{A/N}

My apologies. I said this chapter would be done within two days, but I had no time to finish it properly until now.

This chapter was initially attached to the previous one, but given its absurd size, I cut it in half.

I really want to get this arc done and over with, because this is where the divergence really begins, and I can do what I want. Anyway, not much else to say.

{TI Department}

August 10th.

Line break.

Orito Norishige, a rather adept fuinjutsu specialist, looked at the work put in for the suppression of Suna's Jinchuuriki. The design was a bit rushed, but the numerical pattern was flawless nonetheless. He was truly proud.

He'd never worked so fast and so hard in his life; he swore that was the case. The pride he felt in his team was boundless.

You see, he'd received orders from the Anbu captain coming directly from the Anbu commander that the plan to seal Suna's Jinchuuriki had to be changed due to complications with the seal on their enemy. This meant preparing for a sit-in session, one that gave them time to come up with a way to properly deal with a crumbling seal.

"Well, now. That was intense." Orito chuckled, leaning on a table with one hand. "What's the next move, then?"

The female member of the team, Maki, spoke up. "We wait until they get here and hope this is enough to hold the guy down. Our job is done." She said with pride.

"Actually, it's not."

The fuinjutsu team all turned to the balcony of the lab, the source of the voice.

It was Danzo. The man was flanked by three Anbu with their heads lowered to him as they looked down from the balcony at the group. "how long did it take for you to design this?" The old man said with a bit of curiosity, gesturing to the massive design on the floor. "I know the process usually takes a whole day."

The team looked at each other uncomfortably. "It was pre-drawn, sir. We simply modified it to-"

"That's all I wanted to know." Dano cut off. "There has been a change of plans. Since Inoichi is too busy to oversee this operation, I am taking over."

They looked at one another before Maki stepped up, an unamused expression on her features. "Now, hold on. What do you mean by change of plans?"

"We are going to turn Suna's weapon against them. We are taking Shukaku for ourselves." Danzo said.

Orito shook his head with a disbelieving chuckle. "You must be kidding." He said.

Danzo's stone-cold features said otherwise, and he couldn't help but be frustrated. "You just heard her. It's only pre-drawn with some modifications, and the process itself has a whole day's worth of prep work to even get close to it. We can't simply change what we've done here. Not with the extraction team minutes away!"

"You may be unable to perform this task, but I can." Said a voice coming out the hall Danzo just came from. Orito's eyes widened before they narrowed in anger.

An older gentleman named Kazuto appeared, Danzo's personal fuinjutsu expert. Orito gritted his teeth in frustration at his arrival, hating the arrogant prick with a passion, while Danzo seemed rather satisfied with this outcome. The old man gestured to the team. "Begin your prep work for extraction. You will be working under Kazuto. His word is law aside from mine. Get to work."

Maki looked at Danzo incredulously. "Excuse me?!"

"Did you forget you are dealing with your superior officer? You will do as you're told. Now scrap that drivel and begin your preparations!" Kazuto said with authority.

The group was stunned as Danzo took his leave. Orito shook his head, his mind running with how many things could go wrong with this. This is an absolute fool's errand! There was no time for something like this!

The group watched as Kazuto made his way into the large circle with a confident smile on his features and took a cloth. He tossed Maki a cloth and crossed his arms. "Clean this up. We are drawing my version of the seal. It will make extraction go smoothly.

She glared at the old man and got to work, the others doing the same.

For the sake of ensuring that, at the very least, the enemy Jinchuuriki is taken care of as quickly as possible, Orito didn't protest and started working in haste, all while cursing the higher-ups for turning on their heel so fast at a time like this.

Line break.

{Tenka Stadium}

Neji stared at his hands, a look of distress and shock on his features. He can't feel them. He can't even move them. He knows he's in immense pain. They were shivering, trembling from the burns of Hinata's flames. But even so, it was as though they weren't his anymore.

He looked up at the one who did this to him, glaring at Hinata with as much hate as he could muster. He can't fight her like this. Everything he is, all his ability comes not from his eyes but his hands.

Hinata stared at the damage with as much surprise as anyone else. It was not what she was expecting. Her flames bypassed Neji's rotation technique, something she was confident would happen. However, She didn't think her ethereal side of flames would do as much damage as it did.

Line break.

{The stands}

Higashi rose from his seat along with the other branch members, all of them gasping at what they just witnessed.

"No... No! NO! Damn that brat!" Yelled Higashi, raging at Hinata. "She's just like him! I knew she'd do something like this!"

Hayato Hyuga, a fellow branch member, flinched away from the raging elder. 'Higashi, I warned you what would happen if you pushed them too far.' She thought in sorrow, feeling sad for Neji since he also helped raise him, but also feeling guilt for abandoning Hinata at Higashi's behest. Seeing the girl change into Hiroshi and Neji into Higashi is a terrible omen that reflects this clan's greatest flaw. The inheriting of hate and resentment.

Line break.

Kurenai covered her mouth in shock and horror, and Kiba hollered in cheer, not realizing the damage done to the other Hyuga nor caring.

Tenten gasped in shock and shook her head, not believing what she was seeing. 'That evil bitch!' She thought to herself.

Kakashi sighed at the sight and put away his Sharingan, while Gai could only stare on in total silence, his mouth agape. "That looks really bad." Said the silver-haired shinobi.

Asuma didn't utter a word. He just stood there with a neutral expression. This is what he feared could happen. All around, the crowd cheered, either not understanding or not caring. It was the shinobi in the crowd who were silent and worried.

Even Choji paused his snacking, not having expected such a brutal climax, whereas Ino gasped in shock.

Kakashi glanced down at Sakura and saw her glancing around. She's been like this since coming to his side.

He knew she wasn't paying as much attention to the fight as she could because she knew of the invasion, so he let it be. So long as he was beside her, nothing would happen. He'll make sure of it personally.

Line break.

{Daimyo's box.}

Masuda jumped for joy at his betrothed's victory, and his father shook his head at the sight.

'What a twisted way to end things.' He thought silently. It was a tragedy, but one he wasn't concerned about in the slightest, not when he had other issues on his plate. Judging from the way the crowd cheered, nor did the people. 'Great. My son will have to deal with familial politics on top of having a potentially ruthless bride.'

Line break.

{The competitor's box}

"Damn. That was brutal." Shikamaru said silently.

Shino nodded, worried about Hinata now. There's no way she'd have done that on purpose. He's certain of it.

'Should I move to help her? It's what she did for me when I blew up the sound-nin's arms. It's the least I can do.' Shino thought to himself.

Given the fact that his match is right after hers, he decided now was the time to catch her before he fights Shikamaru. He wasn't about to let her beat herself over something that he was sure was an accident.

With that, he stood up and left the box, going down the hall, leaving Shikamaru wondering where he was off to.

Meanwhile, Sasuke replayed the fight between the two Hyuga in his head, measuring himself against Hinata in case they ever got to fight. However, he knew there were complications to getting that far in the exams, given the impending invasion, so he shook his head and followed after Shino, but not to help Hinata. He was going to make himself comfortable in the stands. After all, Naruto surely accomplished the task of delivering Gaara, meaning he won't be fighting in the exams. A sacrifice he didn't want to dwell on.

Shikamaru couldn't help but shake his head when he saw this. This left him with a stressed-out-looking Temari, and that's it.

'I guess everyone is doing their own thing. What a drag. It's empty in here now.'

Line break.

{The VIP stands}

The main family all stood, and though no one cheered, there were prideful, smug, or gleeful looks on their face. The elders were elated, feeling that Hinata just dished out the perfect punishment. It was like Clipping a bird's wings. The irony was delicious.

Hanabi felt none of the joy the elders were experiencing. This was a dark and enlightening experience. It was the most exposure she's had to their nature outside of being forced to spar in front of them. She didn't like what she saw.

Hiashi, on the other hand, felt guilt beyond what he felt he could handle. His brother's only child, his very own nephew, crippled at the hands of his daughter. Regardless of the treatment the boy dished out on her, this was too much.

Line break.

{The arena}

"Y-...You must be satisfied with this outcome." He whispered, his voice choked up with a mix of emotions he can't put into words. He looked at her with a defeated smile. "You got to get your revenge against me. Like always, you main family bastards got your way!"

She didn't say anything. She just stared at the damage with a twinge of regret but mostly pity.

This only pissed Neji off.

"Don't give me that look! This was no accident, you witch! This was a part of the plan from the start, wasn't it?! This is your family's work! I will never forgive this!" Neji yelled, angry tears stinging his eyes. He felt his chest tighten as he tried to move his arms. It only sent pain throughout his shoulders.

She remained silent before turning to where Higashi was sitting, the man pacing and panicking at the result, yelling and cursing the main family.

She looked down at Neji's hands and saw how they were limp and twitching. She couldn't say anything. What was there to say? She wanted to hurt him, but she had no idea she had the capacity to do this kind of damage to him. She hadn't tested the full potential of the twin lions.

On one hand, she got back at both Neji and Higashi for their transgressions. On the other, she didn't want to take it as far as this. Not when she had a better option before her.

She schooled herself quickly and looked at Genma to call the match, and given the state of Neji's arms, it was for the best. Neji didn't fight him on the decision either, reaffirming his decision.

"Winner of the 2nd match of the chunin exams is Hyuuga Hinata!" Genma yelled, and the crowd erupted into applause.

Line break.

{Daimyo's box.}

Masuda cheered and stood up with an eager expression on his face.

"Father, can I go and congratulate Hinata-chan? Please?"

Hisaski shook his head. "'You'll... have plenty of time to spend with her after the exams. Give her time to rest."

Masuda gave a frown and sat down, disappointed. He knew not to argue when in the presence of important company.

Line break.

{The stands}

Tenten shot up from her seat and made to rush to the infirmary, only to feel Gai's hands on her shoulders, keeping her in place.

"Let go! I need to see him! He's hurt!" She said with angry tears.

