"Let's get the scroll from them."
Naruto cracks his knuckles as he gets ready to engage the Suna Ninja.
"Wait, a sec." Sasuke stops him.
"Being a ninja is not just about using jutsu and fight the enemies. The true essence of a ninja lies in being hidden and catching enemies off-guard for a surprise attack."
"WOW!… That's Sasuke-kun for you." Sakura praises Sasuke.
"Naruto… hold your horses for a while. Let's test the abilities of enemies before attacking them. Never ever underestimate your opponents." He warns Naruto.
Gulp…
Naruto gulps his saliva.
"I will keep that in mind." He nods his head.
"With that in mind, let's chase this band of Suna Ninja. Once they are distracted by their fight with another team; we will use that opportunity to take the scroll from them." Sasuke formulates a plan.
"But that's dirty, and it's not fair," Naruto complains.
"Listen Naruto, life is not fair. Only the fittest or the most prepared individual can survive in this cruel world. If you have a heads up above your enemy, then use it to your advantage. The enemy won't care about honor and fairness when he comes for your life. "Sasuke advises Naruto.
"Hey! You sound like Izuna Nii-san." Naruto turns away.
"Fine, I will follow your plan. You are the leader when it comes to planning. Tch…" He admits to Sasuke's plan.
"Very well, then let's follow them."
Whoosh…
Sasuke follows after the Suna group.
Whoosh… whoosh…
Naruto and Sakura chase after him.
On top of a nearby tree,
Mm…
Shisui nods his head.
'They have grown well. The shinobi world isn't a playground. One mistake and you will loose your life forever.'
Whoosh…
He disappears from the tree.
"Maintain a distance of fifty meters from them. According to my observations, that's the maximum range up to which their sensor ninja can detect the enemy's presence." Sasuke inspects the Suna ninja with his Sharingan.
Team 7 continues to chase after the Suna Ninjas.
After an hour,
"Leader… two teams are fighting up ahead."
The hidden sensor Ninja of the Suna informs his teammates.
"Let's take a look. We will ambush them when the winning team is about to get the scrolls.
The Suna Ninja with the giant fan remarks.
"Yes… Leader." His teammates agree with them.
Boom… Boom…
They hear multiple explosions going off in the distance.
Whoosh… whoosh…
The Suna group hides in a nearby bush as they stare at the confrontation between the two enemy teams.
Team 7 stops at a safe distance from the Suna group.
"What's the matter?" Naruto asks Sasuke.
"Sharingan"
Sasuke activates his Sharingan and inspects the distance ahead.
"There is an ongoing fight up head. Two teams are engaged in combat. Hmm… from the looks of it; one of the team is from Kusagakure and the other team is from Kirigakure."
Sasuke observes the field.
"Looks like these Suna fellows are following the same plan as us." Naruto remarks as he stares at the back of Suna Ninjas.
"Of course, they would. Who would want to interrupt the fight between two teams? What if those team turns hostile towards their intruder and teams up against them and deal with them and later decide the winner among themselves?" Sakura shakes her head.
"It is as Sakura said, no team will take the risk to fight two teams simultaneously unless you are confident of your abilities or you have one or two screws loose in your forehead." Sasuke remarks as he hides.
"We will follow the plan." He deactivates his Sharingan to preserve chakra.
"Got it." Naruto and Sakura nod their head.
'It all boils down to patience.' Shisui stares at them as he signals to a group of chunnins.
"Leave this area to me. I am on a secret mission and can't disclose the details to you." He sends the chunnins away.
"Yes, Sir." The chunnin flickers away.
'Well, Naruto isn't particularly patient, so I wonder how will it turn out.'
Meanwhile,
At a few hundred meters in front of the group,
Clang… clang…
One of the Kiri shinobi throws multiple shurikens towards the Kusagakure ninja.
"Leave them to me."
A Kusa ninja with a pair of sunglasses and a giant flag jumps in front of the group.
Swirl…
He rotates his flag and slams it on the ground.
"Wind Release: Flag Wind Wall"
He creates a wind wall using his flag. The wind wall blocks the kunais.
Tch…
The Kiri genin clicks his tongue and makes some hand signs.
"Water Style: Water Bullet"
He fires a water bullet at the flag genin of Kusa.
Swirl…
The flag ninja waves his flag.
"Wind Release: Flag Current"
He swings the flag and generates a wind current and manipulate that current to slice through the water bullet.
Drip… drip…
Water drips down on the ground as he shakes his flag to wipe off the water.
Rumble… Rumble…
The ground beneath the partner of Kiri shinobi trembles as another Kusa ninja with a pair of tekkō Kagi jumps out of the ground.
'Earth Release: Hiding like a Mole Technique'
Slash…
He slashes the pair of claw hooks at the ninja.
Clang…
Another ninja with tufty blue hair and dark eyes blocks the claws with a sword wrapped in bandages.
"Thank you, Chojuro."
The Kiri ninja thanks his teammate.
"It's fine, Renzo." Chojuro nods his head as he blocks another attack from the Kusa Ninja.
"Where is their third member?" Chojuro warily looks around.
Whoosh…
He hears the sound of a wind current and raises his head. A giant butt appears in his vision.
"Above us! Dodge!"
Chojuro warns his teammates as he pushes away the Kusa ninja and makes some distance.
Bang…
A giant person slams on the ground and creates a small crater in the shape of a peach.
'Body Alteration Jutsu'
The Kusa ninja shrinks his body as he helplessly stares at his teammates.
"I missed."
He takes out a large bottle of green fluid from his pocket and chugs it down.
"Oye fatty! Be more useful next time. The Kusa ninja with claw hooks reunites with his teammates. You had one job to launch a surprise attack, and you failed it."
Burp…
The fat Kusa ninja burps loudly and throws away the bottle.
"I won't miss this time."
He turns towards Chojuro's group and points his butt towards them.
"Secret Technique: Cloud of Reeking Gas"
He farts a green gas towards them.
"That's so gross." Naruto pinches his nose as he stares at the cloud of gas.
"Such a gross jutsu." Sakura turns her head away.
Whoosh… whoosh…
Chojuro and the rest of his teammates jump back and avoid the toxic gas.
Srr…
The toxic green gas decays the nearby plants as various tiny insects die from the poison.
"See it works." The Fat Kusa Ninja raises his head proudly.
"Good work, now leave the rest to me." The Kusa ninja with the flag and sunglasses waves his flag.
"Wind Release: Flag Direction"
He directs the toxic gas towards the Kiri team.
"I will deal with it." The third member of Chojuro's party jumps in front of the toxic gas and makes some hand signs.
"Water Release: Bubble Entrapment"
He ejects a large water bubble from his mouth. The water bubble entraps the toxic green gas and contains it.
"Release"
He directs the bubble away from them.
Whoosh…
The water bubble flies towards the bush in which the Suna ninjas are hiding.
"This son of a…"
The Suna team captain curses as he holds his fan and waves it to generate a wind current to redirect the bubble.
"This mothefu…"
Naruto curses as the bubble travels in his direction.
"Wind Release: Gale Current"
Naruto exhales a large amount of air from his mouth to send the bubble away from them.
Sigh…
Sakura sighs in relief.
"I just shampooed today."
"…"
Sasuke and Naruto silently stare at Sakura.
"What the…?"
Shisui avoids the toxic gas as the bubble pops near him.
"My life almost flashed before me. Such gross smell."
"You missed boss." The fat Kusa ninja laughs at his team leader.
"Shut up fatty or I will seize your food." The flag Kusa ninja threatens fatty.
"Ok." Fatty meekly nods his head.
"It's time to end this farce and get their scroll."
The Claw hook Kusa ninja makes some hand signs and slams his palm on the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu: Chikyūmaru"
Poof…
White smoke appears in front of the group as a giant mole with long white claws, brown fur, and a spiked tail appears before them. The giant mole wears white underpants and a green scarf around its neck. The scarf has a giant orange pouch in it.
Squeal…
The mole makes some guttural noises as it grits its teeth.
Rumble… rumble…
It digs its claws into the earth and enters the ground.
"Get ready! He can attack any moment."
Chojuro holds his sword as he confronts the Kusa group.
Odour Concealing Bubbles"
The Fat Kusa Ninja rapidly spins his body and launches multiple green bubbles filled with his slimy sweat.
Chojuro turns towards his teammates.
"Renzo takes care of this fat guy while I will fight with that flag guy and Senzo will take care of this mole guy."
Chojuro instructs his team.
Chojuro draws his sword and points it towards the flag Ninja.
"Let's fight."
"This was what I was waiting for. Oryaa…" The Flag adjusts his sunglasses and spins his flag.
"Wind Release: Flag Hurricane"
He creates a long vortex of air which expands into a cylinder and traps Chojuro.
"Not so fast."
The bandages around the blade untie themselves as the blade glows with a brilliant blue light.
"Hiramekarei: Long sword form"
Chojuro infuses a large amount of chakra in the blade and creates a long semi-circular blade.
Slash…
The blade tears through the vortex and dispels it.
"Eat this."
He swings the blade towards the flag Ninja.
Bang…
The Kusa Ninja blocks the attack with his flag but is launched in the air. He slams into a nearby tree and passes out.
Huff… huff…
Chojuro breathes heavily as his knee caves on the ground.
"That took most of my chakra. Huff…"
Rumble… Rumble…
The ground beneath Chojuro rumbles as the mole summons slips out of the ground.
Slash…
It slashes its claw at Chojuro.
"Boring."
A calm voice interrupts them as the Suna Ninja walks out of their hideout.
The leader of the Suna group slams his giant folding fan on the ground as he confronts them. He smirks at them as he lifts his fan.
"Wind Release: Great Sickle Weasel Technique"
He creates many wind currents which collides with each other and creates multiple vacuum pockets.
Slash… slash…
The wind current chops nearby trees into multiple logs as it continues to travel towards the Kiri and the Kusa Group.
"Chikyūmaru block the attack."
The Kusa Ninja orders his summons.
Squeal…
The giant mole squeals as its claws shine brightly. It jumps in front of the wind current and attacks them.
Crack… crack…
The wind current collides with the claws and cracks them.
Slash… slash…
The vacuum pockets dice the summon as pieces of its flesh flies around.
Splatter…
Its blood splatters the ground and dyes it red. Chojuro places his sword in front of him and blocks the wind blades.
"NOOOOO!…. Chikyūmaru!" The Kusa Ninja stares at the ground in horror as the flesh of his summon flies around.
"NOOOO!…" He cries in agony as he picks up a kunai and mindlessly dashes towards the Suna ninja.
Slam…
The Suna Ninja slaps him away with his fan.
Bang…
The Kusa Ninja slams into a nearby tree and passes out.
"Such pieces of trash. If I had known this earlier, then I won't even have to waste my time waiting for them to finish fighting."
He lazily walks towards the Kusa Flag guy and searches through his belongings.
"Oh! Found it. It is an earth scroll." He slams his fan in excitement.
The Suna Ninja turns towards Chojuro and his group.
"You Kiri trash… hand over your scroll and I might allow you to leave intact."
"Here… take it." Chojuro takes a black scroll from his pocket and throws it at the Suna Ninja.
"Another Earth Scroll. This is hilarious. These bunch of fools were fighting for nothing. Haha…" He laughs maniacally as he pitifully stares at the Kiri group.
"Now get lost from my sight or else I might change my mind."
Chojuro weakly stands and supports his teammates as he walks away from the place.
"Leader, are you going to let them leave this easily?" Hoshio asks him.
"No… I hate these Kiri shinobis to the very core. They plotted against my elder Sister Pakura and killed her. I won't forgive them this easily."
He lifts his giant fan and points it towards the retreating Kiri group.
"Wind Style: Beheading Vacuum Winds"
He infuses a large amount of chakra in his fan and prepares to swing it at the Kiri group.
"Eat this. Rasengan."
Naruto jumps out from behind a bush as he attacks Pakura's brother with a Rasengan.
"What the…"
The expression of Hoshio changes as he stares at Naruto.
Swish…
Pakura's brother hurriedly turns around and swings his fan at Naruto.
Swoosh…
He creates a large narrow blade of wind that travels towards Naruto.
BOOM…
Rasengan and the wind blade collides with each other.
Tch…
Naruto clicks his tongue as he sub-consciously infuses a small amount of wind chakra in his Rasengan.
Swirl…
The Rasengan rotates slightly and dispels the wind current.
"What?" His eyes widen as Naruto closes the distance.
Bang…
He blocks the Rasengan with his fan.
Whoosh…
Naruto releases the Rasengan as it expands quickly and creates a small wind pressure.
Bang…
The wind pressure knocks away the fan and sends Pakura's brother flying together with it.
BOOM…
He slams into a nearby tree and skids down.
"KAITO!!"
Hoshio and the other hidden Suna ninja shout his name.
Sasuke and Sakura regroup with Naruto.
Ptui…
Kaito spits out some blood and slowly stands up.
