Land of Rain, a damp forest.
The cold rain stimulated everyone's nerves.
"Three squads, twelve people, are closing in on us from three directions."
Orochimaru's voice made the atmosphere instantly drop to freezing point.
"Twelve?"
Jiraiya subconsciously tightened his grip on his kunai and looked around. "So... do we retreat? Or do the three of us go for it?"
Orochimaru's golden, serpentine pupils scanned the surrounding terrain.
"The enemy's encirclement has not yet fully closed. We still have a chance."
He quickly drew a simple map on the ground, using stones to represent the enemy's and their own positions.
"Their formation is a standard three-point pincer. A main attack from the front, with the left and right flanks providing support. The goal is to trap us here."
"Then can't we just break out through the gap that hasn't closed yet?" Jiraiya said.
"No," Orochimaru shook his head. "That's most likely a trap. The location of the gap is open terrain, with no cover. If we rush out there, we'll become living targets for all three squads."
Jiraiya and Tsunade felt a chill run down their backs. Only then did they realize that they were facing experienced Amegakure ninja, not some disorganized mob.
"Then what should we do?" Tsunade asked anxiously.
A smirk appeared at the corner of Orochimaru's mouth.
"Since they want to surround us, we'll turn the tables and completely disrupt their formation."
His finger tapped the center of the map.
"We'll blossom from the center."
"Jiraiya," he looked at the white-haired fool. "Your Earth Release is the best weapon for creating chaos. When the battle starts, don't worry about anything else. Use your most powerful Earth Release ninjutsu to completely overturn this forest in front of us! The bigger the commotion, the better!"
"No problem! Leave it to me!" Jiraiya slapped his chest. When it came to destruction, he was the best.
"Tsunade," Orochimaru's gaze turned to Tsunade. "Your monstrous strength is the strongest spear to break through their defense. When Jiraiya creates chaos, I will use ninjutsu to obstruct their vision. You must take the opportunity to violently break through their defensive formation from the left flank with the fastest speed and tear open a gap."
"Alright!" Tsunade cracked her knuckles, her eyes filled with fighting spirit.
"As for what's next..." A snake-like cunning flashed in Orochimaru's eyes. "While their formation is in disarray, I will find their commander, and then..."
He made a throat-slitting gesture.
"Take him out."
The strategy was instantly formulated.
Simple, brutal, yet it struck right at the core.
"They're here!" Orochimaru hissed.
As soon as his voice fell, dozens of poisoned senbon, like a heavy rain, shot towards the three of them from all directions.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
Jiraiya's hands flew through seals, and he slammed them on the ground.
A thick earthen wall rose up, deflecting all the senbon with a clattering sound.
The battle had officially begun.
"Now! Jiraiya!" Orochimaru shouted.
"Watch this!"
Jiraiya took a deep breath, focusing all his chakra in his hands.
"Earth Release: Fissure!"
He slammed his palm on the ground.
Rumble—!
With him at the center, the ground for dozens of meters around, as if lifted by an invisible giant hand, was violently overturned.
Trees toppled, and mud splattered. The entire forest seemed to tremble violently at that moment.
The four Amegakure ninja approaching from the front instantly lost their footing. Their formation was thrown into chaos as they cried out in alarm and fell to the ground.
"Ninja Art: Kasumi Jusha no Jutsu!"
Orochimaru seized the opportunity, his hands forming seals.
A thick mist instantly spread through the forest, obscuring everyone's vision.
"Tsunade!"
"Hah!"
Tsunade let out a sharp cry, pushed off with her feet, and her entire body shot towards the left flank like a cannonball.
Two Amegakure ninja who had just regained their footing only saw a golden figure appear before them in a flash.
What greeted them was a massive fist.
"Monstrous Strength Fist!"
Boom!
One of the Amegakure ninja tried to block with a kunai, but the finely forged steel kunai was as fragile as paper before Tsunade's fist and was instantly shattered.
The immense force slammed into his chest without reservation.
The Amegakure ninja didn't even have time to scream before he was sent flying like a broken sack, his sternum shattered, and he died on the spot.
