"You can leave this to me."
As soon as the words fell, a figure leaped out of the dense forest.
The two Kumogakure Jinchuriki followed Orochimaru's gaze and recognized the newcomer at once.
"Shisui Uchiha?"
Yugito had just fought Shisui. He'd kept her tied up for ages with his defensive techniques, so she certainly wasn't a stranger to him.
Now that they'd met again, anger showed on her feline face. She opened her mouth and spat a fireball at him.
Killer B, however, suddenly felt a wave of unease.
If Orochimaru had entrusted Shisui Uchiha with such an important task, there was probably something special about him.
Could it be...
At the thought of one possibility, Killer B's heart skipped a beat. Eight tentacles shot toward Shisui.
The two Jinchuriki reacted differently, but both immediately made their deep hostility clear.
Facing their attacks, Shisui narrowed his eyes. The three tomoe in his Sharingan swiftly interwove, forming a pattern like a four-bladed shuriken.
The ocular power in his eyes increased exponentially. Shisui gave a low shout. "Susanoo!"
In the next instant, a giant, emerald-green figure projected from Shisui's body. Clad in full-body armor and gripping a Spiral Sword in its right hand, it stood imposing and was every bit as large as a Tailed Beast.
"Boom! Boom..."
Two consecutive slashes split the fireball and tentacles apart. Without pause, Shisui controlled Susanoo and charged at the Kumogakure Jinchuriki.
Killer B's heart sank. "So it really is the Uchiha Clan's Forbidden Eye."
The giant's sheer might made it easy to tell that Yugito was no match for it, and he himself was only about evenly matched.
With Orochimaru transformed into a White Snake on top of that, this fight was going to be difficult.
A flurry of thoughts ran through his mind, but Killer B kept attacking. The severed tentacles quickly regenerated and wound toward Susanoo.
However, after cutting them down, Shisui didn't attack him again. Instead, he turned his attention to Yugito.
Susanoo took several fireballs head-on, then swung its Spiral Sword and unleashed a flurry of attacks against Yugito.
Killer B let out a puzzled sound. He realized that as long as he didn't interfere with Shisui's attack, Shisui acted as if he didn't exist.
Even stranger, Orochimaru stood on a nearby treetop without any intention of joining the fight.
"This is all so weird. I just don't get it!"
Killer B wanted to keep thinking it over, but Yugito gave him no chance.
Susanoo was incredibly powerful. If he kept splitting his attention by watching Orochimaru instead of intervening, Yugito would soon suffer serious injuries.
So Killer B stopped thinking.
Gyuki, the Eight-Tails, no longer held back because of Orochimaru. It launched a full-powered assault on Susanoo, stretching two tentacles high into the sky and whipping them down like massive lashes.
Struck in the back, Susanoo faltered and staggered. Once it regained its balance, it still ignored the Eight-Tails and continued attacking Yugito.
Amazed by its defenses, Killer B immediately changed tactics. The tentacles beneath Susanoo slithered like snakes, winding their way up its legs.
With tentacles wrapped around its legs, Shisui had to spare some of his slashes to deal with the Eight-Tails' restraint.
As long as his attacks weren't affected, Shisui would keep up the assault on Yugito, even at the risk of injury.
His willingness to fight at any cost gave Killer B a glimmer of understanding. He looked toward where Orochimaru had been standing and, sure enough, the man had vanished.
"My big brother's in trouble..."
Killer B understood their strategy, but there was nothing he could do about it.
He couldn't leave this fight. With Yugito's strength, she'd be defeated before long, and even if Shisui fought to the death, it would be difficult for her to escape the battlefield.
For now, the only thing worth celebrating was that their burst of power clearly couldn't last.
With that thought, Gyuki opened its mouth. Yin and Yang Release Chakra began to condense furiously in front of it.
The enormous energy gathering behind it went unnoticed by Susanoo. It simply kept attacking the Two-Tails Jinchuriki.
"I didn't expect Shisui to hold off both of Kumogakure's Jinchuriki by himself."
Orochimaru was a little surprised. "It seems that dose of Genetic Serum did more for him than I expected."
"Part of it's because he's releasing his ocular power without regard for the cost. The Genetic Serum strengthened his body, which only raised the limits of his abilities. His ocular power couldn't have improved that much in such a short time."
The Genie leaned out, smiling. "Still, if we can save Manda, the main battlefield will be much easier."
Orochimaru nodded, then quickly asked, "Can you really hold off the Raikage?"
Shisui holding back Kumogakure's Jinchuriki was only one part of the battle. If they couldn't keep the Raikage in check, it would still be difficult to achieve their strategic objective.
"I can't hold him off, but you can!"
The Genie blinked, its smile spreading. "Don't forget, my main job is being a genie. My power is to turn the impossible into the possible."
"Although I'll need to collect a tiny little price."
Orochimaru's heart skipped a beat. He had a bad feeling and suddenly remembered the three types of genies the Genie had mentioned when they first met.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Blue flashes of light repeatedly crashed against the crimson barrier, each impact deafening. Even the din of battle couldn't drown it out.
After entering Lightning Release Chakra Mode, the Fourth Raikage unleashed his full power. Under his relentless attacks, the Uchiha Flame Formation swayed precariously, as if it would shatter at any moment.
"Whoosh..."
Suddenly, the sound of rushing air rang out as a figure landed beside the barrier.
The four Uchiha Jonin recognized the newcomer and breathed a sigh of relief, cutting off their Chakra supply to the barrier.
Without the four of them sustaining it, the crimson barrier shattered under the Fourth Raikage's attack.
Finally free of the barrier, the Fourth Raikage showed no sign of joy. He'd also noticed the new figure on the battlefield.
His expression changed dramatically. He shouted, "All Cloud Ninja, get away from this area!"
He was afraid Orochimaru would recreate what had happened that night.
The Cloud Ninja were startled by the order and hurriedly broke away from their opponents. They scattered outward, putting as much distance as they could between themselves and the area where Orochimaru stood.
Meanwhile, the Konoha Ninja still didn't give chase. They headed straight for the Kumogakure stronghold.
"Orochimaru, where are Killer B and the others?" the Fourth Raikage demanded. "What did you do to them?"
"Don't worry, they're still alive. You'll see them soon."
"Orochimaru" licked his lips and pulled a Kusanagi Sword from a summoned Viper's mouth. He grinned. "Let's get started. This is my first time using this form, so I can't maintain it for long."
"You want to fight me at close range?"
The Fourth Raikage laughed in furious disbelief. His body became a bolt of lightning as he charged straight at Orochimaru.
"Die, you bastard!"
Before you continue