Orochimaru Attacks Konoha!

Hinata's heart pounded violently, as if it were about to leap out of her chest.

"He... he said he wanted to protect me... like a treasure..." Hinata's thoughts began to spiral, and the world before her blurred.

Suddenly, she felt dizzy, as though steam were rising from the top of her head.

"Ah..." Hinata let out a soft cry as her body tilted uncontrollably to the side.

"Hinata!"

Kiba, who was sitting beside her, immediately noticed something was wrong.

He quickly reached out and caught Hinata just before she fell.

"Hey, Hinata! Are you okay?"

Kiba asked anxiously, patting Hinata's cheeks in an attempt to wake her.

"Woof woof!"

Akamaru also jumped over to Hinata's side, nudging her hand with his wet nose as if expressing concern.

The surrounding spectators noticed the commotion and turned to look.

"What happened?"

"Is that girl okay?"

"Should we call a medical ninja?"

Ino hurried over and crouched beside Hinata.

"Hinata, are you all right?"

She asked softly while fanning Hinata.

Sakura also pushed through the crowd and came to Hinata's side.

Looking somewhat worried, she said, "It might be heatstroke. It really is a little hot here. Let's help her to the shade so she can rest first."

With everyone's help, the unconscious Hinata was carefully moved to the shaded area of the stands.

Even so, there was still a faint blush on her face, and the corners of her lips even held a barely visible smile.

"Honestly," Kiba sighed. "She gets like this every time Su Bai is mentioned."

Ino and Sakura exchanged looks, both momentarily stunned. It was obvious that they understood Hinata's feelings.

Meanwhile, Su Bai, down below, was completely unaware of all this.

After returning to the stands, Su Bai looked around and calculated the results of the battle.

Defeating Neji of the Hyuga Clan had not only earned him victory, but also brought him a considerable amount of experience.

He could feel the growth of power within him. His fusion rate was already nearing half of 11%, and the progress was gratifying.

"Still, using Initial Release really does consume a lot."

As the chief examiner announced the contestants for the next match, the audience once again erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers.

In the center of the arena, Shino of the Aburame Clan slowly walked to his designated position. His sunglasses reflected the sunlight, making it impossible to see his expression clearly.

However, just as everyone focused on the other side of the arena, awaiting Kankuro's entrance, the situation took an unexpected turn.

The chief examiner frowned and called out loudly once more, "Kankuro of Sunagakure, report to the arena immediately!"

Kankuro quickly approached the chief examiner and whispered a few words to him.

The chief examiner's expression first turned surprised, then solemn.

He cleared his throat and raised his voice. "Contestant Kankuro has declared his withdrawal from this match."

This sudden announcement caused a huge uproar throughout the arena.

Shino, standing in the center of the field, frowned slightly. Though he had won the match, this was clearly not the kind of victory he had hoped for.

Outside the arena, a shadow flashed through Orochimaru's golden snake eyes, and his gaze grew increasingly sinister.

He stared fixedly at Su Bai in the center of the arena, complex emotions churning within him.

The strength this young ninja had displayed had far exceeded his expectations. It had even made him feel a hint of threat.

Orochimaru unconsciously licked his lips as his mind raced.

His original plan had been to launch the attack during the final stage of the Chunin Exams, but now it seemed he could no longer proceed according to plan.

Su Bai's presence was like an unstable variable, capable of disrupting everything he had carefully arranged at any moment.

His gaze roamed over Su Bai, noting that although the young ninja had won the match, his breathing was slightly hurried and his movements revealed traces of fatigue.

Orochimaru smiled coldly as he calculated in secret. Su Bai had just gone through an intense battle, so his stamina must have been greatly depleted.

Now was the perfect opportunity.

Launch a surprise attack before that brat named Su Bai had fully recovered!

Just as the spectators were still discussing Kankuro's sudden withdrawal, an invisible ripple quietly swept through the entire arena.

Yakushi Kabuto stood in a hidden corner of the stands, his hands forming seals as a cold gleam flashed through his eyes.

"Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique."

He murmured softly.

It was as if an invisible gust of wind had swept through. The eyes of the ordinary civilians and low-ranking ninjas in the stands suddenly became unfocused.

Their bodies began to sway, their eyelids grew heavy, and they collapsed into their seats or leaned against those beside them, falling into a deep sleep.

The atmosphere inside the arena instantly became eerie.

The once-noisy stands suddenly fell silent. Only a handful of powerful ninjas remained awake, vigilantly scanning their surroundings.

At that moment, a thick cloud of white smoke suddenly erupted from the center of the arena and rapidly spread outward.

The smoke came fast and fierce, blanketing the entire field in the blink of an eye as visibility plummeted.

Under the cover of the sudden smoke, a strange figure shot out like a venomous snake leaving its hole.

Orochimaru's pale face flickered in and out of view amid the smoke, danger gleaming in his golden snake eyes.

He moved so fast that he was nearly impossible to track, darting through the smoke like a phantom.

Although the Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, had been prepared, he had not expected Orochimaru to have disguised himself as the Kazekage.

Orochimaru's figure flashed, and in the next instant, he appeared behind the Hokage.

His arm coiled around Hiruzen Sarutobi's neck like a venomous snake, while his other hand raised a kunai glinting with cold light and pressed it to the Hokage's throat.

"It's been a long time, Teacher."

Orochimaru's voice carried mockery and smugness. "It seems your reactions have become quite a bit slower than before."

The entire arena descended into chaos.

Cries of alarm and the sounds of fighting rang out from within the smoke, but everyone realized that the situation had taken a dramatic turn.

Konoha Village's strongest protector had become a hostage in the enemy's hands.

Su Bai frowned slightly.

"Has Orochimaru finally run out of patience?"

He thought to himself, his gaze quickly sweeping across the entire arena.

No matter how the situation developed, he had only one top priority today—protecting his uncle's safety.

Compared to his uncle's safety, obtaining more experience was no longer the most important thing.

Orochimaru's gaze quickly shifted toward Gaara's position.

His fingers flexed slightly, forming a covert hand signal that only an insider could understand.

Though the gesture was subtle, Orochimaru believed it was enough for Gaara to understand that it was time for him to act.

However, to Orochimaru's surprise, Gaara seemed not to have acknowledged the signal at all.

The red-haired boy remained where he was, his arms crossed over his chest, his pale green eyes coldly watching the chaos in the arena.

His expression did not change in the slightest, as if everything happening around him had nothing to do with him.

A flicker of irritation passed through Orochimaru's eyes.

He had originally expected Gaara to follow the plan and release the One-Tail Shukaku at this moment, creating even greater chaos.

But now, this crucial chess piece had suddenly stopped obeying him.

"Damn brat, how dare you ruin my plans!"

Orochimaru cursed inwardly.

His teeth clenched unconsciously, and his tongue moved restlessly inside his mouth.

This unexpected change had created a crack in his carefully laid plan.

The Sunagakure ninjas, who were supposed to work in perfect coordination, had now become an uncertain factor.

Under Orochimaru's gaze, Gaara slowly walked toward Su Bai, his eyes filled with coldness and killing intent.

He stopped before Su Bai, his hoarse voice devoid of emotion. "Fight me."