Orochimaru: I'm here to help Master go out with dignity

The instant that muffled explosion rang out from the VIP viewing platform and billowing smoke surged upward, it seemed to act as a prearranged signal. The Sound Ninja hidden among the spectator seats on every level of the circular arena tore off their disguises in perfect unison.

More than a dozen Sound Ninja scattered throughout the stands, whether disguised as merchants, travelers, or ordinary villagers, formed hand seals at the same time.

Their chakra resonated at a specific frequency, turning into a vast genjutsu field that rapidly spread across the entire arena.

"Ninja Art: Temple of Nirvana Technique!"

As they finished chanting silently in their hearts, countless pure-white, weightless illusory feathers, glowing faintly, appeared out of thin air without warning. Like the first snow of winter, they began drifting down over the spectator stands.

The feathers spun and fell with a tranquil yet uncanny rhythm, refracting hazy halos beneath the sunlight. They were breathtakingly beautiful, yet dangerously suffocating.

"Hm? Is it snowing?"

"Such pretty feathers..."

"What's going on...?"

Countless ordinary civilians, minor nobles who had come to watch, merchants, travelers, and even most of the weaker Chunin and Genin had their eyes turn blank and unfocused the moment they looked up and saw the falling feathers.

A powerful drowsiness swept over them like a tide, and their eyelids became unbearably heavy.

Cries of alarm and murmured discussion quickly faded and vanished, as if strings had been cut.

People toppled like falling dominoes, collapsing in swaths. Some slumped in their seats, while others slid straight to the ground, sinking into a deep, unnatural sleep.

In just a few breaths, the stands that had been roaring with noise became deathly silent. Only a small number of strong-willed or more powerful ninja remained standing.

"Ugh... my head's spinning..."

"These feathers... something's wrong..."

"It's