The Konoha Crush Plan Begins

On the day of the finals, the air was thick with the roar of the crowd. The colorful canopies of the feudal lords, the banners of the various ninja leaders, and the flags waved by the spectators wove together into an ocean of clamor.

Yet, beneath this lively surface, a heavy stone weighed upon the hearts of several key figures in Konoha.

Tsunade had gone missing the previous night. Shizune had anxiously found Cangshu Qianyu, explaining that Lady Tsunade had left behind a note saying only that she was going to Tanzaku Town to clear her head, before vanishing without a trace. Qianyu knew exactly what had happened.

Qianyu did not go looking for her. Everyone had their own path to walk and their own hurdles to overcome. He simply had Abin keep a secret watch on the situation in the direction of Tanzaku Town.

At this moment, he stood in the shadows of the contestant waiting area, looking up at the VIP box above the stands. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was dressed in his formal Hokage Cloak, chatting and laughing with the Fourth Kazekage beside him. Their respective guards stood behind them; it appeared to be an ordinary diplomatic exchange.

But Qianyu knew that beneath those conical hats and bandages lay the cold gaze of golden, slit-like pupils.

The matches began according to the schedule. Genma Shiranui, acting as the head referee, announced the roster for the first duel.

"The first match: Konoha Village, Cangshu Qianyu, versus Konoha Village, Sakura Haruno!"

A burst of enthusiastic cheers and whistles erupted from the stands, especially from the Konoha spectators. After all, the reputation of Qianyu as "Tsunade's disciple" had already spread, and many wanted to see his strength with their own eyes.

Sakura walked out from the opposite contestant tunnel, her face slightly nervous but her eyes resolute. She walked to the center of the arena, looked at Qianyu as he strolled toward her, and took a deep breath.

The two stood facing each other. Genma looked at them both and raised his hand: "Then, the first match—"

"I forfeit."

The crisp female voice interrupted Genma. Sakura raised her hand, faced the referee's stand, and repeated it loudly and clearly: "Referee, I forfeit."

The entire arena fell silent for a moment, followed by an even greater uproar, mostly consisting of disappointed and bewildered sighs.

"What is this! Giving up before even fighting?"

"This is the Chunin Exam finals! How spineless!"

Discussions broke out in the stands. Even Hiruzen Sarutobi in the VIP box frowned slightly as he looked down at the arena.

Genma was also somewhat surprised and confirmed, "Sakura Haruno, are you sure you want to abandon the match? Forfeiting is considered an elimination."

"I am sure." Sakura nodded, then turned to Qianyu, a hint of apology on her face. "I am very clear on Qianyu-kun's strength. As I am now, even if I gave it my all, I could not pose any threat to you. This battle is meaningless. My goal is to become an excellent medical ninja who protects her comrades, not to waste energy in a battle destined for defeat."

Qianyu looked at Sakura and nodded. He understood what she meant. "A wise choice, Sakura. You will become an amazing medical ninja."

Sakura smiled, turned, and walked back into the contestant tunnel, her back straight.

It took Genma a few seconds to announce: "Due to Sakura Haruno's withdrawal, the winner is Cangshu Qianyu, who advances directly to the next round!"

The boos and chatter from the audience grew louder; many felt cheated of a show. Qianyu, however, calmly returned to the waiting area, turning a deaf ear to the surrounding commotion.

Next was Naruto versus Neji.

This battle was far more intense than in the original story. Under Jiraiya's guidance, Naruto's chakra reserves and his grasp of combat timing far exceeded his peers. As for Neji, after the conversation with Qianyu that night and a month of Guy's hellish training, both his mindset and his strength had undergone a transformation. He was no longer a beast trapped by fate, but a fighter actively throwing punches, attempting to shatter his cage.

The two fought to a standstill on the arena floor, the collision of the Gentle Fist and taijutsu drawing gasps from the audience. In the end, relying on his superior chakra reserves, Naruto narrowly broke through Neji's Rotation defense and knocked him to the ground.

"The winner, Naruto Uzumaki!"

Naruto was panting heavily, but his face was full of excitement as he waved his arms toward the stands. As for Neji, although he had lost, there was little dejection on his face when Tenten and Rock Lee helped him up.

"Neji, are you alright?" Tenten asked worriedly.

Neji shook his head and looked toward Qianyu, who was watching him with concern not far away. A faint, yet genuine, smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"I'm fine," he said in a low voice, more to himself than anyone else. "If even a dead-last like Naruto can change his fate and become this strong... why can't I?"

His eyes grew sharper; the defeat had not crushed him. "The Caged Bird... I will definitely break it."

Hearing Neji's words, the stone in Qianyu's heart finally dropped. Good—his fighting spirit was not extinguished; on the contrary, it had been ignited. This was the Neji he knew.

