Manda was an arrogant, ungrateful beast through and through.
Even after inheriting Orochimaru's contract, Sasuke knew better than anyone that the giant serpent would never obey out of loyalty. To Manda, humans were nothing more than tools or food.
Fortunately, he was also one of the strongest summon beasts in the shinobi world.
Faced with the current situation, Sasuke had no better choice.
Only Manda possessed the overwhelming strength necessary to shatter Root's carefully constructed encirclement.
Sasuke's offer perfectly matched Manda's nature, and the calm confidence in his voice caused even the proud serpent to pause for a moment.
"Hmph. You brat at least understand how things work. Don't forget my one hundred human sacrifices."
Manda slowly opened his enormous jaws, revealing rows of razor-sharp fangs before curling them into a sinister grin.
"Very well…"
His golden snake eyes narrowed.
"I'll clear the path for you."
Whoosh!
His gigantic tail lashed against the ground.
The earth exploded beneath the tremendous force.
Like a purple mountain suddenly coming to life, Manda shot across the battlefield at astonishing speed, charging directly toward Ryōma and the two remaining Root elite.
The violent shockwave alone distorted the surrounding air.
The sheer pressure generated by his movement was enough to make ordinary shinobi lose the will to fight.
Not only Shin and Jian
Even Aburame Ryōma's expression became incomparably grim.
"So fast…"
Boom!
"Scatter!"
Ryōma shouted without hesitation.
The three Root shinobi immediately separated in different directions.
While rapidly retreating, Ryōma simultaneously mobilized an enormous number of kikaichū.
Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!
A colossal black wall of insects condensed before him.
He never intended for the barrier to stop Manda completely.
As long as it delayed the giant serpent for even an instant, it would be worthwhile.
Unfortunately…
Manda's arrogance existed because he possessed the strength to support it.
Against opponents on the level of the Five Kage, Manda might find himself challenged.
Against three injured elite jōnin?
They were nothing.
"Hmph."
The enormous serpent didn't even bother slowing down.
BOOM!!
His gigantic body smashed directly into the insect wall.
The dense barrier that Ryōma had painstakingly created instantly collapsed.
Before Manda's overwhelming strength, it was as fragile as paper.
The countless kikaichū scattered in every direction.
The giant serpent burst through without losing any momentum.
In the next instant
His enormous jaws snapped open.
"Ahhh !"
Jian, whose injuries had already slowed his reactions, barely had time to raise his head before Manda swallowed him whole.
No…
Not immediately.
With deliberate cruelty, Manda bit down across Jian's waist first.
Crunch!
The sickening sound of bones shattering echoed throughout the battlefield.
Only after tearing him nearly in half did the giant serpent finally swallow him.
The horrifying screams echoed through the air before abruptly ending.
Blood sprayed across the shattered battlefield.
"Jian!"
Shin's eyes widened.
Although Root members were trained to suppress their emotions, Jian had fought alongside him for many years.
Watching his comrade die such a horrific death still shook him to the core.
His eyes beneath the animal mask instantly became bloodshot.
Yet before grief could consume him
Manda's golden pupils shifted toward him.
The giant serpent slowly licked his lips.
"Hmph…"
"Another one."
To Manda, these shinobi were merely fresh prey.
Without the slightest hesitation, the enormous snake lunged again.
The overwhelming killing intent descended like a mountain.
Shin's muscles instinctively stiffened.
Fear spread throughout his body.
Nevertheless, he forced himself to complete a series of hand seals.
"Water Release: Water Wave Technique!"
A powerful stream of water erupted toward Manda's enormous head.
Unfortunately…
Against a summon beast of this caliber, such a technique was utterly insignificant.
Manda didn't even bother dodging.
The torrent struck his scales before dispersing harmlessly.
It failed to leave so much as a scratch.
"What pitiful resistance."
The giant serpent opened his mouth.
Before Shin could retreat
He was swallowed whole.
The battle ended almost instantly.
"Jian! Shin!"
Ryōma's face became incredibly grim.
Everything had happened too quickly.
He had never imagined that Orochimaru's most powerful summon would possess such overwhelming strength.
