Fighting Over the Snake Horde

Billowing dust.

"So you're still alive, huh? I thought some big shot had come over and turned you into a meal."

A crazed laugh came from the distance. A gigantic black snake, several meters long, writhed forward, and nearly all the snakes crawled in the same manner as they rapidly approached them.

Their numbers were several times greater than theirs.

Some of the snakes even wore crude armor protecting their vital upper bodies, which was quite an eye-opener for Itachi.

Compared to them, Mamba's squad could only be described as a pile of rotten fish and shrimp.

What a motley rabble.

"I'm definitely not dying. But you, old ghost—old and blind as you are—I don't think you'll be able to hold on much longer."

Little White Snake wasn't afraid of him in the slightest and immediately fired back.

He sat atop his massive python mount, and the two sides faced each other like opposing armies.

"You won't be arrogant for much longer."

Having his sore spot struck, Lieta's voice caught. He immediately became somewhat furious. If he hadn't underestimated that little brat back then, how could that little thing have bitten his eye with its venomous fangs?

It had taken him a long time to recover from his injuries and regain his strength. Otherwise, how could he have tolerated that little punk hopping around here for so long?

"Then let's find out."

The snake hordes on both sides continuously let out threatening hisses, and for a moment, the entire cave was taut with tension.

Although there was a huge gap in strength, and Mamba was somewhat smaller than the other side, so what?

This young master had people backing him up. Who was afraid of who?

In a moment, he'd make that bastard suffer and teach him how a snake ought to tuck its tail.

Hm-hm.

Mamba turned around and looked about, then his face suddenly went green.

Where had his greatest backer gone?

He hadn't run off after seeing such a formidable enemy force, had he?

Boss, don't play like this. Suddenly panicked, he instantly wilted like an eggplant struck by frost.

"Uh..."

"I'm right beside you."

A red-and-white python coiled at his side, flicking its tongue as it spoke. Itachi had already used the Transformation Technique, turning into a forest king snake as he watched the surroundings.

Its dazzling colors radiated danger and warning.

After all, exposing his human identity rashly here was probably still too early.

If it caused unnecessary unrest, the losses would outweigh the gains. After all, the snakes here could fetch a good price as snake soup.

"Then come on, bastard."

Having received Itachi's approval and support, Mamba immediately became bold through borrowed strength.

His snarling, clawing display made Lieta grit his teeth in rage. But soon enough, he would tear that bastard limb from limb. If he could devour that fellow's body, perhaps the purity of his bloodline would improve.

[Snake Technique: Ten Thousand Fangs Strike]

[Combination Technique: Armor-Shield Sequence]

Mamba struck first, firing wildly at the snake horde with his venomous fangs. His small unit also did its best to seize the high ground and launch long-range attacks downward.

Yet the other side responded to every move, using scales and rudimentary crafted armor to block those attacks. Sparks burst continuously across the front-line snakes, and as the horde advanced, they covered the rear snakes as they sprayed venom and launched their fangs.

In an instant, dozens of Mamba's little snakes were injured and routed. The formation had completely tilted to one side.

"Ha ha ha! Catch that Little White Snake! I want to swallow him alive and peel him apart!"

Lieta roared at his subordinates. The guards at his side continuously directed the snake horde's offensive, and it had already taken on the scale of an army.

Once an army was defeated, it collapsed like a mountain. The disparity between the two sides was visible to the naked eye.

If these had been Dragon Cave's more elite forces, they could probably have steamrolled Konoha's reconnaissance unit in an instant.

"Damn it, hold the line!"

Mamba kept slithering around nearby. They had even set up underground tunnels and trenches, and the densely packed enemy snakes rushed forward only to fall straight into traps and pits.

Screams, wails, roars, and shouts.

Quite a few snakes even used death coils on one another, wrapping themselves around their opponents.

They constricted the weaker little snakes with all their might, crushing their flesh flat.

But some of the larger snakes were outnumbered as well. Under the siege of countless snakes, they gradually exhausted themselves, finally collapsing onto the ground like dead mountains.

The carnage was nearly enough to turn the ground into a river of blood.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Flower Fire Technique."

Itachi spat out several fireballs. In an instant, all kinds of senjutsu and ninjutsu boomed across the battlefield, Chakra explosions erupting one after another as blasted-off snake segments and organs flew everywhere.

Itachi's ninjutsu gradually helped them turn the tide during critical attacks.

"I was wondering why you were so fearless. So you had an expert helping you—that explains it. My snake friend, this is a private grudge between him and me. Don't interfere so casually. If you leave now, I will certainly reward you handsomely, and from then on, I will honor you as an eternal guest."

As an advanced snake, Lieta immediately sensed that something was wrong and spoke up to warn him. Yet the other side seemed to have gone mad with slaughter and ignored him completely.

[The red-and-black great snake uses fire breath. Little Snake x20 suffers burns.]

[Little Snake Armored Soldier charges with a thrust. Attack ineffective.]

[Little Snake B launches a flank ambush. Dodge successful. Damage: 0.]

[Blazing fire continues to scorch. A spreading effect occurs. Snake horde losses reach 8%.]

[The black-and-red great snake draws massive aggro.]

[The snake horde launches a fierce assault and surrounds the enemy, but the red-and-black great snake does not gain the Fear buff.]

[The snake horde is attacked. Great snake tail sweep.]

[Little Snake x5 crushed flat.]

Every report from the battlefield showed how unfavorable the situation was. The little gains they had just secured had been overturned by this fellow.

But he had never seen this black forest king snake before, and an unfamiliar aura rushed toward him.

Within several hundred li of this area, there shouldn't have been such a powerful expert.

How could this be?

A human aura!

His remaining eye narrowed slightly. These were human ninjutsu as well, unlike those of Dragon Cave. Could it be...?

In an instant, his enormous body rose upright in coils.

"Well, well, Mamba. You actually invited an outsider snake to help you. Do you know what crime it is to collude with humans?"

Lieta slowly stepped forward, blocking the mass of his underlings, killing intent gleaming in his eyes.