Gai shook his head and stepped in front. "I can't let you do that. Right now, he's in the care of his family. This has become extremely complicated, Tenten."

"There's nothing complicated about what I witnessed! His bitch cousin just took his hands away from him!" She yelled, catching the attention of some of the nearby audience.

"Hey!" yelled Kiba. "Watch what you say about Hinata. She-"

"Shut the fuck up, you simp!" She snapped at him, and this caused Kiba to lose it and begin to charge at her, only to have a concerned Choji grip his jacket and hold him back.

"What was that?!" yelled Kiba, but he was promptly ignored as Asuma stepped in.

"Calm down, Tenten. Let things blow over first before you go to see him. It's a clan issue now."

"Why should that matter?! I'm his teammate! I trained with him specifically for this day! None of you understand what was just taken from him!"

Kakashi sighed as things escalated, and turned to Gai, giving him a look that told him to handle his genin quickly.

Gai gave a pained sigh and nodded. "Tenten! Listen!" his voice bellowed. "I understand your frustration, trust me. I do. But getting involved in their affairs isn't a good idea. These people are... Complicated. I don't want you getting dragged into their mess, and neither would Neji. When things blow over, I'll personally make sure you get to see him. But right now, you need to conduct yourself as a shinobi, so no tantrums."

Tenten scowled and looked down, hurt and worried sick for her teammate.

Gain took her by the shoulders and led her back to her seat. Meanwhile, Kiba wasn't over her calling his crush a bitch, and wanted vengeance for being so easily put down.

He shrugged off Choji's hold on his jacket and went to say something, but a large and rough hand took him by the shoulder and sat him back down.

He looked up to protest the treatment, but seeing an unamused Asuma made him go pale and suddenly forget his hurt pride.

Ino, feeling bad for Tenten and understanding that she obviously cares for Neji, patter her on the shoulder. "I'm sure he's gonna be alright. It might not be as bad as it looks." She said with a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

Tenten wiped her eyes and glared down at Hinata, brushing off Ino's arm. She wasn't in the mood for consolation, and Hinata didn't deserve any mercy for what she did to Neji. It was bad enough that she was sure even Lee would agree with her.

Line break.

{The arena}

A crew of medics were taking a look at Neji's injuries, carefully guiding him away. And while they implored her to follow for a check-up of her own, she wasn't having it.

Instead, she went down the hall toward the competitor's box. She needs to collect herself.

In the crowd, Hiashi stood, his face pale at what he'd witnessed, while the main family applauded Hinata's performance, some claiming it was a fitting punishment for a caged bird flying too close to the sun, as they put it. It was their understanding that Hinata clipped the wings of the branch family's prodigy.

Hiashi saw it for what it was, though. A tragedy. The result of two kids made to fight the battles the adults in their lives refuse to fight. And as a result, one of those kids has had their future stripped from them.

He turned to walk out when his father grabbed his shoulder.

"I'm coming with you."

Hiashi grit his teeth and shook his head. "That won't be necessary. I have things under control."

Hiroshi shook his head. "No. She needs to be corrected for the open criticism of the main family. You are too soft, so I will ensure she's punished accordingly. I'd rather we avoid a rebellious heiress while we can."

"Father-"

"No. Get a move on."

Hiashi was livid, but he couldn't act. Not here. Not with so many people around. Chiding the elders is one thing, but going against them is another.

He relented and walked down the hall, neither having noticed Hanabi had slipped away to see her sister first.

Hiroshi used his Byakugan to determine where both kids were in the stadium. He found Neji, and he also found Hinata not far from the competitor's box.

Before they could make their way there, Higashi blocked their path.

Hiashi stared at his father and uncle, secretly grateful that this confrontation had manifested now of all times, and slipped past his father to find Hinata.

Hiroshi smirked at his younger brother and crossed his arms.

"Was it you who shared those techniques with the boy? Or did he really learn them all on his own?"

Higashi was not in the mood for small talk. He didn't even answer the man, knowing Hiroshi would take it as confirmation regardless of whether he answered. "Your evil knows no bounds, brother, instructing the girl to destroy Neji that way, shame!" He hissed at Hiroshi.

Hiroshi shrugged, "I did no such thing. The girl harbors resentment toward you mongrels for good reason. I didn't need to do anything for that brat to provoke her. If anything, it was you encouraging Neji to destroy the girl. You nurtured Hinata's resentment toward you and the rest of the servants. Did you really think someone under my thumb would be bested by your pawn? Did you really think encouraging Neji's resentment rather than instilling obedience and loyalty would end well for you, brother?"

Higashi's face turned red with anger, and Hiroshi burst out laughing. It was a rare sight, but one only Higashi knew. This mockery was a regular thing to him. "Oh dear. All those years ago, I feared you'd turn the girl against us. But to find that, you would shoot yourself in the foot like this. My worries of potential plotting from her were... Misplaced, it seems."

"Enough! A promising young Hyuga was just-"

"A fanatic whose ambition was rightly stifled by his superior, you mean," Hiroshi said. "You people seem to forget, you are nothing but servants to the main family and nothing more."

Higashi was very close to attacking his brother but knew better. "This cruelty will be paid in blood."

Hiroshi shook his head. "You have grown bold, brother. Tell me, why do you think I've allowed for this open and rebellious behavior of yours, hm? It's the same every time in every shape and form, fool. I will always win. Even when it came to my beloved wife that you pined after-"

"DON'T YOU DARE! I will not be mocked by the likes of you. You will be punished for your actions! All of them! Karma has ordained it!" The man yelled.

Hiroshi chuckled and brushed past him. "You are not so innocent either, brother. If karma is coming for me, then it is also after you."

Higashi glared at Hiroshi as he left. "I have accepted this! I am the lesser of two evils! You hear me, Hiroshi?!"

Line break.

Hinata was trying to collect herself before making her way to the competitor's box when Hanabi came rushing down the hall unexpectedly, the girl bulleting into Hinata.

The elder sister caught her with ease, though, given how sore she was, she almost fell over.

"Ah! Hanabi!" Hinata almost whined, but the younger girl's embrace was too tight to pry the girl away. "Ugh. Hanabi-"

"Thank you for sheltering me!" The girl cried, hugging Hinata even tighter.

Hinata scowled at that. "What happened?" She asked warily.

"During the fight, you told Neji how you were abandoned. I... I didn't know that ever happened. You never bring up your younger years with me." She said softly, releasing Hinata.

Hinata brushed Hanabi's hair with her hand as her expression softened into something more gentle; her ability to suppress her feelings was chipped away by the troubled voice of her little sister.

"What did they say?" she asked carefully.

Hanabi wiped away a tear and looked at her with sad eyes. "I-I just... They said you were at fault for being a failure... But I!-

"Hanabi." Hinata silently cut her off. "We'll talk about this at home, ok? Now is not a good time."

Hanabi saw Hinata's expression become cold once again and was confused at her sister suddenly being guarded, but then she saw their father at the end of the hall.

"Hanabi. Go back to your Tutor. I need to have a word with your sister."

Hanabi looked uncertain, glancing between her father and her sister, but a subtle nod and stern look from Hinata told her to follow directions.

Hanabi gave a stiff bow and quickly made her way out of the hall, leaving only Hiashi and Hinata there.

"Follow me."

The girl nodded. "Yes, father."

Line break.

The two made their way to one of the small rooms used for medical purposes.

Hinata's arms were crossed as she looked at her father warily.

Hiashi leaned against the wall, unsure where to begin. "You... went too far. You lost control of your emotions and crippled your cousin."

Hinata had no response, so he just continued. "I understand the conflict going on between the two of you, but this reflects terribly on us. You are the heiress. You should know better than this. Neji's career as a shinobi is in danger because of this, and though I am proud of your victory over him, this was not the way to go about it."

Hinata sighed. "I agree that actions have consequences. I didn't mean to hurt him to the point of making him a cripple, but he was aiming to do the same to me the entire match. He even struck at my heart. I feel bad, but I was provoked into a more lethal battle. I'm not sorry when he was the one who-"

"Hinata." Hiashi cut off. " This is not a good enough excuse. It wasn't the blow you dealt that did him in. You lost control of your emotions. Had you maintained your composure, this would never have happened, lethal battle or not. As for some of your comments. You made your personal and ugly thoughts known to some who would exploit such a thing. That is unbecoming. You will one day lead both families, so to harbor hate for one side is..."

He stopped himself, realizing the intricacy of her relationship with the branch family. He tried to give a better and more Patriarchal solution but instinctually reverted to his clan's way of thinking. "I did not teach you to hold on to such feelings. I know Neji and the branch family hurt you in the past, but what you did is worse than that." Hiashi said.

The girl scowled. "You didn't teach me to feel a thing. I was taught to choke out all forms of weakness as both you and grandfather ordered. I took your beatings, Your scolding, and constant insults; I removed all forms of meekness and kindness that were deemed non-Hyuga! And the result was what you deemed the perfect Hyuga heiress!" She yelled in the end, her voice rising.

"I did not take away your compassion, Hinata! Your judiciousness is important!" He argued.

"It was an accident! You saw the match! You heard what he said! I'm not going to sit around and allow myself to be beaten into like in the past; I'm through with that! I'm not sorry he's a cripple! I'm only sorry I lost control! Why should I sit here and take a beating for reacting accordingly?! That's bullshit! There's no right answer! You-"

Hiashi backhanded Hinata, causing the girl to bite her lip as she fell to the ground, the man glaring down at her in a mixture of shame and anger. "Might I remind you who you are talking to, Hinata?! This backtalk will not be tolerated! I didn't raise you this way! I need you to understand that there is too much at stake here! I know about the conversation between you and Higashi, so I know there are things going on behind the scenes of which I am unaware. But you must understand the role you will play when I'm gone!"

