Chapter 165

Manda, the giant purple-striped snake with an overbearing personality, was infamous for his arrogance. Unlike the more cooperative summons of Jiraiya and Tsunade, Manda demanded respect and refused to bow down to anyone, even his own summoner.

This arrogance, however, was well-founded. Manda was massive, incredibly agile for his size, and boasted formidable attack power. He was widely recognized as one of the most powerful summons in the world of ninja beasts.

Before, when Orochimaru was still with Tsunade, he'd often thought about the differences between their summons. While Tsunade's and Jiraiya's were loyal and easy to work with, Manda was the exact opposite, a defiant creature who considered himself the master, unwilling to follow orders without compensation or a show of strength.

Orochimaru had long wanted to summon Manda to gauge his attitude firsthand. And if necessary, he'd put the arrogant snake in his place. But he hadn't been confident in his strength before, unsure if he could truly control Manda if things got out of hand. So, he had chosen not to summon him, opting for other, more compliant snakes.

But now, with his power at its peak, and with the battlefield looming ahead, he decided it was time to deal with Manda properly.

This was Orochimaru's first time summoning the legendary snake.

As Manda emerged in a swirl of smoke, he quickly spotted the boyish-looking man with his hands casually tucked in his pockets, a calm yet cold expression on his face.

"Who are you supposed to be? Another foolish contractor?" Manda's golden eyes narrowed, his tone dripping with disdain.

"My name is Orochimaru. I am your current summoner."

"Summoner?" Manda's pupils constricted before a cruel laugh escaped him. "Hah! Foolish boy, I don't need a master. I may be bound by a contract to help you in battle, but you have no right to command me. Try, and I'll crush you where you stand."

Orochimaru raised an eyebrow. "Crush me? With the constraints of the contract, killing your summoner would lead to severe backlash, wouldn't it?"

"Backlash?" Manda scoffed, his deep voice echoing in the canyon. "I kill for sport. You think I'm concerned about a little backlash?"

The giant snake began to turn away. "I'm leaving. Summon me again without a purpose, and I will kill you next time."

"Hold it."

Manda paused, turning his head slightly, as Orochimaru continued in an eerily calm tone. "I summoned you today to make it clear, I'm about to go to war. I can't afford to have a disobedient summon on the battlefield."

Manda's eyes narrowed further. "What's that supposed to mean? Are you telling me to obey your orders? A laughable demand."

"Then let's settle it here." Orochimaru's voice was firm, unwavering. "In a world where strength is everything, maybe the only way to establish respect is through battle. If I win, you'll follow my commands. If you win… well, I suppose you're free to do as you please."

As he finished speaking, Orochimaru raised a hand and beckoned Manda with a slight curl of his fingers, a gesture meant to taunt.

"Come on."

"You… insolent brat…" Manda's eyes glinted with malice, his pride clearly stung. "Since you're so eager to die, I'll grant you that wish!"

With a powerful thrust, Manda lunged forward, his massive jaws snapping toward Orochimaru.

But Orochimaru was prepared. With a single tap of his toes, he propelled himself backward, his hands coming together in a single, decisive clap.

Snap!

In an instant, Orochimaru's aura surged. His eyes turned a deep scarlet, and a fierce wind swirled around him, lifting his hair and sending his long coat fluttering as chakra flooded his body.

"Wood Release: Secret Technique, Nativity of a World of Trees!"

With a tremendous burst of chakra, thick, powerful vines erupted from the ground in all directions, racing toward Manda. Orochimaru's chakra reserves bolstered by his sage body allowed him to unleash the technique without restraint.

Though Manda was fast and agile, Orochimaru's Wood Release was a powerful jutsu, once wielded by the First Hokage himself. The vines surged around Manda, multiplying and entwining, growing endlessly as if they possessed a life of their own.

"Is that all you've got?" Manda sneered, thrashing against the vines, undeterred. His scales deflected the initial attacks, and he twisted his massive body, trying to break free.

"Don't worry," Orochimaru's voice echoed through the canyon, calm yet icy. "This is only the beginning."

---

Meanwhile, on the front lines, Tsunade was overwhelmed by the sheer number of injured shinobi.

The battlefield was a grim sight, wounded soldiers lay scattered across makeshift medical tents, many barely clinging to life. The scarcity of medical ninjas was apparent; Konoha had only a few dozen to handle hundreds, sometimes thousands, of casualties.

The moment Tsunade and her team arrived, they'd been thrown into the thick of it. Tsunade herself was constantly moving between tents, treating wounds, preparing antidotes, and administering healing chakra to the severely injured.

The shinobi in her care couldn't help but be amazed.

"As expected of Lady Tsunade!"

"Her healing abilities are incredible!"

"We're so grateful, Lady Tsunade!"

In every corner of the medical tent, injured shinobi murmured words of gratitude as the Slug Queen, Katsuyu, lay on their shoulders, channeling Tsunade's healing chakra directly to them. The power of her techniques was undeniable; she could detoxify poisons, heal wounds, and restore strength on a scale that was nothing short of miraculous.

But even Tsunade's abilities had their limits. Katsuyu's healing power was directly linked to Tsunade's chakra reserves, and the strain was beginning to show.

In her own tent, Tsunade sat, breathing heavily, her body aching from the near-constant use of chakra.

"Tsunade-sama, you need to rest. You can't keep pushing yourself like this!" one of her fellow medics pleaded, concern evident in her voice.

The medic knew better than most how dangerous chakra exhaustion could be for a ninja. If Tsunade collapsed from overexertion, Konoha's medical support on the front lines would be crippled.

"Yeah, I know…" Tsunade replied, reluctantly acknowledging her own limits. She dismissed her team member and released Katsuyu, intending to lie down for a quick rest.

As she turned to make herself comfortable, her gaze fell on her medical bag lying beside her pillow. She reached over, absently opening it, only to see the grass-green potion Orochimaru had given her before she left.

In that moment, she remembered his parting words.

"Use it before going to sleep. The effects will set in faster."

A soft smile crossed her lips. Orochimaru, you really are something else, she thought. He could be distant, but his gestures of care were genuine in their own way.

"Let's see if this thing is as miraculous as you claimed, huh?" she muttered with a smirk.

Tsunade uncorked the vial and drank it down in one gulp. The taste was oddly refreshing, but she didn't have time to dwell on it. Exhausted from her earlier efforts, she soon drifted into a deep, restorative sleep, her body already beginning to absorb the potion's effects.