Bam…
He slams his fan on the ground and faces Naruto and the group.
"KAITO!" The Suna group supports him.
"I am alright… Hoshio, Reo."
He angrily stares at Naruto and the group as he shouts.
"These bastards of Konoha have come to interfere."
Hoshio and Reo take out a kunai as they warily stare at the group.
"Listen! I don't know what's your problem. But what you did earlier wasn't right. It doesn't sit well with me." Naruto confronts Kaito.
"Humph… Who are you to judge my actions? Are you a chunnin or jounin instructor or are you the invigilator of this exam? If they don't have any problem with my actions, then who are you to talk shit here?"
Kaito lifts his fan and points it at Naruto.
"Uhh… who am I again?" Naruto scratches his forehead.
"…"
"Naruto!" Sasuke and Sakura facepalms.
"Uhuh… I am Naruto Uzumaki. The coolest and the most badass Ninja ever. You already got their scroll; I won't allow you to harm them anymore."
Naruto points a finger towards Kaito.
"Oh! Then let me see, how will you stop me?"
Kaito takes a stance as he infuses some chakra in his fan.
"Sasuke… I will take this guy." Naruto calls to Sasuke.
"Then I will fight these both." Sasuke confronts Hoshio and Reo.
He turns towards Sakura and orders her.
"Sakura hide somewhere and keep a watch out for chunnins, jounins, and any other team."
"Alright!" Sakura nods her head and jumps on top of a tree and hides.
"You will pay for your arrogance."
Hoshio and Reo dashes towards Sasuke as they attack him.
Clang… clang… clang… Bam…
Sasuke engages in a one vs two fight as he has the upper hand.
Haah…
Kaito takes a deep breath as he focuses on Naruto.
"I will end it swiftly."
He swings his giant fan towards Naruto.
"Wind Release: Wind Cutter Technique"
Kaito releases several small wind blades at Naruto.
Naruto stares at the incoming wind blades as he makes some hand signs.
"Wind Release: Gale Palm"
Naruto kneads some chakra in his palms and clasps them together to release a spiral current of wind which compresses and collides with wind blades and nullifies them.
"Oh! So, you are a wind user as well. But if you think you can beat a sand shinobi using wind techniques, then that would be the biggest mistake of your life."
Kaito lifts his fan and opens it wide and swings it towards Naruto.
"Wind Release: Great Task of the Dragon"
A gigantic tornado appears in front of Naruto as it tries to sweep him away.
Huff… huff…
Kaito breathes heavily as he stares at the tornado.
'I have used up lots of chakra performing so many chakra taxation jutsus.'
He takes out a chakra pill and eats it.
"This is not looking good." Naruto stares at the giant tornado closing on him.
He stretches his arm as blue chakra gathers in his palm.
Swirl…
The chakra rotates and creates a blue ball. Kaito stares at the jutsu.
'This is the same jutsu he used to block my attack earlier. It even knocked me back. Don't tell me he can use it multiple times?'
Kaito's expression turns ugly.
Boom…
Naruto throws his Rasengan at the tornado.
Swirl… Boom…
Rasengan collides with the tornado and creates a vortex of its own. The vortex rotates in the opposite direction from the flow of wind of the tornado and cancels it.
BOOM…
A giant crater appears in place of the jutsu.
Clang…
Kaito blocks Naruto's sneak attack with his fan as both of them engage in close combat.
"What's taking you so long?" Sasuke lazily rests against a tree as he stares at Naruto.
"Damnit Sasuke! This guy is a little tough. Just a little tough."
Bang…
Naruto delivers a roundhouse kick to Kaito and sends him flying.
Bang…
Kaito slams in a nearby tree and falls.
Augh…
He spits out some saliva as he angrily stares at Naruto.
"You bastard… I won't let this slide."
Kaito uses his fan to support himself.
"Here."
He takes out the Heaven and Earth scroll and throws them towards Naruto.
"You want this, right? You can have them."
Naruto catches the scrolls and throws them towards Sasuke. He grabs Kaito's collar and questions him.
"Why did you try to kill them? It is just an exam. Why would treat them like a dog and then let them escape only to attack their back even though you had the upper hand? Tell me why?"
Fwish…
Kaito swipes away Naruto's hand as he stares him in the eyes.
"Shut up, you fool. It's not your matter whether they live or die."
Kaito slowly stands up as he struggles to balance himself.
"No… it is my matter. How could you attack them from back?"
Naruto stops Kaito.
"I said SHUT THE FUCK UP," Kaito yells at Naruto.
He turns towards him.
"You don't understand the way of shinobi. The shinobi world is a place meant only for powerful people. The weak and feeble people have no right to share the same land as the strong ones. This chunnin exam is a test of the same. It tests your strength and survival skills. Weak people are nothing but fodder for the strong."
"WHY YOU?..."
Naruto clutches his fists tightly.
"Even so... You don't have any right to attack their back. You could easily finish them upfront; why would you attack their back?"
Naruto yells at Kaito.
"Shut up… you know nothing. These Kiri bastards backstabed my sister when she went to Kiri for the peace treaty. Back then I swore to myself, I will take revenge for her. I won't allow any Kiri shinobi who crosses my path to live anymore. I will bring justice to my sister."
He pushes away Naruto and walks away.
Crunch… crunch… crunch…
Kaito crushes gravel under his footsteps as he ignores Naruto.
"Why? Why would you do so? Doing such a thing won't bring your sister back. If your justice is exacting vengeance on Kiri, then your justice will only bring more vengeance. It will only create a never-ending cycle of hatred."
Crunch…
Kaito stops in his footsteps and remarks.
"You talk too much. Peace was never an option. It was those same preachers of the peace who killed my sister. Tell me, do you think they won't do the same to others? Tell me, what if someday one of your loved ones dies in the same exact manner; would you exact revenge for them?"
"I… I…" Naruto stutters as he is lost for an answer.
"You can't tell, right? So, stop bothering me… I will do whatever I see fit."
Kaito holds his teammates and ambles away.
"It's alright, Naruto." Sasuke pats Naruto's shoulder.
"But… but…" Naruto tries to argue.
'Naruto… this is the life of a shinobi. This is the harsh cold truth of the world.'
Shisui stares at Naruto as he remarks to himself.
'Nii-san told me that Naruto has plot armor. He will always pull through everything. I don't know what it means, but I trust Nii-san and I trust Naruto's capabilities. I have trained him for nothing. He will be fine.'
"Anyway… Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun. We got the scrolls."
Sakura inspects the scroll.
"Now what?" Naruto turns towards Sasuke.
"Now we would have to just reach the center of the Forest of Death and that's it." Sasuke enters deeper into the forest.
"Wait for me." Naruto and Sakura follow him.
Whoosh… Whoosh…
They move through the forest for an hour as a giant tower appears in their vision. There are several chunnins guarding the tower.
"We have made it there. It took us four hours to reach this place." Sasuke looks around.
"Now what? We somehow made it here." Naruto asks him.
This means we cleared the second stage. Let's return to the village." Sasuke nods his head.
"Hold up… I want to see what's in these scrolls." Naruto waves the scrolls at Sasuke.
"Go ahead. I am also curious to know what is written in these scrolls." Sasuke and Sakura curiously stare at scrolls.
Whoosh…
Naruto unfurls both of the scrolls and lays them on the ground.
Swoosh… swoosh…
A fuinjutsu seal appears in the scroll as the seal spreads on the scrolls.
Poof…
A white puff of smoke appears on top of the seal.
"A Summoning Formula."
Sasuke stares at the white smoke.
"What would it summon?" Naruto questions.
"Congratulations! You have passed the second stage of the chunnin exam."
The smoke disperses to reveal Kakashi.
"Huh!" Sasuke's, Naruto's and Sakura's eyes widen in surprise.
"Huh!"
Kakashi also stares at the group in disbelief.
"Huh!"
All four of them tilt their head in confusion.
"Oh shit! I almost forgot about that." Shisui stares at the group from a distance.
"You three?... what are you doing here?" Kakashi angrily questions them.
"This area is off-limits for genins, even chunnins need permission to enter this area. What are you bunch doing out here? With the chunnin exams summoning scrolls no less."
Kakashi taps his foot on the ground as he glares at the group.
"We… we…" The group is at a loss for words.
"I won't hear any excuses. Just give me an honest answer." Kakashi riles up his chakra to pressure the group.
"Kakashi Sensei… we were just training nearby." Naruto scratches his head and smiles.
"That terrible of an excuse won't work on me, Naruto. This is a serious affair. The chunnin exams are no joke. Several other nations are involved in this matter." Kakashi twists Naruto's ear.
Ouch… ouch…
"Sorry, Kakashi-Sensei. We were just bored with all the D-rank missions; there was nothing better to do. So, we just thought about taking a peek at the chunnin exam." Naruto discloses everything.
"Just a peek... you say, when you almost cleared the second stage. I will deal with you later. Also…"
Kakashi raises his head and stares at a tree.
"How long are you going to hide and watch this drama unfold? I have questions for you too."
Whoosh…
Shisui flickers in front of Kakashi and scratches his forehead.
"You found me out."
"Of course, I was the former leader of your Anbu team. I might have left the anbu, but the skills are still there?" Kakashi remarks.
"So… what's this all about? Why didn't you stop them? I want to hear the truth." Kakashi folds his hands.
"Well… it was Izuna Nii-san's plan. Earlier, he noticed Sasuke and the group snooping around the academy, eavesdropping on the location of the second phase of the chunnin exam. Nii-san figured out their intention and sent me to follow them. If these bunches were to behave recklessly and create some problem, I would have to step in to stop them." Shisui reveals everything.
"So… Nii-san found us out?" Sasuke hangs his head.
"Of course, he would. He is the best anbu member of all time. Also, he is a sensor Ninja; his perception is very high. Do you guys honestly thought you could go unnoticed from his eyes?" Kakashi rebukes them.
"All matter aside, I will still punish you for breaking the rules. You three would be grounded for the next month. No more missions for anyone of you." Kakashi harshly chides them.
"But… but… Kakashi sensei…" Naruto complains.
"No buts. Any more words and the duration would be extended."
"…"
Naruto immediately shuts his mouth.
"Shisui… lead them out of the Forest and inform Hokage-sama about this. The exam must continue."
"Yes." Shisui nods his head.
Poof…
Kakashi disappears in a puff of smoke.
"Shisui Nii-san!" Naruto stares at Shisui with puppy eyes.
"No…" Shisui drags Naruto away as Sasuke and Sakura follow him.
"Still… you guys did very well. I am impressed by your skills." Shisui praises them.
"Of course, we have trained hard under you and Izuna Nii-san. This little bit of exam is not a problem." Naruto smugly pinches his nose.
"Naruto… you might have the skills of a Ninja but you still don't have the mindset of one," Shisui instructs Naruto.
"The world is too vast and everyone has their ideals. It is good to guide people towards the correct path but don't try to enforce your ideals on others. Every person has their own path to choose from. All of us have to make choices at one point or another. What you did today may be correct from a moral viewpoint, but as a shinobi, it can turn into a weakness that your opponents might take advantage of?
Listen, Naruto… by sparing your enemies, you might save a life, but you are jeopardizing the safety of your friends and family. Today's situation might not be an ideal example, but it is still a lesson you need to learn as a shinobi."
Sasuke and Naruto listen silently as Naruto clutches his fists.
"But what he did today was not correct?"
"Yes… it might not be correct, but it is a fact that only strength rules over everything. Konoha is strong, and it is because of this factor that other nations fear us and hesitate to invade us despite our resources. There is no such thing as true peace."
Shisui and the group flicker through the Forest.
"If there is such a thing as true peace, then I will find it. Dattebyo!"
Naruto has a serious expression on his face as he clutches his fists with firm resolution.
A ray of sunlight seeps through the darkness of the Forest of Death and brightly shines on Naruto.
Shisui stares at Naruto with wide-eyes as a smile appears on his face.
'Naruto… Nii-san believes in you. I will also put my belief in you.'
Shisui shakes his head and speeds up.
"Let's go. We have yet to decide a punishment for you all.'
"…"
Amonth passed in the blink of an eye.
The dayofthe final phase of the chunnin exam neared in.
At the border of Landof Fire,
Rasa moves together with his subordinates. This is the place marked by Orochimaru.
Rasa patiently waits for Orochimaru's arrival.
"Kazekage-sama… is this your final decision?" Baki questions him.
"What needs to be done has to be done! Wehave no choice. This is the only way for Suna to survive." Rasa resolutely clenches his fists.
"Your wish is my order, Kazekage-sama." Baki nods his head.
"But we can't trust Orochimaru. He is a sly snake who can backstab us any moment." Baki warns him.
"I know. I have made necessary arrangements in case that happens." Rasa nods his head.
Rustle… rustle…
The sound of footsteps crushing gravel and sand falls in their ear.
Rasa and the group turn towards the sound and notice Orochimaru walking towards them.
