"This isn't so bad, is it? Your personal servant!" Orochimaru said calmly.
All these years, he still couldn't get along with Manda.
They used each other while despising each other.
That had become the only way they ever interacted.
"What do you want? Speak quickly! And prepare one hundred human sacrifices for me…"
Manda swung his body in anger, completely breaking through the cave.
"There," Orochimaru pointed toward a pile of corpses.
Manda sniffed the stench of death on them and recoiled in disgust.
"Orochimaru, do you think I'm that easy to fool? You actually dare offer such trivial things?"
"These are just starters. The real, live sacrifices are still to come."
Hearing that, Manda grumbled but seemed satisfied. Opening his blood-dripping mouth, he sprayed thick stench and saliva before swallowing all the corpses.
After quite some time, he spoke again, "Talk now, Orochimaru. What do you need me to do?"
"Nothing special. Just help me dispose of these trash."
Orochimaru smirked, tossing in a mocking tone.
"You're making fun of me?" Manda roared.
His thick tail lashed forward.
BOOM…
It slashed across the ground, leaving a deep furrow and sending up thick clouds of dust.
Orochimaru calmly dodged aside without uttering any explanation, then turned away.
On his back facing Manda, his smile grew increasingly maniacal.
That man inside him was getting harder to control. If he kept it near him, there was a chance he himself might become its nourishment someday.
The people eaten by Manda earlier weren't truly alive when he swallowed them.
He had also tossed in that man who was carrying the Ten-Tails' chakra within his body.
Right now, it should have entered Manda's body.
He just didn't know how long it could last inside?
Thinking about this, Orochimaru's smile turned even more sinister.
Furious as he was, Manda failed to notice any physical abnormalities at all.
Rather, there simply hadn't been enough time for him to digest them completely.
Orochimaru ignored him completely. Eventually, Manda vented his anger a bit before canceling the Summoning Jutsu and returning to Ryuchi Cave.
Satisfied with his meal, Manda felt fulfilled throughout his body.
Stretching himself, Manda closed his eyes slightly, still hearing the sound of wind brushing across grasses in his ears.
Gradually relaxing, his skin also loosened as he curled up in a safe spot.
Suddenly, Manda sensed a strange stirring within.
With every breath, something inside him seemed to resonate.
That sensation was like an uncontainable energy endlessly wriggling around inside him.
As if another free 'snake' existed within.
But he himself was already a snake!
"Could it be pregnancy? Impossible! I'm male!"
His previous sense of satisfaction vanished instantly, replaced by unusual irritation.
Unable to figure out what this foreign presence inside was, this uncontrollable entity made him extremely uncomfortable—as though he had been violated.
Like having a painfully obvious stone lodged deep inside, yet feeling completely helpless about it.
"Darn Orochimaru, he must've done something."
Hiss~ hiss~
His forked tongue darted in and out rapidly.
The top priority now was locating that 'thing' and removing it from his body.
But 'it' moved extremely fast, slipping beyond his grasp.
Manda channeled his chakra trying to interfere.
That mysterious energy, whatever it was, flowed like a fish leaping from the ocean—splashing droplets—or like a stream merging with a great river, flowing effortlessly onward.
It not only remained unaffected but also siphoned away some of Manda's chakra threads.
"Is that thing growing bigger?"
At this moment, Manda actually envied humans for having limbs.
At least when they felt uncomfortable inside their bodies, they could scratch or rub easily.
Unlike him, who could only rely on friction against surfaces for relief.
Manda began feeling helpless and distressed.
How exactly was he supposed to get this cursed thing out?
"What exactly is Orochimaru up to?"
Manda wracked his brain thinking, suddenly getting an idea.
Perhaps…he could tear open his own body?
However, his power was extraordinary—ordinary weapons couldn't even break his skin.
Swinging his tail furiously forward, his massive body slammed into a small hill.
A loud rumbling echoed.
His unusual behavior naturally drew attention from other members of the Snake Clan.
Ryuchi Cave followed the law of survival of the fittest—each powerful member had their own territory.
Countless snakes lying prostrate on the ground lifted their heads at once, gazing toward the source of the sound.
To their eyes, Manda's actions were abnormal—like attempting suicide, repeatedly crashing headfirst into boulders or mountains.
"What's that guy doing?"
"Who cares? I've hated him for ages."
The snake tribe murmured amongst themselves, eyes flickering with anticipation.
They didn't care whether Manda lived or died—if he truly perished, they'd eagerly scramble over each other fighting for Manda's corpse to enhance their powers.
After all, that guy was the strongest one among this generation.
Meanwhile, Manda became increasingly wild in his actions.
Because he realized—the uncontrollable energy within him was growing stronger and more active!
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
After what felt like an eternity, Manda's entire body was riddled with wounds, streaks of blood staining his scales crimson.
Yet still, he found no solution.
The idea of cutting himself open then extracting that thing proved completely unfeasible.
This energy seemed almost sentient—determined to take root within him—and he couldn't grasp it.
Yet his available chakra reserves kept decreasing.
At this point, his frantic actions served only as an outlet for frustration.
"Looks like Manda really has gone mad!"
Seeing blood constantly oozing from his body and his strength visibly weakening, other giant snakes grew ecstatic. Slithering forward in succession, they pounced at him, opening wide jaws flashing sharp fangs.
Their size barely smaller than Manda's—they formed Ryuchi Cave's second strongest summoning beast tier.
Manda cast icy stares at these covetous tribesmen surrounding him.
Hiss...siss...
Continuous hissing roars rose without pause.
Before they could launch their attack, Manda's body suddenly tensed. He opened his mouth and bit down hard on the head of Aoda.
The other giant snakes, unwilling to show weakness, launched attacks against Manda.
They twisted together, their bodies coiling into a massive tangle where heads and tails blurred. Their scales constantly scraped against one another, producing endless hissing and biting sounds.
The battle grew fiercer, shaking the ground beneath them as rocks cracked and trees swayed from the tremors.
Gore splattered through the air.
All of Manda's armor-like scales peeled away.
Other snakes clamped onto his body without letting go, sucking the blood from within.
Manda's pupils gradually dilated, his eyes losing their light as his body stiffened.
"Orochimaru!"
A furious roar exploded through Ryuchi Cave, sending all the other snakes recoiling in fear.
With a loud "Boom!" Manda collapsed lifelessly to the ground, his breath gone forever.
He had died, devoured by his own kind—the other giant snakes.
Then, its body was torn apart and devoured completely.
The Ten-Tails Chakra entered the body of one of the snakes.
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