Chapter 29: Tag Team

"Hidden shadow snake hands"

This was Orochimaru's signature technique!

After receiving the summoning jutsu two years ago, Orochimaru had developed this technique as an extension of it. For him, learning ninjutsu had become far easier compared to the complex process of scientific research.

Scientific projects, even the simplest ones, could take anywhere from half a year to a couple of years to complete. Even with his expertise in creating genetic enhancement serums, it still took him two months to develop the genetic repair fluid he had been working on.

But ninjutsu? That was a different story.

The principles behind most ninjutsu excluding secret techniques and kekkei genkai (bloodline limits) were relatively straightforward. With a teacher to guide him, Orochimaru could learn new techniques in a day, maybe two at most. Even without a teacher, if he studied a technique independently, it rarely took more than three days.

Hidden shadow snake hands was a summoning-based ninjutsu. Orochimaru, with his vast intellect, had taken just three days to create the technique using necromancy principles and his extensive knowledge of summoning.

While this technique might not have seemed overwhelmingly powerful in the grand scope of things, and it was rarely lethal in the original works, its true value lay in its utility. The countless snakes that erupted from Orochimaru's arm each served a distinct purpose: intimidation, binding, and capturing. The best part? The jutsu required no hand seals, making it incredibly convenient and fast to execute.

Unless you were a speed-type ninja, dodging this technique was nearly impossible!

At this moment, the female Kumo-nin was no slouch. She wasn't slow and hadn't underestimated her opponents, but she never anticipated that Orochimaru would be able to block her swift sword strike with just a kunai.

Even more, she never expected Orochimaru to attack her with such an unusual method. She was completely caught off guard!

The moment her sword was parried by Orochimaru's kunai, the serpents from his sleeves lunged at her, biting and constricting her. In that instant, she realized something was terribly wrong but it was already too late.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

From Jiraiya's head and body, countless white strands of hair shot out like needles, sharp and dense as rainfall!

The female Kumo ninja, trapped by Orochimaru's serpents, had no time to evade. The white hair needles, with their immense penetrating power, tore through the air toward her. She tried to struggle, but Orochimaru's snakes had her completely bound. She couldn't move.

Unlike Tsunade and Sakura, who possessed monstrous strength, most ninjas couldn't break free from such a tight bind.

Her teammates saw her predicament and tried to rush to her aid, but Tsunade blocked their path with a devastating punch to the ground.

Boom!

The earth shattered under her fist, sending chunks of rock flying in all directions.

Puff puff puff!

Almost simultaneously, Jiraiya's Needle Jizō rained down upon the female Kumo ninja, turning her into a bloody pincushion. She didn't even have time to scream before she was reduced to a lifeless husk.

"Damn it! These brats!!"

The two remaining Kumo ninjas were enraged. They had underestimated these kids, thinking the battle would be a simple task. They never imagined that one of their own would be killed so swiftly.

"Bastards, Yiru! What's happening over there?

The Kumo captain, Shai, heard the death cry of his comrade from across the battlefield. Mid-fight, he called out angrily, trying to make sense of how one of his adult ninja had been taken down by mere children. They hadn't even decided the outcome of their own fight yet, and these kids were already handling their side of the battle?

It didn't make sense. He needed answers.

Yiru, one of the remaining Kumo ninjas, grit his teeth in frustration and fury. "These aren't ordinary brats! Damn it, I'm going to kill them!" His voice was filled with rage and disbelief.

Both Yiru and his remaining teammate gripped their ninja swords tightly, their eyes locked on the three young Konoha ninjas in front of them. They could no longer afford to underestimate these kids they had to avenge their fallen comrade.

At the same time, Orochimaru calmly observed the situation. His eyes flickered toward his kunai, which now had a noticeable chip in its blade from blocking the enemy's attack. He was impressed by the sharpness of the Kumo ninja's sword. Glancing at Jiraiya, who was still frozen in shock, Orochimaru's frown deepened.

"Jiraiya, what's wrong with you?" Orochimaru asked, his voice sharp with irritation.

Jiraiya, pale and trembling, muttered, "Did I... did I really kill someone...?"

