Kabuto's Ninja Card, Konoha's Collapse

After inspecting the barrier set up by Orochimaru's subordinates, Aoike was satisfied and chose not to interfere.

They were worthy of being trained by a science fanatic; although their individual strength was relatively low, they seemed quite professional when it came to barrier deployment.

With over a month left until the final round, this period was the perfect time for preparations.

Outside the registration room.

Encouraged by Kakashi, Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke happily pushed open the heavy doors.

A single glance was enough to wipe the smiles from their faces; a massive crowd of ninjas from various villages was packed inside, noisy and chaotic.

Seeing the three of them enter last, almost everyone in the room focused their gazes upon them.

Before Sakura could react to the collective attention, Ino's voice drifted over.

She was followed by her Ino-Shika-Cho teammates.

Further back were Hinata, Kiba, and Shino, who lacked any sense of presence.

Since graduation, the nine of them had never been gathered together like this.

Kabuto, hiding in the crowd, offered a faint smile and, following his plan, stepped forward to approach this new generation.

Relying on his harmless smile and his status as a senior, Kabuto easily inserted himself into their conversation.

Just as the group, having finished learning about the information cards, began to worry about the difficulty of this exam, Kabuto's hand paused, and a card slipped from his sleeve.

"This one looks a bit different?"

Sasuke asked curiously, looking at the card that was clearly distinct from the others.

At these words, a flash of perfectly measured gravity crossed Kabuto's face.

He scanned his surroundings quickly before leading the group to a more secluded corner.

"It's a long story. I spent a great deal of effort to collect his information, though it's of little use now."

"He should have been in your year; you might even know more about him than I do."

Sasuke's expression froze, and the next words from Kabuto confirmed his suspicions.

"Aoike. He carried the bloodline of both the Hyuga and Uchiha clans, the top student of the Ninja Academy, a genius who graduated early and developed at least an A-rank jutsu."

"Unfortunately, he later vanished without a trace. Rumor has it..."

Because it concerned the reputation of Konoha, the news of Aoike's defection had only spread within a small circle.

Sensing the shift in atmosphere and realizing he wouldn't get any extra information, Kabuto tactfully withdrew from the small circle.

"I believe... Aoike had his reasons," Hinata, the shyest yet most resilient among them, couldn't help but speak up to defend him.

But it clearly lacked any persuasive power.

Ino, standing to the side, took a deep look at Hinata but said nothing.

Only Naruto spoke up with his usual boisterous confidence.

"It doesn't matter! No matter where he is, once I become a Chunin, I'll definitely find him and bring him back!"

Yes, the priority now was the Chunin Exams.

Everyone else was distracted by the proctors, but Sasuke kept his hand tightly gripped around the kunai in his ninja pouch.

When it came to understanding Aoike, he was second to none.

Both his true strength and that pair of Mangekyo Sharingan had been the driving forces pushing him forward for the past few years.

As a powerhouse comparable to Itachi, Aoike was also a target he had been chasing all along.

But now, I'm still just a Genin, and my growth has hit a bottleneck. How much longer will it take for me to get my revenge?

At the thought, Sasuke's hand turned white from the pressure.

Outside the venue.

Aoike finished two large bowls of ramen at the shop, wiping the corners of his mouth with satisfaction.

After paying, he stepped out of the shop, walking at a steady pace as Teuchi called out a farewell.

Once in a secluded spot, Aoike opened his gray-white eyes. His Sharingan had not fully recovered; although his Otsutsuki genes prevented him from going completely blind, two years had passed and he still could not use his Mangekyo normally.

Feeling the mere ten percent of ocular power left in his Mangekyo, Aoike sighed and deactivated his Sharingan.

Recalling the "Ten Thousand Things" inscribed on the Uchiha stone tablet, and the reason Obito's Mangekyo never went blind, Aoike decided he had to start with Indra's chakra.

Orochimaru likely had some left, but it certainly wouldn't be enough for Aoike to consume.

In that case, he needed something abundant, filling, and high in purity.

Aoike couldn't help but think of the White Zetsu that Uchiha Madara had cultivated using Hashirama's cells.

As products of Yang Release and born from Hashirama's cells, the White Zetsu were excellent nutrients for restoring ocular power.

"One hundred thousand White Zetsu—that should be enough." Aoike's lips curled upward. He would pay another visit once Konoha collapsed.

If he could use his Byakugan to find the passage between the Earth and the Moon, he could certainly find the White Zetsu hidden deep underground.

While Aoike was enjoying his leisure, Sasuke and the others were getting beaten up in the forest.

The squads that had collected the Book of Heaven and Earth were resting to conserve their strength, while most of the others had been eliminated.

Next came the most eye-catching segment: the tournament matches, which would draw the attention of the vast majority of the spectators.

Like the calm before a storm, Sarutobi felt that something was wrong, yet his subordinates reported that everything was normal after their inspections.

The cautious Sarutobi increased the frequency of patrols, his combat gear hidden beneath his Hokage Cloak.

Even Jiraiya, who had been out of contact, received a letter from Sarutobi.

Time flew by.

The tournament matches were the easiest way to discern an individual's style.

The incredibly perseverant Rock Lee.

The number-one unpredictable Naruto.

The lethargic Shikamaru.

The sisterly duel between Sakura and Ino.

Neji, trapped within his cage.

Hinata, who appeared frail on the outside but was resilient within.

Konoha's new generation were, without a doubt, all talented individuals.

Especially Sasuke.

In taijutsu, he could compete with Rock Lee without falling behind, and he was highly proficient in ninjutsu, whether it was the Great Fireball, Phoenix Sage Fire, or genjutsu.

Especially when combined with his Sharingan, he was deservedly the focus of the entire arena. But only Sasuke knew that this was far from enough; he needed even greater power.

Many people were curious about who was stronger between him and Sunagakure's Gaara.

But Orochimaru could no longer restrain himself and prepared to make his move.

After receiving the message from Sarutobi Hiruzen, Jiraiya rushed back to Konoha during the interval between exams, which added a few more variables to the situation.

Dragging it out any longer was meaningless; he had to keep the risks under his control.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes.

Upon receiving the signal, his subordinates immediately began their operation.

Countless Illusion Feathers drifted down from the sky, and most people collapsed in their seats upon contact.

Just as the Anbu were busy protecting the feudal lords and dignitaries from various nations.

Orochimaru took advantage of the chaos to seize Sarutobi and land on a rooftop.

The Konoha Crush Plan, begin!