Chapter 165:
Manda, the giant purple-striped snake with an overbearing personality, was infamous for his arrogance. Unlike the more cooperative summons of Jiraiya and Tsunade, Manda demanded respect and refused to bow down to anyone, even his own summoner.
This arrogance, however, was well-founded. Manda was massive, incredibly agile for his size, and boasted formidable attack power. He was widely recognized as one of the most powerful summons in the world of ninja beasts.
Before, when Orochimaru was still with Tsunade, he'd often thought about the differences between their summons. While Tsunade's and Jiraiya's were loyal and easy to work with, Manda was the exact opposite, a defiant creature who considered himself the master, unwilling to follow orders without compensation or a show of strength.
Orochimaru had long wanted to summon Manda to gauge his attitude firsthand. And if necessary, he'd put the arrogant snake in his place. But he hadn't been confident in his strength before, unsure if he could truly control Manda if things got out of hand. So, he had chosen not to summon him, opting for other, more compliant snakes.
But now, with his power at its peak, and with the battlefield looming ahead, he decided it was time to deal with Manda properly.
This was Orochimaru's first time summoning the legendary snake.
As Manda emerged in a swirl of smoke, he quickly spotted the boyish-looking man with his hands casually tucked in his pockets, a calm yet cold expression on his face.
"Who are you supposed to be? Another foolish contractor?" Manda's golden eyes narrowed, his tone dripping with disdain.
"My name is Orochimaru. I am your current summoner."