"A snake... it's a giant snake!"
"What's going on?! Is it an enemy attack?!"
When those several enormous Summoning Snakes appeared out of nowhere, coiling around the arena ceiling, the entire audience instantly plunged into extreme chaos.
People shrieked and jumped from their seats, pushing and screaming, trying to escape this place that had suddenly become dangerous. The Daimyo and nobles from various countries were also surrounded by their respective escort Ninja, hastily moving towards safe passages under protection.
Kakashi and Might Guy stood up with grave expressions. The worst had come true; the attack had indeed erupted during the Chunin Exams.
Just as the two were preparing to confront the rampaging giant snakes, the Otogakure Ninja hidden among the audience also shed their disguises! Several Ninja, dressed in heavily covered attire and wearing Otogakure headbands, leaped out, intercepting Kakashi, Might Guy, and many other Konoha Ninja.
"Now, you're not going anywhere," the lead Otogakure Ninja said with a cold voice. "We can't let you... interfere with that person's plan."
"Otogakure, are you really trying to start a war?" Kakashi's eyes were as sharp as knives. "Get out of my way!"
Both sides instantly drew their kunai, and Might Guy assumed his Strong Fist stance; battle was imminent. At this critical moment, a person dressed as an Anbu seemed to sense something, raising a hand to stop their comrades who were about to act.
"Bang!"
"Hiss—!"
A heavy thud and the giant snake's painful hiss suddenly came from above everyone's heads! Everyone looked up in unison.
They saw a small but swift figure, already leaping into mid-air, delivering a clean and powerful punch squarely on the jaw of one of the giant snakes! That massive snake head was actually forced to rear back by this seemingly tiny strike, letting out a pained roar!
The figure did not stop, taking advantage of the snake head's backward lurch to instantly appear directly above it, body deftly flipping in the air, using the downward momentum to continuously strike the same spot on the snake's head with elbows and knees like a barrage of raindrops!
"Lion Combo!"
Satsuki's clear voice rang out. She used a Taijutsu technique she had learned from Might Guy and modified, fluidly defeating this giant snake! The enormous snake body slumped down, lifeless.
She landed lightly on the railing at the top of the stands, her black hair gently fluttering in the wind. Earlier, she had been hiding alone in a secluded spot, cheering for Naruto. The sudden attack had disrupted everything. Although she didn't know the exact situation, upon seeing the Konoha Ninja intercepted, she didn't hesitate to step forward.
The other giant snakes seemed enraged by their companion's instant defeat. They simultaneously turned their ferocious heads, opened their gaping mouths, and let out deafening hisses, pouncing on Satsuki from different directions!
Facing this terrifying encirclement, Satsuki merely closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her dark pupils had turned crimson, exuding an eerie and powerful Sharingan power.
"Be immersed in the Genjutsu of the Sharingan."
The eye power spread out like invisible ripples, precisely invading the optic nerves of each giant snake.
"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"
Several heavy thuds followed in quick succession. All the giant snakes pouncing on her seemed to have their souls instantly drawn out at the same time. Their massive bodies stiffened and halted, then, like marionettes with cut strings, they all plummeted from above, crashing heavily onto the arena or stands, kicking up clouds of dust, unable to move again.
On the other side, on the rooftop, the situation was already tense.
"Ninja Art: Four Violet Flames Battle Array!"
The Otogakure Sound Four, who had been disguised and lurking in the shadows, instantly appeared. The four stood in four directions, simultaneously forming hand signs. Just as Orochimaru, holding the Third Hokage captive, leaped onto the rooftop, a sturdy purple barrier suddenly rose, completely isolating the inside from the outside.
"Orochimaru..." The Third Hokage's voice was low, with a kunai held against his vital point. "Since the Kazekage has been you in disguise all this time, then where is the real Kazekage now?"
Orochimaru's tone was full of mockery and playfulness. "What's wrong, Sarutobi-sensei? Do you think the Kazekage was coerced by me? No, we reached a wonderful consensus. He is currently... serving an important 'purpose' elsewhere. You should worry about your own situation first."
— — — — — —
Inside the arena below, Kankuro, Temari, and Baki watched the plan unfold as scheduled, but their hearts sank. Their gaze focused on the center of the arena—Gaara maintained his terrifying half-Tailed Beast transformation but lay weakly on the ground due to severe injuries, clearly unable to proceed with a full Tailed Beast transformation as planned.
In this attack, the destructive power of One-Tails Shukaku was Sunagakure's indispensable trump card! They had to immediately remove Gaara from the scene and try to awaken Shukaku after his injuries recovered!
Naruto scanned the chaotic arena. This anticipated invasion had begun... So, he would act according to his contingency plan.
With a thought, his figure instantly blurred—Flying Thunder God Technique!
The next moment, he appeared beside Gaara. Under the terrified gazes of the three Sunagakure Ninja, Naruto placed his hand steadily on Gaara's mutated shoulder.
"Swish!"
Accompanied by the soft sound of spatial fluctuation, the two instantly vanished from their original spot!
"Gaara!?" Temari's surprised cry was left behind.
When he had just performed "Flying Thunder God Stage Two"—or rather, the Flowing Light Instant Shadow · Double Kill Instantaneous Flash Stage Two Spatial Leap Zero Style—he had left a Flying Thunder God seal on Gaara. Now, this seal served as the teleportation coordinate.
After a brief spatiotemporal shift, Naruto and the semi-conscious Gaara appeared in a secluded clearing in the forest outside Konoha Village. It was here that they would completely resolve the issue of One-Tails Shukaku.
However, Naruto's gaze was immediately drawn to the distant sight: a gigantic three-headed Summoning Snake, comparable in size to a small mountain, was letting out a sky-shaking roar, fiercely attacking towards Konoha Village!
Although Konoha had indeed left him with many unpleasant childhood memories, now, in this Village... it held too many people he cared about, and who cared about him. If he had the power but chose to stand by, he would never forgive himself.
Naruto suddenly felt that he might indeed be a bit naive. He had believed that taking a life might require sufficient reason, but extending a helping hand, to protect something... often required no complex excuses.
"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"
He quickly formed hand signs, and with bursts of white smoke, hundreds of Naruto's Shadow Clones instantly appeared in the forest clearing. They did not hesitate, simultaneously channeling Chakra—
"Flying Thunder God Technique!"
Hundreds of figures transformed into golden flashes at the same instant, using the Flying Thunder God markers scattered throughout Konoha, fearlessly throwing themselves back into the Village that was already engulfed in war.
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