Rustle… Rustle…
Orochimaru stops in front of Rasa.
"So… Lord Kazekage… are your preparationsready?"
"We are all set on our side. How are the preparations on your side?" Rasa nods his head.
"My spy has already infiltrated Konoha. With just a signal of mine; everything will be set in motion." Orochimaru licks his lips.
"I cannot enter Konoha without being detected, but that doesn't mean I won't lend a hand. Once the attack starts, I will deploy my summons to assist you in the battle. Till then, I will wait outside Konoha, ready for your signal."
"Very well… you can join my forces hidingoutside Konoha," Rasa explains to Orochimaru.
"Lord Kazekage, I am impressed by yourresourcefulness. Being able to spread falserumors and distract the border forces ofKonoha to sneakily traffic your own man.That's such an impressive feat."
Orochimaru curiously stares at Rasa.
"I just happen to know the right person who could do the job for me." Rasa shrugs hisshoulder.
"Very well… we will take our leave then."
Rasa nods his head and prepares to retreat.
"Oh! I almost forgot about it." Orochimaru stops Rasa.
Rasa turns around and stares in confusion.
Orochimaru points towards the cloaked figure.
"He is the person whom we talked about."
"Who?"
Rasa notices the man cloaked in black beside Orochimaru.
'Strange… I can't even feel his presence at all. It is almost like he isn't even here.'
He scrutinizes the cloaked figure. Rasa triesto peer through the figure to see his appearance, but fails to do so.
"It is a pleasure to meet you."
Rasa extends his hand towards the figure as he secretly uses his gold dust to coat his hand.
"Don't bother yourself with such childish tricks. I have made a deal with Orochimaru. I will help you deal with whoever you want."
The figure slaps Rasa's hand away, dispersing all the gold dust.
Rasa feels a numbing sensation in his hand as it gets paralyzed.
'What kind of jutsu is this?' His eyes widen in surprise.
"Lord Kazekage… he will act as your retainer and bodyguard to infiltrate Konoha. I hope you are fine with it." Orochimaru proposes a plan.
"Ah… yes… yes. There is no problem." Rasa shakes his head.
"Then… we will meet later."
Orochimaru turns around and leaves as he slowly disappears from their vision.
"Let's go," Rasa orders his subordinates.
"Yes… Kazekage-sama."
The group follows after him with the cloaked figure closely walking beside Rasa.
--
Outside Konoha,
Izuna is resting against the wall as he waits for Kazekage's arrival.
Shisui, Itachi, Guy, and Kakashi are standingbeside him.
"Are you guys ready for the contingency plan?" Izuna questions them.
"Yes, Leader… we are ready." All of them nods their head.
Sigh…
"You don't have to call me that in open. Your alternate identities are a secret."
Izuna shakes his head.
"Just address me how you usually would?"
"Nii-san… do you think that snake Orochimaru is still alive and will attack Konoha?" Itachi asks him.
"Yes, I do. That snake is like a cockroach. No matter how many times you crush him, he will just stand up and walk away like nobody's business." Izuna chuckles.
"Shisui, Itachi… both of you will engage with the anbu members of the Suna village and neutralize them as quickly as possible. You will later provide support to others."
Shisui and Itachi nod their head.
"Kakashi, Guy… you will take care of the jounins in the arena. Both of your skills are a cut above the rest of the jounins."
"I will show my YOUTH to those Suna bastards." Guy clutches his fist.
"…"
The group ignores him as Itachi raises a question.
"Nii-san, what about you? All of us are occupied with an enemy or other; who will you fight against?"
Shisui and Kakashi also curiously stare at him.
"Izuna is unarguably the strongest Ninja of our village. Even father, Jiraiya-san and Lord Third agree with it. So, who can possibly occupy Izuna and prevent him from dealing with the forces of Suna?" Kakashi states the fact.
"That's true. I am also curious to know who would be my opponent. Who can bank the confidence of Suna?" Izuna wonders.
'I have a person in my mind.'
The incident of Nine-tails freshens up in hismemory as the appearance of a purple figure comes into his mind.
'No… that guy is gone for good. It can't be him, right? If it's him, then I would have to use my trump card to deal with him. I hope thatwon't be the case.'
Izuna shakes his head to discard suchthoughts.
Hmm…
He senses multiple chakra signatures quicklyapproaching the village.
"They are here." Izuna signals them.
Whoosh… whoosh…
Multiple Ninjas dressed in Suna shinobi outfit stops in front of Konoha's entrance.
Izuna walks towards them as a fake smile appears on his face.
"Welcome Kazekage-sama… it is our pleasure to have you in Konoha."
Izuna politely greets him.
Kakashi, Guy, Shisui, and Itachi control their laughter as they stare at Izuna.
'This guy is such a good actor.'
Izuna notices the group as his lips twitch slightly. He ignores them and turns towards the Kazekage.
"The final exam will start tomorrow, so there is still time to relax and enjoy yourself in Konoha. We have arranged a small tour for the group. I am sure you will like the hospitality of Konoha."
"Alright! We will take you on that offer." Rasa nods his head.
Izuna leads them towards their lodgings as he secretly inspects them.
'There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with this group of shinobis. I can handle them easily.'
His vision stops on the cloaked figure as a strange feeling well within him.
'What? I wasn't able to sense this person at all.'
He tries to sense the chakra signature of thecloaked figure and fails.
'How could it be? It is almost like this person is not even present here. What kind of technique is he using to mask his presence? Let me see his guise with my Sharingan."
He secretly activates his Sharingan and inspects the cloaked figure.
"What?"
Izuna's eyes widen in surprise as he is unable to see through the cloaked figure.
'Somehow he can evade my perception.'
Izuna's expression turns tense.
"Hmm… did you say something?"
Rasa questions him.
Ahem…
Izuna clears his throat and points towards the cloaked figure.
"He is?"
"Oh! He… he is one of my bodyguards. There is nothing to worry about it. Now, I can't visit another village without some security, can I?" Rasa laughs and dodges the question.
'So, he is the person who is meant to be my opponent? I have a bad feeling about it, but at the same time, I am excited to fight and goall out. It has been a while since I last went all out. I am ready to dance.'
Izuna has mixed feelings about the cloaked figure.
The cloaked figure feels a gaze. He raises his head and notices Izuna's stare. He notices an illusion around Izuna's eyes as his eyes pierce through the illusion.
'Interesting…'
The figure murmurs to itself before completely ignoring Izuna.
Grrr….
Inside the Sin Grimoire,
Kurama growls as he stares at the cloaked figure.
"This person is bad news. I can feel it."
"What?"
Minato turns to Kurama.
"I can't sense the depth of his power, but I can feel a mix of conflicting emotions from that guy. I had never felt so much agony, pain, and suffering in one person.
On the other hand, I can feel some sinister emotions lurking in his heart."
Kurama explains to Minato.
"I just can't wrap my head around it."
"Will Izuna-kun will be alright?"
Kushina asks in worry.
"I don't know." Kurama shakes his head.
"Can you ask Sin about it?"
Kushina asks him.
"No… I can't. Sin has been in a dormant state after Izuna visited Ryuchi cave. It won't respond to me."
Tch…
Kushina bites her lips in worry.
"Izuna-kun will be alright. I am sure he is prepared for it. We have to trust in his abilities since we can't help him. Nonetheless, we must warn him about that man."
Minato assures Kushina.
Inside the chunnin exam arena,
Tsunade, Rasa, and Mei are seated in the VIP Section as they stare at the arena.
Many civilians and shinobis came to watch the final battles as there is a hustle-bustle in the arena.
"I am so excited to watch so many ninjas fight." Ayaka is seated with Aiko and Akira in the audience seats.
"Where is Onii-san?" She looks around but fails to find Izuna.
"He is up there." Akira points towards the VIP Kage seats.
"Your Onii-san is acting as a bodyguard for the Hokage-sama. He is fulfilling his duty as a shinobi." Aiko caress Ayaka's head.
"Wow! Onii-san is so awesome." Ayaka's eyes shine brightly.
"Of course, he is… he is my son afterall." Akira proudly raises his head.
Aww…
Aiko elbows him as she has a smile on her face.
"Ara… you forgot about me."
"How could I? He is our son afterall." Akira has tears in his eyes as he forces a smile.
"Yes… I will also become a cool ninja-like Onii-san." Ayaka nods her head.
"You will definitely be a cool ninja." Akira pats her head as he turns towards Fugaku and Yagami.
Both of them nod to him as he gets up from his seat.
"Ayaka… father has some work to handle. Till then, why don't you watch the fights with your mother and aunt."
"Okay!" Ayaka nods her head as she is being pampered by Fumiko and Mito.
"Such a good girl."
Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura are seated with the other members of Konoha 11 as Ino and Sakura linger around Sasuke like flies lingering around honey.
"Ino-pig get away from my Sasuke-kun." Sakura hugs Sasuke's arm.
A frown appears on Sasuke's face as he is annoyed by her.
"Shut-up you 'billboard brow'. You have been hogging up Sasuke-kun all by yourself." Ino pushes away Sakura.
"What a drag!" Shikamaru lazily rests on his seat as he stares at the arena.
Chomp… chomp…
Choji gobbles down one snack after another.
"I have prepared enough snacks for the entire tournament." He picks up a giant bag full of snacks.
"You want some." Choji passes a packet to Naruto.
"Ah… I am fine. I am not hungry."
"Such a shameless sight." Neji snorts at the sight of Sakura and Ino fighting each other.
"Lady Hinata will never stoop as low as them."
"Umm… Naruto-kun, I made this for you."
Hinata walks in front of Naruto and passes a box to him. She has a blush on her face as she stretches her arms and passes the box to Naruto.
"What's in this?" Naruto asks her.
"I… I baked some cookies for you. I hope you will like them." Hinata replies with a shy smile.
"Oh! I am not that hungry." Naruto scratches his head.
"Did someone say cookies?" Choji turns towards them.
He grabs the box from Hinata and opens his mouth wide and gobbles all of them in a bite.
Huh!
Hinata's expression freezes as she turns around and runs away with a tear in her eyes.
"Naruto-kun! You Baka."
"Huh! Did I do something wrong?" Naruto cluelessly scratches his head.
"NARUTO!!" Neji activates his Byakugan as he angrily stares at Naruto.
"Hinata-sama…" He chases after Hinata before giving a last glare at Naruto.
"But what did I do?" Naruto looks around cluelessly.
"Naruto… you knucklehead." Tenten angrily glares at him.
"Naruto-kun… you have lost the way of youth. Come with me and I will guide you to the springtime of Youth." Lee spins in front of Naruto and stretches his arms.
Bang…
Tenten smashes Lee's head with a hammer.
"Don't make it worse."
"ALL OF YOU SHUT UP. YOU ARE SO ANNOYING!"
Sasuke yells to silence them.
In the VIP area,
Izuna is standing beside Tsunade and Mei as he keeps a constant eye on the cloaked figure.
'Since I can't read him, I will have to be ready for his movement.'
The cloaked figure stares at the arena as he scrutinizes the audience.
'None of them match my requirements.' He continues to watch the people as his eyes fall on Ayaka.
Hmm…
His eyes stay on her for a while as a strange light flicker through his eyes.
Izuna senses a small fluctuation of chakra near the cloaked figure. He immediately puts up his guard as he scrutinizes the figure.
Huh!
The figure ignores him as his eyes continue to linger towards the Uchiha family.
Izuna follows his gaze as Ayaka appears in his vision. His expression turns ugly as he clutches his fists.
'What's this bastard planning? He better not have any bad intentions for Ayaka or he will see the worst side of me.'
Crack… crack…
Izuna knuckles crack from the pressure.
"Are you alright?" Mei and Tsunade question him as they notice his expression.
"I am good. The chunnin exam just reminded me of my chunnin promotion during the era of the Third Ninja War." Izuna takes a deep breath to calm his emotions.
"Good." Both of them nods their head as they turn towards the arena.
Might Guy walks in the center of the arena as he stares at the crowd.
"Ladies and Gentleman! I Might Guy, Konoha's Sublime beast of prey would be the referee for this tournament. I am here to judge the youthfulness of each enthusiastic genin aiming to become a chunnin."
Guy does his signature gentleman pose as he flashes a smile brighter than stars and a thumb higher than a mountain.
Boo… boo…
The crowd instantly boos him.
"This Guy. I knew it… it was a bad idea to make him the referee of this tournament." Kakashi shakes his head as he stares at Guy.
"Ah! Nii-san insisted on making him the referee. So, I can't say anything." Shisui scratches his head.
"At least, the crowd won't be bored this way." Itachi tries to show the brighter side of the decision.
"Well… I can't agree more." Kakashi nods his head as he notices the enthusiasm of the crowd.
"Let's get back to the guard duty of Daimyo-sama."
Kakashi walks towards another section of the VIP area.
"Daimyo-sama decided to spectate the final phase of the chunnin exam. He just mentioned his desire a day before the exam. We can only agree to his demand." Shisui shakes his head as he follows Kakashi.
