On the other side.
The battle between Orochimaru and the Kazekage escalated to its peak intensity almost immediately.
Now in the form of the colossal Yamata no Orochi, Orochimaru found himself entangled by countless strands of Iron Sand that covered the surroundings, immobilizing the massive serpent's body. Only the eight agile heads remained free to move within the confines of the barrier.
Magnet Release: Iron Sand Boundary Method.
This was the Third Kazekage's strongest jutsu. The Iron Sand scattered across the battlefield formed sharp, elongated spikes. He could navigate freely among them while controlling the spikes to pierce the serpent's massive body repeatedly, simultaneously cutting off any chance for Orochimaru to escape.
The Yamata no Orochi's body was riddled with Iron Sand spikes, yet it stubbornly pressed forward despite the onslaught. One of its enormous heads turned toward the Kazekage and unleashed a violent gust of wind, carrying razor-sharp cutting forces. Even the hardened Iron Sand wavered under the assault, its surface marked with white scratches. Had the sand been less durable, it would have been shredded into pieces.
The Kazekage dodged swiftly and raised his hand. Countless strands of Iron Sand coiled around the serpent's neck, tightening like a noose as he clenched his fist.
"Boom!"
The serpent's neck exploded.
Instead of blood, countless white snakes burst forth, scattering in all directions. They gnawed futilely at the Iron Sand, their fangs unable to penetrate its hardness. When they tried to turn and attack the Kazekage, a wave of his hand sent a barrage of Iron Sand needles piercing through them all.
The Iron Sand's durability made it nearly impossible to absorb its chakra.
Two more serpent heads lunged forward, one spewing flames and the other lightning. The combined forces merged into a devastating storm of fire and thunder, hurtling toward the Kazekage. He maneuvered swiftly within the barrier, narrowly evading the attack. The Iron Sand caught in the blast melted into liquid, losing its magnetism and rendering it uncontrollable.
Raising both hands, the Kazekage sent more Iron Sand crawling up the serpent's heads, repeating the same tactic to crush them. Yet, the first head he had destroyed had already regenerated, unleashing another furious gale.
The Kazekage clasped his hands together, and the Iron Sand formed a shield. Reinforced by threads of sand anchoring it firmly in place, even the howling winds couldn't budge it.
Meanwhile, two other heads circled behind him, spewing sand and water simultaneously. The resulting mudslide engulfed the Kazekage's body.
From within the rapidly solidifying debris, Iron Sand threads shot upward, forming a massive black sphere that hovered in the air. The sphere unraveled, revealing the unscathed Third Kazekage.
His gaze locked onto two serpent heads looming above. One of them swallowed a mass of Iron Sand whole, and to his surprise, he lost control over the sand inside its belly—as if it had vanished entirely.
"Absorbing jutsu, is it?"
The Kazekage knew Orochimaru's most troublesome trait: his ability to continuously absorb chakra from his opponent's techniques to sustain himself. This was intelligence gathered from Amegakure, a reminder of how difficult it was to keep secrets during war.
"Then that must be the real one."
His eyes narrowed on the eighth head, the only one that hadn't moved, silently observing the battlefield from its elevated position.
With a sweep of his arms, countless Iron Sand threads shot upward, coiling around the eighth head and binding it tightly. A sharp clench of his fist crushed the head into a swarm of white snakes, but the Iron Sand sealed them in, compressing them relentlessly until they were reduced to pulp.
Just as he thought the battle was decided, the remaining six heads turned toward him in unison.
Earth, wind, fire, lightning, water, and a swarm of snakes—all six elements surged toward him in a chaotic torrent. The Kazekage could only wrap himself in a pyramid of Iron Sand.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Defense!"
The barrier withstood the violent onslaught. Even while defending, the Kazekage manipulated the Iron Sand spikes outside, sending them coiling around the serpent heads one by one. With a crushing grip, he obliterated them.
Yet, in the next moment, new heads sprouted from the wounds.
"This is endless."
The Kazekage spread his arms, and the Iron Sand behind him gathered into a dense mass.
"Magnet Release: Iron Sand Drizzle!"
Countless Iron Sand needles rained down, piercing the Yamata no Orochi's massive body from every angle. In an instant, the serpent resembled a spiked hedgehog, its form riddled with needles.
Hidden within the Yamata no Orochi, Orochimaru twisted and turned, dodging the piercing needles, but wounds still littered his body.
This technique wasn't yet perfected. Against Kage-level opponents, it was proving far too difficult. Especially against someone like the Third Kazekage, who was completely unfazed by sheer size.
The jutsu was designed to absorb an opponent's techniques to sustain itself, but the Iron Sand's hardness made absorption painstakingly slow. Now, Orochimaru was relying entirely on his own chakra reserves.
If this continued, he would be the first to collapse.
"Truly worthy of the title 'Strongest Kazekage.'"
Faced with the relentless assault, the six remaining heads unleashed elemental torrents, clashing against the Iron Sand needles in a spectacular collision.
A black ocean met a rainbow of elemental fury, one side fading into monochrome while the other burned bright.
Neither side yielded an inch.
All three battlefields had reached a stalemate, with none able to secure a quick victory.
Then—
Fireworks suddenly lit up the sky, as if celebrating a festival.
Explosions painted the clouds with the symbols of Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Kirigakure.
Ōnoki, who had been locked in fierce combat, was the first to disengage. Hanzo swiftly broke away from Tsunade and joined him.
The Kazekage, who had been on the verge of victory, reluctantly abandoned the fight as well, stepping onto a platform of Iron Sand that lifted him into the air.
Ōnoki watched as the Yamata no Orochi dissolved into white light, revealing a battered Orochimaru kneeling on the ground, his body marred with wounds. Just as Ōnoki considered striking, Tsunade and Jiraiya appeared at Orochimaru's side.
With a resigned sigh, Ōnoki knew the opportunity had passed.
The fireworks in the sky were a signal—a sign that Konoha's forces had counterattacked on the Iwa front. He hadn't expected Konoha to act so decisively. Glancing at the grim-faced Kazekage, he realized Suna faced the same situation.
Konoha, though weakened, was still a camel. A lean camel is bigger than a horse—a starved camel was still larger than a horse. They still had capable shinobi.
This battle had reached its conclusion.
"You've won, Konoha shinobi."
Ōnoki's expression was unreadable as he regarded the trio. These three alone possessed the power to stand against them. The current Konoha was truly terrifying.
"I acknowledge your strength."
"The Sannin of Konoha."
"You've triumphed."
...
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(End of Chapter)