The other Amegakure ninja was terrified by this horrifying scene and turned to run.
But Tsunade was already upon him, a vicious roundhouse kick striking his neck.
Crack!
The crisp sound of breaking bone was exceptionally clear in the rain.
In just one exchange, the left flank's defensive line was completely torn apart by Tsunade in the most violent way.
At the same time.
The four Amegakure ninja on the right flank were being harassed by Orochimaru's eerie snake hands and endless stream of minor ninjutsu.
Their captain, an experienced chunin, stood at the rear, calmly giving commands.
"Hold your ground! Don't let them disrupt our rhythm! Their chakra won't last long!"
"Focus fire first and take out that white-haired kid with the Earth Release!"
Just as he finished giving the order, he suddenly felt a cold sensation on his ankle.
He looked down, and his pupils contracted violently.
A small black snake had, at some point, silently wrapped around his ankle and, baring its fangs, had bitten down hard.
"When?!"
He was greatly alarmed, and a numbing sensation instantly spread through his body, causing him to freeze.
It was in this moment of stiffness.
A black shadow, like a ghost, shot out from the shadow of a tree trunk behind him.
It was Orochimaru's shadow clone, which had been lying in wait for a long time.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Several venomous snakes shot out from the shadow clone's sleeves, tightly coiling around his limbs and neck.
"Got him."
Orochimaru's real body slowly emerged from the nearby bushes. He looked at the Amegakure chunin he had captured, his golden, serpentine pupils filled with a cold smile.
The battle had taken a dramatic turn in just a few short minutes.
Although their initial coordination was a bit rough, and Jiraiya's chakra was severely depleted after casting the large-scale Earth Release, almost allowing several Amegakure ninja to get close.
Tsunade had also been too reckless and had gotten a cut on her arm.
But under the pressure of life and death, the three of them had displayed an astonishing level of tacit understanding.
Jiraiya used Earth Release to restrain the enemy, Tsunade used her monstrous strength for a frontal assault, and Orochimaru used his intelligence and cunning for a decapitation strike.
Twelve experienced Amegakure ninja were scattered and killed by the three of them, with only two survivors remaining.
Those two Amegakure ninja looked at the scene before them, completely terrified.
A white-haired kid who could treat the earth like a toy.
A violent woman who could kill someone with a single punch.
And a gloomy youth who was like a venomous snake, ready to launch a fatal attack from an unexpected corner at any moment.
This... these weren't three ordinary brats.
These were three monsters!
"Run... run!" one of the Amegakure chunin screamed in terror and turned to flee.
"Trying to run? Too late!"
Although Jiraiya was covered in injuries and his chakra was nearly depleted, his spirit was not diminished in the slightest.
He formed hand seals.
Boom!
Raging flames instantly engulfed the fleeing Amegakure ninja.
The battle was over.
The three of them leaned against a tree, panting slightly.
This was their first time truly fighting side by side.
Tsunade looked at Jiraiya, walked over, and stretched out her hand, which was glowing with green chakra, to begin healing his wounds.
"Hiss... gentle, Tsunade, it hurts, it hurts!"
"Shut up! If you shout again, I'll give you a few more punches!"
Orochimaru looked at them and, for the first time, didn't call them idiots. Instead, he took out a small bottle from his robes and threw it to Jiraiya.
"A chakra recovery potion. My new concoction."
Jiraiya caught the potion and looked at his two teammates who, though harsh with their words, were very honest with their actions, and he chuckled.
He felt that teamwork was... actually pretty good.
The last surviving Amegakure chunin, hiding in the bushes far away, watched the terrifying trio, trembling with fear.
He didn't dare to stay any longer and scrambled away, fleeing towards Amegakure.
He kept muttering in a dream-like voice, "Monsters... they are Konoha's monsters..."
This phrase also faintly foreshadowed the common name these three would share in the future, a name that would resonate throughout the entire ninja world.
Orochimaru looked in the direction the man had fled and chuckled in a rather sinister, low voice.
"The matter of attracting attention was completed quite smoothly."
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