The Konoha Crush Plan!

"Crackle-"

Sasuke gathered dancing lightning in his hand, its light flashing brilliantly! As more and more chakra accumulated, the lightning's radiance grew increasingly blinding!

"Chirp, chirp, chirp-!"

A strange sound slowly arose from Sasuke's hand, growing louder and sharper, as though a thousand birds were crying out at once, threatening to burst our eardrums!

"Lightning Release: Chidori!"

The dazzling light made Sasuke's face flicker between light and shadow, turning even the faint smile at the corner of his mouth unusually sinister!

He charged!

With his body activated by Lightning Release, Sasuke's speed had risen to an astonishing level. He was even as fast as Lee after removing his weights, worlds apart from the Sasuke he had been before his special training! Earlier, faced with such incredible speed, Gaara's automatic defense had been unable to keep up, leaving him to take Sasuke's blows with his Sand Armor!

So Gaara had used his true absolute defense, forming a sphere of densely packed sand that enclosed him completely. Sasuke, in turn, had used Chidori to break through Gaara's turtle shell!

"Kakashi-sensei, is this the result of the special training you gave Sasuke?" I asked, taking the opportunity as Naruto, Kakashi, Might Guy, and I watched the match together from the stands.

"That's right... this is a ninjutsu created by Kakashi, the strongest jutsu user in Konoha-!" Might Guy answered for Kakashi. "He applies a nature transformation to a large amount of chakra and concentrates it in his hand, then thrusts forward at tremendous speed... it's incredibly powerful! The sound it makes resembles a thousand birds singing, which is how the move got its name-"

Down below, Sasuke's high-speed charge had struck Gaara. Chidori had forced its way through the sand sphere, defeating Gaara's strongest defense!

"-Chidori!"

"Chidori is also called Lightning Blade," Kakashi said, finally turning back after watching Sasuke with complete concentration. "The large amount of lightning-nature chakra concentrated in the hand, combined with the extremely fast thrust, makes this ninjutsu turn the hand into a sharp sword that can cut through iron like mud!"

"Huh? What's that?"

Down below, Gaara briefly stretched out a strange arm. Before we could even react, countless feathers suddenly began falling from above...

"Genjutsu: Temple of Nirvana Technique!"

A wave of chakra tried to invade my mind and put me to sleep, but I casually dispelled it!

"Release!" Kakashi and Might Guy broke the genjutsu at the same time! I looked around. Naruto, Ino, and the other Genin, along with the ordinary spectators, had already fallen prey to it and gone to sleep! Figures slumped with their heads down all around us, making those of us still standing stick out like cranes among chickens!

At the same time, smoke from a smoke bomb suddenly enveloped the Third Hokage's position in the stands!

The Konoha Crush... had begun!

Whoosh, whoosh-! More than a dozen ninjas in Sound Ninja uniforms and spotted scarves jumped into the stands, gathering beside the hooded ninja who had just cast the genjutsu!

"Kakashi-sensei... are they Orochimaru's subordinates?" I asked at Kakashi's side.

"That's right... and there are quite a few of them!"

"Things have taken the worst possible turn! Look over at the Third...! It's Orochimaru!" Might Guy said, pointing us toward the elevated platform opposite us.

Once the Sound Ninja had gathered, they took advantage of our conversation to attack first... and their first target was me, the one who looked weakest!

Two Sound Ninja attacked me at the same time, one from each side! I formed two ice kunai in my hands and infused them with pure wind-nature chakra, giving their edges a faint azure glow! The kunai, now able to cut through anything, instantly shredded the Sound Ninja's resistance and turned them into two lifeless corpses!

"Hmph-looking for death!"

Even if I really was the weakest... I wasn't someone you could defeat so easily!

The Sound Ninja's assault didn't stop with the deaths of those two ninjas... more came at us one after another!

"Sakura, let's thin out the enemy first! Take care of yourself!" Kakashi called to me as he fought, with no time to turn around!

"Understood!"

A bloody battle began in the stands!

Konoha Ninja and Sound Ninja raced around everywhere, unleashing ninjutsu. On the chaotic battlefield, death lurked at every turn!

