The Beginning of the Collapse

The civilians in the surrounding stands had already begun dropping like flies.

Takuma gritted his teeth, reached into his ninja tool pouch with his right hand, and gripped a kunai.

The blade pressed against the inside of his thigh, its cold touch seeping through the fabric.

He took a deep breath, reversed his grip on the kunai, and stabbed himself without hesitation.

The tip pierced the fabric and sank into his flesh.

Pain shot through his spine like an electric current, surging straight to the back of his head.

Blood seeped along the kunai's groove and soaked into his pant leg.

His consciousness returned.

Takuma pulled out the kunai and gasped for breath.

Tenten had completely lost consciousness.

"Wake up!"

Takuma grabbed Tenten by the shoulders and shook her hard, but she didn't respond.

Takuma looked at her leg and made a shallow cut.

Tenten's brow furrowed, then her eyes flew open.

"Ah—it hurts!"

She sucked in a sharp breath, instinctively raised her leg, and clapped a hand over the wound.

Takuma let go of her shoulders and exhaled in relief. "Don't cover it. It's just a flesh wound."

Tenten blinked, her eyes refocusing.

She saw the blood on Takuma's pant leg, then looked down at the wound on her own calf, which was still bleeding.

"You stabbed me?"

"I saved you."

Most of the experienced Chunin and Jonin had managed to break the genjutsu and were now fighting their own battles.

At the entrances around the arena, the Otogakure and Sunagakure Ninja assault forces had charged in and engaged the Konoha Ninja left behind to defend the village.

Chaos spread from the arena through the rest of Konoha.

Explosions rang out from every direction.

Takuma vaulted over the railing and landed in the aisle. An Otogakure Ninja was raising a kunai to attack a sleeping civilian. At the sound behind him, he began to turn—but Takuma's fist had already smashed into his face.

The instant Takuma's fist connected, the crisp crack of a broken nose rang out.

The Otogakure Ninja's kunai flew from his hand, and he was sent flying backward into a row of seats.

Takuma didn't follow up. He turned to the nearest civilian instead.

Takuma grabbed him by the collar and hoisted him onto his shoulder.

"Tenten! Wake up anyone you can. Carry out anyone you can't!"

"I'm already on it!"

Tenten's voice came from the other side.

She was helping an elderly woman who had been asleep to her feet and guiding her toward the emergency exit.

Takuma carried the civilian into a corridor outside the arena and tucked him behind a stone pillar where he'd be relatively safe.

Then he turned and rushed back.

His movements grew faster and faster, until he was practically sprinting back and forth between the stands and the emergency passage.

More than twenty civilians he had rescued were already gathered in the corridor.

Takuma turned to rush back again, but a hand reached over and stopped him.

Dust smudged Tenten's face. A few loose strands of hair clung to her forehead, and she was breathing hard.

"Take a break."

"I'm fine—"

Tenten took a handkerchief from her ninja tool pouch and hurriedly wiped the blood and dust from Takuma's face. "If you collapse, who's going to carry people? Me?"

"Don't play the hero." Tenten stuffed the handkerchief into his arms. "You still owe me money, so you'd better come back alive."

With that, she turned and ran toward the corridor on the other side, organizing the civilians who had woken up and leading them out of the arena.

Takuma tucked the handkerchief into his pocket and charged back toward the stands.

Several Konoha Ninja had organized themselves and set up a makeshift defensive formation at the corridor entrance.

Fighting was still raging in other parts of the arena.

Takuma stole a glance at the roof.

Inside the barrier, the First Hokage and Second Hokage stood side by side, clad in battered armor. Their eyes were vacant, and an ominous gray aura curled around them.

Orochimaru stood behind the past Hokage, his pale face twisted in a sickly smile, arms spread as if admiring his proudest creation.

The Third Hokage had removed his Hokage robes, revealing a black combat suit. A kunai in hand, he stood tall and faced the two Hokage who had long since died.

Takuma took a deep breath, turned, and hoisted the next sleeping civilian onto his shoulder.

In the corridor, Tenten had already led the first group of civilians out of the arena. Now she had returned to escort the second group.

They met at a bend in the corridor. Neither said a word; they simply nodded to each other.

Tenten's hair had completely come loose. The cord tying it up had fallen off at some point, and her long hair hung over her shoulders, dusted with grit and splinters.

Explosions continued to sound from all over Konoha. Thick smoke blotted out the evening sky, turning the sunset an ominous rust red.