"Izuna told us that Daimyo-sama is like a golden egg-laying goose. We have to handle him carefully." Kakashi laughs at the analogy.
"Can't blame him? Nii-san set up a gambling den and Daimyo-sama would be one of our most rich costumers." Shisui remarks.
"Just make sure to remind Daimyo-sama about the gambles." Kakashi enters the VIP area to act as a guard.
Shisui turns towards Itachi and pats his shoulder.
"Itachi… you will be the leader of the team for this mission. I believe in your abilities and I hope you too."
"Leave it to me, Nii-san." Itachi nods his head as he unites with Team Ro.
He puts up his anbu mask and disappears from Shisui's vision.
Haah…
"I feel like I am being left in the dust. My goal was to always be a great ninja like Izuna Nii-san, but he is on an entirely different level. Now, even Itachi caught up to me or probably is on the verge of surpassing me.
Looks like I can't slack anymore. After this mission, I will retire from Anbu and search for my Ninja way." Shisui takes a deep breath and enters the VIP section.
Ahem…
"So, without any further delay, let's start with the first round of contestants." Might guy clear his throat as he announces the beginning of the tournament.
"Our first pair of contestants are Kegon from Takigakure and Kaito from Sunagakure."
Guy announces the matchup.
Kegon and Kaito enter the arena from opposite gates.
"Izuna, I want to place my bet on Kegon. He seems to be quite strong." Tsunade places her bet.
"…"
'She can never win. Can she?'
Izuna shakes his head and signals to Yugao who is handling the gambling den.
"I will place my bet on that Kaito guy." The Daimyo consults with retainer as he places his bet.
"I will take care of that." Kakashi nods his head and places the bet.
Kegon and Kaito confront each other as Guy stands in between them.
He raises his hand and signals them to start.
Swoosh… bang…
Kaito immediately opens his fan and waves it to release a powerful gust of wind.
The gust catches Kegon off-guard and slams him into the wall of the arena.
Aah…
Tsunade's cheerful expression freezes as she stares at the arena with wide eyes.
Fufu…
Mei chuckles softly.
"No wonder, they call you the legendary sucker. You have never won any gamble."
"I called it." Izuna raises his hands.
Sob… sob…
Some tears appear in Tsunade's eyes as she draws circles with her finger.
"This sucks. Why can't I win any gamble?"
"Calm down, Tsunade-san. At least you don't have to worry about the gamble expense. Izuna-kun is taking care of that." Mei calms her down.
Izuna pales as almost slips on his feet.
'Women! Such a dangerous creature.'
Eh!...
Guy pauses for a while as he stares at Kaito.
Humph...
Kaito scoffs and turns around and leaves.
Ahem...
"The winner is Kaito of the Sunagakure."
Guy waves his hand and declares the winner.
"That's more like it."
Rasa clenches his fists.
Huh!
Tsunade and Mei turn towards him.
Ahem...
"Haha... It was a close match. The shinobis of Takigakure are really something." Rasa coughs slightly to calm down the awkwardness.
"..."
Tsunade and Mei silently nod their head and turn towards the arena.
"Damn it... I will certainly win the next bet."
Tsunade clutches her fists as she turns to Izuna.
"Now for the next match; our contestants are Shishio from Sunagakure and Kazami from Kusagakure."
Guy waves his hand as the contestants enter the arena.
"Hey... that's the flag guy from Kusagakure who was beaten by that Fan guy of Sunagakure."
Naruto points towards Kazami.
"He has some abilities to able to clear the second exam even after losing his scrolls." Sasuke remarks as he stares at the arena.
"Huh! What?... what are you guys talking about?" Lee questions them.
"Oh shit! We weren't supposed to talk about this." Naruto sticks out his tongue.
"It's nothing... nothing." He hurriedly shakes his hand to distract Lee.
"Look... look... the match is about to start."
Naruto points towards the arena.
"Guy Sensei!... Guy sensei will show his signature move again."
Lee turns towards the arena with shining eyes.
Sigh...
Naruto takes a deep breath as he curiously stares at the match.
Hmm...
Shikamaru opens one of his eyes as he stares at Naruto.
'He is hiding something. What a drag!'
In the VIP arena,
Tsunade takes out a fat stack of cash and passes it to Izuna.
"I will bet on that genin from Sunagakure. Previously, the Sunagakure genin won the match. I am sure, it will be the same this time."
Izuna holds the Ryo as he questions her with an uncertain tone.
"Are you sure about that?"
"Of course." Tsunade nods her head.
"Well... you said it."
Izuna places her bet.
"Start"
Guy waves his hand to start the fight.
Rasa notices the gambling held by Izuna.
'I also want to gamble. But I don't have any money to gamble. Will he take Gold dust instead of Ryo?"
Rasa hesitates as he stares at Izuna.
Ahem...
He clears his throat and points towards the arena.
"Hokage, it seems like you will lose your bet."
"Huh!... Why?" Tsunade turns towards Rasa for clarification.
"Shishio is a sensor type ninja; so, his fighting capabilities are subpar. His abilities are more oriented towards assisting his team in battle rather than direct confrontation." Rasa summarizes Shishio's abilities without specifying them.
"NO... my Ryo."
Tsunade bites her lips as her eyes almost overflow her tears.
--
Outside Konoha,
Swoosh... swoosh...
Multiple ninjas in Suna outfits gather at a spot.
"The intel was correct. That snake Orochimaru didn't sell us out."
A sand shinobi with a standard outfit of Sunagakure elder with the signature elder turban is in the lead of the sand shinobis. He has a deep tear trough across his cheeks and another running parallel to his nose. He also has long black hair and dark eyes.
"Granny Chiyo... what do you think about it?"
He turns towards Granny Chiyo, who has a child beside her.
The child has fair skin, green eyes, and short spiky auburn hair. The child lacks distinctive pupils and has black rings around his eyes. His hairs are parted on the left side of his forehead to reveal a red kanji letter for 'love'.
The child holds Chiyo's finger anxiously as he stares in his surroundings.
The rest of Suna Ninja avoids his gaze and turns their eyes away.
The child clutches his hands tightly as he senses their expression of loathing.
"What is the meaning of this, Jōseki?"
Chiyo pats Gaara's head as she glares at Jōseki.
"I need an explanation. Why would the village bring a child to such a dangerous mission when you can commission more shinobis for it?" Chiyo stares Jōseki in the eyes.
"Granny Chiyo, this child is a tool, a weapon meant for the destruction of our enemies. He is nothing more than a container of One-tails.
As a member of the Suna council, my responsibility and concern lie with the peace and stability of the village. Now, since the village is in such dire straits; we have to deploy every mean available to us."
Jōseki turns towards Konoha as he remarks.
"Besides, he is a failure of a jinchuruki and we need to deal with him one way or the other. This is an opportunity for us, we can leave him to Konoha to deal. With the One-tails rampaging, Konoha will be forced to send their elite forces to hold it back."
"JŌSEKI!!..." Chiyo yells at Jōseki.
"Oya... oya! Looks like I came at the wrong time."
Orochimaru licks his lips as he interrupts them.
Ahem...
Jōseki clears his throat and turns to Orochimaru.
"You came right on time. Let's get ready to deal with Konoha."
"That's more like it."
Whoosh...
Orochimaru throws a scroll towards Jōseki. Jōseki catches the scroll and questions Orochimaru.
"What's this?"
"This is a summoning scroll. The defense of Konoha is quite strong. We need to punch a hole through the barrier to invade the village.
There is a summoning formation on the scroll. Use these scrolls together with the summoning formation. The summoning jutsu uses quite a lot of chakra."
Orochimaru reminds him.
Hmm...
Jōseki nods his head and passes the scroll to a Jounin commander and explains the details to him.
"All preparations are complete. We have to only wait for the signal."
Orochimaru licks his lips and reunites with his Otogakure Ninjas.
--
Inside the VIP area,
"NOO... I lost again."
Tsunade stares at her empty purse with teary eyes.
"That's was my saving from past three years. Gone... all gone in the blink of an eye. Why? Why it has to be like this? Why can't I win asingle gamble?"
Tsunade has tears in her eyes.
"Dame da ne...
Dame yo...
dame na no yo...
Anata ga, suki de…
sukisugite...
Dore dake…"
Izuna pitifully stares at Tsunade as he starts to sing. Three anbus beside him takes out a violin and plays it.
"…"
Mei is flabbergasted at this.
"NO… don't remind me of this." More tears flow from her eyes.
"It's ok. You will get it next time."
Izuna pats Tsunade's head.
"NO…"
Tsunade hugs Izuna's waist and bowlsout her eyes.
"Don't worry, there is still one last gamble. I will loan you some money."
Izuna passes a stack of money to her.
'Either way, the money will return to me.'
Sob… sob…
Tsunade wipes her tears as she cheerfully snatches the stack of cash and counts it.
"…"
Izuna and Mei silently stare at her pace of cheerfulness.
"Izuna… what were they singing? Somehow, I found it funny but sorrowful at the same time."
Mei asks him.
"Oh! You know, during my time as an anbu captain; I was quite bored with the mission, as most of them were quite easy. So, in my spare time; I created a band of musicians with them. This is one of my 'Original' creation."
Izuna shamelessly takes the credit.
"Now, I am interested. I would like to listen to more songs from you." Mei has stars in her eyes.
Izuna sweat drops at her expression.
'I never knew she loves music. I can prepare a concert as my proposal.' Some wild ideas run through Izuna's mind.
In the arena,
Guy raises his hand, and he bolsters the enthusiasm of the crowd.
"Ladies and Gentleman! It's time forthe final match of Round One. We have Chojuro of Kirigakure and his opponent will be Kabuto Yakushi from Konohagakure."
Whoosh… whoosh…
Chojuro and Kabuto enter the arena.
"Kabuto-san! It's you. I never thought I would meet you in the finals."
Chojuro faces off against Kabuto.
"What a strange turn of events? I never expected to meet you in finals."
Kabuto adjusts his spectacles.
"With this, the final match of Round one starts."
Guy raises his hand and announces the start.
Chojuro grabs the hilt of his sword andpoints it towards Kabuto.
"I am sorry, Kabuto-san. I have to prove myself to my master. I won't hold back."
Swoosh…
He infuses chakra into Hiramekarei as a blue glow appears on the blade.
"So, he is your successor." Tsunade stares at Chojuro.
"Yes, Chojuro is a hard-working boy. I am sure he will grow into a fine shinobi."
Mei nods her head.
"Then, I will gamble on Chojuro."
Tsunade places her bet on Chojuro.
"Then let me see what you have got."
Kabuto raises one of his hands.
Hmm…
Izuna frowns as he notices a large amount of chakra being kneaded in Kabuto's body.
"It has started, Tsunade."
Izuna yells as he warns them.
Kabuto smirks as he murmurs.
"Genjutsu: Temple of Nirvana"
Swoosh… swoosh…
Many white feathers start to rain from the sky as Kabuto casts a wide area genjutsu.
"Kabuto-san… this…"
Chojuro's eyelids turn heavy as his vision turns blurry.
Slump…
He falls into a deep sleep.
"No… you don't."
Guy yells as he performs a roundhouse kick.
"Leaf Hurricane"
Bang…
Kabuto is sent flying out of the arena.
"CHOJURO!!"
Mei yells as she jumps out of the VIP arena, breaking through the glass.
··
Whoosh…
Rasa flickers behind Tsunade and places a kunai against her throat.
"What's the meaning of this, Kazekage?" Tsunade's previously aloof expression vanishes as she adopts a serious expression.
"Sand has suffered a lot by the hands of Konoha, it is time for some payback." Rasa remarks as he signals the cloaked man.
"I will leave Izuna Uchiha to you."
Whoosh…
Bang…
The cloaked figure blocks a punch from Izuna, who is in his Power release cloak.
'Strong… this man is quite strong. At this rate, our battle might deal more damage to Konoha than the invaders. I have to lure him out of the village.'
Whoosh…
Izuna makes some hand signs as a sealing formation appears in his palm.
"Fuinjutsu: Adamantium Corrosion Chains"
Dark black chains appear out from Izuna's hand and strangle the cloaked figure.
"Now is my chance."
'Swift Release: Sonic Steps'
Whoosh…
Izuna flickers out of Konoha together with the cloaked figure.
Clank… clank… shatter…
The adamantium chains shatter into countless fragments as the cloaked figure frees himself.
'My strongest Fuinjutsu seals didn't even last a second. Who is this guy?'
Izuna warily stares at the figure as a hint of worry appears in his eyes.
'How did the Kazekage and Orochimaru even convinced such a person? No matter what, I have to stop him.'
Whoosh…
Izuna makes some hand signs.
'Fire Style: Giant Fireball Jutsu'
He fires a giant fireball infused with large amounts of chakra towards the figure.
