Normally, Orochimaru didn't have the luxury of finding enough sacrifices to keep Manda satisfied. But on the battlefield, there were plenty. All it had to do was feast to its heart's content.
However, Manda seemed oddly respectful toward that small, tiny white fox.
"Kill him!" came the order.
Whether Manda was there or not, Yagami Takuya was still the primary target. After dealing with him, they'd focus on the injured Konoha ninjas.
The Suna jonin who had been forced back by Manda immediately gave the order to attack.
"Charge!"
Hundreds of Suna shinobi roared as they rushed forward.
In his previous life, Takuya had foolishly thought that battles between ninjas were mostly about unleashing flashy jutsu, blasting each other with everything they had, just like in the anime. Even there, you'd see epic bombardments of ninjutsu.
But after arriving in this world, he realized—what a joke.
Massive ninjutsu attacks? Yeah, right.
Only specialized squads operated like that. For most ninja, especially genin and chunin, close-quarters combat was the norm. If they could skillfully use a few jutsu during a fight, that was already impressive.
All that dream of large-scale ninjutsu bombardments? Rarely ever happened.
The only person he knew who liked to mess around like that was Nawaki. Even Orochimaru, the so-called walking encyclopedia of ninjutsu, didn't bother with it. Even the Professor of Ninjutsu, the Third Hokage, spent more time bashing people with his staff than using crazy jutsu.
So, if anyone was expecting a grand display of ninja fireworks, they were bound to be disappointed.
Takuya glanced at the rushing enemy and sighed. Manda, growing restless, could barely contain itself. It wanted nothing more than to obliterate these little pests. But without the order, it didn't dare move. All it could do was sit still.
At the perfect moment, Snowy leaped from Manda's head.
But no one paid attention to such a small, cute creature.
The next second…
"ROAR!!!"
A massive nine-tailed fox, even larger than Manda, appeared in the middle of the battlefield. With a single flick of its nine long tails, countless Suna shinobi were sent flying, turning the scene into utter chaos.
No one had expected the cute, cat-sized fox to suddenly transform into a terrifying monster.
"Anyone who tries to harm my master… must die!"
With a mighty roar, Snowy charged into the swarm of enemies. Its four massive paws, each large enough to be embraced by several men, came crashing down. One by one, Suna shinobi were either crushed into the ground or torn apart by its sharp claws.
Snowy's nine tails whipped through the battlefield like a deadly machine, slicing through the enemy ranks as though harvesting crops. Dozens fell at once, unable to escape its wrath.
What kind of monster is this?
Many stood frozen, eyes wide with disbelief as they watched Snowy rampage.
The Konoha ninjas were dumbstruck, and the Suna shinobi fared no better. Only Takuya, perched on a rock, calmly watched the spectacle unfold.
"A m-monster!"
Many of the Suna shinobi were paralyzed with fear. Fighting against Konoha's ninjas was one thing, but facing a creature like Snowy was beyond what they could handle. The sheer terror magnified every weakness, and once fear set in, it consumed them.
For some, the best they could do was turn and run, their minds too overwhelmed by fear to even think about fighting.
Look at what happened during the Nine-Tails' attack on Konoha. That alone showed how terrifying these tailed beasts could be. Without a Kage-level shinobi to hold it back, how could a mere group of hundreds hope to stand a chance? This was a one-sided massacre.
Am I seeing things?
Hyūga Kaze, still leading his men in keeping a watch for sneak attacks, was stunned. There wasn't much need to worry about an ambush anymore; the enemy was too busy worrying about their own survival.
Is this really Takuya-sama's summon?
It's terrifying.
Even the Konoha ninjas stood in awe, while the Suna shinobi fled in panic, few having the courage to even try attacking Snowy. Their standard jutsu, kunai, and explosive tags did nothing but lightly scratch its fur.
In contrast, Snowy's massive paws and tails mowed down waves of enemies. Within minutes, hundreds of Suna shinobi had either been slain or fled in terror. A few jonin who had tried to flank Takuya were swatted aside like flies, torn apart by Snowy's claws.
It remembered them. They were the ones who tried to harm Takuya.
Unforgivable!
Anyone who wanted to hurt its master… had to die!
As Snowy unleashed its fury, Manda hissed in excitement, caught between fear and admiration.
Watching the restless snake, Takuya rolled his eyes.
"Fine. You can join in too. If you don't hurry, there won't be any scraps left for you," he said.
Manda let out a gleeful hiss before launching itself after the fleeing Suna shinobi, swallowing two unlucky victims in one gulp. They didn't even have time to scream before they were gone, devoured in an instant.
Manda squinted its eyes, savoring the taste.
Tch. You swallowed them whole, fur and all, and now you're trying to taste something?
Takuya couldn't help but think there was something seriously wrong with the snake's brain.
With Snowy rampaging and Manda joining in, the battle quickly became one-sided. The remaining Suna shinobi barely had a chance to run for their lives.
Snowy killed without mercy, while Manda treated the fleeing enemies like snacks.
"Run! Run for your lives!"
The survivors were in a state of panic, fleeing in every direction. Their mission, their orders, all of it forgotten in the face of sheer terror.
Not all ninjas were fearless. Many lost their nerve once their mental defenses broke. When that happened, retreat was inevitable.
"Hmph."
Surveying the battlefield littered with bodies, Snowy let out a burst of chakra, shaking off the blood and debris clinging to its fur. It shrank back down to its small, adorable form and jumped onto Takuya's shoulder, curling its tails around itself.
As for the remaining enemies, Snowy had lost interest. It would leave them to Manda.
Gulp.
The Konoha ninjas couldn't help but swallow nervously as they stared at the small, seemingly harmless creature lounging on Takuya's shoulder. None of them had expected that this little fox could transform into something far more terrifying than even Manda.
It had utterly crushed the enemy.
Meeting the awe-filled gazes of his comrades, Takuya clapped his hands and stood up.
"Alright, the enemy's dealt with. Let's move out."
Chiyo choosing to target Yagami Takuya had been a mistake from the start. Who in their right mind would go after him of all people?
The old woman had a death wish, it seemed.
Did she really think he was some defenseless kitten anyone could mess with?
"Yeah!"
"Takuya-sama is amazing!"
"Takuya-sama forever!"
Slowly, the Konoha ninjas began to cheer, their fear melting away. When they had first heard that enemies were approaching, many had braced themselves for a fight to the death. The sheer number of enemies, combined with their wounded state, had left their spirits low.
There were only a few dozen of them left to guard over a hundred wounded, while the enemy had come with over six hundred. The odds were laughably grim.
But then Takuya had stepped in. He hadn't even given them a chance to fight — he'd taken care of everything himself.