At this moment, inside the cave, Tsunade was still treating the injured Jiraiya.
Just now, they had taken advantage of the Rock ninja's unstable footing when they first arrived, launching a proactive attack. Unfortunately, they couldn't escape this time, and Jiraiya, who was already injured, was wounded again. Left with no choice, the three could only retreat to the cave.
Fortunately, the Rock ninja outside were afraid of traps inside, so they didn't dare to enter directly. They merely used ninjutsu to continuously bombard the mountain where the cave was located, giving Tsunade and the others a moment to breathe. The entire cave was shaking, and the incessant attacks made Orochimaru's eyes grow dimmer. He took a few steps closer and said to Tsunade, who was still healing Jiraiya, "Give up, Tsunade."
Seeing Tsunade unmoved, he continued, "The Rock ninja's Earth Release will destroy this mountain sooner or later. If we want to escape, we can't hesitate. You and I must leave immediately."
"And Jiraiya," Tsunade said with dissatisfaction, her medical ninjutsu never stopping for a moment.
Orochimaru frowned. "Taking Jiraiya with us to escape is simply impossible." Although Tsunade had been treating Jiraiya, Orochimaru knew clearly that Jiraiya was now injured on top of his existing wounds and could not be healed in a short time.
"That's why I'm using medical ninjutsu—"
But Orochimaru interrupted her directly. "Tsunade, this is wartime. We cannot reduce our chances of survival for uncertain personal feelings."
"What chances?" Tsunade turned her head to look at Orochimaru.
"Our chances of survival. One person is impossible, two people might barely make it, but three people... it will only lead to complete annihilation!" Orochimaru's tone grew colder, trying to use this cruel reality to shatter Tsunade's naive fantasies.
Tsunade showed a shocked expression. She hadn't expected Orochimaru to say such words at this moment.
"You continue with the treatment, no problem," Orochimaru said coldly, then pulled out a kunai. "I'll send Jiraiya on his way."
Orochimaru raised the kunai, about to stab Jiraiya, but unexpectedly heard Tsunade say, "If you take one more step, I'll kill you!"
The external attacks continued, but inside the cave, a strange silence had fallen. Orochimaru held the kunai, ready to strike, while Tsunade stood with her back to him, her hands still ceaselessly healing Jiraiya.
"It seems the three of us are holding each other back," Tsunade said.
Orochimaru was ready to act, but unexpectedly, Jiraiya, who had been unable to move, suddenly trembled in his right hand. Then, enduring the pain, he slowly raised his hand and gave Orochimaru a V-sign, a slight smile gracing his lips. Orochimaru's cold expression could no longer be maintained, and Tsunade said, "Jiraiya trusts you from the bottom of his heart. This trust is enough to make you unable to strike."
"Boring..." Orochimaru gritted his teeth, still trying to hold on. "I..."
...
Kyuushin and his group, who had already reached the periphery, naturally didn't know the situation inside the cave. However, seeing the Rock ninja continuously bombarding the mountain with ninjutsu, it was clear that the situation was critical.
Mokume Koutou immediately ordered, "Later, I will lead most of you in a frontal attack to pin down the Rock ninja. Inuzuka Tsume, you lead a portion of the sensory ninja to circle around to the back. While the Rock ninja are distracted by us, rescue Tsunade and the other two."
"Yes!" Inuzuka Tsume immediately accepted the order, taking six or seven people and quickly leaving the squad to circle around.
"Those of you who have long-range attack ninjutsu, when I give the order to attack, unleash it directly without hesitation," Mokume Koutou added. Seeing that everyone was ready, he didn't waste any more words. After quietly closing in, he shouted, "Attack!"
Immediately, various ninjutsu rained down towards the Rock ninja. Nawaki and Minato also each unleashed an Earth Release and a Wind Release. Feeling the large chakra fluctuations from behind, the Rock ninja finally realized their arrival. Faced with dozens of ninjutsu attacks, many of them showed despair on their faces. However, there were clearly elites among them. A moment before the ninjutsu arrived, several earth walls instantly rose from the ground, blocking most of the attacks.
Mokume Koutou instantly assessed the situation. The surprise attack had not achieved much effect. Just as he was about to order everyone to engage in close combat, a massive chakra fluctuation suddenly came from beside him.
It was Kyuushin. Seeing that the initial volley hadn't achieved much, he decided to go for something more potent. He took a deep breath and activated his Gene Lock. Immediately, the chakra in his body became even more responsive. He first created a shadow clone, then clasped his hands together. Without forming any hand signs, he opened his mouth and spat out a large amount of water. This water gradually formed the shape of a dragon in the air, directly charging towards the enemy's position.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
But it wasn't over. The shadow clone he had just created suddenly emitted a large amount of electricity. This lightning flowed along the water, directly merging with the water dragon.
"Compound Ninjutsu: Lightning Water Dragon Bullet!"
The awe-inspiring Lightning Water Dragon roared as it charged towards the enemy's position. The Rock ninja showed expressions of horror, scattering to the sides.
"Boom—"
The giant dragon slammed into the ground, causing a deafening roar. Some slower Rock ninja lost their lives the moment they were hit. The remaining ones weren't much better off. Although the water dragon was destroyed, it left a large amount of electrified water on the ground. Immediately, many Rock ninja became paralyzed from contact with it.
"Good!" Seeing the effect of this ninjutsu, Mokume Koutou couldn't help but exclaim. The Konoha ninja naturally wouldn't miss such an opportunity to strike down a weakened opponent. They rushed forward, attacking the still-paralyzed Rock ninja. Both sides officially entered the second phase of the battle: close-quarters combat!
Meanwhile, on the other side. "Boom!" Inside the cave where Tsunade and Orochimaru were in a standoff, a huge explosion sound came, and the cave was blown open with a large hole. Then, a series of chaotic footsteps followed.
Orochimaru's heart jumped. He thought the Rock ninja had already attacked. He instinctively moved to kill Jiraiya to prevent him from revealing information, but the kunai he extended suddenly stopped before Jiraiya's throat. Tsunade turned and stood up, staring at Orochimaru. Their eyes met, their deep pupils reflecting each other's faces.
"Hey! Jiraiya, Tsunade, Orochimaru, reinforcements have arrived!" As the dust cleared, the arriving person shouted loudly. Hearing the familiar voice, Tsunade immediately breathed a sigh of relief, and Orochimaru also took a few steps back. Tsunade glanced at Orochimaru, saying nothing more. Although he had repeatedly said he would kill Jiraiya, in the end, he didn't do it.
Orochimaru turned to look at the arriving reinforcements and said, "I didn't expect you to arrive so quickly."
Inuzuka Tsume nodded. "The village received your distress signal yesterday morning, and we set off at noon. We searched all night and only sensed your chakra a short while ago." After briefly explaining the situation, he continued, "You should come out first. This cave won't last much longer. Our people are still fighting the Rock ninja."
Stepping out of the cave, Orochimaru saw that the Rock ninja who had been chasing them were now locked in a fierce battle with the Konoha ninja. He even saw several very familiar figures among them.
"My grandfather created Konoha Village to protect. I will not betray the Will of Fire he left behind," Tsunade also said as she walked out. Orochimaru did not answer but continued to watch the battlefield. Tsunade also followed his gaze, and with just one look, the sense of tension that had just disappeared immediately surged back.
"These three rascals... they actually ran all the way here. Aren't they afraid of death?!" Tsunade exclaimed.