As white smoke billowed, the trees around Kazuyama were instantly crushed.
Two massive figures emerged in the battlefield—a towering green serpent and another gleaming gold.
Seirin and Kinrin, the green and golden snakes.
"Hmph, Kazuyama boy, I was sleeping, and you woke me up!"
"Huh? The smell of blood... is this a battlefield?"
Seirin barely finished complaining before her large serpent eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Seirin, are you happy now?"
"This is the battlefield between Konoha and Kumo."
"Kinrin, I'm counting on you again."
Kazuyama stood atop Kinrin's head, arms crossed, surveying the chaos below with a sly grin.
"You don't have to tell me how to fight!"
Kinrin, whose sense of smell was even sharper than Seirin's, had already entered battle mode. The thick scent of blood ignited her instincts, and she slithered through the forest with lethal grace.
"Seirin, watch your poison! Don't hit our own side!" Kinrin warned as she charged ahead.
Seirin clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. You're not the eldest sister—so quit nagging. You're so annoying!"
She spoke offhandedly, but her words hit a nerve with Kazuyama.
Eldest sister? So Kinrin isn't the strongest?
"What? Surprised?" Kinrin chuckled. "I'm not the eldest—I'm third. Seirin's fourth."
"There are two more above me, but they probably don't think you're worthy, heh…"
Kazuyama's heart stirred. Two more?
I've never seen them at Ryūchi Cave…
Now I'm curious.
Kinrin's enormous body weaved through the battlefield, her senses guiding her past the Konoha forces as she lunged toward the Kumogakure shinobi.
"Damn it! That snake is huge!"
"Orochimaru?"
Dodai narrowly dodged Torifu's punch and caught sight of the giant serpent. His first thought was of Orochimaru, one of Konoha's Sannin—after all, Orochimaru's summons were always snakes.
But he quickly dismissed the idea.
The great nations hadn't yet launched their final offensives, and Konoha wouldn't send all three Sannin to the same battlefield—unless they were going all out.
Besides, Orochimaru's snakes were always purple or brown. Never gold. Never green.
A bad feeling settled in Dodai's gut.
Summoned beasts of this size could shift the tide of battle.
And snakes—snakes were born for war.
"Hmph, Dodai, you're overthinking if you think you can hold Konoha's position."
"Hahahaha!"
With reinforcements arriving, Torifu instantly lost his temper.
"Super Multi-Size Technique!"
Determined to break Dodai's resolve, Torifu unleashed his strongest jutsu.
In an instant, a massive, towering figure dominated the battlefield.
The sight stunned not only the Kumo forces but also Kazuyama.
"Whoa! What a huge fat guy!"
"Uh… oh… it's the head of the Akimichi Clan…"
"Kinrin, Seirin!"
"Keep attacking! End this quickly!"
Seeing his allies using their ultimate techniques, Kazuyama immediately ordered an all-out assault.
But Kinrin hardly needed the command—she was already tearing through the battlefield with savage joy. Her enormous body became a weapon, crashing into Kumo's forces like a rampaging tank.
Seirin, in contrast, was far more refined. Slowly, she parted her snake-like jaws.
Glowing green venom seeped from her fangs, spreading like delicate ribbons across the battlefield.
Wherever the ribbons passed, flowers, trees, and grass withered in an instant.
The moment the venomous strands touched Kumo's shinobi, they collapsed—dead before they hit the ground.
"Tsk, Seirin's poison… it's terrifying…"
"Of course. Seirin and I are different. I rely on the natural energy that fills my body, strengthening me. She channels that same energy into her venom sacs, making her original toxins even deadlier—easier to use, too."
Specializing in poison?
An unconventional path, but clearly effective.
"Damn it, everyone retreat!"
Despite the pressure, Dodai made the call to fall back.
In mere moments, the arrival of the two giant snakes had inflicted devastating losses on his forces.
Meanwhile, Konoha's reinforcements had turned the tide.
And the worst part? These weren't the only reinforcements. If the main force arrived, they'd be in serious trouble.
"Lava Release! Rubber Wall!"
To cover his retreating troops, Dodai unleashed another technique.
Thick rubber surged from the ground, forming a massive barrier in front of him.
This time, he didn't hold back—he reinforced the wall until it wrapped around Torifu's legs, immobilizing him.
With that done, Dodai turned and fled.
But the moment Dodai turned, every hair on his body stood on end.
A bad feeling surged through him.
In the next second, his head instinctively tilted left—just in time to see a kunai whistle past his face.
He was about to sigh in relief when he heard a chilling whisper behind him.
"Hey, hey, hey… don't go so easy on me…"
"Ninja Taijutsu Secret Art! One Thousand Years of Death! Rasengan Ascension!"
Before he could react, Kazuyama struck hard.
His vision spun.
A sharp, searing pain shot from the base of his spine straight to his brain.
"AHHHH!"
The scream tore from his throat uncontrollably.
In an instant, Dodai twisted into a human-shaped tornado, flung through the air in the direction of Kumo's retreating forces.
Kazuyama slowly released the Tiger Seal on his hands, a smirk creeping across his face.
"The damn four Kumo ninja bullied me back then… A little payback to ease my grudge, is that too much to ask?"
"Heh heh heh…"
From the moment Dodai had called for retreat, Kazuyama had moved.
The kunai had been the first step—thrown with all his strength, aimed right at Dodai's head.
But he knew Dodai, a seasoned warrior, wouldn't go down so easily.
That's why the kunai was only a feint.
The real goal was to use Flying Thunder God to close the distance and unleash the One Thousand Years of Death Rasengan Ascension.
No one had seen it happen. Dodai's massive rubber wall had blocked the Konoha side's view. If not for standing atop Kinrin's head, Kazuyama wouldn't have had such a perfect vantage point.
After finishing, he swiftly teleported back to his own camp.
"Kinrin, Seirin, the enemy has retreated."
"Good work."
Kinrin watched Kumo's forces flee, flicking out his tongue with a hint of disappointment. Nearby, Seirin slowly retracted the lingering venom she had spread across the battlefield.
"Not bad this time, Kazuyama boy. Since I had fun today, I'll let bygones be bygones."
"Let's go."
With two loud bangs, Kinrin and Seirin vanished in puffs of smoke.
And with that, the battle came to an end.
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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