The sky was gloomy.
Heavy rain poured down.
The area beneath the cliff was crowded with ninja, like a dense swarm of marching ants. The raging wind and rain could not extinguish their enthusiasm for the Sharingan.
The Uchiha forces were surrounded on all sides.
"That old geezer is far too biased. We're both S-Rank Missing-nin, but when he dealt with me back then, he didn't make nearly this grand a spectacle."
Orochimaru stood atop Manda with his arms folded across his chest, looking down at the battlefield disdainfully. After speaking, he glanced sideways at the primeval forest behind him.
Manda complained:
"What's with your dissatisfaction?
"You can go back and discuss it with that old bastard Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"Have him issue an order.
"Tell the Ninja Force guarding the northwestern border of the Leaf Village to target only you, Orochimaru."
"Heh."
Orochimaru chuckled lightly and ignored Manda, who clearly did not understand human humor.
He glanced sideways at the main battlefield ahead and the nearby cliffs, then raised the corners of his mouth.
There were two familiar Chakra signatures over there.
The Three Legendary Sannin had been separated for far too long.
Ever since Orochimaru had defected from the Leaf Village and joined the Akatsuki, the three of them had never reunited. Back then, Jiraiya had sworn that he would bring him back to the Leaf Village.
Yet Orochimaru had escaped for so many years without even seeing Jiraiya's shadow.
He supposed that after leaving the Leaf Village, Jiraiya had immediately embarked on another journey to find the Child of Prophecy, casting his former best friend into oblivion.
And now, they had met here.
"Go to the cliff!" A trace of anticipation appeared in Orochimaru's golden eyes.
"Aren't you going to help that pitiful group of Uchiha on the