Hinata tasted iron on her lip, and she spat. " First of all, You didn't raise me; grandfather did." The girl hissed back. " You threw me out because the elders deemed me a failure. Second of all, I don't give a shit about the supposed role I'm supposed to play, you hypocrite!"

"Excuse me?!" Hiashi bellowed, and Hinata continued.

"You said you heard what happened between me and Higashi, right?! Then you know he threatened Hanabi!"

"This isn't about Hanabi, Hinata! This is about you! Don't backtrack to something unrelated to try and justify your actions! It won't work on me!"

Hinata got up and growled, "This has everything to do with her! People continue to search for a weakness in me, trying to exploit any form of crack in my posture or composure—anything! Hagashi knows Hanabi is all I care about and understands how much of a failure you are as a parent!"

Hiashi's eyes widened in horror and rage as Hinata continued. " I even went out of my way to make sure she wouldn't be branded by simply giving up on being the heiress! Surely, if I gave into the beatings, I'd be replaced, branded, and thrown into the branch family I perceived to be more caring!"

"You what?!" Hiashi yelled, completely stunned. "What were you thinking, Hinata?!"

"I was thinking You people would do exactly as predicted! My only error was not realizing how ruthless Higashi and the branch family are. They'd sooner torture me than let me in as one of their own."

Hiashi shook his head and started pacing. "All that time?! You were acting?! Hinata! Do you realize what... No. This doesn't excuse what you've done! Neji-"

"I don't care about Neji! I never will! I care about Hanabi! That's all! If you would just protect her-"

"Enough about your sister, Hinata! You can't change her fate! Like her, you are an instrument of the clan's Ideals and tradition! If she marries, that's that. If not, she's branded! That is how it's always been!"

"I will never abandon my mother's promise. Ever. Say what you will, but it's not happening." Hinata said, her eyes filled with determination.

Hiashi shook his head. "I won't barter with you. That isn't how this works. You have damaged your standing with the branch family by doing what you've done. We can't make peace with them now-"

"Fuck them then! I don't care about that. They already ruined their standing with me! I don't care about that." Hinata growled out.

Hiashi snapped his head up at her and resisted the urge to slap her again. But he didn't. For the first time, he had the full picture. He knew where Hinata's head was and what he had to do to make things right.

She's obviously not in the mindset of listening, and given her age and gender, she's not moving from her stance. So he decided to take a breath and think.

Just as he was ready to break the silence between them, Hinata gave a stiff bow, prompting Hiashi to turn around.

Hiroshi stood at the door with his arms crossed, his expression like that of a stone-cold statue.

"Out, Hiashi. I need to speak to the heiress." The old man said sternly.

Hiashi's eyes narrowed at the elder. "I am not finished speaking to her. This is my issue, not yours."

Hiroshi saw the red mark on Hinata's cheek and raised a brow. "I think you are. I figured you'd understand that useless physical strikes against her won't work to get your point across. She is a shinobi, after all. Besides. Given what it is you are trying to... Accomplish here; I figured you'd seek out your nephew first. You might want to do that before your uncle does."

Hiashi clenched his fists, knowing he indeed needed to check on his nephew, and the sooner, the better. But this needed to be said.

"I will settle this matter later, Hinata. Make no mistake," he said sternly before leaving.

The two watched him go, and the door shut.

Hiroshi sat down on the chair, a look Hinata knew too well being on his features, and she got on her knees and bowed. "I apologize for my-"

"No need, child. I haven't even started yet." Said Hiroshi stoically.

Hinata grit her teeth but didn't move a muscle. "You remember the agreement we made? Hm? About obedience? About grace? About upholding the reputation and prestige of the main family?!" The man said, yelling at the end.

"Yes," she whispered.

"And you remember what I said would happen to your sister if you ever went against what is expected of you?"

"Yes." She said shakily, fearing what he would say next.

"I suppose you believed your betrothal to the son of the esteemed Fire Lord makes you invincible, yes? You think your comments about us would go unpunished? Blaming us for your pitiful development and mocking the revelation of Neji attaining something he shouldn't? The sheer gall!"

The man got up from the chair, his eyes wide with anger and judgment. "I warned you what would happen if you ever veered from the path we set you on. I did. But it seems your childishness couldn't be stamped out." He hissed, the man shaking his head.

"Hanabi is now on the table. The agenda of the elder council has changed, I'm afraid. We will be pushing for the caged bird seal to be placed on the girl." Hiroshi said with a cold stare.

"Hang on!" The girl suddenly yelled, getting to her feet. "That's not what-"

"It doesn't matter now, Hinata. You are out of control and need to be reminded of your place." Hiroshi said.

She glared hatefully at him. "If you do that, there will be no stopping me from dismantling you completely and thoroughly!" She hissed out.

Hiroshi smirked. "We both know Higashi is a master manipulator. He would turn her against you well before you'd be allowed to take power and visit her."

Her hand twitched, and she nearly lunged for his throat but knew better. He's too skilled for something like that, and she's too tired.

"Today, thanks to you, she was exposed to the harsh truth about the main family. And well before she could be fully indoctrinated as I wished. You let your... Poultry emotions get in the way of your match, and instead of simply crushing your lesser, you allowed those ugly feelings of our esteemed clan to rear their ugly head. You aren't even fit to be the heiress in spite of your skill. You were born the wrong gender for it. We go against tradition by even naming you our next leader."

Hinata was paralyzed with anxiety as he continued. "I must commend you, though. You punished Neji in a way I myself wouldn't have thought to. For that, the door is open for... reconciliation. You have a lot of making up to do if you wish for your sister's status to remain relevant. Until then, she's no longer under my protection."

Hiroshi turned on his heel and left the room, leaving Hinata alone. She felt stupid for underestimating the pettiness of her family. Of course, they'd lash out at even the smallest slight against them, imaginary or not.

When the door closed, tears of anger and frustration welled up, and she paced the room, trying to calm down. 'Shit, Shit! SHIT! All that work! All my struggle to get to the position I was in and one fight just threw all of it out the window. One moment of anger, and now Hanabi will have to pay the price! Dammit! Why didn't I shut my mouth and just fight?!'

She turned and slammed her fist into the wall, cracking it, before she hissed in pain, holding her hand.

She had half a mind to trash the room to get rid of her pent-up stress but decided against it.

Outside, Shino wanted to help, but his name was being announced to start the next match.

He grit his teeth and adjusted his glasses. She was dealing with clan matters and could use a shoulder to lean on. Unfortunately, there isn't time.

'Sit tight, Hinata. I'll be there soon.'

Line break.

{The stands}

Last Kabuto heard from Kimimaro; he was engaging the anbu to get to Gaara in the slums. Now, for whatever reason, he can't reach him. On top of that? Orochimaru just gave orders to troops he wasn't aware they even had and didn't tell him anything about it. Another layer to his master's plan he isn't privy to.

Kabuto was simply left to pick the pieces up and accept that the plan has gone to shit. No comms or not, a skirmish in the slums will be detected no matter what he does. It's basically over now.

"The Jinchuuriki has been compromised, Pakura, so we're going to need to go for plan B. It's time for scorched earth to be executed. No one is to be spared. Disrupt what makes Konoha successful. Their future and wealth are our targets." He said through his communications.

For Pakura, it almost came out static since he was almost out of range, but she heard him nonetheless. It made her pause.

Line break.

{Pakura POV}

"Wait. What?" Pakura asked, tryig to understand what Kabuto was saying.

"Scorched earth, Pakura, Scorched earth," Kabuto said through his comms.

"But that was reserved for after-"

"There's no time to explain! Just do it when the time is right! Order the bombers into the village!."

Pakura could only shake her head in disbelief, but since the Kazekage ordered her to take orders from this guy, she reluctantly obeyed.

Line break.

{Konoha intelligence division}

Inoichi paced the room in thought when Shimon yelled. "Captain Yamanaka! It's active! We're in business! Jiraiya did it!"

Inoichi sprung into action then and there, the pit in his stomach being replaced with a sense of relief. "Finally!" He hissed in frustration. "Jump to it, everyone! I want an update on all foreign personnel, and I mean all! Move our units accordingly to intercept! Once you have, we'll attack! Kanda! Once they're done, I want the evacuation route updated! The engagement area has changed! Tanji! Start broadcasting our network out ASAP! Make sure everyone can effectively communicate!"

"On it!" the room collectively shouted, getting to work.

Inoichi knew they needed to act fast before it was too late. Thirty minutes with both their main and backup sensor networks down? It's a miracle they were able to do what they could, given the circumstances. Inoichi knew they were already under attack, he just needed to know from where.

"C-captain! Bad, bad news!"

"What is it?!" The man yelled, jumping down the flight of stairs to check out the water sphere.

A Yamanaka clansman handed him his headgear, and Inoichi put it on with haste, only to give a silent gasp of shock and horror.

So much is going on all at once. The slums looked to be where chakra was being discharged regularly, and he knew why. The retrieval squad was engaged under their nose. On top of that, there were multiple unique signatures scattered throughout commercial zones. But worst of all, there seemed to be a shinobi platoon waiting to strike the most important place in Konoha. The academy.

"Shit! They have their blade pointed at our jugular." He whispered as he got a better grasp of how the enemy troops were placed around Konoha.

Line break.

{Jiraiya POV}

Jiraiya sighed and made the clean hands gesture as he finished destroying the disrupter.

"All in a day's work, eh, boss?" Gama said in an amused tone.

Jiraiya shook his head. "No. This is just the beginning. There is much to do now that I'm free to move about."

Gama nodded. "Agreed. Shall we get back to Lord Hokage?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "No. First things first. We need to check in on Naruto to see if he's planted the seal on Gaara yet. Only then can I really move about."

Gama nodded and watched as the man set the deceased interrogated soldier down with the other bodies, hidden out of view.

Right after doing this, he bit his thumb and planted his hand on the ground, summoning six small toads of various complexions and colors.

