Konoha Destruction Plan III

Gaara's sand circled around him defensively. The Hidden Weapons did not attack all at once; no matter how many there were, that would have been useless. By attacking Gaara from different directions at different times, his sand had to constantly move back and forth to block them. Unless he enclosed himself completely in sand, that was the only way to avoid the harassment. But that would consume even more of his Chakra, especially since the sand was soaked with water.

Already extremely irritable, Gaara became even more enraged under the barrage. His face began to twist. "How annoying. To think I'd be forced into this state." Gaara had never felt so helpless before, driven into a corner without any way to fight back. Damn it. He clutched his head as veins bulged on his forehead, his eyes widening further and further while he panted heavily through gritted teeth.

"This is bad. Gaara is about to lose control. I didn't expect him to be pushed this far so easily," Kankuro said anxiously. Temari watched in equal concern, but there was nothing they could do. They needed orders before they could act.

Sasuke smiled. He had not used much Chakra yet; he would need it for the pursuit that came next. Gaara at that point would be nothing like the one he faced now.

"Whoa, what's going on? Why did he wrap himself in sand?" The spectators began discussing it. Gaara had finally enclosed himself in sand, forming a giant sand sphere against the wall. Was he partially transforming into Shukaku?

Sasuke grew serious. Everything before this had been part of the plan; now it was time to rely on strength. In that case, let me try Lightning Cutter. In the anime, it had been one ninjutsu, turning into a thrust through acceleration and speed. But now it had become two ninjutsu. Chidori was more like an electrical discharge, while Lightning Cutter condensed Chakra-generated lightning in the hand, making it more like a sharp blade. Combined with lightning's unique properties, its piercing power was even stronger.

"Lightning Release! Lightning Cutter!" Sasuke condensed Lightning Cutter. Its brilliant glow remained dazzling even in broad daylight. Then he began his run-up, his speed increasing with every step. Rather than leaping directly upward, he ran up along the wall.

"That is..." Might Guy murmured from the stands. "I never thought you'd pass that ninjutsu on to him." Naruto asked in confusion, "What kind of ninjutsu is that?" But there was no time to explain. Sasuke had already reached the sand sphere. He was not stupid enough to stick his hand inside and let himself be attacked. "Lightning Cutter Extension!" With a shout, before the sand sphere could attack, the Lightning Cutter in his hand suddenly extended. Even Kakashi had not expected Sasuke to make Lightning Cutter lengthen.

"Pfft!" The sand sphere was pierced, and Lightning Cutter struck directly inside. Sasuke immediately retreated as a monstrous hand reached out.

"This is bad. It has actually reached this stage, but the plan hasn't even begun yet." While Kankuro and Temari panicked, the Sand Ninja in the stands grew anxious as well. At the same time, Yakushi Kabuto, disguised as an Anbu member, watched the scene and knew he could wait no longer. Lord Orochimaru had probably seen enough. He activated a Genjutsu, and the spectators' vision began to blur as waves of drowsiness washed over them.

"This is?" Might Guy moved close to Kakashi and asked. "Yeah, it's Genjutsu." "Release." The two dispelled the Genjutsu at the same time, as did several Konoha ninja. At the highest point of the stands, Orochimaru, disguised as the Kazekage, looked toward the Third Hokage. With a bang, a smoke bomb exploded, and thick smoke engulfed the highest platform. The Anbu moved urgently and rushed over.

Outside Konoha, "That's the signal. Prepare to move. Begin the summoning ritual." Several people gathered around a massive summoning array and began making preparations. As time passed, a huge cloud of mist rose with a bang, and a three-headed snake was summoned. This was a summoning scroll left behind by Orochimaru. "Attack!" The ninja of Otogakure and Sunagakure charged toward Konoha's walls.

Sasuke returned to the center of the arena. His mind was extremely calm. There was no need to be surprised by something he had expected long ago. Now it depended on Konoha's preparations and whether major casualties would still occur. Still, there really were very few large Summoning Animals. Had other villages ever had them? He could not remember clearly. The ones that left the deepest impression were the Summoning Animals of the Three Legendary Sannin and the nine tailed beasts. He could not remember the others very well. Had he been in this world for too long?

While Sasuke was lost in thought, Gaara's sand sphere burst apart. His shoulder had been pierced through, and he clutched the wound as he muttered repeatedly, "I'll kill you." Kankuro and Temari ran over at that moment, trying to persuade Gaara to withdraw first. His condition was far too unstable now.

Because Sasuke had drained Gaara's Chakra and injured him, Gaara could no longer carry out the plan. Baki, the Jonin of Sunagakure, ordered them to retreat first and wait until Gaara recovered his Chakra before carrying out the plan. Shukaku's attacks would not distinguish friend from foe. If they released it and failed to control it properly, Sunagakure's casualties might end up greater than Konoha's. They did not dare take that risk.

Shiranui Genma also arrived in front of Sasuke at that moment. He would not allow a Jonin from Sunagakure to harm Sasuke. Kankuro carried Gaara on his back and began retreating, with Temari following closely behind. Without waiting for Genma to speak, Sasuke followed after them. Aburame Shino, that taciturn fellow, quietly followed behind as well.

The Konoha Destruction Plan had begun, but Konoha had been prepared for it. After Sasuke's warning, the villagers had begun relocating as soon as the final Chunin Exam began. The defensive forces had long been lying in wait around the walls, waiting for the enemy ninja to enter their ambush zone. Because Orochimaru was involved, the ninjutsu summoning scroll Jiraiya had given to the wall defenders came into play. Gama Hiro appeared, carrying two great swords on his back.

Kankuro's group ran toward the forest, exactly what Sasuke wanted to see. There were many rivers and lakes here. Even if Naruto could not make it in time, Sasuke would still have the strength to fight. At worst, he would use that immature ninjutsu. People had to take risks sometimes; one could not grow stronger while wanting everything to be safe.

During that month of special training, although Sasuke returned home exhausted every day, he had never stopped developing the Rasengan. Though he did not possess Wind Release Chakra, the Rasengan had no attribute, so any nature transformation could be added to it. Water and fire could both be incorporated. After that, it would be up to fate. He had not even dared test it once. Water and fire were merciless—an old saying. If things went wrong, he could be seriously injured at best or killed at worst. So Sasuke did not dare try it. For now, he was still refining and stabilizing it. Only after pushing those aspects to the limit would he attempt to collide two Rasengan of different natures. Even then, he felt somewhat uneasy. Only heaven knew what the result would be. Developing a new ninjutsu truly was not something just anyone could do.