Chapter 447: Giant Cat
Inside the Four Red Yang Formation, battle was on the verge of breaking out.
As per tradition, a few redundant words had to be exchanged before crossing hands—demanding to know Orochimaru's purpose and advising him to bind his hands and surrender. Furthermore, upon seeing the Fourth Kazekage whom Orochimaru had Reanimated, the Hidden Sand Village's lead Jonin, Baki, instantly "exploded," shouting and bellowing around the perimeter of the barrier... though he didn't actually say anything about going inside.
Getting Orochimaru to state his purpose was simply impossible. It would be impossible for the rest of his life. There were so many experts in Konoha, they spoke so pleasantly, and the barrier was so firm; only by not offending the Senior could he sustain his livelihood like this...
"Four Red Yang Formation..." Orochimaru licked his lips as he appraised his surroundings. This thing was indeed not something he could shatter on his own. "Summoning Jutsu: Formations of Ten Thousand Snakes!"
...
Up in the stands.
"Mmm..." Masahiko let out a groan, "slowly waking up." "What high attainment in Genjutsu, to think even the Great Ancestor would fall victim to it. Thanks to the three of you for protecting me!"
Karin: Heh.
Haku maintained silence, while Kimimaro felt that the God must have a deep meaning for doing this...
The spectator stands were not peaceful either. The Sound Four had been blasted away earlier; aside from Kidomaru, who had been knocked out cold by Kushina, the other three still possessed the strength to resist. Right now, they had activated their Curse Marks, barely holding their ground under the encirclement of Jonin and Chunin like Asuma and Kurenai, though their capture was merely a matter of time.
Those four subordinates of Orochimaru can be considered lost... He doesn't have the time to care about his subordinates anyway; it'll be a miracle if he can escape on his own. Masahiko muttered to himself. Did the Great Ancestor help him out a bit too ruthlessly... Speaking of which, where did Jiraiya go?
Just as he thought of him, Jiraiya arrived via Body Flicker. Jiraiya had been in the village gathering material to write Violence Paradise earlier, and upon hearing that trouble had broken out here, he hurried over.
To think he could wager that much money at the casino and still find the peace of mind to write during the final duel of the Chunin Exams—authors truly are remarkable people...
"Senior! Is that Orochimaru inside the barrier?"
Orochimaru's Formations of Ten Thousand Snakes didn't summon the giant snake Manda, but literally summoned tens of thousands of snakes, densely blanketing every inch of space to stage a live-action Anaconda disaster. One couldn't see any figures clearly inside the barrier; only four sets of Susanoo could be seen clearing out the snake swarms, which was why Jiraiya sought confirmation from Masahiko.
"Yeah, it's Orochimaru. He is currently gang-beating Konoha Village. Are you going to go help?"
Jiraiya knit his brows slightly: "Senior, then why are you lying down here? Did Orochimaru come to Konoha because of... you?"
Masahiko was startled, immediately shaking his head to deny it: "I didn't, I don't, it has nothing to do with me. I'm not going because... I'm afraid of snakes! Oh, also, I have to protect little Tsukika!"
Jiraiya rolled his eyes, turning toward the three Sound ninja who were being surrounded and attacked: "Orochimaru... I'll go resolve those three first!"
"Go ahead." Masahiko sat up straight while holding the slumbering little Tsukika, looking around. "Aside from the Sand squad, the candidates have all left... There are too many unconscious civilians, evacuating them will require a total mobilization of Konoha... Once the evacuation is finished and the Four Red Yang Formation is released, Orochimaru will be completely finished..."
That lazy bum of a Fat Cat, I don't see it transforming to carry a hundred or so people at once. That way, everyone could be taken away quickly, giving Orochimaru a swift ending!
...
With Jiraiya joining the fray, the remaining three of the Sound Four were quickly knocked unconscious. Along with the previously comatose Kidomaru, they were carried away by the scar-free head of the Interrogation Force, Ibiki.
Jiraiya then used a single Body Flicker to land beside Minato, who was currently maintaining the barrier: "Minato! Open a gap and let me in!"