It wasn't merely powerful.
It was absolute domination.
Against ordinary jōnin, Manda was capable of killing with almost effortless ease.
Even Sasuke, standing atop Manda's head, couldn't hide his surprise.
He had already held Manda in extremely high regard.
Yet the giant serpent's actual combat performance still far exceeded his expectations.
A summon beast of this level…
So this is Manda's true strength…
Sasuke silently observed the battlefield.
Although summon beasts such as Gamabunta, Katsuyu, and Manda were all regarded as the legendary summons of the Three Sannin, their specialties differed considerably.
Gamabunta excelled in direct combat and possessed remarkable versatility.
Katsuyu specialized in healing, chakra distribution, and battlefield support rather than pure offense.
Manda, however…
Was a monster created solely for destruction.
His offensive power exceeded that of almost any other summon beast.
Only a shinobi possessing genuine Kage-level strength could hope to confront him directly.
"Hahahaha!"
Manda laughed wildly.
"You insects actually dared challenge me?"
"You should consider it an honor to become my food!"
His enormous tail swept across the battlefield.
Boom!
Several Root shinobi were sent flying before they could react.
Even two of Orochimaru's own subordinates were caught within the devastating shockwave.
Manda paid no attention whatsoever.
Friend or foe…
It made no difference to him.
As long as he was enjoying himself, nothing else mattered.
Bang!
Bang!
One Root operative after another was blown away.
The battlefield instantly descended into chaos.
Faced with Manda's overwhelming strength, even the elite shinobi assembled by Root were powerless.
Sasuke watched silently from above.
Even with his current strength enhanced by Cursed Seal Level 2, confronting Manda head-on would be nearly impossible.
This monster truly stood at the threshold of the Kage realm.
After venting his excitement, Manda fixed his gaze upon Ryōma once again.
His enormous body lunged forward.
The ground cracked beneath every movement.
It was as though an avalanche was crashing toward its prey.
Ryōma bit his lip.
He knew retreat was no longer an option.
"Secret Technique: Insect Storm!"
Ignoring the strain on his already injured body, he released every remaining ounce of chakra.
An unimaginably large swarm of kikaichū surged into the sky.
The insects gathered into a massive black torrent before sweeping toward Manda from every direction.
Ryōma hoped to use sheer numbers to slow the giant serpent.
Unfortunately…
"Hmph."
"What a pathetic trick."
Manda's voice dripped with disdain.
Without changing direction, the enormous snake simply charged forward.
BOOM!!
The insect storm exploded apart on contact.
Thousands upon thousands of kikaichū were crushed beneath Manda's massive body.
The defensive formation collapsed instantly.
Manda continued advancing without losing any momentum.
Ryōma's pupils contracted.
Death itself seemed to be charging toward him.
At that critical moment
A deep, commanding voice suddenly echoed across the battlefield.
"Fire Release: Toad Oil Flame Bullet!"
The next instant
A gigantic crimson toad descended from above, landing directly in front of Ryōma.
Its size rivaled Manda's own.
Opening its massive mouth, the toad expelled an enormous torrent of viscous oil.
Standing atop the summon, a tall white-haired shinobi completed a rapid series of hand seals before releasing a massive stream of flames.
The fire instantly ignited the oil.
BOOM!!
A roaring sea of flames erupted across the battlefield.
The inferno expanded with astonishing speed, becoming vastly more destructive than ordinary Fire Release.
The overwhelming heat distorted the surrounding air.
Even Manda's expression changed.
"Tch!"
The giant serpent immediately halted his advance before retreating several dozen meters.
Even he had no intention of confronting such a devastating combination head-on.
The flames continued raging until the giant toad landed firmly upon the battlefield.
Only then did Manda and Sasuke standing atop his head finally get a clear look at the newcomers.
Manda's golden eyes narrowed.
"Hmph."
"That damned toad again…"
His voice was filled with unconcealed irritation.
Sasuke's own gaze sharpened.
His Sharingan locked onto the two familiar figures standing atop the giant toad.
"Jiraiya…"
"…Naruto."
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