Chp-148: The Third Uncle Comes to Fix the Door

Pinned beneath a snake, the Nine-Tails felt humiliated.

With a roar, it violently rose, flinging Manda off.

Manda steadied itself, flicking its tongue, cautiously eyeing the Nine-Tails.

After all, it was the most powerful of the tailed beasts, not something it could easily subdue.

Stalling the Nine-Tails to seize some benefits was its real goal.

Manda squinted, its tail suddenly swinging like a giant whip, aiming directly at the Nine-Tails' face.

The Nine-Tails retaliated, its nine tails whipping past its head, deflecting Manda's tail.

Under the immense impact, Manda slid back a considerable distance before regaining its balance.

As expected of the Nine-Tails!

It wasn't going to be easy to deal with!

Flicking its crimson tongue, Manda growled impatiently, "Orochimaru, what are you playing at? This is the Nine-Tails. Do you expect a single snake to handle it?"

Orochimaru laughed hoarsely, "I was delayed a bit, but preparations are almost complete. Don't worry, I won't make you face the Nine-Tails alone."

Rapidly forming hand seals, he bent forward on Manda's head, opening his mouth wide as if undergoing a COVID-19 test.

"Ninja Art: Many Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

In an instant!

A multitude of snakes poured from his mouth, cascading off Manda's head like a rain of serpents, surging towards the Nine-Tails on the ground.

Manda felt a surge of anger.

It was the first time in its life it had been ridden by so many snakes!

"Rest assured, the Many Hidden Shadow Snake Hands is just right for dealing with tailed beasts," Orochimaru explained awkwardly. "I used it once before, so this time, it took some time to prepare."

In the original series, he used this technique against the Nine-Tails-transformed Naruto.

So, this move was indeed suitable for dealing with tailed beasts.

Sure enough, as the multitude of snakes reached the Nine-Tails, they immediately began to explode.

In the continuous blasts, the Nine-Tails were forced to retreat, roaring.

Sarutobi Hiruzen seized the opportunity, extending his staff into a massive pole.

He used it to push against the Nine-Tails' abdomen, gradually forcing it out of the village.

Orochimaru's upper body extended, a bluish-green snake emerging from his mouth, which then produced a gigantic sword.

The sword's blade rapidly lengthened and thickened in the air, leveraging Orochimaru's elongated body to press against the Nine-Tails' chest.

With the combined force of the sword and the staff, the Nine-Tails were forcibly driven out of the village, carving a deep trench in the ground.

"Amazing! As expected of the Fourth Hokage!"

"Well done! Go, Hokage-sama!"

"Great job, Hokage-sama!"

...

Seeing this, the surrounding Konoha ninjas were elated, unable to contain their praise.

In the corner, Zero rolled his eyes.

Although they had indeed driven the Nine-Tails out of the village, the scene was too grotesque to bear.

Orochimaru's elongated head dangled in mid-air like a horror movie character, with a forty-metre-long sword clamped in his mouth.

The Nine-Tails were enraged.

It roared instinctively.

A massive black-purple chakra began to condense in its mouth, forming a black sphere accompanied by a high-pitched shriek.

"Crap! Is that a Tailed Beast Bomb?"

Manda instinctively wanted to flee.

It had already mustered great courage to face the Nine-Tails, but the catastrophic power of a Tailed Beast Bomb was beyond its ability to withstand.

A direct hit would mean certain death!

Not even a trace would remain.

Fear spread rapidly among the Konoha ninjas.

The joy of driving the Nine-Tails out of the village vanished, replaced by overwhelming fear.

"Hurry! Evacuate the villagers, and we can't let it hit here!"

Suppressing his inner dread, Sarutobi Hiruzen commanded the surrounding ninjas.

"Where's Minato? Only his space-time ninjutsu can transfer the Tailed Beast Bomb."

Watching the growing black sphere in the Nine-Tails' mouth, Zero clicked his tongue. Minato was likely still tussling with Obito. If the Tailed Beast Bomb hit, the village would suffer tremendous losses.

Which wouldn't be good for him either.

"Looks like I have to intervene secretly. Orochimaru, do your best!"

Zero glanced at the figure atop Manda, his eyes serious.

...

"A Tailed Beast Bomb... looks like I have no choice but to use that move."

Staring at the intensely pulsating black sphere in the Nine-Tails' mouth, Orochimaru's slit pupils showed a hint of gravity.

He leapt off Manda's head, positioning himself between the Nine-Tails and the village.

Biting his finger, he slammed his hand onto the ground.

Speaking hoarsely, he invoked, "Triple Rashomon!"

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Accompanied by three sharp metallic clanging sounds.

Three massive gates adorned with demonic faces emerged from the ground, one after another.

Orochimaru's expression was grave. The Triple Rashomon could withstand a regular Tailed Beast Bomb, but this was the Nine-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb.

He was uncertain.

If it were the higher-grade Fivefold Rashomon, there would be no problem.

Legend has it that the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, once easily deflected the Nine-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb with this technique.

Now, Orochimaru could only place his hope on this move.

All these actions occurred in a very short time.

The Nine-Tails' Tailed Beast Bomb was ready.

It was about to be fired.

In an instant, the ground beneath the Nine-Tails suddenly sank, causing it to lose balance and topple to the right. The Tailed Beast Bomb deviated from its original trajectory.

It hit the edge of the Triple Rashomon, knocking down three barriers, further skewing its path.

It veered towards a distant mountain, tracing a parabolic arc in the night sky.

Two seconds later.

Boom!

A terrifying mushroom cloud erupted, the ground trembling slightly.

"So scary... is this the power of a Tailed Beast Bomb?"

"That was close, it was deflected..."

...

Watching the towering mushroom cloud, the Konoha ninjas were left in awe.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes. Normally, the Triple Rashomon wouldn't be enough to deflect a Tailed Beast Bomb.

But for some reason, the Tailed Beast Bomb's path had already shifted before launch, and with the Rashomon's resistance...

This solved the crisis!

Coincidence?

Orochimaru took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on the Nine-Tails. This wasn't the time to ponder such things.

The pressure from the Nine-Tails was immense.

If it couldn't be sealed soon, the damage would be astronomical...

...

At the same time, elsewhere.

In the Uchiha compound.

They had also noticed the Nine-Tails' rampage.

Elite ninjas had gathered.

"The Konoha Police Force, move out immediately. Prioritise rescuing civilians..."

Fugaku issued orders.

Only to be interrupted.

"All Uchiha members are to stay within the compound. No one is allowed to leave."

A large number of Root ninjas suddenly appeared, blocking the exits of the Uchiha compound. The leader spoke sternly.

"What? Do you know what you're saying?"

"The Nine-Tails is rampaging. As the strongest clan in Konoha, we can't retreat!"

The Uchiha ninjas were immediately enraged.

Asking the strongest clan to retreat at such a critical moment?

It was a huge insult!

"This is an order from Danzo-sama. Do you dare to disobey?"

The Root ninja shouted.