Crisis on All Sides

## Outside Konoha Village ##

An ANBU squad was on patrol.

"Did you find anything?" another ANBU asked.

"No, Captain. It might be a group of ninja."

The ANBU swiftly and stealthily approached the camp, where they found eight Hidden Sand Village ninja standing in a circle.

Each Hidden Sand Village ninja had a small scroll clenched in their mouth and was slowly forming hand seals. The technique appeared extremely complex, and they had to be very careful.

"It looks like a summoning formation," one ANBU told the captain.

"Yes... we can't let them summon anything. Take your positions," the captain ordered.

"I won't allow you to do that." A voice suddenly came from behind them. When they turned around, they saw a man with reddish-brown hair and black eyes—the Fourth Kazekage himself.

Suddenly, sand flowed out from his gourd and swiftly wrapped around four ANBU, crushing them instantly.

"Hurry up and finish the mission," the Kazekage ordered.

## Kage's Box ##

After Orochimaru gave the signal, smoke suddenly filled the entire Kage chamber, blocking everyone's vision. The guards immediately took defensive measures to ensure their leaders' safety.

Everyone leaped onto the nearby rooftops. None of them had expected the Kazekage's guards to suddenly become four people, each standing at one corner of the roof.

These guards were all Hidden Sound Village ninja. They formed hand seals simultaneously and shouted:

"Ninja Art: Four Purple Flame Formation!"

A purple barrier rose, trapping the Kage inside.

Inside the barrier were the Hokage, the Raikage, the Kazekage, and Jiraiya.

"What does this mean?" the Raikage asked unhappily.

"Allow me to explain, Raikage," the Kazekage said. Then he removed his clothes, revealing Orochimaru, who was wearing a smug smile.

"Orochimaru?" The Raikage could not believe his eyes.

"That's right." Orochimaru answered with a twisted smile. "Now, Teacher, let the game begin." Orochimaru licked his lips.

"You fool, it's three against one... you have no chance," the Raikage said. The Hokage and Jiraiya both raised their brows.

"Three against one?" the Hokage asked hopefully.

"Yes... I'll fight alongside you. Consider it atonement for my father's mistakes." After speaking, the Raikage gathered his voice and shouted, "Hidden Cloud Village ninja, fight for Konoha!"

"Yes!" Darui, Shi, and Killer B shouted from outside the barrier before splitting up to face the Hidden Sound Village and Hidden Sand Village ninja.

"Thank you, Lord Raikage," the Hokage said.

"Now let's skin this snake." The Raikage smiled. Orochimaru had not expected the Hidden Cloud Village to side with Konoha.

"How naive," Orochimaru said, then began forming hand seals.

"Summoning Technique: Impure World Reincarnation!"

Four coffins rose from the ground.

The coffins slowly opened, revealing four seemingly dead ninja. In truth, they were merely waiting for Orochimaru to activate them.

## Arena ##

Naruto marveled at Shukaku's immense size.

"What a huge tanuki," Naruto said.

"Hayate," Naruto said to him, "leave the arena." Hayate nodded.

"Kurama, give me your power," Naruto said to his companion.

"Alright," Kurama replied, immediately channeling chakra into Naruto.

In an instant, a translucent red cloak enveloped Naruto. His eyes turned blood-red, with black vertical pupils at their centers. The whisker marks on his face became more pronounced, and his fangs grew longer. Behind Naruto, nine chakra tails lashed about wildly, as if they possessed minds of their own.

Naruto formed a cross-shaped hand seal and said:

"Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!" In an instant, nearly two thousand clones appeared, each possessing chakra comparable to a jonin's.

"Spread throughout the village. Prioritize protecting and evacuating the civilians," Naruto ordered.

"Yes!" all the clones answered in unison before leaping out of the arena.

Naruto formed hand seals again and shouted:

"Enhanced Shadow Clone!" A clone appeared before him.

"Go protect Hinata." After Naruto spoke, the clone nodded and used Flying Thunder God to instantly appear beside Hinata.

"Shadow Clone Technique." Naruto shouted, and four clones appeared before him.

"Kurama... I'm going to set up a barrier. Can you control the clones and maintain it?"

"No problem," Kurama answered. In an instant, the four clones rushed toward the four corners of the arena. They formed hand seals simultaneously and said, "Ninja Art: Four Purple Flame Formation!"

A purple barrier rose, trapping Shukaku and Naruto inside.

However, before the barrier fully closed, three Hidden Sand Village ninja leaped inside. They were Temari, Kankuro, and their jonin teacher, Maki.

They landed atop Shukaku's head but did not act immediately. Naruto noticed Temari unfolding her fan and Kankuro unsealing his puppet.

"Uzumaki Naruto, you make me feel alive!" Shukaku shouted, but the voice was clearly Gaara's.

Maniac. Naruto threw a three-pronged kunai, but Maki blocked it with his own kunai.

Naruto instantly appeared behind Maki and struck his back with a Rasengan. Maki flew away and crashed heavily onto the ground, completely losing his ability to fight.

Naruto dodged Temari's fan and punched her in the abdomen, making her double over in pain. He swiftly leaped back, avoiding the senbon thrown by Kankuro's puppet.

Naruto picked up another kunai and threw it at Kankuro himself. Kankuro jumped away in panic.

Naruto leaped down from Shukaku, avoiding the sand beneath Shukaku's feet. He walked over to Maki and sealed him into a stasis scroll.

Kankuro had just been watching Naruto dodge the sand when, in the blink of an eye, Naruto appeared behind Temari.

"How did you do that?" Temari asked tremblingly.

Naruto lightly struck the back of her neck, knocking her unconscious. He quickly sealed Temari into a stasis scroll as well.

"You bastard..." Kankuro roared furiously, controlling his puppet to attack Naruto.

"You should be grateful I didn't kill your sister," Naruto said coldly. When Kankuro saw Naruto's blood-red eyes, he began to feel drowsy.

"Release!" Kankuro shouted, forcibly breaking the genjutsu.

"Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet!" Shukaku shouted. A massive blast of wind rushed toward Naruto. Naruto swung his fan and deflected it, making the ground tremble violently.

Naruto dodged the poisonous blades of Kankuro's puppet, considering how to deal with him. Using his Sharingan, he found the chakra threads controlling the puppet and swiftly severed them. The puppet collapsed to the ground.

"What can you do now?" Naruto asked. Kankuro charged at him in fury. Naruto smiled and easily knocked him to the ground. Kankuro was sealed into a stasis scroll as well.

"Now you're the only one left." Naruto looked at Shukaku.