"Let's take another look."
Meikyō silently intensified his suppression of the Fourth Raikage, A, in an attempt to make the flow of Chakra within him clearer.
However, at this moment, several figures were chased by the Manda and arrived near this battlefield.
It was Dodai, Toroi, and two Cloud Kumogakure Jonin to their aid when they saw the situation was not good.
The Dodai lost one eye, and Toroi lost an arm.
On the head of Manda, Orochimaru looked down at the fleeing Dodai and others, calmly took out a Sealing Scroll, sealed one of Toroi's arms into it, stuffed it into the mouth of a python, released the summoning, and sent it back to Ryūchi Cave.
"Oh no! Orochimaru deliberately drove us to Lord Ai's battlefield, trying to force Lord Ai to be distracted and support us!"
Dodai, with his remaining single eye, saw the battle between Meikyō and the Fourth Raikage in front of him and was taken aback.
"Dodai! Are you alright? I'm coming to get you out of here!"
The Fourth Raikage, A, caught sight of the figures on the nearby Dodai and gritted his teeth, unleashing his Lightning Release Chakra Mode at full capacity.
"Oh? Not bad, it can actually become even stronger?"
Meikyō also saw the figures of Dodai, Orochimaru, and the others, and couldn't help but chuckle as he spoke.
Given the current situation, there's no need to fight to the death. We just need to maintain the current pace and hold off the Fourth Raikage.
Anyway, he's not the one who's in a hurry.
"This can't go on!"
A bolt of Lightning crackled from Dodai's palm and struck the eye that Orochimaru had blinded, tearing away the flesh and blood around it. The high temperature of the Inazuma quickly stopped the bleeding.
Given the Medical Ninjutsu abilities of the Ninja World, he could have replaced his eye afterward, but unfortunately, if no action is taken now, Orochimaru's snake venom will seep into his body.
Dodai had no choice but to do this, and he was not lacking in the ruthlessness and courage to do so.
But among the ninjas of Kumogakure, there are those even more ruthless than him.
"Damn it, even Lord Ai was stopped by Konoha's Meikyō the Body Flicker!"
Toroi used the same method to stop the bleeding from his shoulder, gritted his teeth, and took a Sealing Scroll from behind his back.
"Dodai, I will do my best to hold off Orochimaru and cover your retreat. Then I'll trouble you to go and support Lord A and help him break through! As long as Lord Raikage arrives, we will definitely be able to turn the tide!"
Toroi's tone was full of trust in the Third Raikage's strength.
They believed that the Third Raikage, who possessed the "Strongest Spear" and the "Strongest Shield," was invincible.
"We will stay with Toroi. Dodai, you are an indispensable arm to help the Third Hokage-sama lead the development of the village. Lord Ai is also the future shadow of the village. We cannot afford to lose him!"
The other two Kumogakure Jonin glances and spoke to the Dodai.
Under the iron fist of the Third Raikage and with the assistance of Dodai, the Kumogakure had the highest cohesion among the Five Great Ninja Villages.
"Then, I'll leave it to you two!"
Dodai gave the three Toroi a deep look with his single eye before continuing his journey toward the place where Meikyō and the Fourth Raikage were fighting.
The remaining three stayed where they were, decisively turned around, and faced Orochimaru.
"Lightning Style: Lightning Illusion Pillar!"
An endless stream of lightning erupted from a Cloud Jonin Kumogakure, blinding everyone around him indiscriminately.
Besides Toroi, who was prepared in advance, there was another Kumogakure Jonin.
They closed their eyes early and launched an attack in the direction where the Manda had been.
Lightning Style: Web Spider!
A massive net-like electrical barrier appeared on the ground centered on the location of another Kumogakure Jonin, effectively halting Manda's advance.
And everything they did successfully bought Toroi time.
Countless, overwhelming Fūma Shuriken floated in mid-air, each connected by streaks of Inazuma.
Under the influence of Magnet Release, these Fūma Shuriken spun rapidly in mid-air, emitting a buzzing sound.
"Magnet Release ·Super·Shocking Bird Blade!"
Tens of thousands of Fūma Shuriken, empowered by Magnet Release, carried immense cutting power and shot endlessly toward Orochimaru.
