He Really Was a Konoha Ninja

The moon emerged from behind the clouds. The deep-purple serpent gleamed in silver armor as it charged toward the fortress, unstoppable and overwhelming.

Neither the towering trees of the forest nor the traps set by the enemy could hinder it in the slightest.

Taking it all in, Shinsuke Uchiha drew a deep breath, struggling to suppress the emotions surging within him.

He knew he was no match for Manda. In fact, if Orochimaru hadn't given him the contract, he wouldn't even have been able to summon him.

The Uchiha Clan, even its elite jonin, weren't known for their vast Chakra reserves. Enormous summoning beasts simply weren't a good fit for them.

That was the reality, but Shinsuke Uchiha refused to accept it. He secretly swore to subdue a giant summoning beast of his own with his strength, then have it defeat Manda in his place.

When that day came, he would humiliate Manda thoroughly.

"Konoha squads, don't get caught up in the fighting. Keep pace with Manda."

Fugaku's voice rang out from the forest, relaying the order. Shinsuke Uchiha pushed his feelings aside and raced toward the Kumogakure fortress.

BOOM...

A flash of lightning shot through the forest. "Orochimaru" had only just raised his sword across his chest when a fist struck him in the chest.

"Pfft..."

"Orochimaru" spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying. The impact snapped numerous great trees in half.

Though his attack had landed, the Fourth Raikage didn't look too pleased. He stood where he was, breathing slightly harder. He fixed his gaze on Orochimaru, then furrowed his brow.

Over this stretch of time, he had inflicted enough injuries on Orochimaru to kill any other Kage Level fighter twice over. Yet this strange man was still lively, with enough strength left to laugh.

"Orochimaru" twisted his left hand against his chest. With two sharp cracks, he set his broken ribs back into place. A vicious grin spread across his face, and the Demon Slayer Mark covering it made his expression even more sinister.

Healing ninjutsu, solar energy, and perhaps Yamato Cells—the three complemented one another, pushing Orochimaru's already abnormal healing ability to an outrageous level.

Even though he couldn't absorb his host's combat experience as quickly as the Fourth Raikage adapted to his strength, he wasn't in danger of losing anytime soon.

"Just as I thought. You're a troublesome one."

The Fourth Raikage clenched his fists, but didn't lose heart.

He had successfully kept Orochimaru occupied and gained the upper hand. It was only a matter of time before he finished him off.

With that thought, the Fourth Raikage grinned viciously and charged at Orochimaru again.

Lightning and crimson flames clashed in a barrage. Dull explosions rumbled through the air as countless trees snapped and shattered, then quickly burned to charcoal.

"Lord Raikage, this is bad! Konoha has summoned four giant beasts, and they've already broken through our defenses!"

A ninja shouted from the forest. "The fortress is under attack now, and it won't hold much longer!"

At the center of the battlefield, the Fourth Raikage furrowed his brow and let his attention wander for a moment. His movements were no longer as flawless as before.

"Orochimaru" quickly spotted an opening. He took a heavy punch, trading injury for injury, then swung the Kusanagi Sword in a circle, carving a long gash across the Raikage's chest.

Solar energy clung to the wound. Even with the Raikage's formidable physique, it wouldn't heal right away, and blood stained half his body.

"You bastard!"

The Fourth Raikage was furious, but the one he cursed wasn't Orochimaru. It was the ninja who had been chattering incessantly in the woods.

If that fool hadn't distracted him, Orochimaru never would've landed a hit.

The Fourth Raikage even suspected the man wasn't a Kumogakure ninja at all, but one of Konoha's.

In fact, he really was a Konoha ninja.

"Orochimaru" flicked the blood from his sword. Beneath his paint-covered face, a sly smile appeared.

After all, he wasn't Orochimaru, nor was he a real warrior.

Even with Orochimaru's wish granting him the combat skills and experience of the previous host, he couldn't put them to full use in such a short time.

In a situation like this, he had to use every trick in the book.

"Heh, heh, heh. Lord Raikage, aren't you going to check on your fortress? It's about to be breached."

"Orochimaru" cackled, his expression dripping with mockery.

That was right. He was doing it on purpose, trying to provoke his opponent.

"Orochimaru, you bastard!"

The Fourth Raikage's hair and beard bristled. His eyes bulged like a bull's, and he was predictably enraged.

But then, to "Orochimaru's" surprise, the Raikage slammed his fist into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust before disappearing from the spot.

"Does this guy not care that I might use the Eight Branches Technique right in front of the fortress?"

"Orochimaru" suddenly realized. "Right. The fortress is about to fall anyway, so there's no point worrying about that anymore.

"Heh. For such a macho guy, he sure knows how to think things through."

"Orochimaru" chuckled, then chased after the Fourth Raikage.

At this point, it didn't matter where the battlefield was.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Two giant snakes writhed, raising their tails high and slamming them down.

An invisible barrier rippled, and the snakes' tails bounced back.

The giant snakes roared and repeated their attacks. The barrier could barely withstand the assault.

"I'll give you bugs the finishing blow!"

Suddenly, a deep-purple serpent raised its head and let out a roaring hiss. Its body coiled into a ball, then shot forward like an arrow.

Its horn struck the barrier, the final straw that broke the camel's back. Cracks began to spread, soon covering the entire barrier.

In that instant, explosions erupted all around the barrier's perimeter, swallowing the three giant snakes in smoke.

"Like hell I'll fall for that trick again!"

Manda used a shed skin to escape the blast, but the other two giant snakes couldn't. Their bodies were left covered in wounds.

Still, they were luckier than the snake that had been blown to pieces when the first barrier was breached.

Puff! Puff! Two clouds of smoke dispersed, and the snakes returned to Ryūchi Cave.

On the battlefield, only the purple serpent remained. It flicked its tongue and looked down at the devastation, its venomous eyes filled with glee.

The wound on its belly throbbed faintly, and it still wasn't satisfied. It raised its tail high.

Whoosh...

A rush of wind announced the Fourth Raikage's arrival at the fortress. He could only watch as Manda raised his tail and brought it crashing down on the fortress.

Without the barrier to protect it, the fortress was just a toy built of earth and stone. It couldn't withstand Manda's furious blow.

The Kumogakure ninja who hadn't managed to escape in time were buried beneath it.

"Damn it! You bastards!!"

The Fourth Raikage was beside himself with rage, his eyes bloodshot.

At this point, the war against Konoha could be called a major defeat.

Realizing that only made the Fourth Raikage angrier. Lightning gathered around his fists as he prepared to hit Manda with another blow.

Suddenly, the earth shook. Beneath the gloomy moon, three colossal beasts fought as they moved toward the site of the former fortress.