With Gamabunta and Manda holding back the Gold Dust waterfall, Jiraiya and Orochimaru vanished from atop their respective summons.
You do the first; I'll do the fifteenth!
Among ninjas, no one was nobler than anyone else. There was only strength.
Jiraiya formed Hand Seals, aiming straight for the cluster of Sunagakure ninjas behind the Gold Dust waves.
"Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!"
He opened his mouth and spewed out a huge orange-yellow fireball. It shot forward with a piercing, crackling roar, heading straight for the Sunagakure formation. Gold Dust rose in its path, only to melt into crystals in an instant.
"Ninja Art: Many Snake Array!"
Orochimaru likewise opened his mouth and spat out an endless stream of writhing snakes!
In an instant, thousands upon thousands of snakes of every color, all highly venomous, surged forth like a broken dam, or a writhing, horrifying wave. Their hissing made everyone's scalp prickle as they charged toward the Sunagakure ninjas behind the Gold Dust barrier!
The snake tide covered an enormous area and moved at incredible speed. It was meant to bypass the Gold Dust defenses head-on and devour, constrict, and poison large numbers of Sunagakure ninjas from the flanks and even from above!
Just as the two Konoha ninjas' attacks were about to take effect, at the critical moment when they were poised to put the pressure back on Sunagakure—
A scorching chakra, so intense it seemed capable of purifying everything, suddenly blazed above the Sunagakure formation like the rising sun in the darkest hour before dawn!
"Scorch Release: Extremely Steaming Murder!"
A clear shout cut through the clamor. Along with it, more than a dozen head-sized fireballs, orange on the outside and pure white within, radiating terrifying heat, exploded across the battlefield.
Like interceptor missiles, they slammed into the venomous snakes Orochimaru had summoned and some of the Great Flame Bullets hurtling toward the Sunagakure formation.
"Puff! Puff! Puff!"
Where the white light passed, there were no explosions—only unbearable heat.
The snakes were instantly drained of every drop of moisture and turned into charred, dried corpses. Even the blazing flames were forcibly snuffed out and dispersed by the even more terrifying heat!
A dashing figure, accompanied by flecks of white light that had yet to fade, landed lightly atop a tall Gold Dust barrier.
She wore the standard Sunagakure ninja uniform, and the orange-yellow streaks in her hair fluttered in the heat waves.
Her cool, beautiful face held absolute confidence and stern resolve. Several Scorch Release orbs floated around her, making her look like Sunagakure's savior.
"It's Lady Pakura!"
A Sunagakure ninja cried out in relief. Then, under the leadership of their Jonin, they rallied and resumed their formation, fighting the Konoha forces with ever greater bloodshed and brutality!
Pakura's gaze swept across the battlefield before settling on Jiraiya and Orochimaru, their expressions tense. She called out,
"Konoha's Sannin, Rasa isn't your only opponent."
"Pakura..."
Rasa glanced at the lovely figure who had arrived below. Feeling somewhat reassured, he focused all his attention on suppressing the two great summons.
Though the beasts were powerful, they were no match for a Tailed Beast. In the end, they were just animals!
After speaking, Pakura charged toward the nearest Konoha ninja.
Under her chakra's control, several fireballs radiating terrifying heat curved around the chaotic battle and shot toward a squad of Konoha ninjas trying to take advantage of the moment to press their attack.
"Scatter! It's Pakura!" a knowledgeable Konoha commander shouted a warning.
But the warning came a moment too late. One Scorch Release fireball grazed a Konoha Chunin's arm, and a terrifying scene unfolded—
He didn't even have time to scream before every drop of moisture in his body was completely evaporated.
He collapsed stiffly, his entire body shriveled into a mummy, his face frozen in horror.
The horrifying sight left Jiraiya and Orochimaru incensed.
Orochimaru's killing intent spread like a tangible force. His figure blurred as he charged at Pakura.
Jiraiya's gaze swept across the entire stalemated battlefield like lightning, his brow furrowing.
With Rasa and Pakura fighting together, Sunagakure's morale had soared. Though his own ninja forces were brave, they were fighting a hard battle on the enemy's home ground.
His forces were also outnumbered. If the battle continued, the best they could hope for was to force Sunagakure to retreat; they wouldn't be able to kill Rasa, who could fly through the air.
Pakura could also rely on the advantages of Gold Dust to retreat safely.
After that, with the two of them leading the way, Sunagakure could quickly raise another army. Could Konoha, which had nearly exhausted its reserves, do the same?
As Jiraiya pondered this, he didn't stop attacking. A Great Flame Bullet burst from his mouth, reducing a small squad of Sunagakure ninjas to ashes.
Suddenly, chakra surged overhead—
"Magnet Release: Gold Dust Great Wave!"
With more time to prepare his technique, Rasa unleashed an even more powerful ninjutsu.
He thrust both hands forward. The Gold Dust he had used for defense and attack surged together like a tsunami, forming a golden wave dozens of meters high that swept across the entire river valley battlefield and bore down on the Konoha formation!
Where the wave passed, rocks shattered, trees were swallowed, and even the burning flames were instantly buried and extinguished.
Faced with a jutsu as overwhelming as the wrath of heaven, individual strength seemed so insignificant.
Gamabunta took a deep breath, his enormous belly swelling. Then he opened his mouth and spat out several massive water balls, each the size of a house—Water Release: Gunshot!
The cannonball-like water balls sent golden rain flying everywhere, barely slowing the Gold Dust's advance.
Manda, on the other hand, wasn't willing to risk its life over mere "food."
At the height of the stalemate, it suddenly bent down, opened its gaping maw, and swallowed several Sunagakure and Konoha ninjas below who hadn't managed to dodge in time!
"I'll take the sacrifices first, Orochimaru!"
It left behind those hoarse words and vanished in a puff of white smoke before anyone could respond, returning straight to Ryūchi Cave.
This put even more pressure on Gamabunta, who couldn't help shouting, "Jiraiya! That bastard snake ran off! I can't hold on!"
"Retreat! Cover one another!"
Seeing how the battle had turned, Jiraiya made his decision at once and shouted the order.
He leaped onto Gamabunta's head, the old partners understanding each other without a word.
"Use that move, Bunta!"
"I've been ready for ages!"
Gamabunta's huge belly swelled violently before he spewed out a waterfall of thick black oil. Jiraiya formed Hand Seals at the same time, and blazing Fire Style chakra surged up from his throat—
"Combined Ninjutsu: Toad Oil Flame Bullet!"
The black torrent of oil and the raging flames merged in midair, instantly turning into a sticky sea of fire that blotted out the sky.
With a terrifying roar that seemed to devour everything, it slammed into the surging Gold Dust wave!
"Boom—!!!"
The scorching oil fire and icy Gold Dust intertwined, eroded, and erupted in a frenzy, sending towering flames and thick smoke into the sky. It was as if a wall of fire had risen in the center of the battlefield, dividing life from death.
Orochimaru gave a cold laugh, took a long look at Rasa and Pakura, faintly visible behind the wall of fire, and sank underground.
Under the cover of the flames, the Konoha forces divided into several groups with practiced precision. Covering one another, they quickly disappeared into the forest behind them, leaving only a wrecked battlefield and a towering wall of fire still blazing fiercely.
Standing atop the Gold Dust, Rasa watched the Konoha ninjas disappear into the forest. He gave no order to pursue them.
"Clear the battlefield and reinforce the defenses!"
He looked back at the garrison camp below, strewn with the wounded and dying beneath the rising sun. Clenching his fists, he said bitterly, "Konoha, this isn't over!"