Naruto: Konoha’s Trickster, Starting as the Seven-Tails Jinchūriki-Chapter 783 - 783: Damn Snake!

Orochimaru's true strength didn't lie in raw power alone, but in his creativity and battlefield instincts. A strong person with no strategic mind is nothing more than a tragedy. Those who survive the battlefield are always the ones who possess both strength and intelligence—and Orochimaru was one of them.
"Manda, get ready!"
"Summoning Technique!"
The massive Manda, charging across the battlefield, immediately stopped at Orochimaru's command and plunged headfirst into the ground. Orochimaru and the others on his back had already leapt off. He bit his finger again and pressed it into the air, performing another summoning—this time calling forth five ordinary anacondas. Their size alone made it clear they were anything but ordinary. As soon as they appeared, they split off in different directions, smashing through all nearby puppets.
"Kusanagi Sword!"
"Go!"
Through the smoke, Orochimaru swung the Kusanagi Sword once more, its tip still aimed directly at Kabuto in the distance. A moment later, the smoke split apart as the blade shot forward again.
"Haku, move! It's Lord Orochimaru's Kusanagi Sword!"
Having followed Orochimaru for so long, Kimimaro was accustomed to his methods. The instant Orochimaru attacked, he warned Haku. Without hesitation, both leapt back, exposing Kabuto and his two puppets.
"Hmph! The same trick won't work twice!"
"Iron Sand Realm!"
Kabuto had already been caught by Orochimaru's sneak attack once. This time, he remained perfectly calm as vast amounts of Iron Sand gathered into triangular shields for defense. But just then, the ground trembled again.
"Hmph! Still the same move!"
"Earth Grudge Fear!"
Seeing Manda burst from underground, Kabuto still didn't panic. The puppet bodies opened across the chest, revealing black tendrils within, which surged outward and engulfed Manda in a mass of darkness.
"Damn it! What is this?"
"So disgusting! Orochimaru! I take back my previous offer—I want twenty baskets of snakeberries!"
With his entire face swallowed by writhing black tendrils, Manda felt like vomiting. As a proud and handsome snake, he loathed this sensation. Retreating was impossible, so he vented all his fury onto Orochimaru—and demanded more compensation.
"Fine. Once this battle is over, you can have whatever you want."
For Orochimaru, snakeberries were simply something money could buy. And as a scientist, money was the one thing he never lacked. His dealings with the Daimyō alone brought in tens of millions each year. To him, money was just a number. Of course, he wouldn't dare say that aloud. If his disciple heard…
He could already imagine Kazuyama Gekkō's response: "Whoa, my teacher is that rich? Then support me a little! I'm the head of a clan, I've got a family to feed—I'm practically starving!"
Sigh. Ending up with such a shameless disciple… was that fortune or misfortune? Whatever the case, the battle took priority.
The Kusanagi Sword clashed with the Iron Sand again. Another metallic clang echoed, sparks scattering.
"Hmph! Orochimaru, your tricks are outdated!"
"Red Secret Technique: Poison Burst!"
Kabuto grinned viciously as hordes of puppets rushed toward Orochimaru. Their joints cracked open, spewing dense clouds of poison. Within seconds, the area became a realm of toxic gas.
"Poison, hm?"
"Ah, still too young. As my disciple likes to say—Konoha's Sannin represent gambling, vice, and drugs."
"And I, Orochimaru, am the poison."
Orochimaru laughed as the poison engulfed him. His hands formed seals.
"Formation of Ten Thousand Snakes!"
Countless venomous snakes poured from his mouth, coiling tightly around him in layer upon layer until they formed a massive ball of serpents. The sight chilled every ninja present. The sheer number of snakes was unbelievable.
Just as everyone froze in shock, Orochimaru's voice echoed with amusement.
"Every time I use this technique, I recall the battles in the Land of Rivers. There was a kid back then—a puppeteer too. Swallowed whole by a sea of snakes."
His words stunned the Konoha and Sunagakure shinobi. The Land of Rivers battlefield? A puppeteer? Survivors remembered well. Back then, Sasori of the Red Sand had been buried multiple times beneath Orochimaru's snakes before vanishing.
"Hmph. Using venomous snakes to block the poison gas?"
"Then change tactics! Shred them with—"
"Hm?"
"No—this is bad!"
Just as Kabuto adjusted his attack, he sensed killing intent—not one source, but four. The instant he tried to retreat, four figures appeared before him.
"Surprised, puppeteer?"
"Obito, stop talking! Take him out already!"
"Kakashi-senpai is right. Move!"
"Fire Release! Great Fireball Technique!"
Four voices rang out, followed by a massive fireball blasting toward Kabuto.
Boom!
The explosion shook the ground. Through the smoke, Kabuto—his body pitch-black—rapidly withdrew. Earth Release: Earth Spear had completely protected him. Simultaneously, the tendrils of Earth Grudge Fear and Iron Sand lashed toward the four attackers.
But Kabuto's mind reeled. He couldn't understand how the four had reached him so suddenly.
"Ha! Wondering how we got here?"
"Idiot—the Kusanagi Sword is that long. What do you think?"
"Fire Release! Great Fireball Technique!"
Obito Uchiha mocked him, and before his voice faded, another fireball shot toward Kabuto.
Kabuto's face darkened. The Kusanagi Sword? Looking at the blade still stretched across the battlefield, realization hit him instantly. Orochimaru's attack had been a diversion, meant to deliver these four directly to him.
Damn Orochimaru! No wonder his teacher hated snakes so much!
Now he hated them too!
Treacherous, conniving creatures—why do they even exist in this world?!
He resolved to exterminate every last one of them!