Chapter 18 — Killing Snakes
A ninja did not become a jōnin through raw strength alone.
Power was only part of the requirement.
More important was experience—the ability to remain calm under pressure, to assess a chaotic battlefield in an instant, and to adapt to rapidly changing situations. Jōnin were not merely elite fighters; they were the pillars that stabilized the entire combat structure of a ninja village.
Even now, that truth was on full display.
Raizen's sudden and overwhelming appearance had thrown the battlefield into complete disorder. For a brief moment, both Konoha and Sunagakure forces had been shaken, their formations collapsing as fear and confusion spread among the lower-ranked ninjas.
But the jōnin stepped forward.
One after another, veteran leaders took command of their scattered squads.
Orders rang out across the battlefield.
"Regroup!"
"Hold formation!"
"Do not engage recklessly!"
Under their direction, the chaos began to settle. Lines reformed. Units reorganized. Panic slowly faded as the disciplined structure of ninja warfare reasserted itself.
The jōnin quickly realized something critical:
Raizen was far too dangerous to fight alone.
Without even needing to communicate verbally, the two opposing sides reached the same conclusion almost simultaneously.
For now—They would cooperate.
---
A signal was given.
In the next moment, thousands of arms moved at once.
Kunai filled the sky.
Not dozens.
Not hundreds.
Three thousand kunai were launched simultaneously, forming a black storm that blotted out the light above the battlefield.
But the most terrifying part was not the weapons themselves.
Each kunai carried an explosive tag. Even a Kage-level ninja would hesitate before facing such a monstrous barrage.
If even a fraction of them detonated nearby, the resulting chain reaction would be catastrophic.
---
The explosion began.
One tag ignited—
Then another.
Then another.
Within seconds, a violent chain reaction tore through the air as thousands of explosive tags detonated one after another.
The battlefield shook.
The deafening roar of three thousand explosions rolled across the land like a thunderstorm tearing the heavens apart.
Even Raizen—empowered by the Gilgamesh card—felt a flicker of shock.
So this… is the scale of ninja warfare.
Without hesitation, dozens of golden ripples appeared around him.
From them emerged defensive treasures blessed with ancient power.
Shields.
Barriers.
Protective relics forged by forgotten civilizations. Each artifact shimmered with divine authority as it positioned itself around Raizen.
Then—
The explosion swallowed everything.
BOOM!
A catastrophic blast erupted across the battlefield.
Flames and smoke surged upward like a volcanic eruption.
Shockwaves blasted outward in every direction.
Chunks of earth were hurled into the air as the ground itself shattered beneath the assault.
---
"Don't stand around! Move!"
A jōnin's voice cut sharply through the chaos.
"Earth Release teams—advance!"
Even before the smoke cleared, specialized squads were already moving.
Hands slammed onto the ground.
"Earth Release: Earth Collapse!"
The soil beneath Raizen suddenly gave way.
The ground crumbled and collapsed into a massive pit, sending Raizen plummeting downward before he could fully react.
At the same time—
Golden sand surged forward like a tidal wave.
Rasa had acted.
The sand rushed into the pit, attempting to bury Raizen alive beneath tons of crushing weight.
---
Inside the collapsing crater, Raizen's eyes narrowed.
"As expected… ninja teamwork really is terrifying."
If even one step of their plan had failed, the attack would have been far less effective.
But this?
This was a perfectly coordinated assault.
Still—
Raizen's gaze turned cold.
"Then I'll eliminate the commanders first."
Killing the jōnin would cripple their coordination. Coincidentally, those same jōnin were listed on his bounty sheet.
Each one carried a substantial reward. And if both villages lost several of their elite leaders today…
The damage would echo for years.
---
Boom!
Golden portals opened inside the pit.
Artifacts shot outward, detonating violently and blasting apart the collapsed earth.
More weapons erupted, shredding the incoming sand.
Using the opening, Raizen launched himself upward.
His body soared toward the sky.
Then—
A magnificent golden aircraft materialized beneath his feet.
Vimāna.
The legendary flying throne appeared like a divine chariot descending from the heavens.
Raizen landed smoothly upon it and sat down calmly.
From his elevated position, he looked down upon the battlefield.
Then the bombardment began.
Artifacts launched from the Gate of Babylon like guided missiles.
Each strike created massive explosions across the battlefield below.
---
"He can fly…"
One of the jōnin frowned deeply.
Flying opponents were notoriously difficult to deal with.
Ground-based ninjutsu had limited reach, and most ninja lacked the ability to fight effectively in the air.
Meanwhile, Orochimaru watched the scene with blazing interest.
The enormous golden craft hovering above the battlefield fascinated him.
His eyes gleamed like those of a predator.
That power…
I want it.
Whether it was a Kekkei Genkai, a special summoning technique, or some unknown ability—he needed to study it.
Orochimaru quickly formed hand seals.
Wind began to swirl violently around him.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
A massive spiral of wind shot toward the flying Vimāna like a roaring storm.
