Boom!
A giant snake tail swept horizontally, sending all war machines in its path for over ten meters flying off the wall.
Manda excitedly flicked its tongue, its body undulating forward swiftly, instantly arriving at another area densely packed with machinery. Its tail raised high, preparing to repeat the trick.
Boom!
The massive tail slammed down, stirring up shockwaves that blew away two nearby Gatling crossbow cannons.
But... the sensation was off.
Although Manda's snake scales were harder than steel, they were still part of its body; it could still feel what it struck... this strike didn't feel like hitting the ground, but something soft.
Like a human body, but the contact area seemed too small.
'Could I have hit some unfortunate soul's limbs?'
Thinking this, Manda suddenly found its body uncontrollably lifting into the air, then beginning to spin with its tail as the center... At this moment, it finally realized something was wrong.
It wasn't that it had hit some unfortunate soul's limbs; someone had caught its tail strike with a hand.
"This is impossible!?"
Manda's eyes widened.
It was over fifty meters long, with a body diameter of five meters, and the tail it had just raised was over ten meters high... A tail strike from that height combined with its massive body weight… this blow weighed at least hundreds of thousands of tons.
If the wall were made of ordinary stone and brick instead of some unknown metal, this tail strike would have been enough to collapse the wall.
And yet, such a strike was caught by someone bare-handed, who then lifted its entire body and spun it...
'What kind of joke was this?'
'Since when did humans have such strength?'
Although Shinobi were extraordinary, aside from someone unique like Tsunade, no one possessed such strength. Even the Five Kage, considered the pinnacle of the Shinobi World, fell far short in pure physical power.
If the other party had used some Ninjutsu to block the strike, Manda wouldn't have been so distraught.
But the other party used the most pure strength to block it, then held its tail and spun it around like a giant pinwheel at high speed... it was truly hard to accept.
Even Tsunade didn't have strength like this!
"Save Manda!"
Jiraiya saw the situation and immediately ordered the three giant toads he summoned to rescue the snake.
The giant toads didn't hesitate, immediately grabbing their weapons and slashing through the air at the attacker who had suddenly assaulted Manda.
"All of you, get lost!"
The figure shouted. Manda's massive body was swung sideways, crashing into the three giant toads coming to its rescue. The tremendous force sent them flying off the wall, tumbling over a hundred meters on the ground before barely stopping.
The huge commotion attracted the Allied Forces' attention.
Everyone looked over... It was a woman, around twenty years old, with silver, ear-length hair, regular features, and a refined face. A bodysuit imprinted with violet patterns tightly wrapped around her graceful, tall figure.
What caught Tsunade's attention was the diamond-shaped mark on her forehead.
'Could it be...'
"Gin!"
While Tsunade was pondering, Orochimaru and Jiraiya arrived beside her, their expressions grave.
Gin was a puppet created by Ryuji; her body shouldn't grow.
But the woman before them, who looked exactly like Gin, had grown from a fifteen/sixteen-year-old girl to a twenty-ish young woman.
'Had the puppet grown, or was this another puppet created using Gin as a prototype?'
"Those who dare offend Master won't be forgiven!"
Gin walked towards the three, expressionless.
"We also cannot forgive Senki Ryuji for the crimes committed against Kumogakure!"
Two Kumogakure's Shinobi leapt out from beside the Sannin, wielding katana as they slashed towards Gin.
"Don't!"
Jiraiya hurriedly tried to stop them, but it was too late.
Even with the big shots leading the charge, only those with extreme luck or strength reaching a certain level of elite could break through the Mechanical City's defenses and get this far.
Their speed was nothing noteworthy compared to Shinobi speedsters like Minato or the Raikage, but their movement and posture were textbook. They took the shortest route, without a single wasted moment or ounce of strength, appearing fast, precise, and fierce. Even Shinobi of the Sannin's caliber couldn't find fault with such an assault.
But...
"Trash should know their place!"
Gin said coldly, taking a step forward, raising her hands into fists as she met the two.
"You're dead!"
The two Kumogakure's Shinobi shouted.
As the saying goes, an inch longer, an inch stronger. They wielded sharp weapons, while the other attacked bare-handed. The weapons should strike first.
Even if she tried to block with her hands, a fist clashing with a blade… it seemed like a crushing victory for them.
But actual results often differ from ideal ones.
Fist and blade collided, actually producing the sound of metal clashing and sparks.
Then, the blades shattered.
The fists continued unabated, striking the two Kumogakure's Shinobi's chests. Amidst the sound of shattering bones, their chests caved in, then they were sent flying backwards several times faster than they'd arrived, like cannonballs.
The Sannin quickly sidestepped, dodging the incoming human projectiles. But the people behind them weren't as quick. They were bowled over… some with broken heads and bleeding, some with broken limbs or spines, some sent flying off the wall directly... Gin's two punches cleared the trash within a hundred meters.
"This kind of monstrous strength..."
Orochimaru and Jiraiya instinctively glanced at Tsunade beside them, their expressions growing even more grave.
Tsunade could also achieve this level, but it was unclear how much strength Gin had used.
"Let's test her first!"
Orochimaru said, raising his hands. Several large pythons flew from his sleeves… some glaring menacingly, some blocking possible escape routes, others directly coiling around or biting towards Gin.
[Ninja Art: Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!]
Gin neither dodged nor evaded, allowing the giant snakes to entangle or bite her.
However,
The snakes bit down, not only failing to harm Gin, but shattering their own fangs. The snakes constricted with all their might, yet Gin showed no sign of distress.
But,
Although they achieved no results, through the snakes' transmitted information, Orochimaru instantly comprehended the principle behind Gin's invulnerability and immediately prepared countermeasures.
"Lightning Release: Lightning... "
Orochimaru formed hand seals, lightning flickering on his hands, then traveling along the snakes.
But just as the electricity reached halfway, Gin's body shook. Orochimaru was pulled uncontrollably forward, his Ninjutsu cut off mid-cast.
"Rip..."
Gin exerted force with her arms. The snakes coiled around her shattered inch by inch. She raised a fist, punching towards Orochimaru flying towards her.
"Are you in such a hurry to die?"
Orochimaru smiled coldly, opening his mouth. A sharp, treasured sword shot out from his throat, streaking forward violently.
'Kusanagi Sword!'
Gin was inwardly startled but still didn't dodge, maintaining her punching posture.
Thud!
Boom!
The sword tip pierced through Gin's heart, while Gin's fist also struck Orochimaru's face in the next instant.
Crimson blood dripped from the sword tip, while that cold, stern face caved in amidst the sound of shattering bones, then flew backwards several times faster than it had come, like a cannonball.