He was only eight years old. Up until now, the missions they had been assigned merely involved subduing or capturing enemies. Never before had Jiraiya taken a life. The realization that he had just killed someone for the first time sent a chill down his spine, shaking his young heart to the core.

Orochimaru, on the other hand, was unfazed. It was his first time experiencing this, too, but unlike Jiraiya, the act of killing didn't disturb him. If anything, he felt a strange excitement, as if something inside him had been unleashed. The hatred, the frustration he carried, it had found an outlet, and killing the enemy only amplified that feeling.

"What of it?" Orochimaru said coldly, his voice devoid of sympathy. "If you don't kill them, they'll kill you. Didn't you undergo mental training for this?"

Tsunade, though slightly more compassionate than Orochimaru, was also quick to snap Jiraiya out of his shock. "Jiraiya, now's not the time to hesitate! This is war!"

Growing up in the Senju clan, where generations of warriors had fought and died, Tsunade had come to terms with the harsh realities of battle faster than Jiraiya. She knew that mercy and hesitation could be fatal on the battlefield.

"But... but..." Jiraiya stammered, still struggling with his conscience.

"There's no 'but!' They're coming!!" Orochimaru interrupted harshly.

The two remaining Kumo ninjas, enraged by their comrade's death, were already charging at them with their swords drawn, ready for revenge.

The three young Konoha ninjas quickly fell back, trying to maintain some distance as the Kumo ninjas pressed forward.

---

Meanwhile, the battle around them was becoming more intense. Elsewhere on the battlefield, other ninjas were beginning to suffer casualties.

"Earth Release: Earth Flow River!"

The ground beneath one of the Kumo ninjas suddenly turned soft and slippery, forming a river of mud that dragged him down. Before he could react, his legs were caught in the mire, making it impossible for him to escape.

"Cloud Style: Downward Slash!"

In another part of the battlefield, a Konoha ANBU ninja was struck by a Kumo ninja's blade, a deep gash opening across his chest. Blood splattered as the ninja grunted in pain, stumbling backward.

Shuriken, kunai, and explosive tags flew through the air, detonating across the forest as the sounds of battle filled the entire area.

---

Hiruzen, after quickly dispatching one of the Kumo ninjas, glanced over at the three children who were still engaged in a fierce fight with their opponents. His eyes narrowed with concern as he noticed that the two remaining Kumo ninjas seemed to be gaining the upper hand.

"Orochimaru! Now's your chance use it!" He shouted, signaling to his student.

Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with understanding. Without hesitation, he flicked his wrist, pulling out a kunai with an explosive tag attached to it and hurling it toward the enemy.

Boom!

The explosion forced the two Kumo ninjas to retreat, momentarily creating a gap between them and the young Konoha ninjas.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Jiraiya immediately regrouped, standing back to back. Without a word, they bit their thumbs, drawing blood, and began forming hand seals in perfect synchrony.

Boar → Dog→ Bird→ Monkey→ Ram!

"Summoning Jutsu!"

In unison, they slammed their palms onto the ground.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Three enormous clouds of white smoke exploded from the ground, billowing up and covering the battlefield. As the smoke quickly dissipated, three gigantic summons appeared in front of the stunned enemies.

But that wasn't all there was a fourth summon.

Standing tall beside the three young summons was Hiruzen's own summon the powerful Monkey King Enma.

---

The Kumo ninjas stared in disbelief as the massive creatures loomed before them. Orochimaru's massive snake, Jiraiya's toad, Tsunade's slug, and Sarutobi's Monkey King were now all on the battlefield.

"Tch! Damn it!" one of the Kumo ninjas cursed under his breath. He knew the tide of battle had shifted dramatically.

These were no ordinary brats they were clearly prodigies trained by one of the greatest ninjas in Konoha. The odds of winning had just plummeted.

"Get ready!" Shai, still locked in combat Hiruzen, shouted to his team. "We can't back down now!"

With their summons backing them, Orochimaru, Jiraiya, and Tsunade prepared for the next phase of the battle. The real fight was about to begin, and this time, the Kumo ninjas were up against forces far beyond what they had anticipated.

With a confident smirk, Orochimaru gripped his kunai tighter, his cold eyes fixed on the enemy. "Let's finish this."