"Ah, Master Jiraiya. What can we do for ya."

"It's time. The invasion is in full swing. I need you to summon the boss toads that aren't within the enemy's scroll. A surprise is one thing, but I want a complete victory.

The toads all saluted before taking the summoning parchments from Jiraiya.

With that, the sage left in a blur, racing back to the village with Gama in tow, all while his grunts prepared the counterattack against the invasion force.

Line break.

{Naruto POV}

Naruto and Anko dashed through the village with haste, cutting through the ruined slums and into the redlight district. As they did, Naruto noticed leaf shinobi rushing in the direction they had just come from.

"Do you think they know what's going on?" Naruto asked as he slid down a slanted roof and vaulted to the other side.

Anko checked her comms, and through it, she heard the entire village military force giving orders, gathering information, and coordinating movements.

"Yeah. We're back in this!" Anko said with a determined and focused expression. Konoha is no longer paralyzed.

Just as she felt some confidence in their situation go up, she saw the Bravo Anbu squad ahead of them.

"Finally!" Anko yelled in relief, and the squad leader landed before Anko and Naruto.

"Give her to me so I can seal that up!" Yelled a female anbu, and Anko did so with haste, setting Yugao down to be saved.

"Uzumaki. Let's go! Keep moving!" The panther masked captain yelled, ushering him to follow. "We're splitting now. You four are to assist the commander and eliminate the invaders. You two take care of Cat, and I'll take Naruto to the base. Let's go!"

They all gave an affirmative before springing into action, Launching into separate directions to their objectives.

It wasn't a long journey for Naruto. Not even remotely. The metal doors were opened to them on sight, and thankfully, the staff was mostly shinobi, so everyone knew to stay out of the way as both Naruto and the Anbu captain raced through the halls.

The room where Naruto needed to go was near the center of the building, and the two had to run down many hallways in order to get there. It felt like a maze, and the blonde was sure that if this weren't an urgent situation, he'd feel very lost right now.

The captain threw the double doors open to reveal the large open room where they wanted to seal Gaara.

Sealing experts were at the bottom of the stairway, setting up a grid-like design around a specific area, and upon their sudden entry, they jumped in surprise. To the blonde, it looked like a complex seal laid out on the floor.

The anbu captain peered down, not understanding why they were doing such a thing. It didn't fit what he'd been told was to happen to Gaara, but he left it alone.

Naruto huffed and launched off the platform and outside the grid.

"Hey! Hey! Be careful! You'll ruin the failsafe!" Yelled an older man from behind Naruto.

Naruto turned around, giving a confused look.

"My name is Kazuto Shiba. I'm the head of Konoha's fuinjutsu department. Set the monster down in the center and leave the rest to us, genin."

Naruto looked at the center of the grid and thought it was some kind of temporary suppression barrier. Or something like that.

But then he saw Maki and Orito come through the double doors on the other side of the room, hauling what looked like a large urn with a familiar kanji scribed in its center.

"H-Hang on. Are you planning on pulling Shukaku out?!" Naruto exclaimed in shock.

"That is exactly what I plan on doing. Bravo for the accurate guess, Uzumaki. Now set him down so we may begin the process." The old man said as he started writing on his clipboard.

Gaara gave a maniacal laugh at that. "That won't work on me, you fools!"

"Shut it!" Naruto growled, slapping the boy upside the head before addressing Kazuto. "Listen. Gaara's seal is damaged. If you try to remove-"

"I don't need advice from an apprentice in the craft I've been mastering since before you were even born, Uzumaki. You are free to leave knowing you did your part."

Naruto grimaced and stepped forward. "Listen, you-"

The boy seemed to stop himself, not wanting to fall back into old habits. So, as Jiraiya instructed, whenever upset, he took a breath and tried again. "Listen. Gaara's seal will go off prematurely if we try to take Shukaku out. What we need is-"

"No, what you need to do is follow instructions. I am a seal master who tutored many great names around the world in this shared art, including Miyamoto Ryu, Oye Matabei, and even Ichihara-"

"I don't know Those people! None of that matters to me! Where is-"

"Hang on, Namikaze-san. Let me talk to him." The anbu captain said from behind, gently planting a hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"I don't have infinite chakra to be manifesting these damn chains all day! I'm tired!" Naruto grounded out. "The commander said you guys have a formula to slow Gaara's failing seal. Where is it?!"

"Enough squabbling." An old voice resounded from ahead of them, and Naruto saw Danzo walk through the same double doors, flanked by a few anbu grunts. "There has been a change of plans. We are going to take Suna's weapon and make it our own. Do as he commands, Uzumaki. That's an order."

"Danzo-san. We need to follow the protocol set by Inoichi when dealing with the enemy Jinchuuriki." The Anbu captain said. "We are skipping an entire failsafe, one that will ensure the safety of everyone in this room, according to-"

"A novice to my craft." Interrupted Kazuto. "We know exactly what we're doing."

Both Naruto and the Anbu captain gave the man an annoyed look. 'This guy is worse than the Ebisu. I swear to god, if one more word comes from his damn mouth, I'll nail it shut!'

"There has been a change of plans. Inoichi is too occupied to be here, so I'm taking his place. Set him down. Now." ordered Danzo.

Naruto stared at the old man with more than a little anger before tossing Gaara down like a sack of potatoes, causing the redhead to wheeze in discomfort and growl. "I'll kill you for that."

He was ignored as many specialists positioned Gaara to have his tailed beast extracted.

Danzo ended the staredown by shooing Naruto away. "Have Uzumaki on standby in case something happens. For now, we don't need him."

The captain went to say something, but Naruto turned on his heel and went toward the stairs. He wasn't having it.

The anbu quickly caught up to Naruto and stopped him. "Hang on, Namikaze-san. Where are you going?"

"To Inoichi. We're fixing this now. I have stressed over this mission for days. I won't have it undone by a bunch of arrogant old prunes!"

"If you're going to do that, I would suggest Ibiki instead, Naruto. He's closer, and he's supposed to be second in command here." The anbu said.

Naruto stopped and turned around. "Where would he be at?"

"There's another building that attaches to this one. It's for interrogation and torture. He's holding a meeting in the bunker underneath. I'll go with you to make the process go smoother.

Naruto nodded at the panther mask Anbu and followed after him. They sped through the halls with haste, startling the staff and fellow shinobi alike.

Line break.

{The academy.}

Iruka sighed as walked alongside a captain of the anbu and Shikaku.

"When will this occur?" He asked, having been informed to evacuate the entire academy.

"Not sure, but right now, there's a lot going on, and communication has become jammed. That's why I'm here. I have a bad feeling something terrible is about to happen if we don't react accordingly." Shikaku replied.

The anbu stopped when he heard the anbu commander's voice through his comms. It sounded like he was engaging the enemy.

Shikaku turned to the masked shinobi, and they exchanged a look. "The comms are up. We are already under attack."

Shikaku turned to Iruka with a stern look. "Get the children out now. The invasion has basically already started."

Iruka wasted no time and went straight for the alarm, prompting all chunin instructors to take control of the situation.

The alarm went off, and everyone scrambled out of the exit; the little kids were startled and visibly disturbed, while the older kids assumed it was just another stupid drill.

Shikaku looked over to the Anbu captain and gave him a nod. "Go assist your commander!'

'Hai!"

The masked man vanished in a blur, and Ibiki went on to assist Iruka in evacuating the children.

He can only hope the other squads are faring well.

Line break.

{The Commercial district: Ichiraku ramen}

Teuchi and his daughter were doing everything in their power to get as much food out as possible as what looked to be an endless line of customers came in.

Ayame groaned as she carefully planted numerous bowls and pickup orders down, reading out the names of the orders, and Teuchi burst out laughing. "See now why I set up shop early?! Isn't this something?!" The man said with a huge smile, loving the attention his store was bringing.

She chuckled and shook her head. "Yup. You were right, dad. Here you go, mister, have a nice day."

She handed the elderly man his order and received his money in return.

"Man, I wonder what Naruto is doing!" he yelled from the back, the sound of customers, the numerous pots, and the fryer drowning out his words.

Ayame stopped for a moment and thought back to the boy, and it made her smile. ' Hopefully, he's well and out there. Everyone what he's made of.'

She was suddenly pulled back to reality by a customer who was annoyed with the delay, and she gave a sheepish laugh. "Sorry, it's coming soon, mister!"

No one noticed a nearby disguised Oto shinobi on the other side of the plaza, the man wearing countless bombs attached to him under his thick clothes, ready to blow himself up when the time came.

'Anything for you, Orochimaru-sama.' Thought one of the bombers as he planted himself in the spot he thought would do the most damage.

Line break.

Just outside the stadium, more and more suicide bombers were making their way into the stadium, planting themselves in the exits and parts of the crowd where their allies weren't in the way.

They waited until the last possible minute due to the possibility of the Hyuga clan spotting them by accident.

Kabuto's orders were simple and concise: Wait until the signal. The feather-falling jutsu won't be the opening attack anymore. They will be the start of Konoha's downfall, and these fanatics were all in on cementing Orochimaru's legacy.

A few people were too suspicious not to investigate, and this caused a few arguments in some areas, with one such argument occurring just outside the Daimyo's box.

Inside, Hisaki didn't hear the specifics but knew whatever it was needed to be handled. Talking with the Wind Lord was already a headache in itself. He didn't need anything else on his plate.

"Nashio-san. Could you please assist in sorting out whatever is going on out there please?" The Daimyo said through gritted teeth.

The older man looked up and smiled. "It'll only be a moment. My men will make sure your safety is secured in the meantime, Your Majesty." said the guardian shinobi.

Line break.

{Tenka stadium}

The crowd went wild as the fight between Shikamaru and Shino ended with Shikamaru's victory, but barely.

In the stands, Ino was bouncing with joy with Choji at the victory, but both of them worried about the close calls the boy suffered while dealing with Shino's unique arsenal.