Afterward, two relatively dull matches took place; Temari and Shikamaru flirted until the end, with Temari winning.

Finally, it was Gaara's turn.

Time ticked by, second by second. It was supposed to be Sasuke Uchiha's match, but Sasuke had yet to appear.

The audience began to grow impatient. In the VIP box, Orochimaru, disguised as the Kazekage, tapped his fingers gently against the armrest.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's expression darkened, and he whispered a few instructions to the ANBU behind him.

Just as the referee was about to announce Sasuke's forfeiture—

"Whoosh!"

Two figures streaked across the sky above the arena at high speed and landed steadily in the center of the field!

Kakashi still looked lazy, scratching his silver hair: "Sorry, sorry, we got lost." As for Sasuke, he wore a new, deep-blue, high-collared outfit. His eyes were as sharp as blades, and he radiated a cold, dangerous aura. The curse mark on his neck was cleverly hidden by his high collar, but the cold, sinister chakra fluctuations leaked out faintly.

His appearance instantly ignited the entire arena. The young female spectators in particular screamed incessantly.

"You're finally here!" Genma Shiranui let out a sigh of relief. "Then, Sasuke Uchiha, versus..."

"Just start it," Sasuke interrupted the referee, his gaze locked directly onto Gaara.

The battle erupted in an instant!

Sasuke's speed was astonishing, his taijutsu ferociously sharp. His Sharingan was already active, the two tomoe spinning slowly as he predicted every one of his opponent's movements.

Gaara's absolute defense was truly airtight, and Sasuke found himself unable to find an opening for the time being.

Suddenly, fine sand surged from beneath Sasuke's feet. Caught off guard, he was grazed on the arm by a tentacle of sand, and he immediately felt a cold, evil chakra invade his body, causing his movements to lag. More sand swarmed toward him!

In the stands, the corner of Orochimaru's mouth, hidden behind the guise of the Kazekage, curled into an imperceptible arc.

At this critical moment, the Cursed Seal on Sasuke's neck suddenly turned scorching hot, and black markings spread uncontrollably across his skin! A violent, negative-emotion-filled chakra erupted from within him!

"Aaaahhh!"

Sasuke let out a painful roar as the tomoe in his Sharingan spun wildly. Enveloped in purple-black chakra, his speed and strength surged once more, and he tore through the incoming sand with his bare hands!

However, the power of the Cursed Seal was also eroding his reason; his attacks became erratic and filled with a desire for destruction.

"Sasuke! Calm down!" Kakashi couldn't help but shout.

Qianyu's expression turned grave as he watched from the stands. Orochimaru was forcing Sasuke to rely more deeply on the power of the Cursed Seal and release it.

The situation began to spiral out of control. The shockwaves from the battle between Sasuke and Gaara started to affect the edges of the stands, sending debris flying.

"Enough!" Genma Shiranui attempted to intervene, but he was forced back by the rampaging chakra.

In the VIP box, Hiruzen Sarutobi stood up, preparing to order the match to be terminated.

Just then—

"BOOM!!!"

Huge clouds of smoke suddenly erupted simultaneously around the arena, near the sections where the Hidden Sand and Hidden Sound spectators were seated! Immediately afterward, countless white feathers poured out from the smoke like a blizzard, rapidly filling the sky above the entire arena!

Genjutsu: Temple of Nirvana Technique!

The moment the feathers touched the ordinary spectators, the feudal lords of various nations, and even some of the weaker ninjas in the stands, their eyes glazed over, their heads slumped, and they fell into a deep slumber.

Snoring rose and fell in succession. The arena, which had been deafeningly loud just a moment ago, turned deathly silent in the blink of an eye, leaving only a few powerful ninjas who had held their breath or dispelled the genjutsu in time still conscious.

In the VIP box, Hiruzen Sarutobi and his guards protected themselves with chakra instantly, but his expression changed drastically as he looked at the vast sea of people who had fallen asleep in an instant.

"Lord Kazekage, what is the meaning of this?!" Hiruzen Sarutobi turned his head sharply, looking at the Fourth Kazekage beside him with a stern tone.

Baki, Yura, and the others who had been disguised as the Kazekage's guards, along with the lead jounin of the Hidden Sound, no longer bothered to hide their expressions, revealing cold, murderous intent.

The Fourth Kazekage slowly raised his hand, removed the Kazekage hat from his head, and then tore off the bandages from his face and body.

A pale face, long black hair, golden slit pupils, eerie purple eyeshadow, and that iconic long tongue that licked his lips.

"Long time no see, teacher."

Orochimaru's voice echoed across the suddenly silent arena.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils contracted sharply, his body swayed almost imperceptibly, and all color drained from his face.

"Oro...chimaru..."