Whoosh…
The Fireball approaches near the cloaked figure and vanishes. The fireball turns into a small ball as the cloaked figure extinguishes it between his fingers.
"Who are you?"
Izuna questions him.
Whoosh…
The figure blinks behind Izuna and performs a roundhouse kick.
"Metal Release: Adamantine Skin'
Izuna's arms turn black as he coats his arm with Metal Release chakra.
Bang…
The impact from the kick sends him flying as Izuna crashes into a nearby hill.
Huff… Huff…
Izuna dusts himself as he walks out from the debris.
"That would hurt in the morning."
He cracks his neck and turns towards the figure.
'It's time to get serious.'
--
Inside Konoha,
Rasa stares at the back of Izuna and the cloaked figure with wide-eyes.
"I never expected Izuna Uchiha to be such a monster. If not for that man holding him down, we would have suffered massive casualties."
Bang…
Tsunade slams her elbow in Rasa's gut and sends him flying.
Bam…
Rasa slams in the walls of the arena.
"You still have the luxury to worry about others, I will be your opponent."
Tsunade cracks her knuckles as she walks towards Rasa.
Crack… crack…
Some cracks appear around Rasa's stomach as golden sand falls from it.
"So that's the golden sand armor."
Cough… cough…
Rasa coughs slightly and stands up.
"The fight has just started. It won't end until Suna claims victory over Konoha."
Whoosh…
Golden sand floats around Rasa as he creates a platform and levitates on it.
Swoosh…
He directs the golden sand towards Tsunade as the sand forms a large pillar and speeds up towards her.
Crack…
Tsunade clenches her fists tightly as she infuses chakra in it.
BAMM*
She punches the golden sand pillar.
Crack… crack…
Cracks appear on the pillar as it dissipates into golden sand.
Whoosh…
Rasa waves his hand and recollects the golden sand.
BOOOOOM*
A gigantic explosion occurs at the outer walls of Konoha.
Tsunade turns towards the gates and notices a giant snake with five heads is attacking the barrier.
Tch…
"That damn Orochimaru! He really betrayed Konoha. There would be no redemption this time."
"Tsunade! Leave Orochimaru to me." Hiruzen appears beside Tsunade in his combat outfit.
"I have to fix my past mistakes and regrets." He clenches his fists as he stares at the giant snake wreaking havoc on the barrier.
Hiruzen dashes towards the outer wall.
At the outer wall,
"Hold it back. We have to hold it back till reinforcement arrives."
Members of the Aburame clan and Akimichi clan attacks the giant snake to prevent it from destroying the barrier.
"Super Expansion Jutsu"
Choza makes some hand signs as he turns into a giant.
"Eat this."
He punches the head of the snake to stop it.
Hiss…
The snake hisses in anger and attacks Choza with its large tail.
BANG...
The tail hits Choza and staggers him.
Rumble… Rumble…
Choza loses his balance and falls towards the outer wall.
'At this rate, I will end up destroying the wall.'
Choza tries to balance himself to prevent from falling on the wall.
'It's too late.'
Choza clenches his fists in regret.
"Summoning Jutsu"
A giant frog appears behind Choza and prevents him from falling.
"Summoning: Food Cart Destroyer Technique"
Another frog falls from the sky and lands on top of the giant snake.
"Gamaken-san! Hold that snake for me."
Jiraiya jumps in front of the wall as he stares at the giant snake.
"I'll try my best."
Gamaken wields his Sasumata and pins down one head of the snake.
Bam…
He smashes another head with his shield.
Hiss…
The other two heads attack Gamaken.
"Gamahiro! I need some help."
Gamaken calls the other frog.
"Leave it to me."
Gamahiro takes out twin swords from the sheath on his back.
Slash… slash…
"Ebi… Ebi…"
He slashes the two heads and stabs them in the ground.
HISSS….
The snake hisses in fury as it releases a toxic breath from its last mouth.
BAAAMM…
Gamahiro slams his butt on the head to stop it from spitting out the poison.
"Gamaken-san! Gamahiro-san! I will leave this snake to you. I have to search for that bastard, Orochimaru."
Jiraiya flickers inside the forest.
Whoosh… whoosh…
Hiruzen catches up with Jiraiya.
"Jiraiya! Leave Orochimaru to me. I have to finish what I once started." Hiruzen remarks.
"Nah, Old man! I also have some unfinished business with that bastard."
Jiraiya increases his pace, leaving Hiruzen behind.
Sigh…
"Why all of my students are so stubborn?" Hiruzen follows Jiraiya.
Whoosh…
In an open area,
Orochimaru is standing with Kabuto as he stares at Konoha.
"What a beautiful sight, isn't it? I will finally have my revenge on Konoha."
Whoosh… whoosh…
Jiraiya and Hiruzen stop in front of him as both of them confront him.
"Orochimaru! Stop this foolishness, right now!"
Hiruzen warns him.
Slick…
Orochimaru licks his lips as he stares at them.
"Sensei! This destruction won't stop until Konoha becomes history."
"Why? Orochimaru why? Why are you doing this?" Jiraiya walks towards Orochimaru.
"Why, you ask? Haha…"
Orochimaru laughs hysterically.
"Stop your nonsense, Jiraiya. You know the answer already. No one can stop me from destroying Konoha today."
"So, it has come down to this." Hiruzen glares at Orochimaru.
"You have stooped so low to the point you are seeking to destroy your birthplace.
I will finish what I left once. This time I won't show any mercy."
Swoosh… swoosh…
Hiruzen makes some hand signs and slams his palm on the ground.
"Summoning Jutsu: Monkey King Enma"
He summons Enma.
"OROCHIMARU!!"
Enma appears on the battlefield as he glares at Orochimaru.
"Humph!... I know this would happen. You should have dealt with him when we had the opportunity." Enma scoffs at Hiruzen.
"I'm going to do that now!'
"It's too late."
Enma faces Orochimaru as he taunts the latter.
"Orochimaru! I am going to snap you like a twig! It should have been done years ago!"
Enma takes a stance.
"It's a bit too late for that."
Orochimaru licks his lips as he ignores the angry gaze of Enma.
Hiruzen makes some hand signs.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu"
Swoosh… swoosh…
He throws a shuriken towards Orochimaru as the shuriken multiples into many other shurikens.
"Fire style: Flame Bullet"
Jiraiya coats the shurikens with fire as the shurikens close on Orochimaru.
"Ottou!!... It's too much for me to take on both of you."
Orochimaru jumps back and slams his palm on the ground.
Rumble… rumble…
The ground trembles as three coffins emerge from the ground.
BOOM… BOOM…
The coffins block the shurikens.
"It can't be." Hiruzen's eyes widen as he stares at the coffins.
"Enma, stop him before he completes his jutsu. If not, the village will face certain destruction."
Whoosh…
Enma transforms into his adamantine staff form and whizzes towards the coffins.
Kuku…
"It's too late."
Rumble… rumble…
The gates of the coffin open up to reveal two figures. The third coffin is empty.
"Hmm… that's unexpected."
Orochimaru stares at the empty coffin.
Crunch… crunch…
The two figures walk out of the coffin as they crush gravel.
"Are those two?…"
Jiraiya's eyes widen in surprise.
"How is this possible?"
Jiraiya turns towards Hiruzen.
"It's my fault."
Hiruzen sighs as he stares at the coffin.
"During the Second Shinobi War, Konoha was on the verge of losing the war. As a last-ditch resort, Danzo proposed to use the forbidden technique of the Second Hokage.
'Edo: Tensei'. This technique was meant to bring the dead back to life as an indestructible puppet. Left with no choice, I approved it together with other council members.
However, the war ended with the defeat of Hanzo because of his failed attempt to invade the Land of Medicine.
As such, this technique never saw the daylight. But I never expected Danzo to continue the research with Orochimaru." Hiruzen shakes his head.
Haha…
"Enough talk. It's time to end this."
Whoosh…
Orochimaru clasps his palms together.
"Edo: Tensei"
Clomp… clomp…
Two figures walk out of the Edo coffin.
Hmm…
A tanned figure in dark red armor with a black suit and wooden sandals raises his head.
"It has been a long time, Saru."
Another fair figure in blue armor walks beside him.
"Oh? It's you, Sarutobi. You have aged quite a lot."
"I didn't expect to see you two in a form like this… Hashirama Sensei… Tobirama Sensei!"
Tears overflow Hiruzen's eyes.
"I am mortified to see you in such a state."
"Now… now… enough with the heart-warming teacher-student reunion."
Whoosh…
Orochimaru takes out two kunais with sealing tags. He inserts the kunais in Hashirama and Tobirama's body.
Haah…
Orochimaru makes a hand seal to control their movements.
Argh…
Hashirama and Tobirama try to resist the control of Orochimaru.
"Give it up," Orochimaru smirks.
"I have summoned you with half of your original strength. These vessels aren't strong enough to summon you in your prime. Besides, I am not sure I could control you in your peak strength."
Slick…
Orochimaru licks his lips.
"If that's the case, Sarutobi, we must fight you." Hashirama takes a step towards Hiruzen and Jiraiya.
"Sensei! Any advice while fighting against them."
Jiraiya asks Hiruzen for advice.
"I will stop Orochimaru. If we incapacitate him, the summoning should wear off. Till then, we have to hold our own against them."
Hiruzen summons a large Fuma Shuriken.
"Easy for you to say." Jiraiya's expression turns ugly.
"No matter the era, war will always plague the land."
Hashirama remarks as clasps his hands together.
"Edo Tensei!... So, this kid summoned us with my forbidden technique." Tobirama stares at his fingers.
"Tobirama, I warned you. This technique was a mistake." Hashirama remarks.
"Shut up." Tobirama scoffs and turns towards Hiruzen.
"Saru, we are gradually losing control of our body and emotions. I hope you will be able to cope with the situation."
"Enough banter. Time for work."
Swish…
Orochimaru makes a hand sign as he kills their emotions.
"Oye! Oye! Now they have turned into a killing machine."
Gulp…
Jiraiya gulps his saliva and performs his signature pose.
"But fear not… the legendary Toad-Sage Jiraiya-sama will fight them for you."
BAM…
Hiruzen slams Enma's staff on Jiraiya's head.
"Stop fooling around and follow the plan."
"Yes." Jiraiya's expression turns serious.
Whoosh… whoosh…
Edo-Hashirama and Tobirama dash towards Hiruzen and Jiraiya as they engage in close combat fight.
"Enma!"
Hiruzen extends his staff and slams it into Tobirama.
Bang…
The staff shatters Tobirama's body in half.
Swish… swish…
The ashen material of the reincarnated scrumble together and reforms his body.
"This is bad."
Hiruzen's expression turns ugly as he dodges a kick from Tobirama.
"This was the real purpose of the jutsu, Sensei! To create immortal shinobi warriors who don't require chakra, food, or any such necessity and can fight tirelessly. I just eliminated some major flaws of the jutsu and perfected it beyond the original creator."
Slick…
Orochimaru licks a kunai as he stares at Hiruzen.
Whoosh…
He flickers towards Hiruzen and attacks him with a kunai.
Clank…
Hiruzen blocks the kunai.
Bang…
Tobirama kicks him and sends him flying.
Swoosh…
Hiruzen performs a somersault in the air and balances himself.
Swish…
Orochimaru opens his mouth as a snake extends from his mouth and bites Hiruzen's neck.
Argh…
Hiruzen struggles to free himself.
"Having trouble with this kind of attack? You have grown old Sensei!" Orochimaru smirks.
Crumble… crumble…
Hiruzen's body turns into dust.
"Earth Style: Hiding like a Mole"
Hiruzen appears behind Orochimaru.
Whoosh…
He makes some hand signs.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone jutsu"
Hiruzen launches a barrage of shurikens at Orochimaru.
Haah…
Orochimaru makes a hand seal as Edo-Tobirama jumps in front and blocks the shurikens.
"ENMA! Now."
Whoosh…
Enma turns into Adamantine Prison Wall and imprisons Tobirama.
"It will enough to hold him for a while."
Haah…
Orochimaru smirks as he makes a Ram seal.
Fwoosh…
Tobirama's body shines brightly.
"This is bad. Explosive tags!"
BOOM…
Tobirama's body explodes violently.
Argh…
Enma releases a miserable shriek as he withstands the explosion.
"Haha… I wanted to do this for a long time."
Orochimaru laughs maniacally as he stares at the pitiful state of Enma.
The pieces of Tobirama's edo body start to gather again.
"Hiruzen! I won't be able to take another of that explosion." Enma grimaces in pain.
"Orochimaru stop with this nonsense. You will achieve nothing. Cut this stupid acting already." Hiruzen glares at Orochimaru.
"Stupid, you say! Haha… You underestimate me, Sensei. This isn't an academy class and I am not the same person I was last time." Orochimaru and Hiruzen confront each other.
"You are right."
Hiruzen removes his shoulder pads and takes a stance as he riles up his chakra.
Orochimaru also takes a serious stance and riles up his chakra.