Behind them were proud Asuma and Kurenai. They knew how long the boys had worked on this, stressing over their match until it was finally time. Their performance was a spectacle. It was not like Hinata or Naruto's in that it was a show of combative prowess but one that required patience—a good trait for any ninja, especially a strategist.

Sakura sighed as she realized she'd have to fight next, and Kakashi patted her head. "You are going to do wonderfully, Sakura. Don't stress yourself out."

He leaned in after speaking those words and whispered to her. "Listen. I know, you know. Relax and let the adults handle everything. If something happens, I'll be there in a flash. I promise."

Sakura blinked in surprise, and before she could respond, Sasuke spoke up while patting her on the shoulder. "Knock her dead." He said with an underlining tone that caused the other Jonin to glance at him.

She smirked and nodded. "Will do."

Sakura wasted no time, hopping over the seats and sliding down the wall in a spectacle that surprised many.

Asuma scratched the back of his head when he saw how she made her way down. 'It seems he's been taking her under his wing too. This should be good.'

Line break.

Sakura landed with a huff and walked over to the center of the stadium, watching as a wary and stressed-looking Temari did the same. It confirmed that Naruto had Gaara, and that thought made her smile. 'Things seem to be going to plan.'

Genma let out a breath and looked at both of them.

Temari noticed Sakura's glare, and at first, she thought she was just being competitive. Then she saw it—the glint in her eyes.

'I'm imagining things, Temari. Calm down. She couldn't—' Temari stopped that thought process immediately. If Naruto knew to take her brothers, then surely Sakura, his teammate, knew what was happening.

This made Temari sweat profusely. She can't do this. These people know what they are up to. I, the genin, know; surely the adults know too!

She looked at Genma, and he gave her a look that made her want to vomit. 'I'm so screwed!'

"Okay, ladies. You already know the rules of the match, so I shouldn't have to repeat myself, right?"

Both Temari and Sakura nodded, and the referee sighed. "Well... Without further ado, let the fourth match of the Chunin Exams commence! Hajime!"

Line break.

{Kage box}

Rasa was gripping his left armrest to the point of it splintering in his hand.

Behind him, Orochimaru was trying not to smile. He just shared the terrible news of the failed efforts to retrieve Gaara. Naturally, He himself is also pissed off, but there's a plan B and C in place for his escape. Rasa, on the other hand, has to figure things out for himself. As of this moment, he and Orochimaru are not on the same page. It's do or die.

'Too much is going on. A skirmish in the slums is threatening to spill into the active part of the village, the sensory blockade is compromised and is giving Konoha its eyes on everything we're doing now, and lastly, the plans to devastate the village have been replaced with this less effective method of simply bombing key military structures, businesses, and government buildings. The plan of keeping it under wraps is gone. Konoha surely knows whats going on and is moving to intercept.' He thought bitterly.

He glanced over at Hiruzen to see the man relaxed, which was unnerving to him. The man surely knows he has two S-ranked enemies sitting beside him. Yet, here he was, relaxed and unperturbed.

"Something the matter, Lord Kazekage?" Asked the old man, his eyes closed, likely resting them.

"Oh, nothing. I'm just a bit nervous, is all. My daughter is participating, and I want her to do well."

Hiruzen nodded with a hum, his eyes still closed.

Line break.

'What the fuck is going on?!' Thought Temari as she backpedaled from Sakura, blocking the rock fists from Sakura with her fan.

A well-placed roundhouse sent Temari stumbling back before she retaliated by opening the second moon of her fan and blowing a gale toward Sakura.

The Pinkette rolled toward it and clasped her hands together, creating a smooth and curved wall that allowed the wind to pass over harmlessly. Once it did, she went through hand signs, and the dome crumbled and blasted toward Temari with frightening speed. "Earth style: earth shrapnel!"

Temari drew back her fan and growled. "wind style: wind scythe!" she yelled.

Both attacks collided, with stray earth shrapnel cutting into Temari's leg and the muffled wind attack blowing Sakura away, the girl flipping mid-air and landing on her feet.

The crowd was surprised at seeing a more capable kunoichi on the field, and it went wild as the two circled one another. Sakura took the stance Kakashi drilled into her, and Temari held her fan in a ready position.

'This girl is good. Her defense is mounted to always allow for my basic wind attacks to pass over, so that's not an option anymore. I'll need to rely on the second or third opening of my fan to do anything against her.' Thought Temari, the girl coming up with a way to defeat her opponent.

Sakura was the first to act, going into a series of hand signs before slamming her hands into the ground.

To Temari's annoyance, they came up as rock fists again, and she shook her head. "That will only slow you down."

Sakura shrugged. She knew that already. The point wasn't to avoid what was coming.

Sakura rushed at Temari, and Temari drew her fan back. "It's useless! Wind style: wind scythe jutsu!"

Temari, with much more range to work with, sent the full power of her jutsu toward Sakura, the winds slicing and battering the ground as it got closer.

Sakura leaped into the air to dodge, her agility being more than Temari was expecting.

With the wave of her fan, Temari once again sent another wind attack at Sakura, and Sakura, instead of simply coming down on Temari using her rock-fist jutsu, threw her hands out to release them as more shrapnel, something that caught Temari off guard.

The attack slammed into Sakura but did little damage; the pinkette was simply sent flying back.

Temari, however, was hit in multiple places by the attack, blood pooling down her leg and shoulder.

Both were hurt, but Sakura was much better off.

"Ok, bitch. You wanna play that game? Fine. Let's play." Temari growled, her rage building.

Line break.

{The stands}

The crowd roared as the fight between the two kunoichi got more intense, many getting out of their seats out of surprise.

"Holy shit! This year's exams are intense! Just when you think things have calmed down, they hit you with another banger!" Yelled Kotetsu.

Izumo nodded idly while looking around, leaning on the pillar beside his long-time friend. "Yeah, umm... Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

Kotetsu's smirk vanished as he looked around the stadium, and after mapping his surroundings well, he understood where his friend was coming from.

Strange figures were making themselves known, coming into the stadium in droves.

"Yeah. I see it."

Kotetsu got up from his seat and followed, the two of them assuming things were going to get bad very soon.

Several seats down, Kabuto was freaking out once more. 'Damn! They're early! And there's too many of them! These fools aren't being inconspicuous at all!' Kabuto yelled in his head.

Kabuto quickly got up from his seat to remedy the problem, but then his comms went off one last time. "Calm down, Kabuto. This is it. Let it happen on my signal."

Kabuto froze at Orochimaru's voice and decided to leave it to his master. 'Fuck it. It's out of my hands now.' He thought bitterly.

Line break.

Kakashi and Gai gave each other a look and nodded, Kurenai and Asuma doing the same upon seeing the number of strange figures in the area.

"Ok, kids, follow us. Time to go." Gai said joyfully while ushering Tenten along.

Choji, Ino, Kiba, and Tenten looked at the man with immense confusion, and before Kiba could make a remark, Kakashi grabbed him by the shoulder and leaned in. "Do as we say and don't draw attention. That's an order."

Kiba and Ino stiffened at the tone Kakashi used, and Ino was gently pulled from her seat by her own sensei.

'W-What's going on?! ' the blonde thought with confusion and a bit of fear. This had come out of nowhere.

"Gai, you go get the ones in the infirmary while I take care of Sakura. I'm gonna pull her out the moment things get hairy."

Gai nodded, and both Asuma and Kurenai led the kids up the stairs.

Kakashi's hair stood on end when he felt a spike of chakra come from the Hokage's seating area, and he knew it was beginning. 'Here we go.'

Line break.

{Daimyo's box}

Beside him, the Fire Lord felt his guardian shinobi stiffen and look out toward the Kage box with narrowed eyes. "Lord Hisaki. There seems to be a problem in the Kage box."

Hisaki looked out as well; neither his wife nor his son worried about the disturbance.

"Can you make out what's happening over there?" He asked his guardian shinobi and the man shook his head. No."

Beside him, The Wind Lord chuckled. "It's likely Rasa is throwing a fit that his daughter is on her back foot. He's a prideful man, after all."

Hisaki paid little regard to the comment, especially when the pressure around them became heavy, and even the audience became quieter. That is obviously not what's going on.

Line break.

Hiashi wandered out of the infirmary room after an unsuccessful attempt to talk to Neji. Thanks to Higashi's presence, he couldn't get through to him. Nor could he hand his brother's message over to him. No doubt, Higashi would twist the words in the message to suit his needs.

He failed to get through to either Neji or Hinata. Higashi and Hiroshi's grip on their younger counterparts is unbreakable, and Hiashi is running out of options.

He walked down the hall toward the opening where the audience was residing and found Hanabi snooping around the corner, likely hoping her sister would be the one to come out and greet her. It was no surprise that she was disappointed that it was him instead.

The young girl gave a bow in greeting. "Father."

"Hanabi, I told you to go back to your..." He stopped himself, realizing by instinct he was acting as he had with Hinata. Such a behavior was the reason he couldn't get through to her,

He sighed and decided to break that habit, ushering her closer.

Hanabi looked confused and guarded but did so anyway. "Hanabi, why don't you find your sister. I'm sure she could use your company right about now."

Hanabi's eyes widened in surprise, and she actively tried to hide a smile as she bowed deeply. "Thank you, father!"

Hiashi nodded and let her go. He started making his way to where the elders were seated when he noticed a strange figure walk past him and down the hall. Hanabi just went down.

He didn't think too much of it at first, but his shinobi instincts kicked in, prompting him to turn around and activate his Byakugan to see what the figure looked like under the hood.

He thought he'd see a patrolling Anbu, but that wasn't the case at all. What he saw gave him pause.

Line break.

{Kage box}

Minutes earlier.

Orochimaru chuckled beside Rasa and removed his disguise. He then released killing intent on Hiruzen to get a rise out of him, startling the Kazekage greatly. The Sannin was going way off script now.

