Shukaku: Tired, let's destroy everything

Jiraiya and Orochimaku took advantage of the moment when the massive amount of Sand Iron moved away from the Third Kazekage to launch their attack.

"Fire Release: Great Fire Annihilation" and "Wind Release: Net" were unleashed simultaneously by the two.

Wind fed the flames, and a sky-covering sea of fire surged with immense pressure toward the Third Kazekage flying in the air.

Seeing the inferno rushing toward him, the Third Kazekage showed no fear on his face.

The remaining Sand Iron around him gathered at his back, forming a pair of wings made of Sand Iron.

"Wind Release: Great Sickle Weasel!"

This was the jutsu Temari had used in the original timeline during the Fourth Great Ninja War to blow away Madara Uchiha. The gale howled, parting the air and creating a brief vacuum that prevented the flames from continuing to burn.

The Third Kazekage narrowed his eyes, feeling some regret over his earlier decision to betray Garaga. If Garaga were still here, he would have been an extremely powerful ally.

"Ah! Damn you, Orochimaru! I'm done with you! Remember, three hundred sacrifices!"

Manda was unlucky enough to have Shukaku slap him across the face with a paw, its claws piercing through Manda's eye.

Orochimaru's face darkened as he stared at the spot where Manda had vanished.

This stupid snake always failed to deliver and spoiled everything. He'd barely won any battles when he summoned Manda!

That snake was truly a liability—never skimping on the sacrifices, yet always eager to flee when facing a strong enemy.

For Orochimaru now, Manda was honestly a bit of a dead weight.

Against weak opponents, Orochimaru could handle it himself. Against strong ones, summoning Manda was mostly useless—only his size and scales served as a meat shield.

Orochimaru had already decided to abandon Manda and raise a new snake instead.

Sasuke's Aoda wasn't bad, but that wasn't important right now. What mattered was that Orochimaru was thoroughly displeased and wanted to vent!

"Jiraiya, I'll handle the One-Tails. You go help Teacher Sarutobi."

In truth, Gamaken was still on the field, and giant summon beasts of that size were quite useful against tailed beasts.

But Orochimaru didn't care about any of that anymore. He just wanted someone to beat up. The others couldn't take many hits, the Third Kazekage was too strong, so only the thick-skinned Shukaku was suitable.

"Fine, Orochimaru. Be careful yourself."

After Jiraiya spoke, he called Gamaken to assist him. The toads of Mount Myōboku included many who could use Water Release jutsu and spray oil, providing considerable support to Jiraiya.

Orochimaru slowly paced toward the One-Tails Shukaku.

By now, Shukaku, having vented some of his rage, was gradually regaining clarity from his earlier frenzy. He had a bad feeling about this—if he had to describe it, it felt about the same as the last time he got beaten up by Kurama.

"Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique."

"Wind Release: Wind Blade Technique."

"Lightning Release: Lightning Ball Technique."

Feeling thoroughly irritated, Orochimaru unleashed a barrage of jutsu all at once, no longer caring much about conserving Chakra.

Shukaku blocked with sand and countered Orochimaru's jutsu with Wind Release, dodging and parrying desperately to survive that wave of attacks—only to have another pile of them come crashing down.

"Bastard! Don't you dare go too—"

Before Shukaku could finish, a Vacuum Sphere smacked him in the face, followed by a massive Earth Lump Ball slamming heavily into his body.

"—far..."

Shukaku finished weakly.

"Heh. 'I want sacrifices,' you say!"

Smack. An Earth Stone Dragon crashed into Shukaku.

"And three hundred of them?"

This time, Shukaku was stuffed full by a Water Release: Water Colliding Wave.

"Not a single one next time!"

Shukaku's head was scorched black by a falling lightning strike.

"Hel—"

Another Earth Mountain Technique crushed down, choking off Shukaku's words.

"—p..."

"Smack!"

And shoved back in.

"I give—"

I haven't even finished having my fun and you already want to quit? No way! Shut that mouth!

Shukaku wanted to cry. He'd rather just die and wait three years to be reborn than endure this torment.

"Gulp."

Aoda, summoned by Orochimaku to assist after Manda, watched this scene and was a bit terrified. No wonder this was Manda's contractor—just as vicious as Manda himself.

Orochimaru licked his face with his tongue, wearing a twisted expression as he stared at Aoda.

He had to leave some psychological trauma on Aoda, to prevent him from developing a violent temper like Manda in the future and becoming disobedient.

Aoda noticed Orochimaru staring at his face, felt a chill in his heart, let out a loud roar at the sky to show his bravery, then slammed headfirst into Shukaku.

Shukaku's words were interrupted yet again.

Heaven have mercy—Orochimaru had been planning to catch his breath, but Aoda's move happened to take over perfectly. He shot Aoda an approving look and continued his merciless torment of Shukaku.