Crack… crack…
The ground beneath them cracks from the pressure of chakra.
"I will not go easy on you just because you're old."
"I may make you redo your training in the academy, depending on your performance."
Whoosh… whoosh…
Both of them flickers towards each other as they clash multiple times.
"Hah! I am surprised you can keep up with me with those old bones of yours." Orochimaru remarks as he relentlessly attacks Hiruzen.
"These old bones carry the weight and hope of Konoha. I won't allow the likes of you to trample the future of Konoha."
Bang… bang…
Both of them trade multiple taijutsu blows.
Whoosh… whoosh…
They separate from each other and create some distance.
Swish… swish…
Hiruzen and Orochimaru make multiple hand signs.
"Multiple Striking Shadow Snakes"
Orochimaru stretches his arms as a big swarm of snakes appears in an instant.
HISS… HISS…
The snake hisses as they approach Hiruzen.
"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Missile"
Hiruzen takes a deep breath and kneads an enormous amount of chakra in his lungs as he spews out a giant fireball from his mouth.
Swoosh…
The fireball takes the shape of a dragon. The dragon covers a large area and incinerates all the snakes.
"I am not done yet."
"Earth Release: Mud dragon flame bullet"
Hiruzen claps his hands and summons a mud dragon. The mud dragon merges with the flame dragon and closes on Orochimaru.
"I am not your opponent, Sensei."
Orochimaru smirks as Tobirama jumps in front of him.
"I am sorry, Hiruzen. The explosion did more damage than I expected."
Enma returns to Hiruzen.
"But so, did him." Enma points towards the multiple cracks on Tobirama's body. His jutsu isn't perfect yet."
"Water Release: Giant Water Wall"
Tobirama creates a giant wall of water to block the attack.
Sizzle…
The water wall blocks the jutsu as it turns into vapors, extinguishing the fire.
"Water Release: Water Colliding Wave"
Tobirama converts the atmospheric vapors into a massive vortex which explodes and turns into a rapid gushing wave of water raging furiously towards Hiruzen.
Tch…
"Tobirama Sensei is the most powerful water release user ever."
"Hiruzen makes some hand signs and slams his palm on the ground.
"Earth Release: Rock Wall"
He erects a giant rock wall to block the raging current of water.
Whoosh…
Hiruzen jumps on top of the rock wall to avoid the wave.
Whoosh… Bang…
Orochimaru appears in front of him and kicks him. Hiruzen blocks the kick with his arm but is sent flying by the momentum.
Whoosh… whoosh…
Multiple anbu guards appear on the battlefield as they surround the group.
"Lord Third is in a pinch. We must help him."
The anbu unit takes out their weapons and flickers towards Orochimaru.
"It's not a wise choice to disturb such a great show."
Four figures in black cloaks flicker in front of the anbu group and block their way.
Swoosh…. Swoosh…
All of them throw away their cloaks as they get into a formation.
"Sound Four, erect a barrier around this place. I don't want anyone to ruin my reunion with Sensei after such a long time. Slick…"
Orochimaru licks his kunai as he stares at Hiruzen.
Cough… cough…
Hiruzen coughs slightly and gets up.
"Enma come forth!"
Enma turns into his adamantine staff form as Hiruzen wields it skillfully.
"Sensei! You aren't the only one who owns a weapon."
Cough… cough…
Orochimaru coughs out a snake from his mouth. The snake opens its mouth as a hilt appears from its mouth.
Kachin…
Orochimaru grabs the hilt and draws the sword.
"The blade of the sword has a cyan glow to it."
Orochimaru waves it around to get a hang of it.
"It has been a while since I got my hands on this blade. I never got the opportunity to test it out in battle."
"That… that blade! It can't be…" Enma's eyes widen as he recognizes the blade.
"That's the legendary Kusanagi blade. Eons ago this blade was wielded by the great Sage to vanquish all evil from the world. It is a relic lost in the tides of time.
I never expected Orochimaru of all people to get his hands on this blade. Hiruzen, even if my adamantine body is as hard as diamond; one slash from that sword can significantly harm my body."
Enma warns Hiruzen.
"Let's go, Enma."
Hiruzen swings the staff as he confronts Tobirama and Orochimaru.
Swoosh… whoosh…
Jiraiya dodges one attack after another from Hashirama.
"What's with his strength? Even when he is summoned with half of his strength, he is this powerful; I can't imagine how strong was he during his peak."
Jiraiya warily stares at Hashirama, who relentlessly attacks him.
"That doesn't mean, I will sit back and watch."
Whoosh… Bang…
Jiraiya blocks an attack from Hashirama and kicks him to create some distance.
Swoosh… swoosh…
He quickly makes some hand signs.
"Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique"
Jiraiya spews out a condensed beam of flame towards Hashirama.
Slam…
Hashirama slams his palm on the ground and creates a giant wood dome to block the fire jutsu.
"Damn… he didn't even make any hand sign."
Jiraiya curses.
Rumble… Rumble…
The ground beneath Jiraiya trembles as multiple tree roots erupt from the ground and strangle Jiraiya.
"Here comes the Wood Release. Damnit, I have to get serious or I might die here."
Snap…
Jiraiya bites his thumb and makes some hand signs.
"Summoning Jutsu"
--
Inside the village,
Whoosh… whoosh…
Multiple Sound shinobi dressed as spectators jump out from the audience. Another person in anbu outfit makes a cut-throat sign towards the shinobis.
The sound shinobis start to attack the asleep civilians and Ninjas.
Clang… clang…
Kakashi and Guy block their attack as Kakashi signals Guy.
"Guy… follow the plan. I will take care of the rest."
"Yes." Guy nods his head.
He takes a Taijutsu stance.
"Leaf Whirlwind"
He sweeps his leg and kicks them away. Kakashi flickers towards the location of Tsunade and Rasa's fight.
Whoosh…
He performs a backflip and avoids multiple kunais.
"What's the hurry! Kakashi Hatake of the Sharingan!"
Baki blocks his way as he confronts Kakashi.
"I will be your opponent."
Swoosh…
Baki pinches his fingers together as he creates a small invisible wind blade in between them.
"Wind Release: Blade of Wind"
Woosh… whoosh…
Baki releases a barrage of wind blades at Kakashi.
Swoosh… swoosh…
Kakashi dodges the wind blades and creates some distance.
"Baki of the sand! A master user of Wind Release; looks like it is going to be a tough battle."
Swish…
Kakashi draws his blade and faces Baki.
Inside a room near Hokage Office,
A group of people dressed in Shinto priest uniform stretches their hands in front of their chest as they hold a giant water sphere.
"Keep the barrier intact. We can't let the enemies breach the barrier."
The leader of the Barrier Corp has sweat on his face as he struggles to maintain the barrier.
Whoosh…
A figure enters the headquarter of the barrier team.
Swish… swish… slash…
The figure slices the heads of barrier team members. The figure removes his mask to reveal his face.
Kabuto adjusts his spectacle as he stares at the dead body of the barrier corps.
"Nothing will stand in the way of Orochimaru-Sama's revenge."
Outside Konoha,
Rumble… rumble…
The barrier crumbles into pieces.
Jōseki and Chiyo stare at the crumbling barrier as Jōseki signals Suna ninjas.
Whoosh… whoosh…
The Suna ninja infiltrates Konoha.
"Stop them. We can't allow them to invade our village."
The members of the Akimichi and Aburame clan confront Sand shinobis.
Whoosh…
A battalion of Suna ninjas separates from the rest of the group and engages with Akimichi and Aburame clan.
--
Inside the inner perimeter,
"They are here."
Fugaku is standing on the rooftop as he surveys the village. He activates his Sharingan as he notices the infiltrating Suna ninjas.
"Captain! We will stop them."
The members of the police force gather around him. Fugaku waves his hand as the group disperses.
"The other clans are busy with evacuating civilians to safe shelter. We have to hold them back till backup arrives."
Whoosh…
Fugaku jumps from the rooftop and flickers towards the Suna group.
Swoosh… swoosh…
He makes some hand signs.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu"
Fugaku spews out a giant fireball at the Suna group.
Woosh…
Jōseki takes out a scroll from his pocket and unfolds it.
Poof…
White smoke appears from the scroll as a puppet appears in front of him.
Swish… swish…
Jōseki weaves his fingers as multiple chakra threads attach to the puppet.
"Secret Black Technique: Mechanical Light Shield Wall"
The chakra stretches out its right arm as it segments into four sections.
Swoosh… Fwoosh…
The four sections radiate chakra and form a light blue, thin shield.
Boom…
The fireball collides with the shield.
Whoosh…
The puppet is pushed back by the momentum of the fireball, but it is able to neutralize the full brunt of the fireball.
Fugaku's expression turns serious as a frown appears on his face.
"This is going to be rough."
At a distance,
Chiyo nods her head.
"Despite your foul demeanour, your skills with puppets are still notable."
"I dedicated my entire life for the sake of Sunagakure. How can I falter when Suna is in such dire state?"
Jōseki weaves his hand as the puppet opens its arm.
"Red Secret Technique: Machine Gun Blow"
Whoosh…
The arm separates from the puppet and whizzes towards Fugaku.
Snap… snap…
Various cross-sections open on the arm as the puppet launches a barrage of senbons at Fugaku.
The senbons are coated in a purple fluid.
"I won't fall for the same trick again. Sharingan…"
Fugaku activates his Sharingan and takes out a kunai.
Clank… clank… clank...
He swiftly deflects all of them.
"Lightning Release: Lightning Stream"
Fugaku makes some quick hand signs and releases a bolt of lightning.
Crackle… crackle…
The lightning flickers towards the puppet and destroys the arm.
Crackle… crackle…
Lightning crackles in Fugaku's arm as his eyes meet with Jōseki.
Jōseki recognizes the Sharingan. They are the members of the Uchiha Police Force.
"The Uchiha clan members. They were one of the feared adversaries during the Second Shinobi War. Their Kekkei Genkai made them one of the most difficult enemies to handle."
Whoosh…
Jōseki waves his hand as the puppet opens its mouth.
Fwoosh…
The puppet releases a cloud of black smoke from its mouth. The smoke quickly engulfs the area and blocks the vision.
"But this time, I came prepared."
Jōseki weaves his fingers as the puppet enters into the black smoke.
"Black Secret Technique: Poison Mist Hell: Hundred Continuous Firing"
Multiple cross-sections open on the arms of the puppet and release a barrage of Senbons.
Jōseki turns to Lady Chiyo and signals her.
"Lady Chiyo! Release the One-tails in the center of Konoha."
Humph…
Chiyo harrumphs and grabs Gaara and flickers deeper into Konoha.
Chiyo reaches the center of the village as she inspects the village.
'White Fang!... Where are you?'
"Kenjutsu: Fang of Light"
Swish…
A white blade of chakra strikes towards Chiyo.
Hmph…
Chiyo scoffs at the white blade and performs a backflip to avoid the blade.
"WHITE FANG! I FINALLY FOUND YOU."
Chiyo's eyes turn red as he clenches her fist.
"Damn you, White Fang! Revenge will be mine."
Chiyo dashes towards Sakumo.
Bang…
Whoosh… whoosh…
"Kenjutsu: A thousand Cut"
Sakumo draws his sword and releases a brilliant display of Swordsmanship.
Slash… slash…
The white chakra blade slices through Chiyo's figure.
Poof…
White smoke engulfs Chiyo as she turns into a puppet.
Whoosh…
The real Chiyo jumps down from the top of a nearby tree.
"White fang!"
Whoosh…
Multiple kunais floats beside her as she launches them towards Sakumo.
"Red Secret Technique: Manipulating Attack Blades"
Woosh… woosh… woosh…
Clang… clang…
Sakumo deflects the kunai as he confronts Chiyo.
"Chiyo! I am sorry for the death of your son- and daughter-in-law. But war is war. Countless lives are lost meaninglessly in a war."
"White Fang! I won't forgive you. You will pay for their death."
Swoosh…
Chiyo waves her hand as a scroll appears in her hand.
"Chikamatsu collection"
She summons a set of 10 puppets. The puppets float beside her as she faces Sakumo.
Sakumo recognizes the ten floating puppets in white garments as his expression turns ugly.
"Chikamatsu Collection!... It is the puppet collection of the first-ever puppet user of the shinobi world, Monzaemon Chikamatsu; a legend who perfected the art of puppet mastery.
These puppets were his ultimate creation; capable of laying waste to an entire country single-handedly."
Swish… swish…
Chiyo waves her hand as the puppets float in front of her.
"White Secret Technique: Collection of Illusions"
Wham…
Izuna draws his chakra blade and points it towards the cloaked figure. He infuses Light release chakra through the blade as the blade hums with a brilliant blue glow and radiates an enormous amount of heat.
"Swift Release: Sonic Steps"
Whoosh…
Izuna disappears from his position and reappears behind the cloaked figure.
Swish…
He swings the sword near the cloaked figure's neck, aiming to slice it quickly.