A Sound Ninja quietly circled behind me and tried to ambush me, but my water shield stopped him cold! "What-?" Before he had time to be surprised, I lightly stamped my foot, and the chakra water beneath me turned into deadly senbon that riddled him with holes!

After making sure the ninja was thoroughly dead, I continued forming hand seals without looking back!

"Water Release: Super Water Gun Jutsu!"

Two streams of water sliced in half two Sound Ninja who had circled behind a Konoha Ninja!

"Watch out for her ninjutsu!" a Sound Ninja shouted to his companions, pulling out several shuriken and hurling them at me at high speed. I leaped into the air and easily dodged them!

"Let's see how you dodge in midair!"

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" "Genjutsu: Hell Viewing Technique!"

Two ninjutsu came at me one after the other! I broke the genjutsu before it had much effect on me, and although the fireball came with tremendous force, I could still change direction in midair! The ninja who used the Great Fireball must not have watched my match earlier!

"Is she dead?"

The Great Fireball Technique blasted a huge crater in the building, but the crater was empty!

I had already dodged the fireball at high speed. Empowered by nintaijutsu, I raced around behind the ninja who had used Fire Style and drove a kunai hard into his temple before he could react!

"Water Release: Super Water Gun Jutsu!"

I also finished off the other exposed genjutsu ninja with a Water Gun Technique!

With the powerful, quickly activated Water Gun Technique, I killed several more Chunin-level Sound Ninja in succession. With Azure Water Release protecting me, I had little to fear from close-range attacks as long as I still had chakra. On a battlefield like this, no one would use an overly powerful, large-scale elemental jutsu, because the long preparation time would only make him a target. It was far too dangerous! And with my powerful elemental jutsu and taijutsu, the Sound Ninja could do little against me!

It was my first time killing so many people, yet apart from the disgust I felt when I had just stabbed an enemy to death with a kunai in close combat, sending his brains splattering, I hadn't felt much discomfort! My taut nerves left me no time to pay attention to those feelings. At first, my movements had been a little stiff, and I kept using too much force, but I had fought several times before. Though I initially struggled to adjust to the chaotic battlefield, where death threatened from every direction, I soon steadied myself!

Still, it was my first time fighting on a chaotic battlefield, and I hadn't yet gotten a good grasp of the rhythm. I was using too much stamina, and before long, I began to pant!

"Water Release: Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death!"

A Sound Ninja and I charged toward each other at high speed and exchanged a kunai strike. I formed hand seals in midair and quickly fired off the ninjutsu, shooting down the Sound Ninja who had just passed behind me! The space before me cleared, and no more Sound Ninja charged at me!

"Hah-! Hah-!" I stopped and gulped down air, half from the enormous drain on my stamina and half from the intense strain on my nerves! The Sound Ninja's wave of attacks had finally stopped as well, and both sides seized the chance to regroup and recover their strength!

Kakashi and Might Guy landed beside me at the same time, watching their surroundings warily.

"Sakura, you've used up too much stamina!" Kakashi turned to me. "Don't fight here anymore! I have a mission for you!"

"Wait! I can still fight!" I protested, unwilling to give in!

"Sakura! Follow orders!" Kakashi looked at me sternly. "Go break the genjutsu on Naruto and Shikamaru! Then go with them to help Sasuke! Sasuke is tracking those three Sand shinobi, and I'm a little worried!"

"Ugh... all right. Just the three of us?" I asked helplessly.

"One more... to lead you!" Kakashi bit his finger and formed hand seals. "Summoning Technique!"

"Hello, miss! My name's Pakkun!" After a puff of smoke, a talking shar-pei appeared in front of me!

These days, even dogs could talk! And he had a lecherous look in his eyes, staring right at me!

Only then did I realize that my clothes had been soaked with sweat and water from my Water Release, making them a little see-through! I gave him an annoyed glare and ignored him.

After waking the unconscious Naruto and Shikamaru, who had been pretending to sleep, we prepared to leave. Kakashi gave us one last instruction: "Track down Sasuke, rendezvous with him, and stop him! Then wait for orders somewhere safe!"