A series of Explosive Tags went off in rapid succession in the forest east of the arena, their flames lighting up half the horizon.

The combined assault forces of Sunagakure and Otogakure Ninja had infiltrated the village from multiple directions.

Though they had lost the element of surprise, they still had the advantage in numbers.

Konoha's Ninja were fighting separately, locked in drawn-out battles with the enemy through the streets and alleys.

Spider-Sense suddenly flared.

Takuma rolled to the side. Almost at the same instant, a kunai struck the spot where he had been standing, its tip buried three inches into the stone.

"Good instincts, Konoha brat."

A towering Otogakure Ninja leaped down from above the stands, landing five meters in front of Takuma.

His body was wrapped in bandages, his arms bare and heavily muscled.

Takuma nudged his Neo Sunglasses up the bridge of his nose. The flow of his opponent's chakra was clearly visible.

A high concentration of chakra gathered in his arms and legs. He was probably a Taijutsu specialist.

"By order of Lord Orochimaru, we're to eliminate as many Konoha Ninja as possible."

The Otogakure Ninja grinned, baring his sharp canine teeth. "You look like you can take a beating."

Takuma said nothing. He reached into his ninja tool pouch with his right hand and felt three Chakra-Conducting Kunai.

The Otogakure Ninja attacked first, charging at Takuma like a cannonball, his right fist hurtling toward Takuma's face with the force of a gale.

He was incredibly fast, and his strength was astonishing.

Takuma leaned to the side. The fist grazed his ear, and the wind of its passing stung his cheek.

The Otogakure Ninja's left fist followed right after. His attacks came faster than expected: elbows, knees, sweeping kicks. A continuous flurry rained down like a storm.

Takuma retreated again and again, using Water Release: Wild Water Wave to raise a curtain of water in front of him and try to create some distance.

The Otogakure Ninja charged straight through the curtain, smashing the water apart with a punch. Water sprayed everywhere.

"That level of Ninjutsu couldn't even give me an itch!"

Takuma narrowed his eyes.

His Neo Sunglasses caught a detail: the Otogakure Ninja seemed to have an old injury in his right shoulder, where the flow of chakra was noticeably obstructed.

The Otogakure Ninja's right fist came at him. Takuma dodged the blow, then deliberately brought his left arm up to meet the attack.

Pain shot through him, and his shoulder blade creaked as if it were about to give way.

But as the punch hit him, Takuma's right fist slammed into the old injury in the Otogakure Ninja's right shoulder. Chakra wrapped around his fist as he struck the precise point where the flow was obstructed.

The Otogakure Ninja's right arm went numb, and his attack faltered.

Takuma gave him no time to react. A Chakra-Conducting Kunai slid from his sleeve, and he drove it into the Otogakure Ninja's left knee with a backhanded thrust.

The kunai pierced muscle, and chakra surged into the joint. The Otogakure Ninja's left leg instantly gave way, forcing him down onto one knee.

With his right arm numb and his left leg crippled, the Otogakure Ninja could only fight back with his left fist.

He roared and swung. Takuma didn't dodge, taking the punch on his right shoulder. Pain flared through his bones like they had shattered.

At the same time, the second kunai stabbed into the Otogakure Ninja's left shoulder.

Both of the Otogakure Ninja's arms were useless, and he was down on both knees. Only his torso could still move.

He glared up at Takuma in disbelief. "Are you crazy? Who fights like that?!"

Takuma didn't answer.

The kunai flashed.

The Otogakure Ninja fell, blood staining the stone beneath him.

A system notification slowly sounded in Takuma's mind.

[Witnessed "The Beginning of the Konoha Crush Plan"]

[Obtained a draw opportunity]

[Draw result: Mjolnir (Replica)—Can summon lightning to coat a weapon for three minutes. After the lightning is discharged, there is a seven-day cooldown.]

[Note: Best used with a melee weapon. Pairing it with Chakra-Conducting Kunai is recommended.]

Takuma gripped the hammer. A faint electric current ran from its handle through his body.

He tightened his grip and looked up at the Four Violet Flames Formation in the sky.

Inside the barrier, the Reanimated Bodies of the First Hokage and Second Hokage charged at the Third Hokage with unstoppable force. The towering trees of Deep Forest Emergence tore through the roof, while the torrent of Water Severing Wave sliced through the air like a blade.

Orochimaru stood in the shadows, his eyes alight with excitement and madness.