"Summoning Jutsu!"
As Sasori summoned the puppet of the Third Kazekage, Orochimaru bit his finger, quickly forming hand signs before slamming his palm onto the ground. The inky black runes of the summoning circle spread out like an umbrella. Moments later, with a puff of white smoke, a massive snake appeared before everyone.
"Orochimaru, have you prepared the sacrifices?" The enormous snake, known as Manda, spoke with little respect for Orochimaru, despite being his summoned beast.
"I'll prepare them once we return," Orochimaru replied.
Previously, when Orochimaru had failed in his attempt to assassinate Uchiha Akira, he could attribute the failure to fighting alone. But now, with Sasori present, Orochimaru knew he couldn't afford to hold back. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to explain himself when they returned.
Moreover, Orochimaru had witnessed Uchiha Akira's power during the Uchiha clan massacre. Even with Sasori's help and all his trump cards revealed, Orochimaru wasn't sure they could defeat Akira today. Of course, if Akira did die here, it would mean that he was only this strong after all.
Originally, Orochimaru's top target for body possession was Itachi, with Akira as his second choice. But after seeing Akira's power during the Uchiha massacre, Orochimaru no longer dared to covet his body.
The sight of Orochimaru summoning such a powerful creature, coupled with Sasori's control of the Third Kazekage puppet, made the Konoha ninjas' faces turn grim.
Summoned beasts of this caliber could significantly amplify a shinobi's strength. Orochimaru's summon, from Ryūchi Cave, was one of the most formidable in the ninja world. The battle continued to escalate.
The Ino-Shika-Chō trio worked seamlessly together, while Might Guy and Uchiha Akira opened the Sixth Gate, displaying incredible power. However, neither of them opened the Seventh Gate.
Why? Because opening the Seventh Gate would mean losing their combat capability for a long time afterward. With the battles against Iwagakure and Kumogakure still ahead, neither Akira nor Guy would open the Seventh Gate unless absolutely necessary.
In a battle against Kage-level opponents, opening the Seventh Gate wasn't something that could be easily done or undone.
Due to his fractured bones, Kakashi could only fight at about 40-50% of his usual strength, focusing on Sasori's puppet army. As for Orochimaru, Sasori, the Third Kazekage, or Manda, Kakashi couldn't handle any of them.
Hiashi Hyuga found himself in a similarly difficult situation. While Gentle Fist had some long-range techniques like Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm, it wasn't effective against Kage-level opponents. His specialty, chakra point strikes, was useless against puppets.
As a top-tier Jonin, Hiashi Hyuga's contribution in this battle was limited. Even if he successfully landed a chakra point strike on Orochimaru or Sasori, it would be ineffective—Orochimaru's body had been modified, and Sasori was essentially a puppet himself.
However, the Ino-Shika-Chō trio's teamwork yielded decent results, with the core output coming from Might Guy and Uchiha Akira.
Both fighting with the Sixth Gate open, Akira, who was already a Kage-level shinobi in his base form, outshone even Guy in this battle. Each punch from Akira sent Manda reeling, the force behind his strikes rivaling Tsunade's monstrous strength.
Meanwhile, Naruto's performance was particularly eye-catching. Why? Because of his Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu! He continuously sent dozens of clones into the fray.
Did they get destroyed? No problem, Naruto just made more—hundreds of them, charging in again and again.
Sasori grew increasingly frustrated, unleashing another volley of projectiles from Hiruko, wiping out most of the clones. "You brat! Do you have any other tricks? These shadow clones are useless, no matter how many you create!" Sasori shouted, his voice tinged with exasperation.
But Naruto, gritting his teeth, simply created more clones, sending hundreds more to attack.
Sasori was on the verge of tears. While the clones weren't a significant threat, his puppet's mechanisms weren't limitless—he had nearly exhausted his supply of projectiles. And Naruto? That kid was only seven, yet his chakra seemed endless!
Even Kakashi, watching Naruto out of the corner of his eye, was about to cry—not out of frustration like Sasori, but out of envy. Naruto's seemingly limitless chakra was everything Kakashi lacked.