"Sakura! Don't push yourself if you run into a fight! Keep an eye on your stamina reserves! From now on, you're the captain of this team! Keep them safe!"

"Understood!" I punched a hole in the arena's outer wall and was the first to crawl through. "It's safe here. Let's go!"

Naruto still wanted to say something, but I grabbed him. "I'll explain on the way!"

After leaping out of the arena, I cast one last glance back. Kakashi and Might Guy had already begun another wave of killing, while two coffins had been raised upright on the elevated platform where the Third Hokage was fighting...!

In the forest.

I led the team around the areas where fighting was taking place as much as possible, racing in the direction Pakkun indicated. We quickly left the city and reached the woods outside!

"From now on, we'll use a search formation!" I stopped. "Pakkun will lead the way at the front. Naruto will go second, ready to support Pakkun at any time. Shikamaru will direct us from the middle, and I'll bring up the rear!"

"Is that clear?"

Pakkun's nose suddenly twitched, and he turned to me. "Are you sure you want to bring up the rear?"

"What is it? Did you find something?"

"It wasn't obvious while we were running, but I sensed them as soon as we stopped. Someone's tracking us from behind...! Two squads, eight people in all... no, there's one more. Nine people!"

"Damn it, it must be a Sound Ninja Chunin squad! Every one of them is a Chunin-level ninja! We're done for if they catch us!" Shikamaru said anxiously.

"Don't worry! You keep tracking Sasuke. I'll hold the rear! The mission continues!"

"Don't joke around! Sakura, you'll get yourself killed! You may be strong, but-" Shikamaru said to me.

"Do you think I used my full strength in the match just now?" I glanced at Shikamaru, cutting him off. "They're just nine Chunin. Leave them to me! Keep tracking Sasuke, and I'll catch up with you later! Understood? That's an order from your captain!"

"...Understood!"

Naruto, Shikamaru, and Pakkun continued on their way! I stayed behind alone to ambush the approaching Sound Ninja.

If there were only nine Chunin, I wouldn't have much trouble dealing with them... but what worried me most was the possibility that a Jonin was leading them! Quite a few Chunin weren't very strong and had risen through seniority and experience. Their combat ability was average, but they could handle ordinary missions and ninja affairs. Iruka-sensei more or less belonged in that category!

Jonin were another matter. Jonin were combat elites. Those who could become Jonin didn't have many weaknesses and all had real skills!

A short while later, the Sound Ninja group did indeed follow our trail here. But only eight were visible! Pakkun had said there were nine, which meant one was hiding in the shadows. The good news, though, was that I didn't sense the presence of any powerful fighters among these ninjas...

"Come out, brat," a Sound Ninja suddenly called. "We've found you!"

I quietly created eight Water Clones, attaching three Explosive Tags that Naruto and Shikamaru had left me to each clone-

"Go!"

The eight clones charged the eight Sound Ninja, one apiece!

"They're all clones—what? Run, they've got Explosive Tags!"

"Boom-!"

The panicked cries of the Sound Ninja and the explosions of the Explosive Tags rang out in succession through the woods! Dust, blood, and flesh flew everywhere, screams filled the air, and the scene descended into chaos!

"Azure Water Release: Blue Water Clone!"

The Water Clone formed from ultra-pure water charged into the Sound Ninja, who had been left reeling by the blasts, like a tiger among sheep. Every movement she made carried tremendous force, and a Sound Ninja fell with each punch and kick!

In just a few seconds, not a single Sound Ninja on the ground was left alive.

"Your comrades are all dead. Aren't you coming out?" I called toward the empty space.

"Swish-!" A figure suddenly appeared behind me.

So fast! Instinctively using Azure Water Release to protect my back, I gripped my kunai and whirled around, slashing!

Clang-!

The two kunai, both infused with wind-nature chakra, struck each other with a clear ring!

"-Asuma-sensei?!"

Asuma held the ninth Sound Ninja's corpse in his right hand, a cigarette between his lips. "I saw you chasing after them and got a little concerned... so I followed you! Shikamaru and the others went that way, right?"