He slowly turned to Hiruzen, and to his silent horror, the old man didn't acknowledge the Sannin. He simply played with his wine glass and let out what seemed to be a disappointed breath.

Hiruzen's guards didn't move a muscle, likely understanding the situation as well as their leader.

"So, it's as I feared. You were conspiring with Konoha's boogeyman to elevate your village's position after all. How disappointing," Hiruzen said, shaking his head.

Rasa scowled at that. "At the end of the day, one's village must always come first. This isn't personal, Lord Hokage. There are things going on with my people that require swift action."

Hiruzen nodded and leaned on his fist, a gesture that put off Rasa and amused Orochimaru. "It would've been fine had you declared war in a formal fashion. Instead, you not only conspired with Konoha's greatest enemy but also violated the neutrality of this event. We let you into our village with open arms, and this is how you decide to take advantage of us. What a foolish way to resolve your problem. I promise you, Rasa. When this is over, there will be no peace between our villages. This war will end with either you or the next Kazekage on their hands and knees, begging forgiveness."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Hiruzen," Rasa growled out, his chakra spiking. "I had my reasons!"

Hiruzen ignored the man and glanced at Orochimaru. "Make your move, snake."

Orochimaru smirked. "Are you sure you want me to do that? It could cost you dearly."

Hiruzen raised a brow at that and motioned his guard away, confusing the Kazekage, who was slowly manifesting his golden dust.

In a flash, Hiruzen flipped in his seat and sent his heel toward Orochimaru. It was so fast that it threw the Sannin off completely.

Rasa whipped his golden sand out, but it was a bit late. Hiruzen's heel slammed into Orochimaru's guard and sent him up in an awkward trajectory, his body ripping through the wall from behind them like paper. It was so hard that it collapsed the entire box in an explosion of debris, startling everyone in the stadium.

Line break.

Kabuto didn't need to be prompted to give the signal once the explosion in the kage box went off. In fact, he didn't give it at all. The bombers threw off their cloaks to reveal the enhanced paper bombs on their chests, prompting Anbu to cut many of them on sight, but it wasn't enough.

Kabuto dove to the floor once the first explosion went off, causing a chain reaction to go off. In an instant, the entire stadium was shaken, concrete flying everywhere, civilians slaughtered in an instant, and panicked screams erupted from all directions.

Sakura and Temari jumped in shock at the sudden turn of events. First the Kage box and thee downpour of killing intent. Now they are seeing smoke and fire pour from various parts of the stands as explosions ripped through the stadium.

Temari stared on in horror, not familiar with what was going on at all. 'Is this supposed to be the backup plan?! This is madness! Those are innocence!' She screamed in her head as she witnessed the war crime play out before her.

Sakura stared on in horror, the sight filling her with a dread she'd never felt before.

The chaos that followed was unrivaled. Several masked men in the crowd jumped out and started slaughtering both Sand and Oto shinobi well before they could even fight back, and a skirmish erupted in the stands. It got bloody fast.

At the same time, an explosion of fire ripped through the Kage box, sending Debree high into the sky, and what looked to be the Hokage and another figure began engaging each other with skill and speed, impossible for her to keep up with visually.

Temari's heart was racing as she inched away from Genma, the man already having made up his mind on what to do.

He dashed at Temari, aiming to maim and contain her, and just before he could, a shadow came over Sakura, Temari, and Genma, and Golden sand smashed where they stood.

Genma cursed as he blurred away right in time, gritting his teeth when thinking Sakura had just been killed.

The Golden dust poured off Temari harmlessly, and Rasa appeared beside her, blood trickling down his temple from the debris sent at him from Hiruzen's fist. It was thanks to reflex alone that his head wasn't blown off. Hiruzen put his all into that attack.

"What the-?! Kazekage-sama?" Whispered Temari.

Rasa crossed his arms and scowled. "Get out of here, now. Our plan has failed. It's in the snake's hands now."

She nodded and dashed up the stadium wall to escape.

He glanced over to see Kakashi kneeling over a startled and relieved Sakura.

"Told you I'd be there in a flash." He said with an eye smile.

Sakura hugged her sensei in relief, glad to have a reliable guardian at a time like this. She clung to him and caught her breath, the near-death experience being a bit much for her, and Kakashi allowed it, but only for a moment.

Before Kakashi could pry her off, she did so herself and stood up with a look of determination. "Tell me what I should do!"

He put his hands on her shoulders and shook his head. "Get to safety. Assist any civilian you see, but prioritize your safety as well. This is between us grown folks, ok?"

She gave a nod, and both of them stiffened when more explosions went off. "Please make it out of here alive, sensei! I mean it!" She said before racing away, disappearing into the smoke-infested stands.

He turned his attention to Rasa and began to sweat. 'I don't plan on dying anytime soon, but facing a Kage is still a bit much for someone like me.' Kakashi thought to himself as he stood to full height beside Genma. "You have my back?"

Genma nodded. "Always."

Another explosion went off on the roof above where the Kage box once stood, and Rasa scowled at the sight. Raido and the rest of the Hokage's guard came racing from the destroyed box and landed behind Rasa, ready to take him out.

'I know Orochimaru stated he knew how to deal with Hiruzen, but it doesn't seem that way. Now I have these fodder to deal with. Fantastic.'

Line break.

{Daimyo box}

[Just before the bombing]

Nashio, the guardian shinobi, sprung into action the moment the Kage box exploded and ushered the Daimyo and his family out of their seats, the Wind Lord's guards doing the same for him.

"Come, Hisaki-sama! We must leave at once!"

The Fire Lord didn't need to be told twice. He grabbed the hands of both his wife and his son and followed the guardian out of the door to see countless people rushing through the halls.

"F-Father! What's happening?!" Masuda asked with confusion and dread, and Asami held his hand and guided him along the best she could as they filed out of the room.

"out of the way! Make way for the Fire Lord!" Yelled Hisaki's guards as they formed a line around the man.

Hisaki held his wife and son close, trying to get to the exit as soon as possible. "What the hell is going on?! Who is attacking the Leaf?!"The Fire Lord yelled.

No one could give an answer as the guards lost patience and began prioritizing the safety of their lord over the panicking civilians.

Both the Wind and Fire guards began cutting down any civilian who got in the way, sending a message that they weren't to be blockaded. "Make way for the Daimyos! Make way!"

Asami gasped and covered Masuda's eyes, and just as they got to the exit, the stadium shook, and to the horror of all those on the higher floor, the story collapsed, the floor swallowing everyone up in a sudden explosion from right beneath them.

There was burning. There was light. And then there was darkness.

Line break.

{Hinata POV}

Hinata waited patiently for her father to leave the infirmary before venturing there herself. She wanted to see Shino.

His match had been tough, and it had come down to a very close call. Unfortunately, Shikamaru was able to outsmart him in the end, but only barely.

In the room sat Neji and Hiroshi in the corner, with numerous surgeons trying to find out how much damage was inflicted on the boy.

On the other side, a resting Shikamaru and a lounging Shin also sat.

Shino perked up when seeing the girl and gave a slight smile. "Hinata. Thanks for checking up on me. I meant to do the same for you, but-"

"No need." She said softly before slumping in the chair beside him and sighing.

That was a rare gesture, indicating she was indeed a little more than stressed out. He wanted to say something but didn't know how to help. Her situation is far too complicated for him to begin to understand.

He thought it was best to remain silent, but the silence between them was soon interrupted by an explosion that made the entire infirmary tremble, startling everyone within and outside the room.

"What the-?" Shino jumped, startled, and just then, a green blur raced into the infirmary.

"Everyone out! We're under attack! Move the patients!" Yelled Gai.

In one of the corners, Lee perked up. "Gai-Sensei? What's happening?!"

Just then, a more violent explosion ripped through the building, and a portion of the ceiling began crumbling down on everyone there.

From where Neji was, Higashi stood and shot his air-palms technique into the debris to knock it away from his nephew, whereas Guy spun and kicked the debris from over Hinata and Shino and opened the first gate to catch part of the ceiling coming down on Lee.

"I got you, Lee. I'll carry ya." He said to an amazed Lee before turning to everyone else. "Let's go! Everyone out! Time to work those legs!"

"Oh, what a freakin' drag! At a time like this?! An attack?! So lame!" Groaned Shikamaru as he followed everyone out before the room could collapse on them.

Line break.

{Hiashi POV}

[Just before the bombing]

Hiashi knew something wasn't right; he just knew it.

The shady man he saw from before was a bomber. He'd have reported this if it weren't for the fact that this individual was tailing his daughter.

Hanabi was making her way down the hall when she noticed the man, too, and stopped to confront him.

"Just what do you think you're doing following me? Do you know who I am?" The girl asked in a haughty manner.

The man raised a brow and decided this would be a good spot to plant himself.

Before he could utter a word, the entire stadium shook, surprising Hiashi, who was making his way to the man.

Hanabi looked around in shock before realizing the situation. But by then, it was too late.

"Ah. Finally. Let Orochimaru's will be made manifest!" The man screamed before opening his vest and going through hand signs. But before he could finish, Hiashi blurred before him and slammed his two fingers into his chest, the force of the blow smashing him against the wall.

"W-what was-" Hanabi stuttered before a series of tremors reverberated throughout the stadium in a violent manner, sending Hiashi and Hanabi to their knees.

Then he heard it. The hissing of paper bombs.

He turned around and saw that the man's vest had a failsafe on it, one that would activate the bombs if something happened to the wearer.

Hiashi wasted no time in diving for Hanabi, bringing her into his arms right on time. With a sudden flash, an explosion erupted throughout the hall, but not before Hiashi attempted the use of Rotation to shield his daughter.

Both were engulfed in flames and smoke, and Hanabi was barely protected by the technique. Unfortunately, the ceiling collapsed on them both, much to their surprise and horror, and Hiashi canceled his technique to try and save her, diving for her just before it came down on them.