The three Kumogakure's original intention was to blind Orochimaru with the Lightning Pillar, bind him with the Web Spider, and finally have the strongest one, Toroi, launch the final attack.
However, Orochimaru had ordered Manda to coil up from the very beginning, using his massive, mountain-like body to block the lightning pillar.
As a snake, Manda can use its sense of smell and infrared temperature to perceive its external environment.
Orochimaru can also learn about everything happening outside through Manda.
"Heh, voluntarily staying behind to cover the retreat, that's quite courageous."
Orochimaru stuck out his long tongue to wash his face, then quickly Hand Seals and slapped the ground.
"Summoning Technique: Sanju Rasenmon!"
Three enormous Rashomon, resembling hell itself, appeared before Manda.
This Ninja World, which only Orochimaru successfully contracted since the First Hokage Rashomon, possesses extremely strong defensive capabilities and perfectly defended against Toroi's ultimate move.
"Next, it's my turn."
Orochimaru stood atop Manda once more, looking at the three Cloud Kumogakure supporting each other, seemingly ready to die.
"Boom!"
A black fist with a metallic sheen slammed heavily into the chest of the Fourth Raikage, sending him flying.
"Puff!"
Having been struck hard in the chest, the Fourth Raikage couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood onto the ground, resembling a defeated lion king.
Now, the metal arm guards on his arms are completely destroyed, and deep sword marks have appeared on his body. His aura has clearly weakened compared to when he first started.
However, just when the Fourth Raikage thought he was about to be defeated, he did not receive the final blow from the Meikyō.
"Lava Release: Flowing River!"
A torrent of rubbery sap, like a great river, gushed forth from the mouth of the Dodai in the distance, halting Meikyō's pursuit of victory.
"This is..."
Meikyō frowned and looked at the location where one of her clones had been.
The clone dissipated immediately after being burned by the high temperature carried by the rubbery slime.
The Lava Release of the Dodai is extremely unique; these rubbery slurries have extremely high temperatures and cool down very quickly.
After cooling, it forms an extremely tough rubber that can be used not only to trap enemies but also as a means of self-defense with considerable effectiveness.
Just like now.
The moment the Fourth Raikage saw the Dodai, he picked Dodai up with his large, fan-like hands and transformed into a bolt of Inazuma, rushing away into the distance.
Upon seeing this, Meikyō naturally switched to the clone that was closest to them.
However, Dodai used his full power to create a thick, circular rubber shield between them and Meikyō, blocking Meikyō's Lava Release attack.
When speed reaches the level of the Fourth Raikage and Minato Namikaze, even if the opponent is a master like Meikyō who can keep up with their speed, it only takes a short time for them to escape.
"It's a pity. If no one else had interfered, even if we couldn't kill Ai, we could have at least made him leave something behind."
Meikyō shook his head and sighed.
Just then, Orochimaru finally finished packing up Toroi's body and walked gracefully toward Meikyō.
"Hehe, as expected of the Meikyō the Body Flicker, it is not inferior to the Fourth Raikage in terms of speed, and it can completely suppress him. This kind of strength is probably no worse than the Third Hokage and the others."
Orochimaru wore an ambiguous smile, and his eyes held a hint of apprehension as he looked at Meikyō.
"Senior Orochimaru, you flatter me. I am still very young and have many shortcomings compared to the Third Hokage-sama."
Even though Meikyō now believes that his strength may indeed have surpassed that of the Third Hokage, he still needs to be humble.
Orochimaru smiled and said nothing more, instead leading Manda to continue the pursuit of the Kumogakure.
Before the arrival of the Meikyō, the Konoha Ninja he brought here could only barely hold off the Kumogakure's attack. Now that they had finally defeated the Kumogakure and had a chance to hold their heads high, Orochimaru, with his personality, would not let these Kumogakure off so easily.
Moreover, the Kumogakure captured alive on the battlefield were excellent experimental subjects.
Meikyō glanced in the direction Orochimaru had gone, but instead of giving chase, he went back to help the Katsuyu treat the wounded from the battle.
He was new to the area and had already suppressed the Fourth Raikage in this war, which can be considered his primary achievement. There was no need for him to claim any more credit.
By using Medical Ninjutsu to heal the wounded, he can actually gain more prestige among these Konoha Ninja.
The battle only came to an end after they had been busy until dark.
