"Hah, as expected… Orochimaru, you're still as annoying as ever. You haven't changed a bit since we were kids." Jiraiya closed his eyes and scratched his head. "But I'm not the same person I used to be, you know. Taking you down won't be much burden for me.."
Before Jiraiya could finish his boast, Tsunade had already exploded into action.
"Let me handle this!" she roared, leaping into the air, her leg poised to come down like an executioner's axe.
Jirobo, already in his second state, immediately planted himself in front of Orochimaru. With the power of his cursed seal, he had absolute confidence in his own strength. However, the script he had imagined was torn to shreds in an instant.
"Get out of my way, you pathetic bug!" Tsunade roared, completely ignoring him.
CRUNCH!
Her heel connected with his crossed arms. There was a sickening crack as his bones shattered, his arms deforming under the immense force. The impact drove his entire lower body deep into the hard earth. A large mouthful of blood spurted from Jirobo's mouth.
"My… my arms!"
Before he could even register the pain, Tsunade followed through with a vicious side kick that snapped his neck with an audible crack. His head spun a full 360 degrees, and he died instantly, not even a final word escaping his lips.
Tsunade was truly enraged. Orochimaru, however, seemed completely unfazed by his subordinate's sudden death, a calm smile playing on his lips. "As expected of Princess Tsunade. You may be older, but your monstrous strength hasn't faded one bit."
Ignoring his flattery, Tsunade charged again, her fist raised.
"Tsk, that fatso Jirobo is so unreliable!" Tayuya, who was standing behind Kabuto, cursed. She pulled a flute from her sash as the curse mark on her shoulders spread rapidly, her skin turning a dark grey and sharp horns sprouting from her head.
"Demonic Flute: Phantom Sound Chains!"
The eerie melody of the flute washed over Tsunade. The world around her warped and twisted. The sky turned a sickening blood-red, and the ground was littered with shriveled human heads. Ethereal chains materialized, wrapping around her limbs, and as the flute's melody intensified, she felt her very flesh and spirit begin to corrode and rot.
"An illusion?" Tsunade scoffed internally. "You really think this is enough to stop me?!"
"Release!"
But before she could even form the seal to break the genjutsu, the world snapped back to reality. The haunting melody of the flute was gone. Tsunade looked up to see Jiraiya standing beside her, holding Tayuya's unconscious body by the collar, the flute now in his other hand.
"Don't worry, Tsunade. I've got her."
In a matter of seconds, Jirobo and Tayuya had been dispatched by Tsunade and Jiraiya. Kabuto Yakushi couldn't help but sigh. "Truly worthy of your title as two of the legendary Sannin. Orochimaru, what should we do now? Your arms…?"
"If we run now, we won't escape," Orochimaru replied. "We'll have to fight them for a while. It's up to you, Kabuto."
Hearing this, Kabuto gave a bitter smile. "You have a great deal of trust in me, Orochimaru. But how could I possibly win against two of the Sannin on my own?"
"Hehe…" Orochimaru's lips curled into a confident smirk. "It's alright. I know the weaknesses of each of them. As long as you use them properly, defeating them will not be difficult at all."
Kabuto's eyes widened slightly. "Oh?"