Battle Between the Three Sannin, Manda Dies in Their Stead

"Was it you who killed Kabuto? Impossible. It was too clean, too efficient—not a single trace left behind. That wasn't something a Genin like you could do!"

For the first time, Orochimaru's voice carried distrust. He stared fixedly at Naruto, disbelief churning in his snake-like eyes.

Kabuto Yakushi was his most prized pawn, the shadow he had personally trained for ten years.

He was a top-tier spy whom even Jiraiya and Tsunade had failed to catch. Orochimaru had investigated for three whole days without finding even the slightest clue.

He had even thought Danzo had done it. How could it have been this twelve-year-old brat before him?!

Naruto said, "Kabuto was indeed someone remarkable. But he was your man, and he blocked my path. If I didn't kill him, how could I sleep?"

He spread his hands, his smile innocent yet cruel.

"But don't worry, Lord Orochimaru. I'll be killing you soon, so please wait patiently!"

"Besides, my dad took the Hokage position from you, and you helped me kill the Third Hokage. By that count, my family owes you two Hokage. Such a tremendous favor... it seems I can only repay it by letting you die!"

"Otherwise, I'm afraid I won't be able to pay you back!"

"You little bastard! How dare you be this arrogant? Even I'm not this damn cocky!"

Orochimaru trembled with rage, his pale face turning a sickly shade of purple.

He had lived for over fifty years and seen countless madmen, but never one this unreasonable.

Naruto's words did not merely stun Orochimaru—they left Jiraiya and Tsunade dumbfounded as well.

The two looked at each other, their minds a complete mess.

"What kind of person is Naruto, really?"

"If you say he's polite, that's true. He was calling me Granny Tsunade properly just now."

"If you say he's ruthless, that's true too. He kills without even blinking, and now he wants to kill Orochimaru."

"But... I can't make sense of it. I really can't!"

Just then, five figures tore through the air and landed before Orochimaru.

They were the Sound Ninja Four and Kaguya Kimimaro, their silver-white hair whipping wildly in the wind.

Kimimaro's cold eyes now burned with raging fury.

After Orochimaru had taken him in, he had regarded Orochimaru as the entire meaning of his existence—the only light in his life.

Anyone who insulted Orochimaru might as well have torn out his heart and ripped apart his bones.

"How dare you show such disrespect toward Lord Orochimaru? I'll kill you!"

Without another word, osteoblasts multiplied wildly within his body.

A sharp bone spike pierced through the skin of his palm, gleaming with an icy light.

His entire body turned into a silver-white bolt of lightning as he lunged at Naruto.

Naruto smiled and said, "Oh? It's like I insulted your father."

Before his words had even faded.

Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade formed hand seals at the same time.

Three voices rang out in unison.

"Summoning Technique!"

"Summoning Technique!"

Boom—!

The earth shook violently as three enormous summoning arrays burst open across the ground, billowing smoke that obscured half the sky.

A massive serpent covered in hard scales burst from the earth. Its crimson tongue flickered rapidly as its cold vertical pupils swept across the battlefield. It was Manda.

A red toad with an enormous scroll strapped to his back squatted on the ground, smoking a pipe with an impatient expression. It was Gamabunta.

A snow-white slug slowly wriggled forward, her gentle voice ringing out. It was Lady Katsuyu.

The Three Sannin had summoned their beasts.

The Ninja World's most iconic scene was recreated at this moment.

"Manda, swallow Tsunade and take her away through the summoning!"

Orochimaru shouted urgently. Having lost both hands, he could no longer form seals or use ninjutsu.

If he wanted to take away Tsunade, one of the Three Sannin, this was his only option.

"Listen to the bullshit coming out of your mouth!"

Manda abruptly turned his head and cursed Orochimaru furiously.

"Even if you gave me a hundred living people to eat, I wouldn't do that! That little girl could smash my skull with one punch. If I swallowed her, she'd probably tear me apart from the inside!"

"You dare disobey me?"

Orochimaru's voice instantly turned cold.

"Don't forget who provides you with sacrifices!"

"Don't threaten me with that!"

Manda hissed back without yielding.

"At worst, I'll go back to Dragon Cave and never come out again! Do you think I enjoy coming out here to risk my life for you?"

At the very instant their argument reached its height, Naruto moved.

He had calculated this opening. He had calculated that Orochimaru's attention would be entirely on Manda. He had calculated that Kimimaro would assume Naruto would deal with his attack first.

Clang!

The kunai and bone spike collided viciously, scattering blinding sparks.

Naruto twisted his wrist, and tremendous force surged through the kunai.

Kimimaro's arm went numb, and his whole body was sent flying backward.

Now!

Naruto pressed his left hand against his right palm as blue chakra spun wildly.

Strands of Wind Release chakra merged into it, transforming into countless razor-sharp wind blades.

A gigantic shuriken, deep blue throughout and ringed with innumerable tiny wind blades, slowly formed in his hand.

Bzzzz—!

A piercing hum resounded through heaven and earth.

The rapidly spinning wind blades shredded the air, producing a tearing shriek.

A destructive pressure instantly enveloped everyone.

Everyone was stunned. The ignition stick in Jiraiya's hand, which he had been about to use for Fire Release, fell to the ground with a clatter.

His eyes widened, and his pupils contracted sharply.

"This is... the Rasengan? No! It's a Wind Release nature transformation! He actually fused Wind Release perfectly into the Rasengan!"

"That's impossible! Even the Fourth Hokage never managed to reach this level!"

Tsunade sucked in a breath. She could clearly sense the terrifying destructive power contained within that ninjutsu—a force capable of completely shredding and disintegrating all matter.

If that attack had hit her just now, even the Strength of a Hundred Technique would never have been able to block it.

Kimimaro forcibly twisted his body midair, his face filled with disbelief. He could control the hardest bones in the world, yet at this moment, his bones felt as fragile as paper before those wind blades.

"Not good!"

Orochimaru's expression changed drastically.

Without a second thought, he used his remaining chakra to forcibly control Manda.

"Manda! Block it!"

"Are you fucking insane?!"

Manda let out a shrill scream.

He wanted to resist, but Orochimaru's chakra bound his body tightly. He could only watch helplessly as that shuriken of death flew toward him.

"Orochimaru! Fuck your ancestors!"

Those were Manda's final words in this world.

Splat—!

Wind Release: Rasenshuriken struck Manda's body with perfect accuracy.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, only the teeth-grinding sound of slicing.

Countless sharp wind blades instantly invaded Manda's body, thoroughly shredding his scales, muscles, bones, and even every single cell.

A torrential rain of blood poured down from the sky.

The strongest summoned beast of Dragon Cave, once so incomparably arrogant, did not even last ten seconds before turning into chunks of flesh that rained down upon the earth.

Warm blood splattered across Orochimaru's body. He stood frozen in the blood rain, all color drained from his face.

Naruto slowly lowered his hand. The residual force of the Rasenshuriken faded, while a heavy stench of blood filled the air.

He raised his head, his gaze passing through the blood mist and landing on Orochimaru's face.

His smile remained radiant, yet it carried bone-piercing coldness.

"Lord Orochimaru, look."

"Your last snake is dead too."