"Futile!"
The figure turns his head and blinks.
Swoosh…
Izuna's blade disappears from his hand.
"What the?"
Bang…
The cloaked figure performs a round-house kick and swats Izuna away like a fly.
Bang…
Izuna blocks the kick with his arm as it sends him flying.
Crack…
The bones in his arms crack.
Whoosh…
Izuna performs a somersault midair to regain his balance.
'It will take a little time to heal this injury.'
He ignores the pain and stares at the cloaked figure.
"I have figured out your identity, Jigen!"
Izuna remarks as he waits for the cloaked figure's reaction.
'Earlier… he used a unique jutsu to shrink the size of objects without making any hand signs. I had my doubts when he shrank my fireball and later, he used his ability again to shrink my sword.
I was able to notice the change because of the microscopic vision of my Sharingan.'
Shoom…
Izuna's eyes turn into Mangekyo Sharingan as he draws another blade from his pocket.
'If I remember correctly, his ability can't shrink living objects.'
Snap…
Izuna bites his thumb and makes some hand signs.
'I never expected, I would have to resort to this failed technique of mine.'
"Fuinjutsu: Blood Carnate Sword"
Blood drips from his thumb and coalesces into a giant sphere in front of him.
Swoosh… swoosh…
Multiple fuinjutsu seals bind the blood sphere and shape it into a sword.
Izuna grabs the sword and confronts Jigen.
Jigen removes his cloak. He has a shaved head with a long mohawk of black hair tied in a long ponytail reaching his lower back.
Jigen has pronounced eye ridges void of brows, a broad nose, and a diamond shape Kama seal mark on his chin and Roman numerical IV tattooed below his left eye.
"YOU! How do you know my name?"
Fwoosh…
Jigen riles up his chakra as he exerts pressure on Izuna with his chakra. A wave of chakra is released from his body.
Whoosh…
The chakra wave travels outward and pushes Izuna away.
--
Hmm…
Edo-Hashirama stops in his tracks as the chakra pulse hits him.
Argh…
Hashirama struggles to break off from Orochimaru's control.
Haah…
Orochimaru feels Hashirama's resistance. His expression turns ugly.
"I didn't expect this. His Will is way too strong."
Orochimaru makes some hand signs to control Hashirama.
Crack… crack…
Cracks appear on Hashirama's body as he breaks free from Orochimaru's control.
"Huh!"
Jiraiya stares at Hashirama with wide-eyes.
"Lo… Lord First! Are you in control?"
Hmm…
Hashirama waves his hand as he struggles to get his motor sense.
"Yes, it's me. I am back in control. But it will take me a while to control my body."
Hashirama continues to attack Jiraiya.
"That's a relief. We have to stop Orochimaru from further waging destruction on the village."
Jiraiya anxiously turns towards Hashirama as he repels his attacks.
"No… I need to talk about something more important. I trust in Saru's abilities."
Hashirama's expression turns serious.
Gulp…
Jiraiya gulps his saliva as he stops.
Hashirama turns towards the direction of Izuna's and Jigen's battle.
"Who is the person fighting against that monk?" Hashirama points his finger towards Izuna.
Jiraiya notices Izuna fighting against the cloaked figure. He is unable to see the face of the figure.
"That is Izuna-kun… I mean Izuna Uchiha. He is a disciple of your Granddaughter Tsunade."
Jiraiya informs Hashirama.
"You mean Tsuna…"
"Yes." Jiraiya nods his head.
"I am her old teammate, Jiraiya. Together with Tsunade and that guy Orochimaru; we learned under the guidance of Sarutobi Sensei."
"I see." Hashirama nods his head as he continues to fight with Jiraiya.
"He is fighting evenly against that monster… but I don't think he has a chance to win."
Hashirama murmurs to himself.
"Huh! Did you say something?" Jiraiya asks Hashirama as he blocks another attack.
"Tell me more about the Uchiha boy?"
"Well…"
Jiraiya scratches his head as he informs Hashirama.
"That Uchiha boy is a genius. A one of kind genius. He became a genin at the age of 5, chunnin by 8. At the age of 8, he partook in the Third Ninja War and earned a name for himself…"
Jiraiya narrates Izuna's feats.
"No matter what the era, conflicts, and wars always exist." Hashirama shakes his head.
"Perhaps my old friend was right. Maybe I was too naïve back then. I found Konoha to prevent young children from facing the dangers of war, and yet even in this era, the young ones are still exposed to the atrocities of war."
Sigh…
Hashirama sighs as he and Jiraiya continues to battle.
"… later he became an anbu at the age of 10 where he lost his mentor and the village lost its Fourth Hokage." Jiraiya sighs as the memories of Minato and Kushina floods his mind.
"So, who is the current Hokage? If the Fourth died early, then the current Hokage must be Fifth." Hashirama turns to Jiraiya.
"It is Tsunade. She is the Fifth Hokage."
"What? Tsuna… Tsuna is the Fifth Hokage. My VILLAGE!!"
Hashirama clutches his forehead as he enters a depressed state.
"Lord First! We have to stop them from destroying the village." Jiraiya anxiously reminds him.
"I can't do much in my current state. I can't even use half of my strength. This body is too weak to handle my chakra. It will disintegrate if I exert my chakra." Hashirama shakes his head.
He turns towards Izuna's and Jigen's fight.
"What I am more worried about is the outcome of that fight? If that Uchiha boy loses to that Monk, then the village is in far greater danger than what your friend Orochimaru can do!" Hashirama continues to watch the battle.
"In my current state, I would only be a hindrance to that Uchiha boy. Somehow, that boy reminds me of my old friend, Madara. Haha…"
Hashirama chuckles.
"…"
Jiraiya silently nods his head.
"Lor… Lord First! Can you tell me more about that person who is fighting against Izuna-kun? You said he is a far greater danger than Orochimaru." Jiraiya inquires.
"He indeed is. Can you tell the cause of my death?" Hashirama asks a weird question.
"Uh!!... Your death. As far as village records, you died fighting in the First Shinobi War. The shinobis of all other nations who considered you as a far greater threat joined hands to assassinate you. They outnumbered you." Jiraiya reveals the facts to Hashirama.
"Haha… those kids from other villages. How could they possess a threat to me? Haha…"
Hashirama chuckles as he shakes his head.
Gulp…
"Then… did you win against them?" Jiraiya raises a question.
"Of course, I did. It was not that great of a challenge. Subduing Madara with Nine-tails was more challenging than that fight." Hashirama laughs.
"Then… then how did you lose your life?" Jiraiya waits for a response.
"Hmm… during the aftermath of the First Shinobi War, when all other villages ganged up on me, I repelled their collective effort and almost ended the war. While on my way to the village, I noticed traces of a strange kind of chakra seeping into the ground.
Out of curiosity, I tracked the traces of chakra…"
Rumble… Rumble…
A shock wave travels through the ground as a giant Susanoo appears in their vision. The Susanoo is silver with golden bracers and has a pair of katanas.
Hashirama pauses as he lifts his head.
"What strong chakra?! This boy is on par with me at such a young age. To fight against him, I would have to resort to Sage Mode to gain equal footing." Hashirama remarks.
"What?!"
Jiraiya's eyes widen from the revelation.
"Lord First… you mean to say that… that boy can rival you in power."
"Yes… he is almost as strong as me during my peak. If he survives this ordeal, then I can rest in peace, knowing the village has such a powerful protector." Hashirama nods his head.
"… anyway, where were we? Ah! Yes… yes. I tracked the traces of the chakra to the Land of Ancestor, which was quite close to the battlefield.
The chakra led to a cavern. I tried to enter the cavern, but there was a strong barrier cast at the entrance of the cavern.
Out of curiosity, I tried to force my way through the barrier, but I felt a sense of danger never like before. Before I could do anything, a black rod pierced through my body. It drained me of my chakra and I lost my consciousness. The last thing I remember was the sinister chakra emitting from the rod."
Hashirama points towards the monk fighting with Izuna.
"The person who is fighting against that Uchiha boy has the same chakra signature I sensed before I was assassinated."
Whoosh…
Jigen flickers in front of Izuna and prepares to kick him.
Swoosh…
"Power Release: Asura's cloak"
Izuna enters in his power release form and avoids the kick. He gets behind Jigen and clenches his fist and gathers chakra in it.
"Sage Art: Super Compression Vacuum Fist"
Bang…
He releases a strong chakra wave from his tenketsu points. The chakra waves take the shape of a giant fist construct and slams into Jigen.
BOOOOMMM...
Jigen is sent flying into a nearby hill. The upper half of the hill explodes as a giant crater appears at its place.
BANG... BANG... BANG...
Jigen continues to slam through multiple hill.
Bang...
He slams into another hill as dust and debris rises in the ground.
'Most of my ninjutsu techniques would be useless against him. He can absorb my jutsu and use against me. I can't give him any opportunity to retaliate.'
Izuna makes some hand signs and opens his mouth.
"Sage Art: White Rage Technique"
He expels a giant crimson dragon from his mouth. The snake holds a purple orb in its hand as it moves towards Jigen.
Ptui...
Jigen slowly stands up as he spits out a mouthful of blood. There is a large fist mark on his chest.
Swoosh...
The fist mark on his chest closes as he slowly stands up. Jigen raises his head and confronts the incoming attack.
"If this is the extent of your power, then you don't stand a chance... Izuna Uchiha."
Jigen stretches his arm in front of his chest as he prepares to shrink the jutsu.
"Release"
Izuna immediately makes a Ram seal and releases the jutsu.
Crack… crack…
The crimson dragon crushes the purple orb.
BOOOOMMM*
The orb flashes a blinding light which engulfs the entire mountain.
Scree…
The dragon releases a deafening sound from his mouth. The powerful screech blows away the nearby tree and casts a powerful genjutsu because of the intensity of the resulting vibrations.
BOOOMMMM*
The intense sound vibrations slam into Jigen as his body throbs violently.
Drip… drip…
Jigen touches his ears as blood drips from them.
Bleurgh…
Izuna coughs a little blood as a result of the backlash of the jutsu.
'These Sage Arts of Ryuchi Cave are quite powerful. But they also have a side-effect on the user.'
Wham…
The deafening pulse travels around Jigen and traps him in a genjutsu.
"This is my opportunity."
Izuna stands up and clasps his hand together.
"Sage Art: Wood Release: Gate of the Great God"
Izuna clasps his right wrist and stretches his arm outward.
Whoosh…
He motions it downward.
BANG…
A giant tori gate falls from the sky and crushes Jigen.
BANG… BANG… BANG…
Multiple Tori gates fall one after another and trap Jigen.
"Not yet."
Whoosh… whoosh…
Izuna creates four shadow clones. He nods towards the clones.
The clones dash around the Tori gate and get into a formation.
"Space-Time Technique: Dimensional Ensnarement"
Izuna creates a space-time sealing barrier with Fuinjutsu seals.
Whoosh...
He flickers towards the Tori gates and makes some hand signs.
"Dark Release: Corrosion shackles"
The clones create four shackles and bind Jigen.
'He isn't utilizing his ability to shrink objects to get rid of Tori gates. Maybe it has a certain limit to it or it is on a cooldown of some sort.
I don't know to what extent has he recovered. But he is nowhere near the combat prowess he showed in his fight against Sasuke and Naruto.
I won't take any risks. If I can finish him here, then I will get rid of one of my problems.'
Izuna analyses Isshiki's ability as he prepares for his next attack.
Whoosh…
He summons the Eighth Mist blade from his storage.
"This weapon has enough power to slay a god. The owner of this blade used it to kill some Otsutsukis. That's what the Snake Sage told me."
Izuna remembers the information about the blade revealed by the White Snake Sage.
He wields the great sword and dashes towards Jigen.
"It's time to end this."
Izuna swings the blade at an incapacitated Jigen.
"Your futile efforts are praiseworthy. But you underestimate me."
Fwoosh…
Jigen's right eye changes into his unique Dojutsu as eight spokes appear in his right eye.
"Daikokuten"
Jigen murmurs silently.
Swoosh...
A large disturbance occurs in space-time as time slightly slows down.
Swirl...
A black swirling portal opens in front of Jigen's right eye's focal point.
BANG… BANG…
Multiple black rods instantly appear in front of Izuna as they attack him from all angles.
'Damn, they are too fast to track. Even with my Mangekyo Sharingan, I can't track and avoid all of them in time. I have to resort to it."
Izuna infuses large amounts of chakra in his left eye as he activates his Mangekyo ability.
"Amenominakanushi"
Shoom…
The time slows down around Izuna as the black rods appear in slow-motion to him.
"Sage Art: Dark Metal Slash"
Izuna coats his hands with metal release chakra and turn them into a blade.
Clank… clank… clank…
He deflects all of them and points his blade towards Jigen.
"I can say the same to you. Don't underestimate me." Izuna remarks as he swings the blade towards Jigen's neck.