"By this time tomorrow, we'll remove the bandages, put on new medication, and it will take two days for him to regain his fighting ability."
With practiced ease, Meikyō bandaged the wound of a Konoha Ninja and then gave him instructions.
"Thank you so much, Lord Meikyō!"
The Konoha Ninja expressed his gratitude to Meikyō with a look of deep appreciation.
"Next!"
Meikyō smiled and nodded at the Konoha Ninja, calling out to the next wounded soldier.
However, it was Orochimaru who entered the Medical Corps's tent.
"Hehe, Meikyō- jun, there are no more seriously injured people outside now, so there's no need for you to continue."
Orochimaru sat down opposite Meikyō with a calm and natural demeanor.
"Senior Orochimaru, is there something important?"
Meikyō asked Orochimaru.
"Meikyō -jun guessed correctly. There is indeed something very important, and it's a good thing."
Orochimaru licked his lips, his face showing barely suppressed joy.
"Just now, I received information about the Third Raikage. The reason he didn't appear on the battlefield is that he secretly withdrew from the battlefield a week ago with a portion of the Kumogakure's elite troops and infiltrated the Land of Earth, plundering a large amount of resources. However, he was eventually surrounded by the Third Tsuchikage and tens of thousands of Iwagakure Ninja. In order to protect his subordinates, he took the initiative to cover the retreat and fought against Ōnoki's ten thousand Iwagakure Ninja for three days and three nights before finally dying from exhaustion."
Is the Third Raikage dead?
Moreover, the way he died was the same as in the original timeline.
However, given his personality, if he can't gain any advantage in the battle against Konoha and can't achieve anything, given the Kumogakure's consistent bandit mentality, he might very well try to rob the Land of Earth, which was originally an ally.
"I have never fought the Third Raikage, but I know that he is a strong person on the same level as the Lord Hokage. The number of ordinary ninjas is not very meaningful to them. With his strength, he may not be unable to fight his way out. It seems that Ōnoki, a strong person of the same level, has restrained him, which has led to this result."
Upon hearing this news, Meikyō couldn't help but sigh.
"That's right. Even someone like the Third Raikage, whose strength stands at the pinnacle of the entire Ninja World, will eventually have his life come to an end."
Orochimaru seemed to have more to say than Meikyō.
He and the Third Raikage clashed many times during the Third Shinobi World War.
Although his opponent couldn't do anything to him, in every direct battle, Orochimaru was actually the one who was suppressed and at a disadvantage by the Third Raikage.
His feelings were the deepest.
"No matter how powerful a person is, when he dies, it will all be for nothing in the end, and it will be meaningless. What do you think, Meikyō- jun?"
"I never would have guessed that Senior Orochimaru, who is seen by everyone as the most calm and rational person, would say such sentimental things."
Meikyō washed his hands briefly, took out a tea set and tea leaves from the Sealing Scroll, and brewed a pot of tea in front of Orochimaru.
This tea is a top-quality tea that I brought from the Fugaku.
"This is not just sentimentality, Mr. Meikyō. I believe it is a philosophical question, a proposition about the meaning of life."
Orochimaru calmly picked up the freshly brewed tea and took a light sip with elegant posture.
"Good tea."
"Does Senior Orochimaru believe that only by possessing Eternity life can the meaning of life also be Eternity?"
Meikyō looked at Orochimaru and said.
"Isn't that so, Meikyō- kun? You seem to be only around twenty years old now, still very young, and you have great strength. But as a ninja, one day you will become accustomed to the death and separation of life, until it is your turn."
Orochimaru then added two more examples.
"Just like the Third Raikage who died yesterday, or the even more powerful First Hokage, who left behind only a rock carving as his last trace in this world."
At this point, Orochimaru felt the urge to leave again and took a sip of the tea in his cup.
Although he and Meikyō were both direct disciples of the Hokage, their relationship was not actually very deep.
Orochimaru's true closest friends were Meikyō two teachers, Tsunade and Kato Dan.
But now they are also competitors for the Hokage position.
In this situation, it is clearly inappropriate to have deep conversations with someone you don't know well.
He came to Meikyō only because he was interested in Meikyō's abilities and wanted to ask about the other person's views on life, hoping to find someone with similar thoughts to his own.