Orochimaru withdrew his killing intent when he saw that Yuzuru Uchiha remained completely unaffected.
He took two steps forward. His right hand suddenly transformed into a thick, massive serpent that lunged straight at Yuzuru.
The snake coiled tightly around Yuzuru's body, but his expression hardly changed. His scarlet Mangekyō Sharingan stared calmly at Orochimaru.
"Orochimaru, be my subordinate."
The abrupt demand froze Orochimaru in place.
He repeated uncertainly, "Your subordinate?"
Yuzuru nodded. "The Village of Konoha has grown rotten to its core. Why don't we tear it out together and reshape the shinobi world?"
"We'll start by killing Hiruzen Sarutobi."
Seeing the serious look on Yuzuru's face, Orochimaru couldn't help but laugh, amused and angry at once.
They said the stronger an Uchiha was, the more insane they became. Apparently, that was true.
"Kill Hiruzen Sarutobi?" Orochimaru sneered. "Do you have any idea who you're talking about? He's my teacher—my mentor! I'm the rightful heir to the title of Hokage, and you expect me to follow you?"
Yuzuru shrugged. "Nothing is nonnegotiable—only when you lack the right bargaining chips."
"Orochimaru, you've always been fascinated by immortality. I can provide you with research materials and equipment. All you'd need to do is devote yourself to the study of life itself, without wasting time on pointless battlefields like this."
"You should worry about surviving again me first."
Orochimaru was done listening to a madman. At his command, the serpent tightened its grip, constricting Yuzuru's body with crushing force.
A moment later, the shrill cry of a thousand birds filled the air.
Lightning exploded around Yuzuru, crackling over his skin. The massive snake turned to charred ash in an instant.
"Trying to run?"
Orochimaru lunged toward Yuzuru, his body twisting in grotesque, impossible angles as he attacked.
"It's useless. Before these eyes, every attack is laid bare."
Yuzuru's body moved like a butterfly dancing on the edge of a blade—always slipping away at the last possible moment.
After a short but fierce exchange, Yuzuru deliberately pulled back to widen the distance between them.
With Orochimaru's genius in research, someone like him couldn't simply be discarded. Even if Yuzuru won now, he knew that controlling Orochimaru would be impossible. If he wanted him to cooperate, it would have to wait until the right time in the future.
From the very start, Yuzuru never intended to waste his Dōjutsu Power on this fight.
"Let's call it a day, shall we, Jana~"
With a casual motion, Yuzuru swiped his hand in front of him, and his entire figure vanished—erased as if he'd never been there.
"What a troublesome man..."
Orochimaru frowned deeply.
He could tell Yuzuru had no real intent to fight him. After all that, the only thing he learned was that Yuzuru had mastered multiple elemental techniques.
Looking toward the raging battle in the distance, Orochimaru sighed quietly.
Even with today's counterattack, they'd achieved nothing. This battle would end only in Konoha's defeat...
——
——
"Damn it..."
A struggled to catch his breath, the earlier excitement long gone from his face.
He had overestimated himself.
Even with his Lightning Release Chakra Mode, he had nearly died several times against Sakumo Hatake.
Speed. Power. Precision.
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, A would never have believed that someone could refine kenjutsu to such an art.
While A was covered in wounds, Sakumo still looked composed, gripping his short blade tightly as he pressed the attack.
"If I kill you, this battle might finally turn around."
Sakumo inhaled deeply, gathering chakra through every fiber of his body until he and his blade seemed to become one. A dazzling arc of light flashed toward A.
'Can't dodge...'
A's eyes hardened. He poured what little chakra remained into his body.
If he couldn't avoid it—then he'd take Sakumo down with him!
Just as their blades were about to meet, a bolt of lightning crashed into A, knocking him aside. A booming, hearty voice followed:
"Picking on my son, are you? White Fang of the Leaf—let me face you myself!"
"Hell Stab: One-Finger Nukite!"
The Third Raikage's fingers met Sakumo's short blade with a thunderous impact.
The blade shattered into countless fragments, and Sakumo was sent flying from the sheer force.
"It's the Third Raikage! Victory is ours!"
"Brothers, charge with the Raikage-sama!"
"Make those Leaf bastards despair! Kumogakure is the strongest village!"
With their Raikage himself joining the fight, the shinobi of the Hidden Cloud surged forward like a storm, their morale soaring.
The tide of battle turned in an instant.
In the original story, the Third Raikage once faced Onoki's ten-thousand-strong Iwagakure army alone, fighting for three days and nights before dying of exhaustion.
That was how terrifying his power truly was.
Ordinary attacks couldn't even scratch his body, while he could easily kill any opponent he faced.
Under his onslaught, Konoha's formation quickly split apart.
"Damn it! Why now of all times..."
"Why is the Third Raikage here? Are the Cloud fools not afraid of losing their own Kage on the battlefield?"
"We can't hold them! Lord Orochimaru, Lord Sakumo, Lord Jiraiya—anyone, please, save us!"
Under the overwhelming pressure from Kumogakure's forces, Konoha's shinobi began to crumble.
Even Sakumo, nearly drained of chakra, could only watch helplessly as the situation spiraled out of control.
Thankfully...
The sound of retreat drums echoed from the rear. Konoha's forces seized the chance, retreating desperately.
At the rear guard, Jiraiya and Gamabunta stood shoulder to shoulder, unleashing a combined technique—
"Toad Oil Flame Bullet!"
A wall of roaring fire surged forward, halting Kumogakure's pursuit. Moments later, a colossal serpent charged into their ranks, tearing through the battlefield.
As much as the Cloud wanted to crush their fleeing foes, they couldn't allow their own to die so recklessly.
The Third Raikage and Killer B had no choice but to turn their attention to the rampaging Manda, Gamabunta, and Jiraiya.
Under their protection, Konoha's shinobi finally escaped safely from the battlefield.
But none of them felt relief. Only despair spread across their faces.
Despair... that slowly turned into resentment—then fury.
If not for the Third Raikage's sudden appearance, they might have won today.
At such a crucial moment—where was their Hokage?!
T/n:
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