Calling for backup? I can do that too.

Under the cover of night, a pillar of light shot into the sky from a circular building, acting like a lighthouse landmark.

Orochimaru stood on a treetop, gazing into the dark forest where the light could not reach, waiting quietly for his opponent to arrive.

Since he had guessed that Kumogakure intended to launch an all-out assault once Konoha reached the fortress, Orochimaru couldn't be bothered to run around and waste his energy. He simply wrapped the building he encountered by the roadside in a barrier technique, turning it into an oversized lightbulb.

Waiting at ease for an exhausted enemy was always better than being caught off guard while fatigued.

Of course, if Kumogakure didn't take the bait, he would take the opportunity to play a game of feints, creating a few more fake light pillars to capture the fortress without shedding a drop of blood.

However, the Fourth Raikage's temper was exactly as rumored: straightforward and unwilling to play mind games with him.

"Bang!"

The sound of a heavy object hitting the ground rang out. The Fourth Raikage leaped out from the darkness, the ground collapsing into a large crater under his stomp.

This entrance was very much in character for the Raikage—visually striking and full of raw power!

Seeing this, Orochimaru gave a sinister laugh and shouted, "Explode!"

Boom, boom, boom...

In an instant, shockwaves flew, dust scattered, and scorching flames burned through the smoke. The explosive fire expanded, instantly swallowing the Raikage's sturdy frame.

The Konoha ninjas stared at the smoke, their faces filled with anticipation.

Even if a jonin were prepared, they would suffer heavy damage from an explosion of this scale. This Raikage was so reckless that, caught off guard, he might just...

"No, he is not dead."

The Uchiha elites had already activated their Sharingan; within their field of vision, there was still a massive reaction of chakra in the smoke.

Sizzle, sizzle.

A sharp chirping sound rang out, and lightning tore through the smoke. The Fourth Raikage's body emerged from within. He casually tore off his tattered upper garments, his chest bare, looking wild and unrestrained.

This was more than just not being dead—he was completely unscathed.

Facing the Raikage's fierce expression, Orochimaru let out a sinister chuckle, "It seems Lord Raikage is quite satisfied with this welcoming gift."

In his heart, however, he grew vigilant. The Fourth Raikage was indeed, as the old man had said, someone who possessed subtlety beneath a rough exterior.

Konoha had been waiting at ease, so how could they not be prepared? The Fourth Raikage had tested the danger himself, using his own body to clear the path.

It looked reckless, but in reality, it was absolute confidence in the resilience of his own body.

Orochimaru licked his lips, feeling that things were becoming troublesome.

Having truly faced him, he had a clearer understanding of the intelligence he had on the Raikage.

The Fourth Raikage was the same type of ninja as Jiraiya—possessing powerful physical attributes and flexible adaptability. If his attack power wasn't sufficient, there was no possibility of defeating him.

Orochimaru considered himself lacking a sufficiently sharp spear, and the purpose of his ninjutsu training had never been to kill enemies anyway.

In this battle, he could only hope to remain undefeated.

Of course, there were different kinds of "undefeated."

Thoughts raced through his mind in an instant. The moment the Fourth Raikage revealed his body, Orochimaru leaped down from the treetop.

His hands formed a seal, "Forbidden Technique: Eight Branches Technique!"

In an instant, a massive creature with eight heads and eight tails appeared out of thin air. It looked like eight giant snakes intertwined, entirely white and without scales, releasing chakra at the level of a tailed beast in all directions.

There was no more wasted breath; he was going all out from the very beginning.

Orochimaru let out a roar, and with a flick of a giant tail, the pillar of light reaching into the sky collapsed with a boom, and the surroundings were plunged back into darkness.

Taking this as a signal, the slaughter between Konoha and Kumogakure began.

Both sides intentionally avoided the area where the Eight Branches Technique and the Raikage were clashing, engaging in battle within the dark forest.

Darkness was undoubtedly an advantage for ninjas with ocular techniques, but the Kumogakure side had the advantage in numbers.

The two sides were evenly matched, and for a time, they fought to a stalemate.

The ones who could truly decide the outcome of the battlefield were always the strongest.

The Fourth Raikage's eyes narrowed, showing no fear under the might of the Eight Branches Technique.

He had extensive experience fighting tailed beasts; even the Eight-Tails Gyuki was defeated by him on a regular basis.

The white snake before him might be large, but compared to the Eight-Tails, it was nothing more than an empty shell.

"Lightning Oppression Horizontal Chop!"

Letting out a low growl, the Fourth Raikage erupted with blue lightning. He leaped into the air, striking the snake head of the Eight Branches Technique with a speed not inferior to the Yellow Flash.

His hand-blade was like a thunderbolt, easily tearing through the tough skin on the snake's head, and the remaining force was unstoppable, continuing to cleave downward like a battle axe.

The long snake body was torn in two, and the gushing snake blood dyed the Raikage blood-red.

Even with Orochimaru's iron-willed resolve, he couldn't help but let out a cry of pain under this attack, and the other snake heads lunged toward the Raikage on his body.

"Bang!"

The Fourth Raikage stomped hard, dodging the attack from the snake heads and returning to the ground. His eyes fell upon the Eight Branches Technique, his thick brows knitting together.

He saw the split snake head being held together by the other snakes, visibly beginning to heal. At this rate, it wouldn't take long for it to fully recover.

The Fourth Raikage wiped the snake blood from his face and cursed, "What kind of monster is this?"

The prestige of the Sannin was legendary, as they were powerhouses from the generation before his, but even the Fourth Raikage hadn't expected them to be this troublesome.

Not only had he transformed his human body into a monster resembling a tailed beast, but his regenerative abilities were also impossibly strong; with such power, Orochimaru could completely ignore his attacks to strike the other Kumogakure ninja.

Using the power of a tailed beast to wipe out Konoha's living forces had originally been the strategy of his Kumogakure, yet now, Orochimaru was the one using it against them.

Thinking of this, the Fourth Raikage shouted toward the dense forest, "Killer B, work with me to take down this monster."

His previous target was now discarded, and a ferocious grin appeared on the Fourth Raikage's face; he intended to seize this opportunity to kill Orochimaru.

"Yeah, Brother."

Killer B slashed away the Konoha ninja surrounding him with his swords, and eight tentacles suddenly erupted from his body as he began to expand. In an instant, the massive form of the Eight-Tails occupied the entire battlefield.

Seeing this, the ninja from Konoha and Kumogakure hurriedly fled the area to avoid being caught in the collateral damage of the battle.

Orochimaru naturally noticed the behemoth in the darkness, and as his cold, slit pupils glanced at the Eight-Tails Gyuki, he let out a sinister laugh, "Calling for backup? I can do that too."

The central head of the Yamata no Orochi opened its maw, and Orochimaru leaned his upper body out, weaving hand seals, "Summoning Technique!"

"Poof!"

After a burst of smoke, Manda, the giant summon from Ryūchi Cave, appeared on the battlefield. It scanned the area, taking in the entire scene, and hissed coldly, "Orochimaru, nothing good ever happens whenever you summon me."

"Boom!"

Dodging a sneak attack from the Fourth Raikage, Orochimaru retreated back into the body of the Yamata no Orochi, and the white snake head spoke, "Don't worry, I will provide your reward after the battle."

"I want ten times what I got last time."

Manda let out a roar and lunged toward the Eight-Tails Gyuki.