At the very moment the Tailed Beast inside Gaara was on the verge of going out of control, Orochimaru's carefully laid scheme quietly began.
In the sky, pure white feathers drifted down like snowflakes, carrying a powerful hypnotic Genjutsu. None of the ordinary spectators present escaped; one after another, they fell asleep.
Worried about Gaara's safety, Kankuro and Temari hurried with their teacher to the arena. They saw Gaara standing at the brink of a rampage, and the situation was dire.
At the same time, four Sound Ninja appeared silently in the Hokage's viewing stand.
East: Sakon
North: Tayuya
West: Kidomaru
South: Jirobo
They quickly formed Hand Seals and activated the powerful Barrier Ninjutsu known as the Four Violet Flames Formation, enclosing the entire Hokage stand within the barrier.
Orochimaru, who had been disguised as the Kazekage, no longer bothered to hide his identity. He suddenly appeared behind the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and clamped a Kunai tightly against Hiruzen's throat. A cold smile tugged at his lips. "Teacher, take a look at the surprise I prepared for you."
On Konoha's outskirts, a gigantic Three-Headed Serpent soared into the air. With a deafening roar, it launched a fierce attack on Konoha.
At the same time, around a hundred Sand Shinobi and some Sound Ninja took advantage of the chaos to infiltrate Konoha, engaging the Anbu in a fierce clash. The entire village descended into confusion.
Beneath Naruto's sunglasses, six eyes spun rapidly.
Without hesitation, he moved at near-teleporting speed, taking Hinata, Sakura, and the others to Kakashi and Might Guy. "Kakashi-sensei, please watch them for now. I'm going over there to check things out." Kakashi was about to stop him, but remembering Naruto's abilities, he finally nodded and cautioned him, "All right. Be careful."
Hinata, Sakura, Ino, and the others gazed at Naruto with worried faces. Naruto smiled reassuringly at them. "Don't worry. I'm invincible." Before he'd even finished speaking, his body began to slowly rise into the air.
This was the first time Naruto had shown that he could fly. He'd avoided drawing too much attention before, but things were already chaotic enough now that it didn't matter whether he stood out.
In an instant, Naruto shot toward the Hokage stand like an arrow released from a bow.
When Kakashi and Might Guy saw Naruto rise into the air, their eyes widened, filled with disbelief.
In the world of ninja, only a handful could fly freely. The ability was almost exclusive to the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure.
Kakashi's heart surged with shock as he wondered, Naruto, just how many unknown powers and secrets are you still hiding? The unexpected revelation raised his opinion of Naruto to an even higher level.
Sakura, Hinata, Ino, and the other Genin of their generation were stunned, then their eyes began to gleam with admiration.
Naruto flew into the sky with an almost godlike presence. He was not only incredibly cool, but his appearance also carried an indescribable power.
Might Guy looked astonished, his fists clenched and tears glimmering in his eyes. "Now this is youth, young man!"
After saying that, Guy and Kakashi also threw themselves into the fierce battle against the invading ninja.
With his hands in his pockets and an easygoing air, Naruto flew up to the Hokage stand. His sunglasses sat low on his nose as he coldly scrutinized Hiruzen Sarutobi and Orochimaru below.
Just then, the four Sand Shinobi on the Hokage stand raised their Kunai and hurled them at Naruto like a dense rain of arrows.
Yet Naruto didn't move an inch. The Kunai shot toward him, then abruptly stopped just millimeters from his body, hanging suspended in the air in a startling display.
Then Naruto flicked his fingertips, firing several Rasengan like bullets. Each one carried astonishing destructive power and struck the Sand Shinobi below with pinpoint accuracy.
Like the scythes of the Grim Reaper, the Rasengan instantly reaped the lives of the Sand Shinobi around the Hokage stand.
When the two saw Naruto's forceful entrance, shock flashed across their faces. But it was quickly replaced by smiles that revealed their very different reactions.
A meaningful smile curled Orochimaru's lips, and his voice carried a hint of amusement. "Naruto-kun, long time no see. I've grown fonder and fonder of you."
Naruto raised an eyebrow slightly and answered coldly, "You're Orochimaru?" During his training with Jiraiya, he'd already learned some of Konoha's history, as well as the darkness represented by Orochimaru's name. When Naruto had described the effeminate man's fighting style to Jiraiya, Jiraiya had immediately guessed who he was.
Seeing that Naruto had recognized him, Orochimaru's smile widened, and his eyes shone with fervor. "Naruto-kun, why not consider joining me? I'll use every resource and every means at my disposal to train you, help you reach the pinnacle of the Ninja World, and make you an unparalleled powerhouse!"
Naruto merely glanced coldly at Orochimaru, as if he couldn't care less about the offer.
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