Chapter 85: Manda: It’s Not That I’m Weak, It’s That This Vixen Is Too Fierce
For the first time, an enraged Snowy revealed the full power and immense form that a tailed beast should possess.
The terrifying chakra radiating from Snowy left Manda, who was pinned to the ground, completely dazed.
Who am I?
Where am I?
What am I doing?
Gulp!
Seeing Snowy transform into a terrifying giant beast, as large as a small mountain, and pin Manda to the ground with a single paw, Nawaki and Minato gulped in shock.
They felt a chill down their spines, as if it were them, not Manda, being crushed under Snowy's paw.
"Have I ever offended Snowy?" Nawaki was on the verge of tears.
He remembered how he had constantly tried to tease Snowy, wanting to make Snowy his own.
Several times, Takuya had to intervene in time, preventing Snowy from attacking.
Otherwise, even a hundred Nawakis wouldn't have been enough to survive.
Minato's face twitched as he replied:
"I remember you teasing her, and she hit you. Let's hope she doesn't hold grudges, or you won't even be enough to fill her teeth."
Although Takuya had mentioned before that Snowy was incredibly strong and terrifying, Snowy had never shown her true power.
She always appeared in her cute, mini version, coupled with her excellent sensory abilities, making Minato and Nawaki think Takuya was exaggerating to prevent them from trying to take Snowy away.
Over time, they had even convinced themselves of this theory.
But today, Snowy shattered their worldview.
The fearsome Manda, who was a terror in the eyes of Orochimaru and Jiraiya, was now pinned to the ground by Snowy, unable to move.
"Is it too late to apologize now?" Nawaki asked, on the verge of tears.
"I think you're doomed," Minato replied.
Whether or not Snowy heard their conversation, she turned back to look at the two of them, and her lips curled slightly.
This made Nawaki feel a cold shiver down his spine, convinced he was done for.
"Why go through all this trouble?" Takuya shook his head, exasperated, as he looked at Manda, who was being dominated by Snowy.
Couldn't they have just talked it out?
Did they really have to resort to violence?
"Roar!! Who dares to attack Lord Manda!!" Manda struggled to break free from Snowy's grip.
Snowy lowered her head, and a tailed beast bomb began to form in her mouth.
The moment the tailed beast bomb started forming, Manda's massive body froze.
It could feel the terrifying power within the tailed beast bomb.
If that blast hit, Manda would find it hard to survive.
Some powerful summoning beasts could hold their own against a tailed beast.
For instance, Gamabunta could go toe-to-toe with Shukaku in his semi-sealed state.
But against Kurama…
That's a different story. On the night of Kurama's rampage, Gamabunta couldn't even get close.
Kurama's nine tails lashed out like whips, leaving Gamabunta questioning his existence as a toad.
In terms of strength comparison, Manda might be able to hold his own against Shukaku for a while, but he would never be Shukaku's match.
This could be inferred from Gamabunta's own experiences.
But the gap in power between Shukaku and Kurama…
Takuya felt it was quite significant.
However, Snowy, having reached her second growth stage, was now on par with Kurama in terms of power.
Against Snowy, Manda was completely outmatched.
"Alright," Takuya said, raising his hand to signal Snowy to stop as he noticed Manda was about to wet himself, too scared to move.
Scaring him a little was fine, but they didn't need to actually fire the tailed beast bomb. If Manda were accidentally killed, who would deliver their message?
Following Takuya's command, the chakra in Snowy's mouth dissipated. Feeling the threat vanish, Manda let out a deep sigh of relief.
Snowy lifted her paw off Manda and stood nearby, glaring at him with a watchful eye.
The moment Manda made any suspicious move, Snowy would attack without hesitation.
Shaking his dizzy head, Manda slowly got up.
Suddenly, Takuya had a mischievous thought and said to Manda:
"Manda, how about signing a summoning contract with me? Ditch Orochimaru and follow me instead. What do you think?"
"What?"
Hearing this, Manda's barely extinguished anger flared up again.
But as Snowy's dark red chakra surged, Manda immediately chickened out, lowering his massive head obediently:
"Ahem, compared to Orochimaru, I think you'd be a better battle partner. But, uh… can there be tribu—"
Before Manda could finish saying "tribute," a tail wrapped in dark red chakra smashed down on him, slamming him into the ground with a pained howl.
"No tribute, no tribute! From now on, I'll be a good boy and follow your orders… Ouch!!"
Manda was cut off mid-sentence by another hit, Snowy's tail lashing him harder than any whip, making him howl in pain.
How dare you call my master "boy"?
Are you looking to die?
Snowy's massive eyes flashed with a dangerous glint, causing Manda's heart to race with fear. He quickly cried out:
"No tribute! From now on, Lord Manda will follow your orders and be your battle partner."
Boom!!
As soon as Manda lifted his head, Snowy's tail slammed it back into the ground, creating a large crater.
Mewling piteously, Manda thought: This is just too much. Haven't I already given in?
Why are you still hitting me?
"Call him Master," Snowy demanded, her eyes narrowing as her nine tails floated menacingly in the air.
If Manda dared to say no, she would make him understand just how terrifying an angry vixen could be.
"That's impossible! This serpent will never agree to that! Ouch!!!"
Takuya took a few steps back, signaling to Snowy that she didn't need to hold back.
He realized that Manda was the type that needed to be beaten into submission. Trying to reason with him wouldn't work.
"I'll never agree to that! Never!!" Manda roared, feeling that agreeing to be a summoning beast and abandoning Orochimaru was already a big concession. How could they ask for more?
Call him "Master"?
No way!
Takuya kindly reminded Manda:
"Don't even think about running away. If you try, I'll force a binding contract on you and summon you back for more beatings."
Manda: "..."
Gee, thanks for the reminder.
I really appreciate it!
With Takuya's reminder, Snowy's blows became even more ferocious.
Nawaki and Minato were both dumbfounded by the sight.
"Master, Master, Master, I give up! Stop hitting me, I give up," Manda finally cried out, surrendering.
In the end, this not-so-tough but very arrogant snake had to bow down.
Takuya didn't hold back and immediately signed a contract with Manda.
Since Manda didn't listen to Nawaki, Takuya saw no problem borrowing him for a while.
Orochimaru didn't summon Manda that often either, since Manda always demanded a tribute.
Outside of wartime, where could they find so many living sacrifices for Manda?
Given the situation, Takuya didn't see any issue with using Manda himself.
Relying on Snowy for everything wouldn't look very impressive.
For regular tasks, summoning Manda should suffice.
The contract was signed, but it was a one-sided deal, similar to the contract Uchiha Madara had forced on Kurama. Manda wouldn't be able to refuse any summons.
If Takuya wanted Manda to appear, he would have no choice but to obey.
Manda, covered in injuries, shed tears of regret. Why did he have to show up for some measly tribute?
Now look at him—a slave with no way out.
"Good. Now go inform Orochimaru that Amegakure is on the move, and their main force is surrounding Konoha's position. Tell them to be on guard."
"Go on."
Mewling softly, Manda just wanted to find a place to hide and cry his eyes out.
This time, not only did he fail to get any tribute, but he also ended up enslaved. It was a total loss.
"Hmm?"
Did you forget something?
Snowy blocked Manda's path, and his massive body stiffened. He turned back with a forced grin and obediently called out:
"Master."
"Good boy. Now go do your job. Get the message across quickly, or else you won't be a snake anymore—you'll be snake soup."
***********
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!