"Orochimaru, you brat again."
"If you want to borrow my power, have you prepared a hundred sacrifices?"
A massive snake with purple stripes all over its body appeared. It was Manda, the great serpent of Ryūchi Cave.
As one of the most infamous summon beasts, Manda demanded sacrifices every time he was summoned, but his strength was nothing to scoff at.
It could be said that a large part of the Sannin's fame came from their respective summon beasts.
"Of course, Lord Manda."
Orochimaru replied with calm ease. "I've prepared enough sacrifices for you, Lord Manda. But I'll have to trouble you to help us get there first..."
This was a battlefield, after all—the last place to be short of "sacrifices."
"Is that brat my sacrifice too?"
Manda raised his enormous head and looked at Ruohuo in midair.
Then his gaze met Ruohuo's Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
"Sensei, I can feel a strong aura of darkness coming from him too..."
"Lord Manda comes from Ryūchi Cave. I have a contract with Ryūchi Cave, Ruohuo."
Orochimaru tried to mediate, keeping his words within the bounds both of them could accept.
"Those eyes... Orochimaru, I've changed my mind."
"That brat can take the place of five... no, four sacrifices. Let me eat him!"
Manda said it, and then did exactly as he pleased.
Why would he need Orochimaru's permission to eat whatever sacrifice he wanted?
Orochimaru was indeed a little exasperated. He was about to end the summoning and find another snake to ride when he suddenly heard Ruohuo taunt Manda.
"Catch me first, you idiot."
With that, Ruohuo controlled the Fire Dragon and flew off into the distance!
"Damn brat! Just you wait!"
Manda immediately slithered after Ruohuo with his enormous body!
"There are rocks ahead, Lord Manda," Orochimaru said calmly, standing on Manda's head as he smiled and reminded him to avoid them.
"Hmph!"
The two men and one snake set off just like that.
Their destination was Kanabi Bridge, which wasn't all that far away.
The journey was expected to take twenty hours, but Manda and the Fire (Water) Dragon Bullet's ability to fly would clearly cut that down by quite a bit.
Still, traveling like this... was bound to attract attention.
But even if they were being conspicuous, stopping this duo on the way would take considerable courage.
A blazing fire dragon flying through the sky!
A gigantic serpent chasing after it and occasionally trying to attack it!
Ruohuo controlled the fire dragon's direction.
The fire dragon controlled Manda's direction.
Manda's massive body smashed through everything in its path. The Iwagakure Ninjas they encountered on the way couldn't even think of stopping them; whether they could escape depended on Ruohuo and Manda!
"What's with that giant snake? Why is it so huge?"
"Has Orochimaru launched an attack with Konoha Ninjas?"
"No! Look up there!"
"Orochimaru's target isn't us. It's that Uchiha... a Uchiha from Konoha!?"
"Communication Squad, report this to the Third Tsuchikage at once!"
"Damn it! They're heading in the wrong direction! They seem to be going toward... Their target is Iwagakure!"
"Are they crazy? They're trying to launch a surprise attack on Iwagakure like this?"
"The Third Tsuchikage has given the order! Reinforcements are on their way. Stop them if you can!"
A flying dragon overhead, with a giant snake chasing after it below—this wasn't something you saw every day.
After their initial shock, the Iwagakure Ninjas finally "realized" the goal of this master and student. If they kept going in that direction, wouldn't their destination be Iwagakure?
The Iwagakure Ninjas were instantly outraged, their morale soaring!
Orochimaru was way too arrogant. Was he really planning to charge straight into their home like this!?
Did he take the men of Iwagakure for weaklings who could be bullied at will?
So, driven by fury, more and more Iwagakure Ninjas tried to intercept the pair.
At first, Ruohuo could hardly be bothered to deal with them.
He only had to control Manda and let him crush them.
Manda couldn't be bothered either.
This brat had dared to provoke Lord Manda. He had to swallow him whole!
Orochimaru was even less inclined to get involved...
Watching the figure in the sky, Orochimaru felt a faint sense of anticipation.
Ruohuo...
He seemed to get along quite well with Lord Manda?
However, the Iwagakure Ninjas kept coming in greater numbers.
Some were chasing from behind, while others blocked the way ahead.
Ruohuo flew almost in a straight line, making his intentions far too obvious. The Iwagakure Ninjas hastily formed a temporary defensive line and raised a gigantic wall, dozens of meters high, through their combined efforts!
But how could a mere wall stop Ruohuo?
Ruohuo increased the chakra flowing through the fire dragon beneath his feet, soaring hundreds of meters into the air and clearing the Iwagakure blockade. He even left behind a Fire Style: Heavenly Weeping!
A rain of fire descended from the sky, and the Iwagakure Ninjas could only rage helplessly, taking out their fury on Orochimaru, who was riding Manda!
To be honest, if Manda had ended the summoning at a time like this and forcibly returned to Ryūchi Cave, Iwagakure might have gained a Sannin as a prisoner...
Fortunately, though Manda was evil, he still had professional integrity.
He burrowed underground and forced his way through, then brazenly emerged from above the wall. He opened his cavernous jaws and swallowed a few unlucky people to replenish his strength before continuing after Ruohuo!
Watching the blazing giant dragon in the sky.
And the cheating giant snake.
The Iwagakure Ninjas were not only furious; they were even more certain of one thing.
These two were planning to attack Iwagakure!
After breaking through the hastily assembled defensive line,
the obstacles in the master and student's path were little more than a formality.
One could fly, and the other could burrow underground. How were they supposed to stop them?
The Iwagakure Ninjas watched them go, grinding their teeth in rage.
The master and student were moving incredibly fast, and they had no interest in fighting. They just kept charging forward with all their might!
They didn't give anyone a chance to engage them!
"Too arrogant! This is just too arrogant!!"
Far away in Iwagakure, Ōnoki of Both Scales, the Third Tsuchikage, roared furiously from the Tsuchikage Building.
"Are Sarutobi Hiruzen's students really taking my Iwagakure for weaklings who can be bullied at will?"
That youngster named Orochimaru—who did he think he was, Uchiha Madara?
"Bring me Han and Roshi! Today, I'll make sure that youngster learns the meaning of Iwagakure's strength!"
"Lord Han has already set out for Kanabi Bridge, Third Tsuchikage!" An Iwagakure kunoichi rushed in. She was Ōnoki's secretary and daughter-in-law.
"What!? What's he going there for? There's... there... Hm?"
The Third Tsuchikage suddenly realized something. He flew to the map and compared it with the route sent by the Communication Squad.
"Lord Han said the two of them might be headed for Kanabi Bridge, so he went to check."
Before you continue