"If this continues, the battle will end in a stalemate, just like the last time," Akira thought as he continued to pummel Manda, driving the giant snake back with every blow. He quickly surveyed the battlefield, pondering his next move.
What had the life simulation predicted? They would defeat the Sunagakure forces with minor injuries, but the fight with Orochimaru and Sasori would leave both sides severely wounded. Orochimaru and Sasori could retreat and recover at the Akatsuki base, but Akira couldn't afford to be severely injured with the Land of Earth and the Land of Lightning still ahead. Plus, Onoki, the Third Tsuchikage, would appear on the battlefield and ambush him with Dust Release.
This battle needed to end quickly and decisively. But how?
Should he open the Seventh Gate? Doing so would give him the power to crush Orochimaru and Sasori, but the aftermath would leave him vulnerable. The life simulation's restorative effect was meant for facing the Tsuchikage at the border of the Land of Earth or even during the inevitable clash with the forces of the Land of Lightning.
"Maybe I should use Kotoamatsukami," Akira thought, finally arriving at a decision after weighing his options. With his current Kage-level strength, he could potentially use Kotoamatsukami to control a Kage-level opponent.
But who? Using it on Obito, who could phase through attacks, might not work. Nagato, with his Rinnegan, would likely resist it too. So, why not use it on Orochimaru? Having a Kage-level shinobi and one of the top scientists in the ninja world on his side would be invaluable.
With his mind made up, Akira delivered another powerful punch to Manda, sending the giant snake retreating once more. But instead of pressing the attack, he used the recoil to flip backward, creating some distance.
With a puff of smoke, a pitch-black crow appeared on Akira's shoulder. Its left eye bore the distinct four-pronged Mangekyō Sharingan.
"What's that?" Orochimaru's eyes widened as he saw the crow and the Mangekyō Sharingan on Akira's shoulder, his instincts screaming that something was very wrong.
Even during the Uchiha clan massacre, Orochimaru had observed from the shadows. He knew about Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan, at least superficially. Seeing Akira's focus shift onto him, Orochimaru felt a chill run down his spine.
Without hesitation, Orochimaru's body began to sink into the ground as if it were water, disappearing from the battlefield. As Orochimaru vanished, Manda also let out an enraged hiss before dissipating into white smoke, returning to the summoning realm.
"Orochimaru fled?" Sasori's heart sank as he realized the situation. They had been at a disadvantage already, and now with Orochimaru gone, it was clear their mission had failed. Glancing once more at Akira, particularly at the crow perched on his shoulder, Sasori recognized the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"The Mangekyō Sharingan, huh?" Sasori muttered. He had recognized the unique, non-tomoe pattern as the Mangekyō Sharingan. It seemed that the moment this powerful eye appeared, Orochimaru had fled without a second thought.
There was no point in lingering. With Orochimaru gone and alone against such formidable opponents, Sasori knew he couldn't complete the mission. As Akira and the others began their assault, Sasori activated all his defenses.
A series of powerful explosions followed as the Konoha team launched their attacks, completely overwhelming Hiruko. Even Naruto joined in, unleashing his Rasengan.
When the dust finally settled, Hiruko lay in pieces, shattered into dozens of fragments. But Sasori himself was nowhere to be seen.
"Looks like he managed to escape," Akira remarked, shaking his head as he surveyed the battlefield. Orochimaru had fled as soon as he saw Shisui's Mangekyō Sharingan, leaving Akira to conclude that Orochimaru must have known about Kotoamatsukami's power. Otherwise, he wouldn't have fled so decisively.
Although the outcome was unexpected, Akira was satisfied. He hadn't even needed to use Kotoamatsukami, yet it had been enough to scare Orochimaru away, preventing the battle from ending in mutual destruction as predicted by the life simulation.
"It's a shame, though. If I had been able to subdue Orochimaru, Konoha would have gained not only a Kage-level shinobi but also a top-tier scientist," Akira mused. "Whether it's forbidden jutsu, human experiments, or scientific advancements, Orochimaru would've been invaluable."
Perhaps it was the allure of what he couldn't have, but the more Akira thought about it, the more he regretted not using Kotoamatsukami to subdue Orochimaru.
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