Only I can make Konoha Village great again.

The Root ninjas are essentially brainwashed to the point of losing their sense of self, becoming like soulless puppets.

This is the culmination of Danzo Shimura's philosophy that "ninjas are tools," and it is also his proudest achievement.

Danzo had always been deeply proud of the Root ninjas' unwavering obedience to him.

But now, even though he didn't give the order, the Root ninjas are charging towards Orochimaru on their own.

Their movements were swift and precise, their attacks ruthless and deadly, while simultaneously avoiding the water-style attack routes of the rogue Kirigakure ninja.

Clearly, both sides had agreed upon and practiced their coordinated tactics before the ambush.

A fierce battle broke out, with shouts of battle, the clash of weapons, the explosions of ninjutsu, and the rushing water all mingling together and echoing through the dense forest.

The blood quickly stained the ground red, and the air was filled with a strong smell of blood.

Although the scale of the battle was not large, its intensity was astonishing, and it was exceptionally brutal.

However, the price Orochimaru paid was all the snakes from Ryuchi Cave, while the Hidden Mist Ninja paid with countless lives.

To Danzo Shimura's surprise, his Root ninja suffered very few losses.

He couldn't help but feel deeply puzzled: This shouldn't be the case.

Yes, Orochimaru's bodyguards were all elite Konoha ninjas with formidable strength, but they were facing a three-way attack from Kirigakure, Akatsuki, and Konoha Root.

With an absolute numerical disadvantage, coupled with the fact that the rogue ninja from Kirigakure took advantage of the lake's geographical location, making their water-style ninjutsu twice as powerful, it seemed like a crushing defeat.

Moreover, Orochimaru's side was at a disadvantage on the field, so why did the outcome turn out the other way around?

Orochimaru calmly used his summoning technique to summon more and more Ryuchi Cave serpents to the battlefield, building an increasingly solid line of flesh and blood defense.

His bodyguard ninjas moved back and forth along the defensive line, patching up the gaps left by the ignorant Orochi and killing any who managed to slip through the defenses.

Kisame Hoshigaki unleashed his chakra once more, continuously using Water Release: Great Exploding Water Wave, creating wave after wave that completely submerged the dense forest, transforming its terrain into a sea.

Many small snakes were swept away by the waves and disappeared without a trace.

Without the support of land, the giant serpent of Ryuchi Cave could not maintain a defensive line.

"That's interesting."

Orochimaru's lips curled into a smile, and excitement flashed in his golden vertical pupils: "You have a lot of chakra, almost comparable to a humanoid tailed beast, but if you want to take my life, Orochimaru, this power is not enough."

Kisame Hoshigaki sneered, "Being stubborn won't change your fate."

Danzo shouted sternly, "Everyone, attack with all your might!"

"Don't give Orochimaru a chance to catch his breath!"

Ignoring the issue of the Root ninjas going out of control, he slammed his cane heavily onto the water's surface and personally launched an attack, forming hand seals: "Wind Release: Vacuum Ball!"

He also issued the order: "Root ninjas, use forbidden techniques! Kill Orochimaru at all costs!"

"Kirigakure ninja, use your full strength to restrain Orochimaru!"

Kisame Hoshigaki sneered, "You, the rat leader of Konoha, have no right to order me around!"

But despite his words, his hands moved swiftly, immediately forming hand seals to unleash a ninjutsu: "Water Release: Whirlpool Trap!"

The already turbulent sea surface suddenly became riddled with whirlpools, and the underwater world was filled with hidden currents, making it impossible to move an inch.

As Danzo gave the order, the Root ninjas stopped attacking, stood still, and quickly formed hand seals, their bodies radiating a dense and dangerous chakra fluctuation.

Chakra condensed on the surface of the Root ninja's body, forming a black, viscous liquid.

As the eerie scent spread, the Root ninjas' lives began to burn, their strength exploded, their eyes turned bloodshot, and their speed and power increased dramatically.

They charged toward Orochimaru like madmen.

Upon witnessing this scene, the Hidden Mist ninjas exchanged glances and unleashed their strongest ninjutsu, launching an attack on Orochimaru.

Kisame Hoshigaki's chakra erupted once more, and countless seawater spewed from his mouth, merging with the surrounding rivers and lakes to form a giant waterspout that trapped Orochimaru within.

Orochimaru, however, remained calm and instead summoned his guard ninjas to his side. With his hands behind his back, he smiled as he watched the attacks from the rogue Kirigakure ninjas and Root ninjas approach.

Shimura Danzo was startled, his blustering nature kicking in, and he immediately stopped his ninjutsu and quietly retreated.

Kisame Hoshigaki also noticed the anomaly, but he couldn't find the problem no matter what he did, so he could only grit his teeth and continue.

As a ninja of the most traditional kind, he couldn't just watch victory slip through his fingers.

Just then, the Root ninjas suddenly turned around and unleashed their strongest killing moves at the unsuspecting Kirigakure ninjas.

Caught off guard, almost all the rogue ninja from Kirigakure were hit, their flesh torn to pieces, resulting in heavy casualties.

A powerful rogue ninja from Kirigakure launched a fierce counterattack the moment he was hit, only to be met with an even more ferocious, mutually destructive attack from the Root ninja, resulting in his death in exchange for the ninja's life.

In just a moment, less than thirty of the thousand rogue ninja from Kirigakure died, and almost all of them were seriously injured.

Most of the Root ninja survived and stood by Orochimaru's side.

Meanwhile, Yamanaka Hatsukyu, leading eight hundred Konoha ninja, came from afar, wading across the water, and surrounded the Kirigakure rogue ninja and Shimura Danzo.

The numbers and strength of the two sides were instantly reversed.

The outcome will naturally reverse.

Orochimaru laughed: "Hehehe, my good student, you've controlled the Root ninja for a little longer than you expected."

Yamanaka Chuku replied with a smile, "It's alright, Orochimaru-sensei, you have to believe that everything is under my control."

Orochimaru laughed loudly: "Yes, not a single one of us died, so we're completely under your control."

Danzo Shimura went mad: "Orochimaru, Hajime Yamanaka, what have you done? Why are the Root ninjas disobeying my orders?"

"Give me back my ninjas!"

Kisame Hoshigaki stopped his attack, gathered his chakra, and began searching for a retreat route, his feet already silently submerged in the water.

Suddenly, Orochimaru looked over. His golden vertical pupils seemed to possess a mysterious magic, and one glance sent chills down Kisame's spine, as if he were being targeted by his natural enemy.

But Kisame Hoshigaki remained unfazed: "Even if you are a giant serpent, I am an even more ferocious sea shark. It's not certain who will eat whom."

As he spoke, he suddenly formed a hand seal, transforming into a half-human, half-fish form. The gill patterns on his gills truly became giant gills. He plunged into the seawater, transforming into countless translucent seawater sharks, which fled in different directions.

Neither Orochimaru nor Hatsukyu Yamanaka had any intention of pursuing Kisame Hoshigaki.

They stared intently at Shimura Danzo, their killing intent so intense it almost materialized.

Danzo's face turned ashen, his eyes blazing with fury: "Orochimaru! Yamanaka Hatsukyu! How dare you try to kill me?"

Orochimaru and Yamanaka Hatsuyu exchanged a glance, then said simultaneously, "Isn't it obvious?"