Boom! Boom! Boom!
Dazzling golden light continued to flash across the battlefield.
Under the relentless barrage of those photon-like explosions, the number of Sunagakure shinobi kept dropping.
With explosions roaring and screams echoing again and again through the battlefield, every member of Suna's forces felt their hearts tremble.
But even so, not a single one of them retreated.
Even more so, no one dared charge straight toward the source of those lasers.
Because the ones who had tried to overcome their fear and rush forward earlier had all thrown their lives away for nothing.
So now, the Suna shinobi would rather drag a Konoha shinobi down with them than provoke that monster who killed as easily as if he were pouring water.
"Chiyo…"
"Do you really intend to bury every last one of your remaining comrades in this war?"
"Have you really not thought about what will happen after Sunagakure falls?"
As Orochimaru fought Chiyo and Rasa, he continued to provoke them with a leisurely, mocking tone.
The tenacity of Sunagakure had genuinely surprised even him.
Every one of them was afraid of death.
And yet not a single one chose to turn and run.
On the contrary, many Suna shinobi launched desperate counterattacks before dying, all in the hope of taking a Konoha shinobi down with them.
That sight kept entering Orochimaru's eyes again and again.
Even he was inwardly shaken by it.
"Hah… hah…"
"We of Sunagakure… will definitely stop you!!"
Chiyo was clearly furious, but her voice still carried unshaken resolve.
This battle could be said to be the most crucial battle Sunagakure had faced.
If they could stop Konoha's army here, then there would still be room to keep fighting afterward.
And Suna's morale might even rise once more.
But if they were defeated here—or worse, if they broke and fled—then Sunagakure would truly lose any remaining ability to resist.
That was why, even though the casualties among Suna's forces were already catastrophic…
They had no room to retreat.
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Hand!"
Just as Orochimaru and Chiyo exchanged words—
a massive hand suddenly burst out from the ground and seized Orochimaru tightly.
"Stop spouting those deceitful words."
"Sunagakure will never… take even half a step back."
Rasa floated in the sky as he spoke coldly.
The moment his hands clenched—
the gold dust giant hand tightened at once, crushing Orochimaru on the spot.
But a moment earlier, Orochimaru had already opened his mouth.
Like a serpent shedding its skin, he slipped free using his replacement technique.
"Deceitful words?"
"This isn't deceit. It isn't alarmism, either."
Orochimaru let out a hoarse laugh.
"I've already guessed why the two of you are insisting on holding the line."
"But have you thought about this?"
"Even if you endure until Konoha finally withdraws…"
"How many people will still remain in Sunagakure's army by then?"
"And have you forgotten? On both sides of the Land of Wind, the Lands of Earth and Water are watching."
"Those people have always loved taking advantage of others in times of weakness."
"And when it comes to something as tempting as a nation collapsing right in front of them… do you really think they would refuse?"
Orochimaru's smile widened as he spoke.
He was not the protagonist of some story, nor did he possess any miraculous gift of persuasion.
But the truth did not need embellishment.
Facts were always more convincing than empty words.
"…"
The moment those words left Orochimaru's mouth, both Chiyo and Rasa froze.
For the past two days, all their thoughts had been consumed by how to deal with Konoha.
Not once had they seriously considered the possibility that the Lands of Earth and Water might invade while Sunagakure was weakened.
But now that thought had been forced into their minds—
and once it appeared, it refused to leave.
Their hearts gradually sank.
"Hehe~"
"So you finally realize it."
"It's still not too late."
"As long as Sunagakure surrenders, we can stop here and allow you to withdraw."
Orochimaru's hoarse voice dripped with amusement.
He had clearly caught the change in both Chiyo's and Rasa's expressions.
"Surrender? In your dreams!!"
Chiyo, who had just started to waver, exploded in rage the instant she heard that word.
Then she charged at Orochimaru once more without hesitation.
Compared to the other hidden villages, the hatred she held toward Konoha ran far too deep.
So the moment she heard the words surrender to Konoha, the fury in her heart completely overwhelmed everything else.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The two of them clashed fiercely once again.
The shockwaves of a Kage-level battle continued to spread wildly around them.
But Rasa did not immediately move in to support her.
Instead, he remained suspended in the air, his expression dark as his mind raced.
Unlike Chiyo, whose judgment had long since been clouded by hatred—
he was far calmer.
Far more rational.
"Bzzzzz!!!"
A blinding golden light continued to shine from Yagami's fingertip.
He had maintained that stance for nearly a full minute.
And yet, not a single laser had been fired.
The reason was simple—
the Suna shinobi had realized that most of the ones killed by Yagami were those who had been separated from Konoha's forces.
Whenever they were locked in close-quarters combat with Konoha shinobi, the lasers never came.
It did not take long for Sunagakure to understand Yagami's hesitation.
That man was wary of the explosions affecting his own comrades from Konoha.
And the moment they grasped that weakness, the Suna shinobi immediately abandoned ninjutsu and ranged attacks.
Every last one of them threw themselves into close combat.
That left Yagami in an awkward position.
And that was exactly why he had gone so long without firing another laser.
"What a pain…"
"So you're really forcing me to use a blade, huh?"
Yagami let out a helpless sigh.
The light gathered at his fingertips gradually faded away.
Then he brought his hands together in front of him and suddenly slashed them apart to the left and right.
In an instant, a massive sword made entirely of golden light condensed before him.
Snap!
He raised a hand and grabbed the hilt of the lightsaber.
Then Yagami leaped down from the top of Manda's head.
The convenience of fighting with Devil Fruit abilities had made him somewhat reluctant to return to swordsmanship.
After all, constantly running around the battlefield consumed far more stamina than simply using his Fruit powers from a distance.
"Then so be it—!"
The moment he landed, Yagami slammed one foot into the ground hard enough to shatter it beneath him.
Then he shot forward toward the Suna shinobi who were entangled with Konoha's forces.
He had not yet developed any sort of teleportation ability.
So at this moment, the only thing he could rely on—
was his own speed and his own legs.
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