Dark clouds veiled the moon once more, casting a heavy gloom over the battlefield.
Everywhere, the fighting had come to a halt—except for the clash between Orochimaru and the Fourth Raikage. Konoha's forces, having successfully completed their strategic mission by destroying the enemy fortress, now regrouped under Fugaku's command and advanced toward the Eight-Tails' location. At their front was the massive serpent Manda, clearing the way.
The presence of Manda alone was enough to make the Kumogakure shinobi hesitate. They dared not act recklessly, instead trailing behind Konoha's forces, waiting for their jinchūriki to entangle the giant snake before launching a concentrated strike.
Though their fortress lay in ruins, Kumogakure had not yet lost the war. Konoha's armored giant had already been destroyed by the Raikage, and if Orochimaru were to fall next, victory would still be within their grasp.
Boom—boom—boom.
The Eight-Tails flailed wildly, eight massive tentacles thrashing through the air in an attempt to swat the elusive figure dancing across its back. Yet no matter how violently it struck, it couldn't land a single blow.
To most, a tailed beast was an unstoppable weapon—but against a foe of Orochimaru's caliber, even the might of the Hachibi looked like a child throwing a tantrum. With his speed and reflexes, Orochimaru turned the beast's back into his own personal battleground, avoiding every strike with ease while still keeping the Fourth Raikage in check.
"Running out of time, Lord Raikage," Orochimaru said with a bloodstained grin, licking his lips. "My darling summons are nearly here. Do you still think you can kill me then?"
The Fourth Raikage stood on the back of the Eight-Tails, his expression dark and stormy. He, too, had sensed the approaching giant snakes—Orochimaru wasn't bluffing.
But something felt off.
Since unleashing his killing intent, Orochimaru had only dodged and defended, charging his sword with ominous power but never committing to an attack. That restraint made Raikage uneasy. Whatever he was preparing, it wasn't something he could ignore.
Yet hesitation could be fatal. He had already let Shisui slip through his fingers—could he afford to do the same with Orochimaru?
"Killer B!" he barked.
Resolved, Raikage surged upward in a burst of lightning, his entire body crackling with energy.
The Eight-Tails immediately shifted its attention, lowering its massive frame to the ground and raising its tentacles high. One by one, they came crashing down toward the Raikage—not to strike, but to launch him forward with terrifying force.
Orochimaru looked up, eyes narrowing.
"...Huh."
In the sky above, amidst the storm of crashing tentacles, a bolt of lightning flickered and danced, its speed accelerating with every rebound. The Raikage's movements blurred, leaving only afterimages trailing through the air.
Before long, even Orochimaru's eyes could no longer keep up.
Thanks to the seamless coordination between the Raikage and his brother, the Eight-Tails' tentacles were able to keep up with his movements, propelling his speed to even greater heights.
"This is… crude, but effective," Orochimaru muttered with a smirk. Holding his blade before him, he allowed his heightened connection with nature to expand his perception across his entire body, preparing for what was to come.
BOOM!
Suddenly, one of the tentacles struck the streak of lightning mid-air, creating a violent shockwave. Deep wounds opened along the tentacle, but the Fourth Raikage didn't falter. He knew this was the limit of what he could build up—there was no more time. With everything he had, he dove toward Orochimaru like a thunderbolt.
"Lightning Release: Liger Bomb!"
A flash split the sky. Thunder cracked like the heavens themselves were splitting open. Orochimaru, eyes closed until that moment, opened them sharply—just in time to meet the incoming fist with his blade.
Steel met storm.
The clash only lasted a moment. With a sickening crack, the Kusanagi blade shattered under the force of the Raikage's punch. The fist kept going. Orochimaru barely managed to lean away, but not before a chunk of flesh the size of a fist was torn from his side.
"Did I get him? No… Not enough!" the Fourth Raikage thought, eyes wide. But his momentum dragged him forward, denying him the chance to follow up.
Then he saw it—that sinister smile curling at the edge of Orochimaru's lips.
Before he could react, pain exploded across his waist and abdomen. Orochimaru's blade had found its mark—piercing through his kidneys and gut in a single, brutal strike.
BOOM!
The Raikage's body flew backward from the force, tumbling through the air. Even though the Eight-Tails caught him with its tentacles, he landed hard, a mess of blood and broken will.
"How's that? Took a kidney," Orochimaru said with a mocking grin, glancing at his broken sword with distaste before casually tossing it aside.
Shff—
A gust of wind followed. Clutching his injured side, Orochimaru launched himself skyward, narrowly avoiding another sneak attack from the Eight-Tails.
With the Fourth Raikage no longer blocking his path, he wasted no time escaping the tailed beast's range and quickly regrouped with Konoha's forces.
"Orochimaru, look at you—what a mess," Manda hissed, coiling protectively around his summoner. "Hmph. I've saved your hide twice now and still haven't been paid."
"Lord Orochimaru! Are you alright?" Fugaku shouted in alarm at the sight of the massive wound on Orochimaru's flank. "Medical team! Where are the medics?!"
But as he yelled, his voice trailed off—remembering that Orochimaru himself was among the most skilled medical ninjas alive.
"Heh… It's fine. But I do need to change forms."
Still smiling faintly, Orochimaru released his Sage Mode. His entire presence shifted, becoming colder—more serpentine.
"That bastard really put me through hell," he muttered, glancing at the wound.
Forming a string of hand seals, his body suddenly split open, transforming into a pale, scaleless white snake several meters long.
Fugaku instinctively stepped back.
The snake's jaw opened unnaturally wide, and a human arm reached out. Orochimaru slowly crawled out of his own body, dripping in saliva but completely healed. The skin-shedding was smooth and unnervingly alien—like watching a snake slough off its skin.
Even among Konoha's seasoned shinobi, many turned pale and swallowed hard.
But Orochimaru paid them no mind. He leapt lightly onto Manda's head and stared across the battlefield, where the moonlight cast eerie shadows over the wounded.
On the other side, the Fourth Raikage struggled to stand, unwilling to show weakness—even now. Medical-nin from Kumogakure worked desperately, but their efforts barely made a difference.
Though the Raikage's body was famously unbreakable, once pierced, recovery was slow and painful. Worse still, Orochimaru's blade was infused with chakra designed to prevent regeneration.
"This battle is over, Raikage," Orochimaru called coldly. "At this point, you've lost."
All eyes turned to the cloud shinobi. Konoha's forces stood strong, their morale blazing. In contrast, the Kumogakure troops looked shaken and exhausted. The difference in spirit was clear.
Raikage clenched his fists, seething—but the pain in his side forced him still.
"What? Still want to fight?" Orochimaru taunted from atop Manda. His cold voice echoed, uninjured, unshaken. "Then come—I'll fight you to the bitter end."
The battlefield fell silent.
Then, the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki—Killer B—broke it.
"…Orochimaru," he said, voice calm but heavy. "Kumogakure agrees to end this war."
__________
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