'I can't maintain this ability for a long time. It requires an enormous amount of chakra and concentration.'
Hmm…
Jigen notices the unusual movement in space-time with his Dojutsu. He ignores Izuna's attack and remark.
"Oh!... You possess the ability to wield a concept. It is such a low-level, but it is still there, nonetheless."
'I never expected a member of the Branch family to possess such power. Maybe if I feed him to the ten-tails, then it might be able to bear a complete chakra fruit.'
Jigen clenches his fists and punches the stacked Tori seals.
BANG...
A large explosion occurs at his position as shockwaves travels through space.
BAM...
The shockwaves pushes Izuna back.
Crack… crack…
Several cracks appear on the Tori gates as they start to break apart.
"I am not done yet."
Izuna takes a deep breath and makes multiple hand signs.
"Artic Release: Hailstorm of Frost Flames"
He spews out blue flames from his mouth. The flames burn on top of the Tori gate and freeze instantly encasing them in ice.
Bang…
Jigen punches them again.
Crack... crack...
Some slight cracks on the ice but it holds up.
'Interesting…'
Jigen turns to Izuna as his right eye revolves slightly.
'Kama Rift'
Whoosh…
Jigen's body is enveloped in a black portal as he disappears from his place. The shackles holding Jigen's body fade away as the shadow clones dispel.
"What?!"
Izuna's eyes widens in surprise.
"Where would he attack from? Top, bottom, left, right?"
Izuna warily inspects his surroundings.
"Daikokuten"
Several portals appear around Izuna as many ultra-high-speed projectiles aim at him.
"Crap!... Susanoo: Yata No Kagami"
Izuna instantly summons his Susanoo and encases his body into the Yata shield.
BAM… BAM… BAM…
The barrage of high-speed black rods collides with his shield.
Crack… crack…
Cracks appear on his shield as the onslaught of black rod continues.
Izuna's expression turns ugly.
'At this rate, I won't be able to hold out for too long. I have to do something.'
He reinforces his shield with Sage chakra and makes one hand sign.
'Metal Release: Mineral Wall'
Izuna slams his palm on the ground. Large amounts of minerals rise from the earth and form a wall to block the black rods.
Whoosh…
Jigen teleports behind Izuna.
BANG…
He kicks Izuna's Susanoo.
Rumble… rumble…
Cracks appear on Izuna's Susanoo as it shatters into countless fragments.
Bleurgh…
Izuna pukes out a mouthful of blood as the black chakra rod pierces his body. His body is pinned against the hill as he struggles to knead his chakra.
Swish…
The black rods rapidly drain his chakra.
Cough… cough…
Izuna coughs another mouthful of blood as he stares at Jigen.
Jigen slowly walks up to Izuna and grabs him by the neck and lifts him.
"You bear a mighty fate… a star of change."
Jigen suriously inspects Izuna with his Right eye.
"... I can see it clearly with my eyes. Yet the fate of all genes… all beings is predestined. And your fate is… you will die by my hands and act as fodder for my clan. So long!"
Jigen's right eye changes slightly as he opens a Kama rift.
--
A few moments earlier,
Inside Konoha,
Mei grabs Chojuro from the arena and flickers towards Ao. She hands over Chojuro to Ao.
"Ao! Take care of this kid and our people." She turns around and prepares to leave.
"But… Mizukage-sama! What about you? Where are you going? Your safety is my priority."
Ao blocks her way.
"Ao! I am the Mizukage. But I am also a woman who fell in love with a man. How can I rest easy when my lover's life is in danger? Ao! You won't understand my feelings; my pain.
I can't lose any of my loved ones, and that includes Izuna."
Mei has a serious expression on her face.
Gulp…
Ao gulps his saliva as he is at a loss for words. He gets out of her way.
"Take care… Mizukage-sama!"
Whoosh…
Mei flickers towards the location of Izuna and Jigen's fight.
In the audience hall,
Akira, Yagami, Aiko, Fumiko and Mito sense the genjutsu cast around them.
Whoosh…
Akira and Yagami immediately jump from their seat as they block attacks from nearby Sound and Suna ninjas.
Akira turns towards the ladies.
"We will stop these invaders. The rest of you evacuate to the safe shelter."
"We understand."
Aiko picks up Ayaka and flickers towards the shelter. Mito and Fumiko follow her as they evacuate nearby civilians.
"Mom! Will Onii-chan be alright?"
Ayaka asks Aiko in fear.
"Yes! your brother will be alright. He is very strong, after all."
Aiko caresses Ayaka's head as she turns towards the direction of the battle.
'I hope you will be alright… son. Somehow, I have a bad feeling about it.'
--
Inside the arena,
"Huh! Nani?!... Nani?! What's going on?" Naruto turns around as he notices nearby people falling asleep one after another.
"Naruto... here this chiiippp..."
Choji falls asleep as he passes a chip to Naruto.
"Oye Choji!" Naruto grabs Choji's collar and shakes him.
"Give it up, Naruto. He won't wake up." Sasuke shakes his head.
"Look there." Sasuke points towards the sky.
Naruto raises his head and notices white feathers falling from the sky.
"Genjutsu!"
"Yes, it is a genjutsu and a pretty powerful one at that." Sasuke nods his head.
"I will look around for help meanwhile you try to wake others."
Sasuke flickers away.
"What should we do, Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asks them.
"Oh, Sakura! You didn't fall in genjutsu." Naruto turns to Sakura.
"I wonder why." Sakura cluelessly scratches her head.
"Enough of that, we have to try to wake others." Sasuke stops them.
"Oye Choji... wake up!" Naruto yells in Choji's ears.
Slap...
Choji swats away Naruto's hand and turns around.
"It's not working." Naruto helplessly turns to Sasuke.
"Why not try to wake him by food?" Sakura suggests.
"That's a good idea." Naruto nods his head.
He picks up a nearby packet of chips and opens it. He brings it near Choji's nose to entice him.
Sniff... sniff...
Choji's nose twitches as the fragrance of chips enters his nose.
Swoosh...
Choji grabs the packet and empties all of its content in his mouth before closing it.
Chomp... chomp... gulp...
He chews the chips and swallows them.
Burp...
Choji burps loudly.
"..."
"He isn't waking up."
Naruto gives up.
"Naruto, Sakura... both of you broke free from genjutsu."
Sasuke arrives with Kakashi as Kakashi remarks.
"Eh Sensei! This genjutsu didn't have any effect on me." Naruto remarks.
"I see." Kakashi nods in understanding.
'It must be Nine-tails. But what about Sakura?'
Whoosh... clank...
Kakashi blocks an attack from a nearby enemy.
"Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura... dispel the genjutsu and wake up the rest of your friends. They will be a great help in evacuating the rest of the citizens in the arena." Kakashi remarks as he blocks another attack with his kunai.
"But... but... Sensei. I don't know how to dispel a genjutsu."
Naruto cluelessly stares at Kakashi.
"I also have no clue, how to dispel genjutsu for others."
Sasuke shakes his head.
"Me too." Sakura chimes in.
"This..." Kakashi has an awkward expression.
'I never taught them anything. I thought Izuna trained them in everything. Looks like I have to teach them again.'
"Anyway... you six carry the rest of your friends to shelter." Kakashi orders them.
"Six!" The group questions him.
"Shikamaru, Shino, Neji, three of you can drop the act. Help them carry others." Kakashi turns towards another corner.
"What a drag!" Shikamaru opens his eyes.
"Yes, Sensei!" Neji nods his head.
He gently picks up Hinata and places her on his shoulders.
"I will take care of Hinata-sama."
Whoosh...
He flickers towards the shelter.
"I will carry Kiba." Shino picks up Kiba and Akamaru.
"Leave Ino to me." Shikamaru quickly picks up Ino and dashes towards the shelter.
"I will take care of Lee." Sasuke carries Lee.
"Then I will carry Tenten." Sakura carries Tenten.
"You guys! Why would you leave this fatty to me?" Naruto helplessly stares at their back.
Yosha...
He picks up Choji and places him on his back.
"Damn! So heavy. This fatty is so heavy. He is even heavier than the boulder Izuna Nii-san made me carry."
Naruto carries Choji towards the shelter.
--
In the inner sanctum of the village.
Fugaku and the Uchiha Police Force are engaged in a fight against the Suna and Sound invaders.
Fugaku fights against the Suna elder Jōseki.
"Captain! One of them escaped. An old lady escaped from our grasp." One of the Uchiha Police Officer informs Fugaku as he fights against other invaders.
"Sakumo-san is holding the fort back there. But to be sure, send a few men to monitor that old lady.
Also, maintain your distance from her. She may be old, but she is very dangerous." Fugaku orders them.
"Yes, Captain." The Police officer nods his head as he sends three people on Chiyo's trail.
In the center of the village,
Haha...
"Eat this... White Fang!" Chiyo weaves her hand as puppets number 6,7 and 8 align themselves in a triangular position.
"Three Jewels Suction Crushing"
The three puppets open their mechanism and invoke a terrifying suction force that pulls everything towards itself in a large radius.
Trees, rooftops, and various other objects fly towards the puppet. The puppets grind everything into dust and eject everything from their back with tremendous force.
Clank...
Sakumo infuses chakra in his blade and stabs it into the hard pavement to prevent himself from being sucked into the death grinder.
"Haha... White Fang, I will finally have my revenge."
Chiyo weaves her hand as another puppet appears behind Sakumo.
"Now die."
The puppet opens its mouth and fires explosive chakra bombs at Sakuma.
Snap...
Sakumo bites his thumb.
BOOM...
A gigantic cloud of dust and debris rises in the air as Sakumo is caught in the middle of the explosion.
Whoosh... Whoosh...
The Uchiha Police Officers catch up with Chiyo as they witness the fight.
Gulp...
One of them gulps his saliva as he remarks.
"This old lady is really something. She is overpowering Sakumo-san."
"Don't underestimate Sakumo-san. He is the hero of the village. He won't go down that easily." Another Police Officer remarks.
"Hey! Both of you, stop bickering among yourself. Look, that boy is still there."
The third member of the group points towards a tree at some distance from Chiyo and Sakumo.
"Let's capture that boy. He must be someone important to that old lady to bring him to this battle. We might get an advantage if we held him hostage." He suggests to his group.
"Very well... let's capture that boy."
Whoosh... whoosh...
Three of them flickers towards Gaara's location. They silently sneak behind Gaara and attacks him.
Swoosh...
A swathe of sand blocks them and defend Gaara.
Ah...
Gaara turns around and notices them.
"Are you people also send by my father?" Gaara questions them.
"This boy is not normal. He blocked our strike from his blind spot."
The members of Uchiha Police take out their kunai and activate their Sharingan, ready to fight Gaara.
"Looks can be deceiving. Take Captain Izuna, Shisui, and Itachi, for example. We can't go easy on him because he is a kid. Attack with your full power and incapacitate him quickly." The Third member orders his teammates.
Whoosh... whoosh... whoosh...
All three of them attack Gaara from three different spots.
"So, father sent you to kill me... just like the rest of them. It was a lie... when he said he will bring me some friends... all of it was a lie. NOOO..."
Gaara clutches his head as sands rise around him.
Swish... swish... swish...
The sand turns into two giant claws and attacks the Uchiha group.
Whoosh...
The group dodges the sand attack as they stare at Gaara in horror.
"The chakra this boy is emitting... there is no doubt about it. This boy is that mentally unstable jinchuruki of sand. Sunagakure plans to have their jinchuruki rampage in our village."
Their expression turns ugly as they figure out Suna's intention.
"Oye Reo! We will try to hold him back for a moment. Inform the captain."
Two of them turn towards their de facto leader.
"But..."
"No... buts... the safety of the village is at stake. Don't worry about us, we will pull it somehow." They push Reo away.
"Stay alive, you two..."
Reo flickers away from them.
'I must hurry. I won't allow them to die here.'
"Good thing, he is gone, Atsushi." One of them turns towards his partner.
"Yes, he has more talent than us. But he is still younger than us, Isao." Atsushi nods his head.
"Oye! We are also young. I am only twenty years old; you know." Isao argues.
"Yes... yes, we are. We were in the same class as Captain Izuna. I wonder if he still remembers us." Atsushi turns to Isao.
"I guess not. Captain is one of a kind genius. He graduated in around six months. I don't think he has any memory of us." Isao shakes his head.
"Enough... let's hold this beast at bay."
ROAR...
More and more sand shrouds Gaara as he loses his humanoid form.
Swish... swish...
The sand monster waves its hand and fires multiple high-speed sand projectiles at them.
Whoosh... whoosh...
Both of them dodge the attack and appear on the opposite side of the monster.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu"
They fire a giant fireball at the sand monster.
Swoosh...
The sand monster waves its tail and disperse one fireball.
'Sand Bullet'
It opens its mouth and fires a sand bullet and disperse the fireball in its front.
"Wide range jutsu won't work. We have to use small-range jutsu." Isao suggests.
