"Impressive, isn't he? The Raikage—hailed as the strongest spear and shield. If I asked you to kill a thousand lunatics like these, perhaps you could manage. But what about ten thousand? How long could your chakra and stamina really last?"
Orochimaru's thoughts grew colder, more ruthless by the second.
"Even if your Hidden Cloud Village could rely on the Raikage and its elite to slaughter ten thousand… what then? A hundred thousand? Two hundred thousand? Swarming in from every direction, endlessly pouring in, indifferent to casualties—driven only by the desire to deliver 'purification' right to your doorstep…"
"Go on, kill them. Kill as many as you like! Kill until your arms grow numb, until your chakra runs dry, until your comrades fall one by one around you… In the end, what will you have changed?"
And lunatics like these—Karin could create a million. Ten million.
This style of warfare—fueled by sheer numbers, fanatical will, and lives burned as expendable fuel—completely overturned the traditional logic of ninja combat.
It did not pursue individual strength. It pursued an overwhelming tide of attrition—despairing, relentless, like a natural disaster swallowing everything in its path.
"Karin… only I truly understand your value," Orochimaru murmured excitedly, golden snake-like pupils flickering with near-manic fire.
In his eyes, the experimental subjects before him had already transformed into the seed of a future army—an endless, frenzied legion capable of drowning the entire shinobi world.
Any individual might, any refined ninjutsu, any sturdy defense—before a torrent built purely upon numbers and madness, fueled by life itself—would be washed away, dismantled, devoured.
Yet Karin's mood was completely different from Orochimaru's excitement.
She was extremely dissatisfied with the weakening state of the experimental "believers," her small face puffed up in annoyance.
"Hmph! Gaining strength actually costs lifespan? What a defective product. Total trash!"
She muttered angrily, clearly unhappy with the quality of the first batch of "tools" she had developed.
In her view, a perfect servant of the Demon God should possess eternal strength. These short-lived, self-burning "flawed goods" were nothing short of an insult to the Demon God's power.
At that moment, several figures appeared on the distant horizon, moving at incredible speed. Their powerful and familiar chakra signatures cut against the retreating Konoha border forces, charging straight into the tide of fanatics.
Orochimaru's eyes lit up, a playful curve forming on his lips.
"Oh? They've arrived… And they're all 'old acquaintances.'"
"Really? That familiar?" Karin's Shadow Clone brightened at the words—but what flashed in her eyes was pure, blazing killing intent.
Then she said murderously, "If they're acquaintances, then let's kill them all. We'll offer their blood as an even more devout sacrifice to the Demon God!"
Orochimaru paused, then let out a soft chuckle and shook his head, his tone mildly helpless.
"Karin, don't forget—we're only Shadow Clones. The ones approaching are the real bodies… and all of them are powerful."
He gestured toward the rapidly approaching group.
"Look. The blonde woman brimming with killing intent—that's the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade. My former teammate. Unmatched monstrous strength."
"The white-haired man beside her is Jiraiya—no easy opponent either. And that one… heh, even the old man has come personally."
There was a hint of complexity in Orochimaru's voice, but more than anything, it was the calm evaluation of a formidable enemy.
"With just the two of us as Shadow Clones, 'killing them all' isn't realistic. Observing a bit longer and gathering data will suffice."
Karin pouted in reluctant dissatisfaction but did not insist further.
She understood the limitations of a Shadow Clone. Still, she stared at the approaching Konoha elites, killing intent and curiosity mingling in her eyes.
"Hmph. Then let's see what these 'acquaintances' can do…"
"Orochimaru!"
A booming roar, filled with anger and complicated emotion, rang out like thunder. Even from a distance, Jiraiya had locked onto the unmistakable figure and shouted his name.
Orochimaru's expression darkened ever so slightly, clearly displeased at being greeted so "warmly" by an old comrade in such circumstances.
But he quickly resumed his usual cold, mocking composure.
Turning to Karin, he said,
"Karin, I believe we've collected sufficient data from these 'tools.' What do you think?"
Karin was still looking at the fanatical experimental subjects with open disdain. Without hesitation—like discarding trash—she replied,
"Then let them die."
With that casual command, the remaining fanatical believers let out one final frenzied roar. Wearing expressions of martyr-like madness, they abandoned all tactics and formation, charging like moths into a flame toward the densest concentration of Konoha shinobi.
"Engage the enemy!" Tsunade ordered coolly, unsurprised by the scene.
She issued rapid commands:
"Kakashi, Asuma, Guy! Lead all available chūnin—intercept and eliminate these fanatics! Be cautious—their condition is abnormal. They don't fear death. Don't let yourselves get entangled!"
"Yes!" Kakashi and the others responded in unison.
In an instant, they led Konoha's elite chūnin forward like unsheathed blades, meeting the tidal wave of zealots head-on.
Flashes of ninjutsu, the clash of weapons, frenzied howls and composed battle cries intertwined as the battlefield erupted into chaos.
Meanwhile, Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Hiruzen Sarutobi paid no attention to the chaos at the flanks. Their objective was crystal clear—
Like three streaks tearing through the air, they charged straight toward Orochimaru and Karin.
Tsunade's gaze was sharp as a blade, fixed from beginning to end on Karin's small yet ominous figure.
This red-haired child—called a "demonic prodigy" by the mysterious heavenly display, the architect of the Grass Village massacre, now stirring chaos alongside Orochimaru—was the true priority target in her mind. A threat that might rival Orochimaru himself.
"Karin… and Orochimaru…" Tsunade's amber eyes glinted coldly. "Your farce ends here."
"Farce?!"
Karin's eyes widened instantly, her small face flushing red with fury.
In her mind, she was carrying out the great mission of purifying the world for the Demon God and expanding the ranks of believers.
And now this "old hag" dared to dismiss it as a farce?
This was an unforgivable insult to her faith—and to her power.
"I'm going to kill you!"
Karin was furious, her killing intent almost tangible. She felt Tsunade was looking down on her completely.
Tsunade, meanwhile, was momentarily stunned by Karin's explosive reaction. She simply could not comprehend the "demonic child's" logic—or what had triggered such rage.
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