When Manda vanished, the splashed mud was still hanging in midair when Orochimaru's body crashed into the swamp from over ten meters up.
Muddy water rose past his waist, and a layer of black sludge covered his pale face. The madness in his golden slit pupils was finally replaced by something more primal.
Chiba crouched atop the Wood Dragon's head, one hand braced on his knee as he looked down at Orochimaru struggling miserably in the mud. He clicked his tongue.
"Old Snake, your summon ran faster than you did. Looks like it gets beaten up a lot."
Orochimaru climbed out of the mud, half his snake tail dragging behind him as purple blood continued to seep from the wounds in his scales. His breathing was rapid and uneven, and the rise and fall of his chest showed that his chakra consumption had reached a dangerous threshold.
But he was still smiling.
"Senju Chiba, do you think driving away one Manda means you've won?"
Orochimaru formed hand seals in the muddy water, so quickly that afterimages trailed between his fingers. The excitement in his voice sent a chill down the spine.
"I've studied ninjutsu for decades. Do you think summons are my only trump card?"
Chiba did not jump down from the Wood Dragon. He tapped its scales twice with his right index finger, and the Wood Dragon let out a deep resonant growl.
"Then show me. Standing in the mud talking without doing anything—how are you any different from that snake that ran away?"
Orochimaru finished his seals.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
These were not ordinary snakes emerging from his sleeves. Hundreds of golden venomous snakes erupted simultaneously from every part of Orochimaru's body, each as thick as an adult's arm. Their bodies were covered in chakra-enhanced golden scales,