"This is... a toad from Mount Myoboku?" Tsunade's eyes reflected her surprise, clearly not expecting Furen to have a connection with the mystical land of toads.
Gamaken, the toad that had just been summoned, was brimming with powerful Sage Chakra. Tsunade, who had signed a summoning contract with the slugs of Shikkotsu Forest, immediately recognized the toad's origin.
Orochimaru, who had just summoned Manda, also realized the significance of this summon.
"A summoning beast like Jiraiya's…" Orochimaru muttered, licking his lips with his long tongue.
Upon being summoned, Gamaken quickly recognized Manda as a threat and immediately readied his oversized weapon, standing in a defensive posture.
"Furen, is that Orochimaru over there?" Gamaken asked.
Furen nodded. The last time Gamaken had fought Orochimaru was when Jiraiya summoned him during the invasion of Konoha, trying to stop Kisame and Itachi. Though that attempt had failed, it had left Gamaken injured.
After Furen used his medical ninjutsu to heal Gamaken's leg, the toad had, unbeknownst to Jiraiya, signed a summoning contract with Furen. Gamaken had requested the contract, intrigued by Furen's use of the First Hokage's powerful regenerative cells during the healing process.
In return, Gamaken hoped that Furen could one day help treat the Great Toad Sage, Gamamaru, who had been alive since the time of the Sage of Six Paths but had grown frail and weak, spending most of his time asleep. If Furen grew stronger, perhaps his life-restoring medical ninjutsu could aid the ancient toad.
"Yes, he's the same Orochimaru who became one of the Legendary Sannin alongside Jiraiya-sama," Furen confirmed.
Gamaken's eyes narrowed with caution. He had heard tales of Orochimaru from Gamabunta's son, Gamakichi.
"I alone might not be able to handle Orochimaru and his summon, Manda," Gamaken said, assessing the situation. He had yet to be summoned by Furen since their contract was established, but with the hope that Furen could one day heal the Great Toad Sage, he was willing to give his all.
With resolve, Gamaken slapped the ground with his large hands. "It's time for Furen to witness the power of the three toads!"
With two loud bangs, two more gigantic toads appeared. One had blue skin and carried two massive swords on its back, while the other had red skin, a pipe in its mouth, and a commanding presence—this was none other than Gamabunta, the chief toad.
"Ken, is this the kid you were talking about?" Gamabunta asked, looking down at Furen.
Gamaken nodded. "Boss, this is the one who healed my leg."
Gamabunta gave a slight nod of approval. Then, without further delay, he spat out a large scroll from his mouth and handed it to Furen.
"Kid, sign this contract, and from now on, the three of us will have your back," Gamabunta declared in his gruff, authoritative voice. Gamaken and Gamahiro stood by, nodding in agreement.
Furen paused, not expecting Gamaken to bring the Toad Boss here to offer him a contract. But more allies were always an advantage, especially with the connection to Mount Myoboku, so he didn't hesitate. He reached out, pricking his finger and pressing it against the contract scroll, signing the deal with all three toads.
Once the contract was sealed, Gamabunta smiled with satisfaction. He turned around and unsheathed his enormous sword from his back.
"Ken, Hiro, get ready to move!"
Without wasting any time, Gamabunta, with his fiery temper, charged at Manda, sword raised.
Watching this unfold, Orochimaru licked his lips once more. "So, there's someone besides Jiraiya who can summon these toads..."
Orochimaru had seen Gamabunta before, knowing full well that there was a deep enmity between him and Manda from their past encounters.
Manda, seeing Gamabunta, hissed angrily. "Orochimaru, remember, you promised me 100 human sacrifices for this battle. No, make that 300—there are three toads this time!"
With a flick of his tongue, Manda lunged toward the three toads. The four colossal beasts clashed, shaking the earth beneath them. With half his body immobile, Orochimaru slid off Manda's back and landed on the ground.
Despite being immobilized, Orochimaru's modified body allowed him to land gracefully. His snake-like eyes focused intently on Furen. Then, he opened his mouth wide, his throat writhing as he slowly pulled out a sword—his trusted Kusanagi Sword, the same one he had used against the Third Hokage.
Unable to use his hands, Orochimaru held the sword in his mouth. His neck elongated as he swiftly darted toward Furen.
Just as the Kusanagi Sword was about to strike Furen, Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with cunning. In a sudden twist, he bypassed Furen entirely, aiming directly at Tsunade, who stood behind him.
The sword pierced through Tsunade's body in an instant. Paralyzed by her fear of blood, Tsunade froze, her hands trembling as she stared at the blood flowing from her wound...
-----------------
T/N:
Get 40 advanced chapters at p@treon.com/Ashborn69. Your support helps me so much Thank you!