"That's right, Asuma-sensei!... Whew, you gave me a fright!"

"All right, I'll take over the rest of the mission! Sakura, you don't have much stamina left... get some rest first!"

Whew-! I dropped heavily to the ground!

A short while later, high above the woods.

By using Water Release to raise myself high into the air and then using the Telescope Technique, I could easily scout and gather information from far away...

More than ten kilometers away, I saw a giant toad fighting the One-Tail, whose entire body was made of sand!

It was too far away. By the time I got there, their battle would be over, and Asuma-sensei had gone over too, so there wouldn't be a problem there. Konoha, on the other hand... although I'd left Haku at home, I was still very worried about the situation there. After resting for a little while, my stamina had recovered to around thirty or forty percent of its usual level. I could still manage to fight!

"Azure Water Release: Glider Technique!"

The ultra-pure water's exceptional strength made the glider both light and tough. Gliding back to Konoha through the air saved me much of the stamina I would have spent running back! Riding the wind, I sped toward Konoha from above!

Konoha's western district.

Several giant snakes, each as thick as a house and hundreds of meters long, were rampaging through the district!

"Wind Release: Vacuum Great Sphere!" Dozens of wind spheres filled with nature-transformed wind chakra slammed into a giant snake. Sharp blades of wind covered it in cuts, but they failed to deal any substantial damage to its thick hide and instead made it even more vicious!

The giant snake turned its head, its enormous yellow eyes fixed on the Konoha Ninja who had hurt it. Its tail swept toward him with a howl, as though it would tear the air apart!

"Damn it! We can't deal with it at all!" The Wind Release ninja leaped aside, dodging the blow, while the house beneath him was instantly reduced to rubble!

Without waiting for the airborne ninja to land, the giant snake opened its jaws wide and lunged at him!

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" "Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

Two nearby ninjas hurriedly used ninjutsu to block the giant snake's attack, but to no avail. Just as it looked as though the Wind Release ninja was about to be swallowed-

"Water Release: Super Water Gun Jutsu!"

A stream of water descended from above. Its immense cutting power ignored the giant snake's scales and sliced its entire head off!

Boom-

Momentum carried the giant snake's body forward for several dozen more meters, crushing more than a dozen houses before it stopped!

The Wind Release ninja, having narrowly escaped death, looked up. A strange aircraft glided overhead, with a young girl standing on its wing-

Standing high on the glider, I looked down at the ground, where several more giant snakes were still fighting other Konoha Ninja! I jumped off the glider and landed on one giant snake's head. A Rasengan bored in through its eye, grinding its brain into mush, and the giant snake's body stiffened and fell to the ground!

I made several leaps through the air to reach the second giant snake's head. To conserve chakra, I needed to use the Water Gun Technique at close range!

"Water Release: Super Water Gun Jutsu!"

A stream of water severed the head of the giant snake that had just been throwing its weight around!

Using the same method, I cut down two more giant snakes. The Konoha Ninja, who had been at a loss against them, saw their morale soar!

"Hah! Hah! Hah!" After cutting off the fifth giant snake's head, I could already feel my stamina starting to give out!

The sixth giant snake fixed its eyes on me and lunged down to bite me! I jumped with all my strength, but unexpectedly my legs gave way, and I slipped on its scales, which were slick with snake blood! The Konoha Ninja around me used all kinds of ninjutsu to stop it, but the low-level jutsu they cast in haste had no effect at all!

The giant snake drew closer and closer!

"Whew-damn it! Azure Water Release..." I strained to gather chakra, but a feeling of powerlessness swept over me! I was done for-!

"Summoning Technique: Food Cart Destroyer Technique!"

A giant toad dropped from above, pinning the giant snake, which was only a few meters away from me, firmly beneath him and leaving it unable to move!

"Yo! Long time no see!" A familiar, lecherous voice rang out from atop the toad's head. "Nice work, young lady!"

"And you, Ibiki, after all this time, has only your body grown?!"

A tall ninja with white hair tied in a long ponytail stood atop the giant toad, looking down at us!

"Hmph-long time no see, Uncle Jiraiya!"

I couldn't help smiling!