That was all Hanabi saw before it went dark, and the sounds of civilians screaming were the last thing she remembered.

Line break.

{Market distrct}

Teuchi let out a breath after surviving a two-hour lunch rush, his daughter leaning on the counter beside him. It was done.

"You know... This may warrant a bigger outside seating area." Ayame said with a giggle, the girl ready to collapse after such a busy day.

"Yup. I'm definitely going to add it." He replied with a grin, the man feeling proud of his daughter. She kept up very well this year.

They were startled when a tremor went through the building. The father-daughter duo, as well as the other curious customers, peaked out to see what caused the sound. When they saw smoke coming from the stadium, they felt confused.

"Damn! I knew the exams were going to be a banger, but had I known they were going to be pulling out something like that, I'd have bothered to go." Said one customer.

Another agreed with the man. "Yeah. Maybe next year."

The two men chuckled, and Ayame shrugged.

Teuchi, on the other hand, felt uneasy for some reason, and when he saw a man throwing off his cloak to reveal what looked like tags all over him, he knew his fear was valid.

"Ayame! Under the counter!" The man yelled, and just as she turned, her father rushed to her and covered her just as a bright flash went off, and then darkness.

The entire block went off in a massive explosion, buildings close to it collapsing instantly, and other buildings ignited from the blast. The damage was massive, but this was just the beginning.

One after another, the sound of explosions going off, taking out businesses or entire sections of buildings. Konoha was burning.

Line break.

{Kizashi Haruno POV}

[Just before the bombing]

Kizashi and Kudo finally enjoyed an icy beverage, a unique treat from a foreign land he couldn't pronounce.

"How is it?" Asked the female traveling merchant.

Kizashi nodded, his brow furrowed in a good way. "This is pretty good. It's not too sweet, and it's keeping me cool. My daughter would appreciate a treat like this now that she's not on a constant diet."

Kudo nodded. "Huge understatement! Hey. You wouldn't mind sticking around Konoha, would you? This would sell wonderfully here, especially now."

The woman chuckled as she handed a treat to a parent and child. "I'd like that, but alas, I have family who wouldn't be able to support themselves here as well. My family travels as a pack, and they all have their own business. Some won't profit well here."

Kubo nodded, sighing in disappointment. "Oh. Damn. Well, if-"

Kizashi and Kudo jumped at the sound of multiple explosions going off nearby, both jumping from their seats and rushing into the middle of the street to see where it came from.

"W-what the hell? A freak accident?" Asked a stunned Kudo.

Kizashi was going to mention the slight possibility when another explosion went off, and he knew this was an attack. People were screaming and running away now, shoving one another to get to safety. Everything was happening so fast, and it left the officer stunned.

Kudo witnessed stands and small shops knocked over, and people were trampled and killed.

"The roof! Kudo Pay attention!" Yelled Kizashi.

The young man nodded and whirled to catch a falling child before they could be run over.

He dashed to a nearby shop, set the boy down, and jumped onto the roof, and what he saw made his heart plummet.

Smoke was rising in various places where people were most active. This was a large-scale terrorist attack. It had to be.

"Kizashi! We should-urgh!"

Kizashi's head whirled in the direction of his young partner, and he saw multiple kunai and shuriken sticking out of his neck and head.

He was quick to pull out a kunai and deflect another set of weapons before hopping off the building right as Suna-nin landed and began causing as much havoc as possible.

Many police shinobi came out of the woodwork, calling out orders to evacuate the civilians as they were cut down.

Kizashi got up from the ruined stall he had crashed through; his uniform drenched in what he could only assume was orange juice, and right as he got to his feet, a Sand Shinobi slammed into him, slamming a kunai into his gut.

Kizashi grunted in pain and grabbed the arm that stabbed him before slamming a punch into his chest, sending him flying away. He jumped on the shinobi and stabbed his face and chest multiple times, blood drenching his hands before he could realize what he was doing.

Kizashi looked at the dead shinobi, then to his bloodstained hands.

Then a bright flash was seen nearby, and ash fell from the sky, burnt limbs following suit, and the feeling of extreme heat radiated near him, and he looked up to see the S-ranked sand shinobi, Pakura, glaring down at him, glowing orbs of scorch release surrounding her.

He readied his kunai as many of his fellow officers started rushing toward her to stop the threat, and he growled, rushing at her to join his comrades. There was no way they were going to let this Lady go after seeing such a display.

Pakura scowled, and with one hand sign, her orbs rushed at the enemy shinobi, eradicating all who got in her way. The market would become the worst warzone in the attack on Konoha.

Line break.

{Iruka POV}

Upon hearing the explosions in the distance, he knew he was right to listen to Shikaku.

The children they were leading to the bunkers started screaming in fright and panicking, with Moegi clutching Iruka's hand.

"'S-Sensei! What's happening?!" Asked the young girl.

Iruka held her hand and shook his head. "Keep moving in an orderly fashion! Whatever you do, don't... Panick," Iruka whispered at the end when he saw a platoon of Oto shinobi racing through the residential district and straight toward them, Shikaku paling beside him.

"No. They changed their position during the blackout. Those underhanded bastards! We need to hold them until our allies can change formation!" Shikaku yelled angrily, enraged that they were going after their young. They cut through the residential district to get to them.

The Anbu beside them wasted no time and raced out to intercept before it was too late. "Iruka! Get the kids out of here! Run!"

Iruka wasted no time and turned everyone around. "Run! Down the neighborhood, Go! You already know your way to the monument! That's where you need to go!"

The kids, too frightened to argue, did as he said, and they raced down the street with Iruka behind them to give them support.

The sound of the enemy hoping over the roofs told Iruka that they were still in pursuit.

He needed to do something.

'Come on, Iruka. Lives are on the line.' He thought to himself.

Three enemy shinobi lept just in front of the kids, prompting Iruka to dash at the enemies as fast as he could. "Keep running!" He bellowed, his voice cracking as he brought out his Fuma wind shuriken.

He shucked it at the enemy, forcing two out of the way, and the third, feeling bold, dodged under it and charged Iruka.

The kids were fast to get away, using their basic understanding of ninja maneuverability to hasten their retreat.

Konohamaru looked back to see Iruka getting ganged up on and felt his heart grip with fear. 'Why is this happening?! Who is attacking us?!'

Just then, he heard a scream and witnessed a classmate struck in the head by a shuriken from above.

Konohamaru looked up in terror as two more Oto shinobi came down on the kids, and Konohamaru acted out of pressure.

"Water style: Toad gun!" He yelled, and a bullet of water smashed into one of the falling Oto-nin, sending him crashing into the window of a luxurious apartment.

However, that didn't stop the other one. Moegi acted fast, diving into Konohamaru to shove him out of the way right as his blade came down, and she yelped in pain.

"Moegi!" Screamed Udon, the kids screaming and scrambling.

"Split up!" One of the classmates screamed, and the Oto and Suna-nin cackled in delight as they began terrorizing the kids.

The shinobi that hit Moegi rushed Konohamaru as fast as he could, and Konohamaru closed his eyes for the end.

It didn't come. The sound of a clash rang out, and a bloodied Iruka put himself between the man and the kunai, his hand pierced.

The Oto-nin's eyes widened before as Iruka kept the man at bay, gripping the hand threatening to stab him.

The kids didn't need to be told to run. Konohamaru, Udon, and Moegi stuck together as they raced through backyards and apartment alleyways, listening to the sound of combat, yelling, and explosions in the distance.

"C-come on! Pick your feet up, Udon!" Yelled a sobbing Konohamaru as they ran for their lives.

"I'm trying! I am!" The boy screamed back.

They didn't notice the amount of blood Moegi was losing as they fled.

Line break.

Iruka yelled out as he slammed a kunai through one of the Oto-nin's throats, ripping it out and dodging a hail of shuriken moments later.

He slid back while cursing up a storm before hearing someone land behind him.

Through instinct alone, he ducked under a sword aimed at his head and twisted to slash at the man's torso, missing by a hair's breadth, only slashing the vest, and this cost him.

The man caught his other arm just as a Suna-nin charged him and slammed a kunai into where his kidney was, making him yell out in pain. But he fought through it, slamming the Oto-nin's knee in hard enough to break it with a sickening crunch.

"Fuck!" the man yelled out as he fell back, and as he did, Iruka headbutted the one stabbing him and dashed back, holding his bleeding side.

'C-mon, Iruka. Step it up. I need to save my students!'

"Persistent trash!" Yelled the Suna-nin as he raced back into the fight, and Iruka whipped out a kunai, ready for him.

'Bring it on.'

Line break.

Naruto burst through the doors of the TI Department, slightly out of breath and very pissed off.

He and the Anbu captain passed the main lobby and many offices to find the chain of command having some kind of meeting with several other officials, and upon him barging through the doors, they all gave him an annoyed expression.

The captain felt like slapping his mask. He was in a hurry, but he wanted to do this right. What's done is done, though.

Hamura stood and crossed his arms alongside other random elderly councilmen. "What is the meaning of this interruption?! Who gave you permission to-"

"The One-Tails is about to burst out if we don't do something!" Naruto yelled out, ignoring the sputtering and angry old man. "Some bandaged fool has overwritten Inoichi-san's orders and is in the process of completely fucking everything up!-"

"Calm down, Uzumaki!" Ibiki growled, not liking the conduct Naruto was showing. "Speak plainly and respectfully. You are in a room full of important people. Are you saying Danzo is down there making adjustments? Because if so, he has the authority in the case of a lack of direction. Inoichi is unable to take over the operation."

Naruto crossed his arms. "Gaara's seal is destroying itself thanks to the modifications of the Kazekage. The plan to plant my master's trigram seal failed because of that, and a plethora of other things. The next best thing we could've done was to pause the process by planting the... Heavenly...-"

"The heavenly Trigram seal?" asked Ibiki.

