Chapter 139: Return
"It's begun!"
As the explosions erupted, dust billowed along Konoha's borders…
Orochimaru's Sound ninja forces had been lying in ambush there for three full days. During those three days, they had waited eagerly, unable to eat well or sleep properly… But now, it had finally come!
"Advance on Konoha!" With Konoha's chunin and jonin all dispatched to assist Takigakure, only a handful of genin remained in the village, and the defensive barrier had already been destroyed by the explosion.
Orochimaru bared his teeth in a sinister grin. This was the closest he had ever come to conquering Konoha!
"Orochimaru has invaded!"
Shizune's report made even Tsunade—who had been sitting calmly—spring to her feet. Even if Takigakure had gone to war with Konoha, she would not have lost composure like this. But Orochimaru… the former teammate she had once relied on…
"That damned Orochimaru! After killing the Third, you dare do this again? I will never forgive you!" Tsunade tore off her Hokage hat, clenched her fists, and stormed out the door…
Orochimaru had unwittingly taken the blame!
Meanwhile, thanks to Konoha's formidable intelligence network, Naruto and the others quickly received the news as well.
"Orochimaru!"
Naruto ground his teeth in fury. "You tricked Sasuke away, and now you've done this? I'll never forgive you!"
Orochimaru—once again—had taken the blame…
Of course, more importantly, Sasuke might also be by Orochimaru's side. If so, Naruto could bring Sasuke back to Konoha in the process—killing two birds with one stone! No one could hold him back now. Naruto and Sakura decisively rushed out of the ruins and headed toward the battlefield…
As for the truth behind Genno? Who cared what really happened? The explosion had already occurred—what could be changed now? What mattered was Sasuke. Whether it was vengeance or the mastermind behind the scenes, none of it outweighed a single finger of Sasuke's in Naruto's heart!
Shikamaru frowned. Though he wanted to stop them, he found himself unable to say anything. Once Naruto made up his mind, no one in this world could stop him.
Taking it all in, Li Jiexuan grinned lightly. "Sure enough, as long as you push things along with the inertia of the plot, the ending won't deviate too much!"
As long as Naruto heard the name Orochimaru or Sasuke, he would never remain indifferent. By exploiting the protagonist's personality, one could achieve their goal! Li Jiexuan gained a deeper understanding of the rules of this trial world…
Once Naruto left, Li Jiexuan headed straight for the Hokage's round office. After Tsunade departed, only Shizune and several Anbu guarding the Scroll of Sealing remained.
A few jonin-level opponents—troublesome, perhaps—but not an obstacle for Li Jiexuan!
"Sage Dragon Mode—Eight Gates: Gate of View, open!"
With Konoha's defenses hollowed out, Li Jiexuan acted without restraint. Surging chakra formed a terrifying pillar of smoke that shot straight into the sky.
"Whose chakra is that?"
Neji's eyes widened in shock. "That amount of chakra far exceeds a jonin!"
"What direction is it coming from?" A bad feeling crept into Shikamaru's heart.
"The Hokage's office!"
Under the Byakugan's sight, Li Jiexuan smashed half of the Hokage's office with a single punch, revealing the hidden chamber behind it. The Scroll of Sealing was enshrined securely within.
"Who are you?"
Several Anbu firmly blocked his path…
"You don't need to know." Li Jiexuan threw a fierce punch. "Eight Gates—Morning Peacock!"
The surging flames of his punches forced the Anbu back. Li Jiexuan seized the thick Scroll of Sealing, his heart surging with emotion.
Within this scroll were recorded all of Konoha's powerful ninjutsu accumulated over the years. Naruto had only learned the very first one, yet used it from the first episode to the last!
For all the time Li Jiexuan had spent here, none of his gains compared to this single scroll!
And yet…
It seemed almost too easy?
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
A gray-spotted snake suddenly burst from underground and bit down on the edge of the Scroll of Sealing!
"So it wasn't going to be that simple!" Li Jiexuan tightened his grip on the scroll. Did that little snake really think it could compete with him in strength? What arrogance!
However, Li Jiexuan had overlooked one thing. At its core, the Scroll of Sealing was nothing more than a scroll…
"Rip—"
Cloth tore apart. Under the opposing force, the entire Scroll of Sealing split cleanly into two halves.
Orochimaru held one half of the scroll, grinning coldly. "I knew you weren't acting out of kindness."
"If I said I was planning to take it and give it to you, would you believe me?" Li Jiexuan shook his head with a smile. "Looks like you wouldn't. Honestly, I wouldn't either."
Tsunade had followed right behind Orochimaru. It seemed there was no longer any chance of obtaining the complete Scroll of Sealing…
"In that case—Garaga, make your move!"
With a thought from Li Jiexuan, Garaga, who had remained atop the Hokage Rock, triggered the explosive tags. The entire Hokage Rock mountain range collapsed with a thunderous roar, massive boulders cascading toward Konoha like the sky itself was falling…
"You really are a madman!" Orochimaru's scalp tingled. He only wanted to destroy Konoha—he had never intended to erase it from the map entirely.
"Being called a madman by you doesn't feel great," Li Jiexuan sneered. "As for the remaining half of the Scroll of Sealing, I'll be taking it back."
"But for now…" Li Jiexuan turned to look at Naruto, who was charging toward them in his Nine-Tails form. "Let's say goodbye for the moment!"
"Mission complete. Return!"
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