Chapter 200

The Sand Village wanted this war to continue, and to make that happen, the Third Kazekage himself had come out to take down Orochimaru.

If he could eliminate either Orochimaru or Hatake Sakumo, it would give his forces the freedom to move on the battlefield without constraint.

He was here to kill Orochimaru. At the same time, Orochimaru had every intention of killing him.

In a clash between two armies, taking down the leader was the fastest path to victory.

If the Kazekage were eliminated, the Sand forces would be left leaderless and unable to mount an effective counterattack.

But the Land of Wind was vast, and Orochimaru couldn't fly.

Finding the Kazekage, let alone challenging him to a direct fight, was no simple task.

So, his only option was to remain on the battlefield, systematically taking out stronger opponents one by one.

He knew that his actions would eventually draw out the higher-ups of the Sand Village.

As he continued to eliminate more powerful foes and strengthen his reputation, the arrival of the Kazekage became inevitable unless the Sand Village chose to retreat permanently.

And, just as he expected, he received intel from Konoha's Intelligence Department the previous morning.

The report indicated that the Third Kazekage was preparing to make a move, likely targeting either Orochimaru or Hatake Sakumo, and advised caution until reinforcements could arrive.

The report also provided a rough route that the Kazekage might take.

And now, Orochimaru stood along that path with his team, ready for a counterattack.

"Lord Orochimaru, can we really pull this off?" Mikoto whispered, her voice unsteady as she crouched behind him after setting the traps.

The Kazekage was no ordinary foe. How could traps set up so hastily be of any use?

Orochimaru turned his head slightly, his eyes meeting hers. "Are you afraid?"

"I…" Mikoto lowered her gaze in embarrassment.

Who wouldn't be afraid? Not everyone possessed Orochimaru's strength.

Orochimaru's voice remained calm. "Don't worry. When the time comes, I'll make sure you all have a chance to retreat."

"Then… what about you?"

"Me?" Orochimaru smirked. "I'll be staying to end this war."

"What? You…"

"Quiet. They're coming." …

In the dense jungle, dozens of figures raced forward at high speed.

The Third Kazekage led the group, flanked by over a dozen jōnin as his guard.

"They should be in this area. Stay alert!" he commanded.

"Yes, sir!"

"Hold up!"

The Third Kazekage raised a hand, signaling them to stop.

Without needing further orders, the sensory ninjas in the group activated their abilities.

Within moments, they detected the hidden presence of enemies, exchanged quick nods, and reported their findings to the Kazekage.

The Third Kazekage's lips curled into a cold smile as he listened to the report. He waved his hand.

The Sand ninjas immediately understood, dispersing and positioning themselves to encircle the nearby mountain.

"Konoha rats, we know you're here! Come out and face your death!" His voice cut through the air, confident and unwavering.

"Damn it, we've been found out."

"What… what do we do now, Lord Orochimaru?"

"I-I don't want to die!"

"Lord Orochimaru…"

"Well, well, I was hoping for an ambush, but it looks like we've got quite the guest this time!" Orochimaru stepped out from behind the rock with an air of feigned disappointment.

The other Konoha ninjas, gripping their weapons tightly, followed his lead.

There was no other choice. Hiding at this point meant certain death. Following Orochimaru, on the other hand, at least gave them a fighting chance. It was a hard-earned lesson they had learned from previous missions under him.

But even so, looking at the thirty to forty Sand ninjas surrounding them, fear clutched at their hearts.

Even the jōnin and Mikoto's hands trembled as they gripped their weapons.

It was still hard for them to understand why Orochimaru had brought them here to ambush the Kazekage, and with so few people, no less.

It seemed impossible.

"You're Orochimaru?" The Third Kazekage's voice was direct and cold.

"Looks like it," Orochimaru said with a nonchalant grin.

The Kazekage's eyes narrowed as he took in Orochimaru's pale complexion and long hair. A look of disdain crossed his face.

"Is that all?"

"Is that all?" Orochimaru echoed, smirking.

"I thought the legendary Sannin of Konoha would be more formidable." The Kazekage's gaze shifted to the Konoha team behind Orochimaru. "But this? You're insulting me."

Suddenly, kunai with explosive tags flew at them from all directions, closing in fast.

Before Orochimaru could react, the jōnin, Jiro, was already moving. He slammed his hands to the ground.

"Earth Release: Earth Wall!"

Boom!

Four thick walls of earth rose up, shielding the team from the incoming projectiles.

The detonating tags hit the walls and exploded, shrouding the area in smoke and dust.

"Lord Orochimaru…" Jiro began, voice tense. But before he could finish, a hiss interrupted him.

A giant purple-patterned serpent appeared beneath them, breaking through the walls.

"Hey, Orochimaru!"

"Take them and get out of here, Manda," Orochimaru ordered.

"Fine!"

Manda, now more cooperative than before, didn't question orders, even if he wasn't pleased about others standing on his head.

The giant snake coiled up, grabbed the four shinobi, and began slithering away, smashing through any obstacles in its path. Orochimaru leaped off Manda's head as it charged forward.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Sand shinobi weren't idle either. They quickly raised earth walls in an attempt to block Manda's escape.

But Manda was not only powerful; he was agile. If he could dodge, he did. If he couldn't, he forced his way through.

Stopping a determined Manda was near impossible.

The Third Kazekage's eyes narrowed as he watched the rampaging serpent. He prepared to use his iron sand to halt it when—

Boom!

The ground beneath him gave way, and iron walls rose around him, forming an arena.

"Earth Release: Earth Prison!"

The collapsed ground and the iron walls around it created a makeshift duel ring.

As the dust settled, the Third Kazekage's expression darkened.

He realized it was now just him and Orochimaru within this iron-walled space. What was going on?

"Is this brat challenging me to a one-on-one duel? Did he use his team as bait to get his subordinates out? No… There's no way all of his people could have escaped… What?!"

The Third Kazekage's eyes widened as he noticed several bodies lying on the ground.

Dead? When did this happen?

"Now, no one will interrupt us, right, Lord Kazekage?"