Third Hokage's Choice

"Uchiha Ye Fan... is this your true strength? Jiraiya has really taken a good student!"

Watching Ye Fan kick away the Water Prison Wall with one foot and then split the Second Hokage's body in half, the Third Hokage couldn't help but sigh.

"Our Konoha has successors. The Will of Fire is eternal!"

A relieved smile appeared on the Third Hokage's face. He absolutely trusted the people Jiraiya taught.

"Teacher Sarutobi, don't get distracted during a fight!"

Orochimaru seized an opening and stabbed his sword through the Third Hokage's arm, blood splashing out with a swish.

After the Grass Cutter Sword pierced his arm, Orochimaru twisted the hilt and yanked it out forcefully, taking a significant amount of flesh and blood with it.

The moment the Grass Cutter Sword was pulled out, the Third Hokage's right arm lost all sensation.

The Third Hokage's mouth twitched. Enduring the intense pain, he gasped for breath and created distance from Orochimaru.

This strike, which already had the elderly Third Hokage severely injured, caused him to lose more than half of his combat power.

"Lord Third Hokage, be careful!"

Outside the Four Violet Flames Formation, Sakura, tears streaming down her face, screamed with all her might.

But no matter how loudly she shouted, her voice could not penetrate the Four Violet Flames Formation.

Bang!

The Third Hokage's body flew backward, smashing through several thick trees before finally stopping.

Pfft!

The Third Hokage spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his eyes filled with disbelief and incredulity.

"Lord Second, wasn't he already killed by Ye Fan? Why is he...?"

"Hahaha, Teacher Sarutobi, it seems there are ninjutsu in this world that even you, a ninja scholar, don't know!"

"A body from the Impure World Reincarnation is immortal and indestructible. How could it possibly be killed by Ye Fan!"

Orochimaru sneered, "Teacher Sarutobi, it seems you're truly old and useless!"

While laughing maniacally, the Shadow Snake Hand lunged towards the Third Hokage, arriving before him in the blink of an eye.

The Third Hokage, dragging his heavily injured body, narrowly dodged most of the attack, but still took some hits.

"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Bullet Technique!"

The Third Hokage formed a hand seal and unleashed a Fire Style jutsu towards Orochimaru.

Orochimaru's lips curled up, completely unfazed by a ninjutsu of this level.

Slash!

Before the Third Hokage could react, his thigh was once again pierced by a sword.

Bang!

With his Chakra reserves nearly depleted, the Third Hokage could no longer support himself and fell to the ground.

"Lord Third!"

The Konoha ninja outside the Four Violet Flames Formation cried out anxiously as they watched this scene, desperately attacking the barrier.

At this moment, they hated themselves intensely, regretting why they couldn't help the Third Hokage!

"Lord Third, hold on!"

"You must hold on, we'll be there to save you soon!"

For a time, outside the Four Violet Flames Formation, various ninjutsu such as Fire Style and Water Style continuously struck the barrier, emitting loud noises.

The Konoha ninja, their attention completely focused on the Third Hokage, failed to notice the sand that had already covered their surroundings.

The first to notice this were Neji, with his Byakugan activated, and Sasuke, with his Sharingan activated.

"Everyone, get out of here quickly!"

Neji roared and sent Rock Lee and Tenten flying away with a palm strike.

Sasuke also pulled Sakura away from the area now filled with sand.

The Jonin of the Anbu, however, were not so lucky.

By the time they reacted, it was already too late to escape, and a large amount of sand had completely engulfed them!

"Sand Burial!"

Gaara's face contorted into an evil smile as he clenched his outstretched hand into a fist.

Instantly, all the Anbu Jonin were ground to pieces by the sand!

Blood gradually soaked through the sand from the inside out.

The yellow sand was now stained with blood, a truly gruesome sight.

Gaara let out a long sigh of relief, thoroughly enjoying the sensation.

For him, killing was a form of pleasure, his only source of happiness.

It seemed that only in the throes of killing could he find a sense of being alive, a sense that his life had meaning.

"Watch out for Gaara, he's an enemy too!" Neji shouted, while Rock Lee and the others stood ready.

Gaara stared intently at Rock Lee and the others, the aura of killing growing stronger.

Just as he was about to start killing again, Temari forcibly pulled him away.

Temari knew there were more important missions waiting for them, and they couldn't waste too much time here.

It was enough for them to buy more time for Orochimaru.

All the Anbu Jonin had been killed by them; their objective had been achieved.

"Sasuke, you guys stay here and attack the barrier. We'll go after Gaara!"

Neji said quickly, then led Rock Lee and Tenten as they hurried after him.

Inside the Four Violet Flames Formation, the Third Hokage, lying on the ground and barely alive, finally understood after seeing Gaara kill the Anbu Jonin: this Chunin Exam was a trap.

A scheme by Orochimaru and Sunagakure to destroy Konoha!

The Grass Cutter Sword was pressed against the Third Hokage's neck; if Orochimaru applied even the slightest pressure, the Third Hokage would die immediately.

Having come this far, Orochimaru's expression was complex, and two lines of tears involuntarily streamed down his face.

About to personally kill his former teacher, Orochimaru felt a pang of reluctance.

The tears dripped onto the Third Hokage's face. Feeling the warmth of the tears, the Third Hokage's heart was filled with mixed emotions.

Moments from the past gradually surfaced in his mind.

It was as if they had returned to that summer long ago, the summer with Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru.

"Orochimaru, you haven't really changed at all. You're still the same Orochimaru you always were."

The Third Hokage smiled bitterly.

Orochimaru looked at the Third Hokage lying on the ground, was silent for a moment, then used his tongue to wrap around a kunai and fiercely stab it into his own shoulder.

Blood splattered, and the intense pain hardened his resolve.

"Teacher Sarutobi, farewell forever!"

Orochimaru laughed maniacally and suddenly swung the Grass Cutter Sword in his hand, intending to deliver a fatal blow to the Third Hokage.

Just as the Grass Cutter Sword was about to decapitate the Third Hokage, Ye Fan's figure appeared. He kicked Orochimaru at the waist, breaking him in two, and the Grass Cutter Sword also shattered into several pieces.

Ye Fan stood in front of the Third Hokage, his expression calm, neither happy nor sad.

"Since Jiraiya asked me to protect you, you will never die before my eyes."

Looking at Ye Fan's retreating back, the Third Hokage suddenly felt old. This era no longer belonged to old guys like them.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

"Ye Fan, your body is truly outstanding!"

"After all these years, you are the person with the best physique I have ever seen!"

Orochimaru slowly crawled out of his severed torso, his aura significantly weakened.

It was clear that Ye Fan's attack had also caused him considerable injury.

On the other side, the First and Second Hokage, shattered into pieces by Ye Fan, reassembled and became whole once more.

"Wood Style: Forest Descent!"

"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

The just-restored First and Second Hokage immediately launched an attack on Ye Fan.

Ye Fan looked at ninjutsu of this level and felt it was a pity, sighing:

"Your strength now is probably less than a tenth of your peak."

"Honestly, I really wish I could witness your peak strength."

Ye Fan's figure was incredibly fast, so fast that no one present could react.

By the time Ye Fan returned to the Third Hokage's side, the First and Second Hokage had once again turned into fragments.

But just like before, their bodies slowly regenerated.

The Third Hokage watched this scene, then looked deeply at Ye Fan again, making a decision in his heart.

He understood that if this continued, and Ye Fan's stamina ran out, they would all die.

Now, only one method could stop this situation!