The Battle Begins
Orochimaru and Jiraiya were already in motion.
The two legendary Sannin moved swiftly toward Takigakure. Their reputations—and years of battle-hardened experience—allowed them to bypass the Cloud ninjas' defenses with surgical stealth. In no time, they slipped inside the village.
Sensory ninjas had reported their arrival at the area with the densest concentration of Cloud shinobi.
Perched atop a rooftop, Orochimaru and Jiraiya surveyed the battlefield.
Jiraiya's eyes sparkled with battle fervor. "Orochimaru, it's showtime!"
With a sly grin, Jiraiya bit his finger, letting blood seep onto his palm, and rapidly formed the hand seals for the Summoning Technique. Orochimaru followed suit, his movements precise and deliberate.
In unison, they slammed their palms onto the rooftop.
"Summoning Technique!"
A pair of massive smoke plumes erupted, engulfing them.
As the smoke cleared, the houses beneath them crumbled, replaced by two colossal summoned beasts.
Manda of Ryūchi Cave and Gamabunta of Mount Myōboku.
Gamabunta took a deep drag from his pipe and exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, glancing sideways at Manda with obvious disdain.
"Jiraiya, how many times have I told you? Don't summon me when that blasted snake is lurking around."
Jiraiya chuckled, unfazed. "Relax, this fight's critical. Save the gripes for later."
Manda hissed in irritation. "Orochimaru, you call this a summons? Making me face a stinky toad? Fine, but I'm skipping the sacrifice this time."
Orochimaru's cold gaze met Manda's. "Everyone here is a sacrifice."
Manda smirked, knowing he wasn't about to devour Gamabunta — he just enjoyed the banter.
Their presence didn't go unnoticed.
Cloud and Takigakure ninjas flooded toward the commotion, weapons ready.
"Is that Orochimaru? One of the Sannin? What's he doing in the Land of Hot Water?"
"They're attacking Takigakure!"
"Prepare yourselves—engage!"
---
The battle erupted.
Gamabunta unsheathed his massive tanto and unleashed a sweeping horizontal slash.
Several ninjas were sliced cleanly in two.
Not to be outdone, Manda lashed his tail, sending a shockwave of flying bodies crashing into the dirt.
Like dual meat grinders, the summoned beasts tore through the ranks.
Manda's impenetrable scales shrugged off ordinary ninjutsu, and despite his size, Gamabunta moved with surprising agility—leaping high enough that most ranged attacks missed him entirely.
Orochimaru and Jiraiya landed gracefully, freeing their summons to unleash their full fury.
Orochimaru quickly formed seals and lowered himself to the ground.
"Serpent Clone Array!"
From his mouth spewed a swarm of snakes, each seeking out a Cloud or Takigakure ninja to bite.
Jiraiya finished his seals, his silver hair stiffening and bristling like countless needles.
"Ninja Art: Needle Jizō!"
"Needle Hell!"
His hair erupted outward like a deadly storm of senbon, piercing many enemies in an instant.
The surprise onslaught wiped out a significant number of Cloud and Takigakure ninjas in mere moments.
But the enemy forces quickly adapted.
They scattered to avoid the area attacks and began coordinated counterattacks, led by their commanders.
Orochimaru and Jiraiya's carnage slowed as the battle evolved into a tactical war of attrition.
---
Outside Takigakure, Konoha's reinforcements sprang into action.
As the Cloud ninjas guarding the village outskirts moved inward, Konoha ninja leaders—Chiha and Minato Namikaze at the forefront—charged into the fray at blistering speeds.
Following them were specialized ninjas poised to execute the battle plan.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
The earth shinobi stamped their hands into the ground, summoning towering walls to fracture the battlefield and prevent enemy forces from regrouping.
Water Release specialists then struck.
"Water Release: Water Bullet Technique!"
Streams of water shot forth, targeting the enemy's ranks.
Coordinating seamlessly, Earth Release ninjas destabilized the terrain.
"Earth Release: Rock Shelter Collapse!"
Rocks crumbled, mingling with water to create treacherous mudslides, hampering enemy movement.
Fire and Wind Release users readied their assaults.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
The fusion of wind and fire birthed a blazing flame wind, incinerating those trapped in the mudslides.
The front lines pressed forward under a barrage of fiery onslaughts.
Earth and Water Release ninjas, having disrupted enemy formations, joined the offensive.
Lightning Release ninjas leveraged their speed, striking isolated foes and supporting their comrades with precision.
Orochimaru's strategic deployment caused utter chaos within Takigakure.
Though the initial assault saw significant success, the sheer volume of enemy shinobi and their commanders' leadership made the tide far from certain.
---
Amidst the turmoil, Chiha and Minato began their focused mission: eliminating enemy commanders.
Chiha's approach was brutally simple yet effective.
Utilizing the Sharingan's dynamic perception, he scrutinized distant enemy faces.
He zeroed in on those whose mouths moved most—commanders barking orders.
"Thunder Breathing, First Form: Thunderclap and Flash, Sixfold!"
Chiha transformed into a streaking bolt of lightning, twisting and turning through the terrain with deadly grace.
Ninjas blocking his path were stunned by electric shocks or blasted aside by kinetic force, often grievously wounded.
Upon reaching a commander, Chiha's ninja sword flashed.
Before the target could react, their head was severed cleanly.
Immediately, Chiha employed the Body Flicker Technique to vanish from sight.
The commander's corpse was rigged with explosive tags.
The ensuing blast scattered and injured enemy ninjas nearby.