Chapter 64: I Will Succeed the Hokage

"A worthless transformation technique?" Orochimaru scoffed under his breath as he fled. "Heh… Manda, then die here."

For Manda to dismiss the Yamata no Jutsu as a mere subpar transformation was nothing short of an insult. Not that Orochimaru cared, Neji would be the one to finish off Manda, and whatever became of the serpent had nothing to do with him. Even the White Snake Sage wouldn't complain.

Orochimaru's eyes gleamed darkly. The Yamata no Jutsu was his proudest creation, inspired by forbidden techniques hidden deep within Konoha. By channeling the power of the white snake, he had transformed into the legendary eight-headed, eight-tailed serpent nearly invincible, with overwhelming regeneration and vitality. Unless all eight heads were destroyed at once, the Yamata no Orochi could not be killed. Even Orochimaru himself found it difficult to pinpoint its weakness. If anything, the only drawback was its extreme chakra consumption.

Sure enough, as Manda pounced and bit at the massive white serpent, the damage he inflicted was like a stone thrown into the sea barely a ripple.

Crunch!

With a violent twist, Manda managed to tear off one of the white serpent's heads, only to watch, aghast, as it regenerated immediately slimy fluids oozing as the flesh reformed.

"Damn it!" Manda growled, eyes burning with rage.

Neji ignored him entirely, turning away. To him, Manda's attacks were nothing more than an itch. Based on everything he'd seen, Orochimaru didn't particularly care about Manda either. Neji wasn't about to help the Sannin out by finishing off his disobedient summon.

Why not let them turn on each other?

Besides, his chakra reserves were being rapidly drained. A shinobi, no matter how powerful, must always keep their chakra within a safe range.

Surprisingly, as Neji moved to leave, Manda didn't curse him. Though furious, the serpent wasn't stupid. He understood that Neji was beyond him now and with Katsuyu nearby, glaring with hostility, it wasn't worth the risk. Orochimaru could die for all he cared. He only had one life, and survival came before pride.

But just then, Neji noticed something.

Orochimaru was being chased by Tsunade, while Kabuto was frozen in place under Katsuyu's watchful gaze. That won't do, Neji thought. Orochimaru still had value he couldn't afford to let the man fall here.

Orochimaru was a master at slipping away, but Neji wasn't about to bet on that. He acted instantly.

Eight tails lashed out with thunderous speed. The force of the strike rippled through the air with a low hum, and before Manda could react, the blow landed squarely, slicing his massive body in half. Blood splattered in all directions.

Manda let out a pained screech, cursing Neji in his mind. "Humans are so damn treacherous!" he snarled. "We agreed not to fight anymore, and you hit me from behind?!"

His upper half crashed to the ground, while his lower body was flung through the air right between Tsunade and Orochimaru.

"What is that?" Tsunade blinked.

"Manda's tail!" Orochimaru's eyes flickered. He glanced back at Neji, then sank into the ground, vanishing with Earth Release.

"Neji… let's hope we don't become enemies."

"Lord Orochimaru!" Kabuto cried out. But when he saw Orochimaru vanish, he bolted, running for his life. Tsunade and Katsuyu stood their ground, their gazes locked on Neji.

Neji felt a little uncomfortable under their dual stares. He laughed awkwardly. "Let's take care of the big snake first."

"Manda… it's time to end this," Neji murmured.

As the Yamata no Orochi loomed closer, Manda struggled to coil his broken body together. His eyes darted nervously. Finally, he screamed, "You damn brat! I won't let you off! I swear, I'll kill you!"

Then, right in front of everyone, Manda vanished into a puff of white smoke.

Neji stared, dumbfounded. He hadn't expected that.

"All bark, no bite," he muttered. "So, Manda's a coward after all."

He had thought Manda was preparing to fight back, but instead, the snake had used a reverse summoning to retreat to Ryūchi Cave. And Neji couldn't follow he didn't even know where Ryūchi Cave was.

Reverse summoning made it hard for summoning beasts to die in battle. Manda had simply been unlucky before, caught under Genjutsu by his own contractor.

"Neji," Tsunade called.

Neji sighed. He knew what was coming. He had been too obvious earlier. Of course Tsunade would suspect something.

After dispelling the Yamata no Jutsu, Neji approached, keeping a respectful distance between them a distance that felt safe for both.

"Lady Tsunade…"

"Shizune, stay back!" Tsunade barked as her assistant arrived.

"But Lady Tsunade, Neji is one of our own, isn't he? Why are you being so cautious?" Shizune asked, confused.

"Neji," Tsunade said, her eyes narrowed. "Why?"

She didn't need to elaborate. It was clear she meant: Why did you let Orochimaru go?

"I have my own plans," Neji replied calmly.

"Plans? What kind of plan requires you to let a threat like Orochimaru escape?" Tsunade shouted. "You know how dangerous he is to the village!"

She couldn't comprehend his actions. If she didn't believe Neji still had good intentions toward Konoha, she might have attacked him then and there.

Neji had no words. Honestly, if someone had spared the man who destroyed his own home, he'd be furious too.

But he couldn't tell anyone about the system not even someone he trusted. That was his greatest secret, his foundation in this world.

Tsunade, ever hot-tempered, quickly calmed herself. The Elders hadn't chosen her as Hokage just for her bloodline her judgment and reasoning were just as critical.

"I don't care what plans you have. If you ever try to harm Konoha, I won't sit by and let it happen," Tsunade said firmly. "This village is my home."

Neji nodded. "I understand."

"No. You don't understand anything." Tsunade turned her back. "Shizune, we're heading back to Konoha. I'm taking up the mantle of Fifth Hokage."