The Great Battle in Progress

Just as the gold dust spears were wreaking havoc and the Konohagakure offensive stalled, a massive shadow, accompanied by a deafening roar, shrouded half the battlefield.

"Summoning: Food Cart Destroyer Technique!"

A giant toad the size of a small mountain appeared out of thin air, descending with the force of ten thousand tons upon Rasa, who was suspended in mid-air. The terrifying wind pressure caused the gold dust clouds below to dissipate.

"One of the Sannin—Jiraiya!"

Sensing the surging chakra, Rasa knew that standing in the air made him a sitting duck, and he had his defensive measures ready.

What made him frown, however, was that the attacker from Konohagakure was Jiraiya, whose methods were exceptionally fierce and difficult to withstand head-on.

The gold dust cloud beneath his feet instantly boiled, shaped, and transformed into a thick, solid barrier that rose up to meet the impact.

At the same time, he used the violent recoil to propel himself downward like a shooting star, attempting to escape that lethal shadow.

"BOOM—!!!"

Gamabunta's mountain-like, heavy body slammed into the gold dust barrier with unstoppable force.

After holding for only a split second, the gold dust barrier shattered with a teeth-gritting crunch!

Gamabunta's momentum remained undiminished as his massive body crashed into the earth, creating a giant crater and sending spiderweb-like cracks spreading wildly across the ground.

The violent shockwave, like an invisible tsunami, swept outward, carrying debris and dust in its wake.

Within a radius of several dozen meters, both the Konohagakure ninjas attempting to attack and the Sunagakure ninjas scrambling to defend were ruthlessly blown away, their formations thrown into utter chaos.

Though Rasa was not hit directly, he landed back on the ground in a rather disheveled state, his feet stomping heavily as he slid backward uncontrollably due to the immense inertia.

Just as he struggled to steady himself, his attention fully occupied by Gamabunta above and Jiraiya in front, a new crisis emerged!

The ground behind Rasa turned muddy without warning, and a hideous purple snake shot out like lightning. Its jaws opened wide, and the cold glint of the Kusanagi Sword thrust directly toward Rasa's heart!

It was the lurking Orochimaru!

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

This strike was insidious and cunning, seizing the perfect moment when Rasa's old strength had just been spent and his new strength had yet to form.

"Lord Rasa, watch out!"

In the distance, the young Baki witnessed the scene and let out a cry of horror.

Rasa was, after all, a Kage-level fighter who had survived countless brutal battles. At the critical moment, he forced his body to twist, and the flowing gold dust condensed into a dense, miniature shield behind his back.

"CLANG!"

A piercing sound of metal clashing exploded!

The cold tip of the Kusanagi Sword narrowly grazed the edge of the gold dust shield, sparking a shower of dazzling embers.

The sharp sword qi was not fully blocked, still slicing through the robe on Rasa's back and leaving a shallow but striking bloodstain on his shoulder blade, from which beads of blood immediately splattered.

Though not fatal, the icy touch and the subtle stinging pain sent a chill down Rasa's spine, breaking him into a cold sweat.

Did I land it?!

Standing atop Gamabunta, Jiraiya saw this and his face lit up with joy, thinking the strike had succeeded.

On the field, Orochimaru felt the resistance from the sword tip, which had failed to pierce anything substantial. Knowing this ambush had failed, he did not linger and immediately retreated by leveraging the force.

"Jiraiya, you bastard... every time you summon me, it's never for anything good!"

Gamabunta's deep voice rolled across the battlefield like thunder. His giant eyes rotated, taking in the burning camp and the scattering figures, and he immediately understood where he was.

The pressure brought by his mountain-like body was no less than that of a true Tailed Beast, and the shadow he cast covered nearly half of the Sunagakure forward position.

"Haha, Bunta, don't say that!" Jiraiya stood atop Gamabunta, hands on his hips, laughing heartily.

"The one across from us is Sunagakure's Magnet Release user, Rasa, a famous tough nut to crack. How could I have this big show without you here to hold the line?"

"Cut the crap! Remember to buy me a drink later!"

Gamabunta puffed on his pipe and grunted in dissatisfaction, though his massive Toad Short Sword had already been drawn with a "shing."

The cold light reflected the leaping flames as he retorted, causing Jiraiya's face to darken.

"Make it quick. Fighting in the middle of the night—you don't have a wife, but I have to go back!"

On the other side of the battlefield, accompanied by a chilling, unsettling chakra, Orochimaru bit his thumb and pressed his hand to the ground.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

Black, runic patterns spread rapidly, accompanied by a massive cloud of white smoke.

A giant purple snake, no smaller than Gamabunta, appeared out of thin air. Its scales shimmered with a cold light, and its eyes were filled with cruelty and violence—it was Manda from Ryūchi Cave!

"Orochimaru, one hundred sacrifices, or I'll swallow you first!" Manda hissed a threat the moment he appeared.

"Don't worry, there are plenty here."

Orochimaru stood atop Manda's head, his snake-like eyes locking onto Rasa from afar as he smiled coldly, "Now, let the feast begin."

One toad and one giant snake—two powerful summoning beasts from different sacred lands appeared on the battlefield simultaneously. The visual impact and psychological deterrence they brought were unparalleled.

The morale of the Konohagakure side was greatly boosted, while the Sunagakure ninjas were struck with terror.

Rasa's expression was so gloomy it could practically drip water.

Facing two colossal summoning beasts that loomed like mountain ranges, along with the two Konohagakure ninja eyeing him like tigers, he knew he had to employ thunderous measures, or the Sunagakure front line would inevitably collapse.

The consequences of that would be a disaster that Sunagakure could not endure!

"I cannot let them act so recklessly!"

Rasa let out a low growl, pouring out his vast chakra without reservation.

"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Imperial Funeral!"

This time, the scale far exceeded anything before!

Amidst a deafening rumble, it felt as if the entire river valley had been hollowed out from beneath; endless golden Gold Dust surged upward like a true ocean turned upside down!

With even more overwhelming momentum, it swept toward the two summoning beasts and the large group of Konohagakure ninja behind them—

His goal was clear: to use an area-of-effect attack to force these two giant beasts into a position where they could not dodge and had to take the hit head-on!

Otherwise, if they were allowed to leap into his own ranks, the Sunagakure ninja would suffer heavy losses.

"Bastard!"

Jiraiya cursed in anger.

Gamabunta, beneath his feet, had the intention to dodge, but he also understood his partner's intent.

His massive body could leap with agility, but the Konohagakure ninja behind him would be doomed.

He had no choice but to use his enormous frame as a barrier, swinging his dozen-meter-long Toad Short Sword to desperately hack at the incoming tidal wave of Gold Dust.

"Orochimaru, you're going to have to pay more!"

Under Orochimaru's forced demand, Manda also let out a hiss of displeasure.

His thick snake tail swept out violently, scattering a patch of Gold Dust.

Seeing the two summoning beasts pinned down by his tactics, Rasa reached behind him to touch the black tea kettle that sealed the One-Tail.

As his eyes flickered, he cast a cold, icy gaze toward Jiraiya and Orochimaru.