opposite Manda, like a mountain looming in defiance.
It was a giant red toad, a short blade strapped to his waist, bandages wrapped around his body, and a massive pipe clenched between his jaws.
"…That's… the summon of Lord Minato?!"
Kakashi froze, his mind flashing back to the Fourth Hokage. He remembered clearly: in the battle against the Nine-Tails, Minato had summoned this very toad to fight alongside him.
"Gamabunta…"
Even Manda's eyes widened.
Just moments ago, he had mocked Orochimaru for needing his help to deal with a mere "child." Now, that same child had summoned his old rival.
"Gamabunta…" Orochimaru muttered, equally stunned.
He had known Minato could summon the great toad, but the first time Orochimaru had ever laid eyes on Gamabunta was during his missions with Jiraiya, his former teammate.
To see the same beast summoned again—this time by Senju Haruto—filled him with an odd sense of nostalgia and unease.
"I see now why you summoned me."
Manda's voice was low, rumbling, his interest in the Grass shinobi suddenly gone. His golden eyes fixed on Haruto instead.
Haruto stood atop Gamabunta's head, locking eyes with Orochimaru across the battlefield.
But the great toad beneath his feet was not pleased.
Gamabunta was no less hot-tempered than Manda. Known as the boss of Mount Myōboku, he was every bit as violent and short-tempered as his serpent counterpart.
And to make matters worse, the first thing he saw upon arriving was his old enemy.
"Who the hell summoned me?!" Gamabunta bellowed around his pipe, clearly annoyed.
"I did," Haruto answered calmly.
At this point, there were only three people in the shinobi world who could summon Gamabunta: Jiraiya, Uzumaki Naruto, and himself.
The latter two were currently training at Mount Myōboku. That left only Haruto.
"You're… Haru—"
The sound of his voice jolted old memories in Gamabunta's mind. He remembered vividly the crushing power Haruto had once displayed, his overwhelming chakra leaving even the great toad shaken.
It was a memory that still lingered as a scar in his heart.
The reason Haruto had summoned Gamabunta now was twofold.
First, to test his newest jutsu.
Second, because a clash of this scale would cause maximum destruction to the Grass Village—making it easier for him to seize their land afterward.
"Well, well… it's been a long time, Gamabunta," Manda hissed, his tongue flicking as though savoring the thought of prey.
Gamabunta's hand tightened around the hilt of the short blade at his waist.
"So, my opponent… is Manda?"
"That's right," Haruto said with a smile.
And with that, his Sharingan spun to life.
The spectral armor of Susanoo erupted outward, enveloping Gamabunta in a glowing warrior's form.
The battlefield trembled at the sight.