Seeing Orochimaru's approval, Aoda rammed even harder.

Shukaku's screams drew the attention of most people on the battlefield.

Jiraiya and Hiruzen silently cheered inwardly and intensified their attacks.

Gamaken thought, I may be clumsy, but I'm trying hard—Jiraiya probably won't treat me like this.

Enma also thought, Thank goodness my Hiruzen Sarutobi isn't this cruel.

The Third Kazekage felt a chill inside—if Orochimaru was this twisted and enjoyed torturing people like this, once Shukaku was defeated, wouldn't he be next?

This time, Orochimaru successfully changed many people's perception of him. Originally, his labels were "rational, powerful ninja"; now, "sadistic" and "fond of torture" had to be added.

The Third Kazekage struggled to fend off the combined attacks of Hiruzen and Jiraiya.

If it weren't for his flight ability, letting him escape at any time before his Chakra ran out—since Hiruzen Sarutobi and Jiraiya indeed lacked effective anti-air measures—he would have fled already.

Even so, he was completely on the defensive. Sheets of Sand Iron kept forming, only to be scattered by devastating jutsu.

Over on Orochimaru's side, the scene was more comical: Shukaku was running ahead with tears streaming, while Aoda, with Orochimaru standing on his head, chased diligently behind.

Both massive creatures were thick-skinned and tough, crashing into countless ninjas along the way.

Orochimaru's anger had mostly subsided by now, but seeing how effective this spectacle was, he deliberately drove Shukaku to charge into Sunagakure's formations.

Shukaku: "...(っ°Д°;)っ"

Aoda: "?(゜Д゜?..."

Orochimaru: "(￣┰￣*)"

Sunagakure was getting beaten badly, but worse was yet to come.

At the edge of the battlefield, a small squad of Konoha Anbu ninjas appeared, led by a silver-haired ninja wielding a short sword.

The ninja drew the white blade in his hand and charged forward swiftly.

Fast—extreme speed. Unlike the instant teleportation of Flying Thunder God, Hatake Sakumo couldn't use that technique, but like the Fourth Raikage, he reached a speed that ordinary ninjas couldn't achieve or comprehend.

White hair, white lightning Chakra, white blade!

He himself was like a white blade—one look and you felt an overwhelming sense of unyielding sharpness.

Orochimaru somewhat understood why Hatake Sakumo was called White Fang.

It wasn't just because the White Fang shortsword in his hand was stained with enemy blood, but because the man himself was like a blade—one look and you felt an overwhelming sense of unyielding sharpness.

At full speed, Sakumo transformed into a blinding white light, charging straight into Sunagakure with an aura that seemed to shatter everything.

"White Fang!!!"

Chiyo's frantic scream rang out. Ignoring Hanzo of the Salamander's attacks, she charged straight at Hatake Sakumo with the Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu.

Hanzo, seeing Chiyo's frenzy, chose not to pursue. He sensed that White Fang was a powerful ninja whose swordsmanship rivaled his own.

Chiyo didn't use the powerful Ten Puppets of Chikamatsu. Instead, she summoned a female puppet with gray hair and a male puppet with orange-red hair.

These two puppets were called "Father" and "Mother," made from the remains of Sasori's parents.

"White Fang! This old woman has waited long for you! I'll make them take revenge with their own hands!!"

Chiyo screamed hysterically, her face twisted with hatred.

"I killed them once, and I can kill them again!"

Sakumo stood with his left foot back, right foot forward, right hand gripping the hilt upright, left hand supporting the base of the hilt. He crouched low, pointing the shortsword diagonally upward.

This was the starting stance of the Konoha Style Sword Technique.

"Performance: Unified Body."

The two puppets clasped their hands together, and threads of wind-attributed Chakra, so condensed they were nearly invisible, extended toward Hatake Sakumo, carrying immense cutting power.

As his former defeated opponent, Hatake Sakumo naturally recognized this technique. Those threads carried wind Chakra refined to near invisibility, with extraordinary cutting ability.

White Fang stared at his opponent, his eyes as sharp as blades.

"Konoha Style Sword Technique: Dance of Lightning."

The White Fang shortsword swung through the air, and Sakumo directly severed those threads! For Hatake Sakumo, whether it was hard steel or powerful jutsu, as long as he believed his blade could cut it, he would cut it!

After cutting the threads, Sakumo didn't pause. He stepped forward, left hand reversed grip above, right hand pushing forward below, left foot pushing off the ground, twisting his waist to the right, and slashing upward diagonally.

Chiyo didn't dare let the puppets take the hit directly. Instead, she sent a female puppet wielding a large sword forward to parry.

For Chiyo, the "Father" and "Mother" puppets were far more important than any others.