Dramatic Change

In the medical room, Hyuga Hiashi and Neji finally reached a resolution about the events of that day.

"Hizashi... it wasn't us who arranged for his death..." Hiashi's eyes had lost their usual sharpness, filled only with endless grief...

"Impossible! That's just the main family's excuse!" Neji shouted.

He couldn't believe the truth of his father's death.

"I was already prepared to die... your father volunteered to be my substitute... to protect me..." Hiashi said, tears slipping uncontrollably down his face.

"Hizashi didn't die as a branch family member... he died as a younger brother, protecting his older brother, protecting his child, protecting Konoha..."

Hiashi unexpectedly dropped to his knees.

"Please believe me... as a brother speaking to you..."

"Please get up..."

The silent Neji suddenly spoke.

He finally understood his father's will—he had wanted to choose his own fate according to his own convictions...

"Excuse me!"

Jimo, who remembered in advance that Sunagakure and Orochimaru were planning trouble, arrived at the medical room and found Neji still immersed in Naruto's talk-no-jutsu.

Jimo deliberately waited until Hiashi left before entering.

"Still in good spirits... How about another fight?"

Jimo tossed a Senzu Bean to Neji.

"This... what is this?"

"A magical bean that heals injuries. Of course, you'd better keep quiet about it, or the maggots in Konoha's shadows might drag us off for dissection..."

Neji swallowed the Senzu Bean without hesitation. A warm current slowly rose in his abdomen.

The bruises on his body faded at a visible rate.

"Spit it out. What do you want from me by giving me this bean?"

"I said it when I came in—come out and fight me again. By now, the arena should already be..."

"Boom!"

A massive sound erupted from the arena. Gaara had entered his Shukaku-possessed state ahead of time.

"Ah, crap! I've got to get over there! Watch yourself! If you see anyone wearing masks, beat them up!"

Jimo left a single sentence and abandoned Neji in the medical room.

Meanwhile, the Third Hokage also sensed something was off. The "Rasa" beside him had felt strange all along.

The Kazekage swiftly took the Third Hokage hostage and leaped onto the rooftop. Four unfamiliar young ninjas erected a barrier, trapping the two inside.

"Long time no see, Sarutobi-sensei..."

The Kazekage tore off his disguise, revealing his true face—none other than the rogue ninja Orochimaru.

Nearby, three giant snakes breached Konoha's walls, their massive bodies crushing buildings to rubble.

"Today is a historic moment... I will kill my beloved teacher... here in Konoha..."

Orochimaru wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes and spoke in a sinister tone.

Inside the arena, Kakashi and the other jonin broke free from the genjutsu. They clashed with the Sound Ninja.

"Kakashi, where's that freak kid from your squad?"

Gai stood back-to-back with Kakashi, facing the enemy.

"Who knows? He's a ninja with a one-hundred-percent surprise rate..."

"Are you talking about me?"

Two spheres of light descended from the sky with an explosion.

Jimo appeared in the smoke and dust, sitting on the bodies of two Sound Ninja.

"As expected..." Kakashi was already used to this guy's habit of dropping from the sky.

"Jimo, you and Sakura hurry and break Naruto and the others out of the genjutsu, then go help Sasuke chase down that Sand brat!"

Kakashi ordered. "This is your first A-rank mission since the Wave Country mission!"

Kakashi summoned his summoning beast, Pakkun, and had him lead Naruto's group to chase after Sasuke.

"Sakura, you go first... I have some things I need to find out!"

Jimo's expression turned cold. He sensed an extremely powerful aura nearby—it had to be Orochimaru.

Before Sakura could finish speaking, Neji arrived.

So Sakura, Naruto, Shikamaru, and Neji followed Pakkun to pursue Sasuke.

Jimo, meanwhile, went up to the rooftop and saw the purple barrier from a distance.

On the other side of the arena, Baki found himself facing an opponent who shocked him.

"You should already be..."

"Dead, right? Luckily, I had a backup!"

Moonlight Hayate swung his longsword as he spoke. His condition had clearly improved—even the dark circles under his eyes were gone.

Back when Baki had pierced his chest, Kabuto and Baki hadn't finished him off, and Jimo had managed to save him in time.

He had been secretly watching the Sand ninja's movements all these days.

"I haven't forgotten that slash you gave me!"

In an instant, Moonlight Hayate had severely wounded Baki...

On the rooftop, the Anbu members were all racking their brains over how to break the barrier that would set anyone who touched it on fire.

"Kamehameha!"

A massive blue beam of light struck the barrier, and spiraling ripples coiled around the outside of that blue light.

"Kamehameha! Piercing version!"

A flicker of pain appeared on the faces of the four ninjas stationed at the corners.

The next second, a gap was torn open in the barrier, and all four ninjas coughed up blood at the same time.

"If the barrier can't be broken, it just means you're not hitting it hard enough!"

Jimo flashed into the barrier in an instant.

"Old man, it's not fair to start a fight without me!"

Jimo suddenly froze as he saw the two opened coffins...

"Barging in like that—what kind of behavior is that? Regretting it now, aren't you?" the Third Hokage said helplessly. "Your timing couldn't be worse..."

The First Hokage and the Second Hokage had already been summoned by Impure World Reincarnation.

"Sarutobi, is this your new disciple? Breaking through a barrier like that... not bad at all."

The Second Hokage assessed him with hollow eyes.

"Konoha has such a promising rising star—you've done well!"

But before they could finish, Orochimaru had already taken control of their minds.

By now, the four ninjas had repaired the barrier.

"Looks like there's no escape..." Jimo stared at the two former Hokages, the pressure reaching its peak.

The battle erupted. The Third Hokage was locked in combat with the First and Second. Due to his age, he had to carefully ration every bit of his chakra.

Jimo, meanwhile, charged straight at Orochimaru.

"Little brat, you're really annoying..." Orochimaru spat out the Kusanagi Sword from his mouth and swung it at Jimo.

"Clang!"

A red staff appeared in Jimo's hand.

"Don't think you're the only one with a weapon!" Jimo swung the Nyoi-Bo and sent Orochimaru flying with a single strike.

"Interesting... to think it could clash with my Kusanagi Sword..." Orochimaru wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, staring coldly at Jimo.

Before he could make a move, a white fireball came blasting toward him.

"Fire Style? Fireball Jutsu!"

The scorching flames nearly turned the rooftop into glass. In the midst of the blaze, Orochimaru burst through the fire. His charred body split open, and a new one crawled out from within.

"Interesting... so Fire Style can be used like this?"

Orochimaru looked at Jimo with greedy eyes, burning with fervor.

"I've decided... I'm taking you back for experiments... to study you thoroughly..."