---
Raizen sneered.
He raised a single finger.
The spear Gáe Dearg—the Red Rose of Destruction—shot forward once more.
The violent wind split apart instantly, as though sliced by an invisible blade.
The spear continued forward without slowing.
In the next moment—
It pierced straight through Orochimaru's chest.
But the body dissolved into dirt.
An Earth Clone.
---
At the same time, Rasa launched another attack.
Golden sand surged upward, forming a massive hand that stretched toward the Vimāna like a colossal claw.
"Hmph."
Raizen glanced at it casually.
Ten artifacts fired in unison.
The sand hand exploded apart.
Yet in the next moment, the sand reformed, lunging toward him again.
At the same time, Vimāna rose higher into the sky.
From his throne above the battlefield, Raizen snapped his fingers.
Golden ripples filled the sky.
Hundreds.
Then thousands.
Weapons emerged like a divine storm.
Golden light flooded the battlefield.
---
Orochimaru's expression finally changed.
"This won't work."
No matter how much he desired Raizen's power, he could not ignore his responsibilities.
He was the commander of Konoha's forces here.
More importantly—
The Third Hokage was preparing to appoint a successor.
If Konoha suffered massive casualties under his command today, Orochimaru's chances of becoming the Fourth Hokage would vanish.
And without that position…
His research would forever remain restricted.
He clenched his teeth.
"We're retreating!"
"Earth Release teams, prepare defensive cover!"
Even speaking those orders cost him effort.
Earlier that day, he had already used several high-level techniques in this ongoing war.
Now he formed another sequence of seals.
"Summoning Jutsu: Triple Rashomon!"
Three enormous demonic gates erupted from the ground. Their monstrous faces seemed to sneer at the incoming storm of weapons.
This was Orochimaru's strongest physical defense.
---
Sunagakure responded similarly.
Rasa condensed his golden sand into enormous barriers, shielding his ninjas from the falling storm.
But Raizen merely laughed coldly.
"You think you can escape?"
If they fled now, his entire gamble would fail.
If they didn't die—
Then he would.
So he showed no restraint.
The sky filled with thousands of artifacts.
They rained down like a golden hurricane.
Explosions thundered endlessly across the battlefield.
At the same time, the Chains of Heaven spread outward like living serpents.
They hunted their targets.
One jōnin after another was pierced through the chest.
---
"No!"
Rasa's voice cracked with rage.
He watched helplessly as elite Sunagakure jōnin fell one by one.
"Sand Release: Shigure!"
Golden sand shot forward like a torrential rainstorm.
But the attack was instantly obliterated by Raizen's endless barrage of artifacts.
The ground itself began to collapse.
Crater after crater appeared as explosions tore the battlefield apart.
Raizen fought without hesitation.
He did not worry about energy consumption.
The system was constantly feeding him magic crystals.
The more he gained—
The stronger his foundation would become.
If he could use Ea, he would have already unleashed it.
---
Orochimaru's eyes widened in shock.
Too many jōnin had died.
This situation had already exceeded his expectations.
"Damn it!"
He slammed his hands together.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
A massive cloud of white smoke erupted across the battlefield.
When it cleared—
A gigantic purple serpent towered above the ground.
Its enormous head loomed over Orochimaru as it roared angrily.
"Orochimaru!"
"You dare summon me again?!"
Its voice shook the air.
"Without one hundred living sacrifices, I will kill you myself!"
Orochimaru forced a strained smile.
"That can wait. First deal with our enemy."
"I need your help… Manda."
The colossal serpent lifted its head, its horns gleaming ominously.
It glared at the flying Vimāna above.
"Hmph!"
"Orochimaru, you truly are useless."
"I'll handle this myself."
"But prepare the sacrifices."
With a violent roar, the giant snake lunged upward toward the sky, attempting to bite the flying craft.
Orochimaru leapt onto its back and began running upward along its massive body, closing the distance to Vimāna.
But suddenly—
Chains shot out.
The Chains of Heaven wrapped tightly around the enormous serpent.
Raizen looked down from the sky.
His eyes were ice cold.
"You mentioned… a hundred living sacrifices?"
Golden portals shifted.
Every artifact changed direction.
They all aimed at the trapped serpent below.
"Beast that feeds on humans…"
"Die."
A massive barrage of divine weapons descended.
The Serpent thrashed violently, trying to escape. But the Chains of Heaven tightened relentlessly.
"Damn it! What is this?!"
Its pupils shrank in fear.
Then—
A spear pierced through its massive body.
A blade severed one of its horns.
"No!"
Orochimaru's expression changed drastically.
He rolled up his sleeve, revealing a line of sealing marks along his arm.
"Manda!"
"Cooperate with me!"
"Reverse Summoning!"
The giant snake roared furiously.
"Orochimaru!"
"You dare make me suffer like this?!"
"If you don't offer three hundred living sacrifices, I will never forgive you!"
Its furious roar echoed across the heavens.