Minato hesitated for a brief moment: "Teacher, it would still be better for you to take over for me to maintain the barrier. Once a gap is opened, a weak point will manifest in the formation."
Inside the barrier, the Formations of Ten Thousand Snakes had finally been cleared clean, and Orochimaru along with the Fourth Kazekage were tightly surrounded by the group of Konoha S-rank ninjas.
The barrier didn't just trap Orochimaru; it also restricted the operational space of the Konoha forces. In particular, four sets of Susanoo took up an immense amount of room; exactly how to conduct this battle and who should engage first still required some calculation. Furthermore, Orochimaru had already utilized the chaos to enter Sage Mode. Dragging things out was to their advantage!
Orochimaru saw through their intent. Locking his gaze onto Hiruzen, he actually chose to launch an active assault! The Fourth Kazekage manipulated his Gold Dust, obscuring the vision of the Konoha forces to provide cover for Orochimaru. However, right as Orochimaru was about to clash directly in front of Hiruzen, he slammed on his emergency brakes!
With a flash of golden light, Minato's figure materialized right beside Hiruzen.
That idiot Jiraiya substituted Minato out. Did you have his Flying Raijin kunai on your body? Orochimaru formed hand seals: "Teacher, to capture me, you truly went through a vast amount of painstakingly elaborate planning..."
"Sage Art: White Rage Jutsu!"
The air inside the barrier began to vibrate continuously, causing the bones within the bodies of the Konoha forces to rub against one another. This unblockable Sage Art caused everyone to manifest expressions of severe discomfort. The physically weaker Kiba and Fugaku couldn't even maintain their Susanoo!
However, right at that moment, a blue light flashed behind Orochimaru. The Fourth Kazekage's Gold Dust defense was instantly breached. Orochimaru was forced to urgently halt his jutsu, turning around to defend himself.
Thud!
Golden light flashed. Smack!
Silver light flashed. Sizzle!
The Adamantine Staff flashed. Boom!
Sent flying backward, Orochimaru licked his lips: "Time to risk my life..."
...
Up in the stands, Masahiko pursed his lips: "So sluggish. Finally, the real fight begins!"
"Lord God! May I go inside?"
Masahiko pondered and shook his head: "Forget it. Orochimaru is already struggling mightily. Kicking a man when he's down... isn't very nice. Besides, you won't be able to coordinate with Konoha's ninjas if you go in."
"Then after today, can I look for those Konoha ninjas inside to spar?"
"That's up to you."
Kimimaro instantly wore a smile, his eyes tightly tracking the Konoha forces within the barrier as if selecting an opponent, finally locking his gaze onto Guy, who was currently radiating blue steam...
A ninja who used purely taijutsu was highly to his liking, and he looked exceptionally durable against beatings too...
Masahiko opened his mouth but hesitated, wanting to remind Kimimaro that Guy was not simple. But thinking about it later, Guy was indeed the most suitable opponent for Kimimaro. Let them fight; maybe it could even save Kakashi down the line...
Inside the barrier, Orochimaru was being thrashed "flying here and there," yet he hadn't sustained much damage. But the Fourth Kazekage's capability was far inferior; he had already been bound by Itachi's Wood Style and was on the verge of being sealed...
Orochimaru won't endure for too long. Letting him drop here, am I being a bit unethical... Mmm? What's going on?! Masahiko was startled and turned his head.
Karin was also startled, her entire body trembling as she slumped onto the ground: "W-What is that thing! This chakra! How can there possibly be such a colossal surge of chakra vibration!"
Masahiko's expression turned heavy and grim, stuffing the sleeping little Tsukika into Haku's arms: "The three of you take good care of Tsukika. Tell them over there that I will handle the situation on that side."
A few kilometers away on the westernmost edge of Konoha, the figure of a white giant cat rose into the sky, standing a full hundred-plus meters tall, clearly visible even from this distance!
What happened? That silly cat actually didn't summon me immediately. And... how much stuff did you freaking eat over these years to accumulate a chakra volume that exceeds mine?! Masahiko vanished via teleportation.
☆☆☆
-> 30 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!
-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Hollowborn
(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)
If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you