At this moment, two opposing forces collided! The scene reminded Ren Uchiha of his distant ancestor's magnificent "dance" amidst the Allied Shinobi Forces during the Fourth Great Ninja War.
Naturally, he wanted to pay homage.
However, Ren was not Madara Uchiha. He had no Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, no Susanoo, and no exquisite skills honed over a long life—let alone the infinite chakra of a Reanimation body. Aside from a Shurikenjutsu that might hold a candle to the ancestor, his Taijutsu, Kenjutsu, and Ninjutsu were insufficient to sustain a "dance" in the midst of ten thousand troops.
But he had his own advantages. And in this battle, he needed a quick victory.
Whistling sounds filled his ears as kunai coated in green venom grazed his cheek. Mid-air, Ren looked up at the sky full of toxic weapons and narrowed his eyes. His Sharingan focused, and he slammed his palms together in the air.
POOF!
White smoke surged and swirled as a massive summoning formula expanded frantically—followed by the earth-shattering boom of something heavy striking the ground! Dust, smoke, and stones flew in all directions, along with the mangled limbs of ninjas crushed beneath the weight.
The battlefield fell into a sudden, eerie silence.
Through the moonlit mist, a hideous and colossal purple snakehead burst through the white haze, rising high into the air.
On the plateau, the Sand Jonin in charge of command leaped back, dodging flying boulders with a look of horror. The moment he saw Manda, he broke into a cold sweat. As a veteran Jonin, he had seen this terrifying summoning beast during the Second Great Ninja War and had heard plenty about the "Snake Lord's" cruel and merciless nature.
His eyes widened as he barked orders: "That's Orochimaru's summon! Everyone, assemble! Use Wind Style to drive it back! Whatever you do—do not let it break into our ranks!"
If Manda were allowed to rampage through their formation, even a Jonin would find it hard to resist, let alone the Chunin and Genin. One sweep of that tail and they'd be looking for their heads in the next zip code.
Following the command, the Sand units reacted instantly, diverting several squads originally prepared for Ninjutsu to intercept the giant serpent.
Standing atop the snake's head, Ren scanned the battlefield and quickly locked onto the Sand Jonin who was issuing orders—the obvious leader.
Beneath his feet, Manda finally realized who was standing on his brow. One look at the brat and the giant snake flew into a rage.
"Hmm?! You again, you moronic brat! I'm going to eat you!"
Ren's brow twitched. Before Manda could get "affectionate," he offered a faint smile and a piece of friendly advice: "Stupid snake, watch your head!"
With that, he hopped off Manda's brow without a backward glance. Manda blinked, looked up, and saw a downpour of kunai falling like rain.
"HISSS!!! Dammit, you wicked Uchiha brat! You summoned me just for this?!"
Clang! Clang! Boom!
The sounds of kunai and ninjutsu striking scales drowned out Manda's outraged screams.
Ren slid down Manda's massive body and flipped onto the ground. Using the thick white smoke of the summoning as cover, he hugged the side of the serpent's scales to hide his trail while scanning the battlefield with his Sharingan.
Summoning Manda had drained nearly a third of his chakra. The effect? Letting the snake take the hits for him and drawing the first wave of enemy attention.
Even with an immortal body, Ren couldn't completely ignore combined ninja attacks. While he could shrug off a single Wind Style: Great Breakthrough, a barrage of them from multiple ninjas could still break bones or tear away half his torso. If he were immobilized and captured, these Sand ninjas would have a field day with him.
To win quickly, he had to break their formation. He had to enter the realm Ren excelled at: Close-quarters blade combat.
He didn't even need to use Genjutsu to control Manda. Faced with a field full of "sacrifices," the stupid snake might look angry, but he was probably popping champagne on the inside.
Ren watched the shifts in the Sand formation through the mist. When he saw their specialized Ninjutsu squads diverted toward Manda, he lunged toward the gap in their lines.
His lone silhouette, charging amidst the chaos caused by Manda, seemed insignificant. However, that perception was about to change the moment he kicked aside an unlucky Sand Genin and breached their ranks.
Ren's lips curled into a manic grin. As he charged, he slammed a palm against his chest—right over his heart!
Sand ninjas nearby shouted in alarm: "The brat is here! Kill him!"
Ren ducked under a kunai thrust, pivoted, and used a Hidden Cloud "Swastika" Taijutsu move to deliver a vicious side-kick that flipped an enemy over. He leaped off the man's back, vaulting into the center of the formation.
Seven or eight Sand ninjas swarmed him, swinging blades and weaving signs. Swords bit into his flesh, wind blades sliced his skin, and the ground beneath him sank. Ren ignored it all. He let the blades cut him and the kunai pierce his abdomen. In his gut, the little Zero-Tails hummed as it opened the gates of Dark Chakra.
Inside his chest, his heart suddenly flared. Incandescent white flames erupted from his body, creating a firestorm that blasted back and scorched the surrounding ninjas!
BOOM!
A miniature sun seemed to rise on the spot. The massive ball of flame contracted, funnelling all that heat and light into Ren's right arm. The limb glowed so intensely it was blinding.
Ren, looking like a bloody pincushion but otherwise fine, raised an eyebrow. "Hoo... I feel like I could punch the life out of a bull right now!"
He flexed his glowing "Kirin Arm." This move concentrated the chakra of his Fire Style: Chakra Mode into a single limb. This allowed him to use the mode's power without burning his own wire-manipulation threads. With his left hand, he could still use Uchiha Style: Wire Shurikenjutsu for high mobility. In an extreme case, he could even cut the arm off and throw it like a high-explosive grenade!
Aside from being a bit "hand-burny," it was perfect.
While Ren was feeling great, the Sand Commander was losing his mind. He had just diverted troops to stop Manda, and now a maniac had leaped into his center.
He watched Ren, who was covered in wounds that should have killed any normal human five times over, and his eyelids twitched. Why is that brat still fighting? Is he a disciple of Tsunade the Slug Princess? But he has Manda... and he's wearing Uchiha robes. Is he Orochimaru's heir or Tsunade's? And what is that jutsu?!
He signaled his men. The Sand ninjas fanned out from Ren, only to be replaced by a tight circle of ninjas with pre-prepared seals. A second wave of execution was coming.
However, the boy in the center simply grinned, showing white teeth. He used his blinding right hand to draw the long sword at his waist and thrust it toward the sky!
Flaming winds erupted within the barrier. Something even more terrifying than Manda's arrival occurred.
A gargantuan blade of flowing flames, reaching toward the heavens, rose steadily under the horrified gazes of the Sand ninjas. Then, the sword aimed directly at the Sand Commander at the back of the formation—
And cleaved downward!