Chapter 358: Scientific Ninja Tools Debut
Soon, the shinobi alliance witnessed overwhelming black shadows surging from the opposite horizon.
However, what surprised them—these shadows weren't the expected Edo Tensei legions but countless venomous snakes and serpents covering mountains and plains.
The horizon trembled. Black "tides" rolled and writhed, devouring every color along their path.
Not orderly military formations—but wild, chaotic, scalp-numbing floods of living creatures.
Their first enemy assessment had failed immediately!
The shinobi alliance erupted into chaos.
"Don't panic! They're merely beasts—no cause for concern!"
The Raikage's voice thundered like explosions. His imposing figure stood before the formation like a reef anchoring the sea, overwhelming initial panic and quickly calming the alliance.
"We cannot allow those snake swarms into our formation. Plans change—earth release users advance, divide the battlefield!"
"Yes!"
Following the Raikage's command, a group of Sunagakure and Iwagakure ninja charged forward, hands forming rapid seals before slamming the ground.
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Division!"
The earth immediately roared, dust flying as ground shook violently.
The surface near the shinobi alliance began lifting while the opposite side pulled away. A savage scar rapidly spread and deepened across the land, transforming into a dark chasm devouring everything.
The snake swarms cascaded into the chasm like tidal waves.
The black flood's vanguard instantly shattered. Countless writhing bodies rained downward, hissing cries becoming sharp and desperate.
At the chasm's edge, subsequent snake swarms charged forward through inertia, also plummeting into the abyss—a scene resembling hell's entrance.
Without requiring further Raikage orders, battle-hardened ninja forces advanced to finish them.
"Water Release: Oil Waterfall!"
"Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!"
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Viscous black oil cascaded like waterfalls, instantly coating struggling snakes at the chasm bottom.
Immediately after, blazing fireballs and roaring gales followed, forming the simplest yet most brutal tactical combination.
"BOOM!"
Massive fire pillars exploded violently from the crevice, shooting skyward and painting half the heavens orange-red.
Heat waves distorted air, surging forward with scorching temperature.
Flames rolled and roared through the gorge like erupting earth fire.
Waves of black smoke carried nauseating charred stench—thick and inescapable, drilling into every nostril, inducing nausea.
Crackling flames, sizzling exploding fat, and inhuman shrill hissing from countless lives' final struggles in the inferno intertwined, instantly permeating the entire battlefield.
But the next moment, behind the venomous snake horde, enormous serpent summons appeared.
Manda, Aoda, and other colossal serpents herded snake swarms like shepherds toward the shinobi alliance, completely unconcerned about the bottomless abyss ahead.
Those behemoths undulated forward, cold vertical pupils indifferently surveying the ant-like human alliance.
Their very existence constituted formless oppression—shadows cast, obscuring sun and sky.
Though the chasm stretched wide, before such gigantic beasts it proved utterly ineffective.
This opening completely exceeded the shinobi alliance's expectations.
Their predictions assumed Uchiha Yasushi would personally lead the first charge to preserve village strength and prevent excessive casualties.
Accompanying Yasushi's initial assault should be those Edo Tensei bodies.
But now...
"Damn it! Hasn't Konoha Village always cooperated with Mount Myōboku? When did they switch to Ryūchi Cave?"
Rasa watched those cannon fodder snakes advancing endlessly, his frown deepening.
Serpent participation at this scale couldn't possibly result from Orochimaru alone—Konoha Village and Ryūchi Cave must have established deeper cooperation.
But circumstances had progressed beyond overthinking usefulness.
The Raikage turned toward his beloved brother. "Killer B, I'm counting on you!"
"Leave it to me, bro!"
Killer B shouted strangely before charging forward, somersaulting over the chasm while releasing his tailed beast mid-air.
Eight-Tails Gyūki's body suddenly materialized airborne, casting enormous shadows across the earth.
Subsequently, that mountain-like form plummeted downward like a meteor, crashing heavily into the snake formation's center.
BOOM!
Earth-shaking impact resonated through every sole and heart.
Where Eight-Tails landed, ground fractured radially and collapsed—a massive crater instantly formed.
Shockwaves became visible white rings, sweeping outward with destructive force.
Snake swarms not yet consumed by flames resembled black grass leaves lifted by invisible giant hands, shredding and scattering in violent airflow. Torn bodies and slime transformed into foul "rain," pattering onto scorched earth and rocks.
"GYAAAA..."
Eight-Tails roared skyward, positioning itself battlefield center like an insurmountable barrier.
Its eight massive octopus tentacles covered with suckers suddenly shot forth, slicing through air with whistling winds like terrifying shackles from ocean depths, lunging toward distant giant serpent shadows.
Manda's purple vertical pupils flashed with cold fury. It defiantly raised its head, jaws capable of swallowing mountains clamping savagely onto one tentacle, fangs embedding deeply while tearing violently.
Aoda and other giant snakes simultaneously attacked, either coiling with bodies or hammering with tails.
Instantly, the most primitive, brutal wrestling erupted at battlefield center.
Several massive beasts entangled together, rolling, pulling, striking—shaking earth and raising dust.
Everything they crushed—rocks, charred corpses, or surviving snakes—was mercilessly ground into powder.
Indeed, only beasts could properly counter beasts.
"Oh, such familiar tailed beasts! Perfect opportunity—let's test whether Seimei's scientific ninja tools effectively counter them."
Orochimaru's voice suddenly emerged. Dozens of figures flashed from behind Manda, each holding peculiar tube-like instruments.
They rapidly ascended Manda's body, pressing tube ends against Eight-Tails' tentacles.
Immediately, strange suction generated from those tubes, forcefully extracting Eight-Tails' chakra through tube channels into storage containers at the ends.
Before everyone's eyes, those tentacles began visibly shrinking.
"What are those things?!"
"They're extracting my chakra!"
"Very quickly!"
Gyūki's panicked voice resonated within Killer B's consciousness.
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