The Anbu captain stepped forward. "I can vouch for Namikaze-san here. I feel that he knows what he's talking about. I can't go against Danzo, even in a situation like this. We need to act before the tailed beast is released within the base."

"Uzumaki can simply seal it up if it escapes. Isn't that what the chains are for?" Koharu said.

Naruto scowled." These chains are expensive, and I don't know if I can hold down an entire tailed beast! That's insane!"

Before he could continue, the building shook, the sound of rumbling catching everyone's attention.

Everyone who wasn't old rushed to the window and saw what was occurring outside.

"Shit. We were slow." Whispered Ibiki.

He walked over to Naruto and grabbed a shoulder. "Whatever the issue is, Danzo will take care of it. There is no time for-"

"The seal is breaking apart. We can't pull Shukaku out of a seal and into an urn in one seamless transfer if the seal he resides in is breaking. Whether you are sealing something in a seal or unsealing it, it doesn't matter. The rule is the same for all. A seal has to be sturdy for both extraction and implantation. If a seal is weak, it won't work, or it'll break. His is breaking. We are about to unleash Shukaku."

Ibiki growled angrily and gave in. He looked over his shoulder at a councilman with long brown hair, an annoyed expression, and a large burn mark across his face.

"Take over for me. I have to fix this shit."

before the councilman could object, The panther Anbu, Ibiki, and Naruto left the room in a hurry, leaving the ones present to sort out their next move and what to do when this attack was over.

Line break.

{Danzo POV}

Danzo crossed his arms as he watched the extraction process from afar, pissed off for numerous reasons.

He has a grasp on various formulas and an acute understanding of the sealing process for Jinchuuriki, having been preparing to weaponize one for a long time now.

So, the horrific scene playing out before him was not amusing for him.

Gaara's eyes were blotted out, a mix of black sclera and and gold. He was screaming silently as Shukaki was slowly and violently pulled from him.

It's a shame someone so young has to die this way, but it was necessary.

It was when he noticed Gaara's pattern suddenly go from simplified and distorted to a messy blob that he knew something was very wrong.

Danzo glanced at Kazuto when this occurred, expecting the man to know what was happening, and Kazuto, in turn, got pissed off at his numerous assistants and interns, storming up to them and demanding what was taking so long. It took no time for the man to lose his cool.

"What do you mean it's unstable?! Reconfigure it!" Kazuto yelled, slamming his checkboard on the table.

"We have, sir. We've done so three times, but the formula isn't-" Orito said before he was interrupted.

"Yes, it is! The seal is breaking because you aren't putting it in the correct setting! I know what I'm talking about!" Kazuto grounded out.

Danzo shook his head, annoyed. "Kazuto-san. Why don't you fix it personally? Obviously, these men are incompetent, and we don't want an incident." Danzo had to know whether Naruto knew what he was talking about but didn't want to get too close to Gaara. This was safer.

Kazuto nodded and adjusted his coat. "Right." He made his way to the extraction circle and stood before a shivering and panting Gaara, whose screams had turned to mute sobs of terror.

This sight made him grimace in disgust, and he paid it no mind as he worked out the problem. He crouched and took a look at what was happening to the seal and paled upon seeing that it was gaping.

'Oh shit.' He thought with fear.

Maki, who was struggling for dear life to sustain it, saw his face and grimaced. "I told you this was stupid."

Before anything could be said, everyone felt tremors ring out throughout the base, and Danzo's eye narrowed before he grabbed his cane and stood up.

"Finish up here while I go and handle something."

Kazuto went to reach out, but the Warhawk had a strangely fast walk. He had a bad feeling about this.

Kazuto turned to Orito and ushered him closer. "Help me Change the setting to numerical. We're going for a straightforward attraction instead."

Orito nodded, but a yelp from Maki made everyone freeze.

The seal on Gaara's stomach became pitch black and blotted, leaking down his side as the ink became useless. Then sand covered in blue markings started pooling out. The moment Gaara's eyes opened, a demonic chakra coated the room and froze everyone in place.

"Oh no," Kazuto whispered in horror.

Line break.

{The stadium}

On the roof, Hiruzen looked over his village, seeing it shaken up by this terrorist attack. His eyes were wide with shock and rage.

Orochimaru wanted to laugh and enjoy this moment, but he couldn't. Not with Enma present and at Hiruzen's side. He wasn't sure he wanted to be in a confined space with Hiruzen like this. Not with him far more prepared than he should be.

"I'll make sure you rot in the deepest pits of hell for this, Orochimaru," Hiruzen growled out as he threw off his robe to reveal his battle armor.

Orochimaru remained silent, allowing the screams of the people to settle in.

Behind him, both Tayuya and Jirobo were stiff, wondering where Sakon and Ukon were. They were late for the plan.

Beneath them, in the arena, Rasa fought off numerous Jonin, leaving him unavailable for this fight.

Orochimaru brushed himself off, still a bit surprised at how fast Hiruzen was.

"It seems I underestimated you, Hiruzen. That was quite a blow. Were you aiming to finish me before our fated battle could begin? Hm?"

Hiruzen's glare was enough to make Jirobo sweat a little. The plan was to confine Hiruzen to a small space, but Sakon and Kidomaru were absent, so that wasn't happening.

"You are a fool to challenge me, Orochimaru. I've prepared for this confrontation and know how to deal with you."

"Don't get ahead of yourself, old man," Orochimaru said with irritation. "I'm not some fly to swat. You know this."

Hiruzen chuckled. "You think you're slick, moving your shinobi around as you have. Things won't go as planned. You see this destruction as a victory. But me? I see it for what it is."

"And what is that?" Orochimaru said in a mocking tone.

"A sacrifice to do as much personal harm to my village as possible. My military is untouched and angry. We are going to return this damage tenfold. You won't live to see it, but everything you've built will turn to ash when we're through. That goes for your ally as well. This will be your final lesson from master to student. Pay close attention."

"Oh, so scary," Orochimaru said in a mocking tone. "Actions speak louder, Hiruzen. If you feel you still have something to show me, then show me. Let's not waste any time."

Orochimaru crossed his arms and let his chakra seep out, and Hiruzen did the same; their wills clashed against one another, cracking the tile around them with ease.

The air grew heavy, making it difficult for either Tayuya or Jirobo to breathe, and the two wisely decided not to get involved lest they be swatted away and killed. The two backed to the edge of the roof as the pressure got worse and worse before they both collapsed onto one knee, their eyes wide with stress and fear.

'This is fucking insane! I can't even move!' Thought Tayuya, panicking at being so close to this event without a buffer.

Orochimaru scowled as he felt his will slowly being overpowered. It pissed him off. The chakra coming from Hiruzen was simply more intense.

'Has he been training? Surely not! He's old and should have nothing on me! No! This won't be like it was in the past, Hiruzen!'

He looked at Hiruzen with a dangerous smile, and just as he charged, Hiruzen rocketed toward him with as much aggression.

Their arms clashed, and a blur of fists that couldn't be kept up with by bystanders was sent toward one another. They danced and struck at each other, Hiruzen bringing his heel down on Orochimaru, prompting the snake Sannin to blur away right as his foot came down.

The impact kicked up tile, and Orochimaru threw his arms out, a wave of snakes racing toward Hiruzen faster than most Jonin could hope to react. "Striking shadow snake!" Orochimaru yelled.

Hiruzen saw this a mile away.

No hand signs were needed. He blew the dragon flame bomb at Orochimaru, and both the snakes and the Sannin were engulfed in a wave of flame. But Hiruzen didn't care to burn Orochimaru. He increased the intensity of his flames and bathed the entire roof in orange fire, forcing Tayuya and Jirobo to flee.

Just as the flames got brighter, Hiruzen canceled them and weaved from a charging melting Orochimaru, the tannin leaping from the fire with a deranged expression. Hiruzen responded by kicking him in the side and sending him stumbling away.

Orochimaru rolled to his stomach and slammed his hands onto the ground, causing the ground to ripple. "Earth Release: Battalion Spear Charge!" The Sannin yelled, and spiked concrete shot through the tiles and toward Hiruzen, who himself went through hand signs.

"Earth release: Bedrock Dome!" Hiruzen slammed his palm on the ground, and tiles flew about as a concrete dome encompassed Hiruzen, the texture morphing into something denser than the material it was pulled from.

Orochimaru got up and charged at Hiruzen, but the ground became liquid and muddy, shocking the Sannin. It was only then that he heard Hiruzen's voice.

"Earth release: Mudflow!"

Orochimaru slid down the roof, trapped in the sludge-like texture of the artificial mud, and just as he went through hand-signs to counter the jutsu, a mud dragon peered from the mud and smashed into him with enough force to break a part of the building.

The dome surrounding Hiruzen collapsed, revealing him to be in his battle armor.

Orochimaru climbed out of the ground, barely having avoided the attack, and he glared at a disgusted Hiruzen.

"Look at you. Pitiful. Is this the best you can do? Have you not improved since our last encounter? And look at what you've done to yourself! Whose body did you steal, you demon?!"

Orochimaru grabbed at his crumbling face and reconstructed it. "You dare look down at me?! This battle has only just begun!"

Hiruzen shook his head. "What a disappointment. I trained my body for only a month, and for what? I supposed it was unnecessary."

Orochimaru stood to full height and glared. "I know what you're doing. I won't slip up."

Hiruzen scoffed and got into a readied stance. "You already have."

Line break.

End chapter.

{A/N}

This was a brutal chapter, at least for me. I don't intend for the story to go super dark, but given the direction I intend to go in, certain things will need to happen.

I'll try to update as soon as possible. I will shorten a few chapters so I don't keep you all waiting. There were just so many characters and so many arcs going on at once that things needed to happen a certain way, that's why this chatper is long. 16k+ could've been two chapters, but it would've ended similarly to the previous one.

Konoha will make its comeback.

Anyway, thanks for reading.