The Hidden Rain's assault was far more intense than Orochimaru had anticipated. Even with advance warning, they were barely holding their ground. If not for the prior intel, the three of them would already be planning their retreat.
At that moment, a small snake slithered out from Orochimaru's clothing, hissed twice, and spat out a scroll before quickly retreating. Orochimaru raised an eyebrow, picked up the scroll, and after a quick glance, handed it to Tsunade.
"What is it?" she asked, a hint of curiosity breaking through the tension.
"Takuya, Nawaki, and Minato were sent to Hidden Grass by Danzo on a mission," Orochimaru explained. "Near the village, they encountered a young girl from the Uzumaki clan. They plan to bring her back to Konoha and need your help."
"Oh," Tsunade replied, her mind barely registering the information. Aiding a child with an identity issue was trivial in the face of their current predicament. Right now, the priority was dealing with the relentless enemy forces closing in on them. She glanced over at Jiraiya, concern creeping into her voice. "Can you still fight?"
Jiraiya wanted to assert that he could, but reality wouldn't allow it. "Not sure I can," he admitted, voice weak.
"Great," Tsunade muttered sarcastically. Their situation was deteriorating rapidly. The longer they held out, the worse it became. With the enemy closing in and their forces dwindling, their options were shrinking by the minute.
"The wounded and exhausted... how are we supposed to break through?" Jiraiya grumbled, wondering if Orochimaru had lost his mind. They had barely enough strength left to stand, let alone stage a breakout. He was about to voice his doubts when a realization hit him. That small snake... could it be Manda?
Tsunade's eyes widened with understanding. "If we can summon Manda now, we might have a chance," she thought. Manda was a force to be reckoned with in direct combat, far surpassing the slug and toad in sheer power.
Orochimaru bit his finger, quickly formed the necessary hand seals, and slammed his hand to the ground. Tsunade, not wasting a second, launched the signal flare.
With a loud bang, a cloud of white smoke erupted, revealing Manda's enormous form on the battlefield. Seeing the flare, the remaining Leaf ninjas rushed to gather.
"Everyone, get on Manda's back! We're breaking out!" Orochimaru ordered.
"Don't push your luck, Orochimaru," Manda grumbled, lowering his massive head. In the past, Manda would have cursed him out, but now there was a hint of reluctant compliance. "If it weren't for Takuya's orders, I wouldn't have answered your summoning."
"If you don't help us, and Takuya finds out, you won't get off easy," Tsunade warned, hitting Manda where it hurt.
Manda's menacing face faltered. The memory of Snowy losing her temper flashed in his mind, sending a shiver down his spine. Grumbling, he muttered, "Fine, fine, but you're a real pain. Let's get this over with—Manda has better things to do than saving your hides."
Despite his complaints, Manda used his long tail to lift the injured ninjas onto his back and began slithering swiftly toward the Leaf camp.
The ground rumbled beneath him as Manda plowed forward like an unstoppable tank, crushing everything in his path—rocks, trees, nothing could withstand his charge. Traps set by the enemy barely registered as more than a mild inconvenience.
Manda bulldozed through the battlefield, carrying the Leaf ninjas to safety.
"This is insane!" muttered one of the Hidden Rain ninjas as they watched Manda disappear into the distance. They had tried to intercept, but Manda was too fast. The Leaf ninjas on his back kept them at bay with a barrage of jutsu, thwarting their pursuit.
Half-hearted jutsu thrown at Manda did little more than annoy him, and soon, the massive snake had vanished, leaving the Hidden Rain forces in stunned silence.
"Lord Hanzo, the remaining Leaf forces have broken through our lines," reported one of the Rain ninjas.
"They escaped?" Hanzo blinked in surprise. He hadn't expected anyone to get out, given the state they were in. "How?"
"It was Manda. Orochimaru hadn't summoned his familiar until the defenses were weakest. When he did, Manda carried them all out," the ninja explained.
"Manda..." Hanzo mused, recalling the massive, ill-tempered snake. A summon like that wasn't something easily stopped—only he could have stood a chance.
"Well, it doesn't change anything. The fight between the Leaf and Hidden Rain will continue until one of us is defeated," Hanzo decided, brushing off the setback. "But it seems the Sand ninjas are up to something," he added, noticing some unusual movements from their direction.
They weren't targeting the Hidden Rain, it seemed. If the Sand were focusing on the Leaf instead... "Chiyo is planning to raid their camp!"
The Sand didn't want a direct confrontation with the Rain; they were here to muddy the waters, to keep the Leaf bogged down and spread thin. Perhaps Hidden Rain could find a temporary ally in the Sand. They could even demand some compensation for the damage done in the Land of Rain.
"Consider it payment for the trouble you're causing," Hanzo muttered, issuing orders to temporarily halt their advance. He left with a portion of his forces, leaving his subordinates to wonder about the sudden change in tactics. But orders were orders, and they had no choice but to comply.
Back on the battlefield, the Leaf forces had managed to escape the encirclement. Many of the wounded wept with relief as Tsunade began treating them. The words of gratitude washed over her, barely registering. She had heard them so many times that they barely made a dent in her stoic exterior.
Jiraiya lay among the wounded, utterly spent, while Orochimaru slipped away to gather intelligence. Later, they huddled in a hidden cave, waiting for reinforcements.
Orochimaru entered the cave, seating himself by the fire to dry his rain-soaked clothes. Tsunade rubbed her eyes and yawned. "What's the situation?"
"It's quiet," Orochimaru replied, his tone laced with unease. "Too quiet. The Rain has stopped their advance when they should be pressing their advantage. It's not like Hanzo."
The Rain should be pushing forward, expanding their gains before the Leaf could regroup. The longer they waited, the more the Leaf would recover and the more the Rain's advantage would slip away. And yet, the Rain forces had slowed down. Something wasn't right.
"The Rain has stopped, but I suspect there's more to this than meets the eye," Orochimaru concluded, a feeling of unease settling over him as the fire crackled quietly in the cave.
***********
Note: If you're interested, you can read up to chapter 150+ at patreon.com/Emik01. Don't forget to give a power stone for many bonus chapters!