Konoha Crush Plan Begins, Orochimaru Appears on the Battlefield

"Taijutsu, ocular techniques, space-time ninjutsu, Tailed Beast affinity... outstanding in every aspect."

"This child's talent and combat power are far too monstrous. If he cannot be used by me, he will surely become a great threat in the future."

"He absolutely cannot be provoked in the short term. I can only lie low from afar and wait for the right opportunity."

Danzo completely abandoned the thought of immediately taking his eyes. He resolved to endure for the long term and make arrangements in secret.

On the arena, Mu cast an indifferent glance at the Four Sound Ninja lying on the ground, their combat ability lost, and spoke calmly:

"Disrupting the examination grounds and deliberately slaughtering others. All of you are eliminated."

As soon as he finished speaking, he did not spare the four another glance. The space around him rippled slightly, and his figure vanished from where he stood in an instant, returning to the rooftop as though crushing the four of them had merely been like brushing away dust.

After this battle, not a single genius from any ninja village dared to cause trouble in the arena again.

Everyone remembered one name—Konoha's mysterious ANBU, Uchiha Mu.

The foremost of the new generation, his strength unfathomable. He overlooked the entire arena and suppressed all defiance.

Mu stood quietly on the rooftop, watching the chaotic final-round battle below return to order as his mind sank into the system.

[Side Quest: Suppress the Four Sound Ninja and maintain order in the examination grounds. Completed.]

[Rewards: 80 Skill Points, increased chakra refinement, enhanced genjutsu resistance, Affection Attraction Card.]

Another batch of Skill Points had arrived, and a faint glimmer flashed through Mu's eyes.

The Eight Gates, his space-time ocular technique, and his own foundation could all continue to be refined and strengthened.

The farce of the Chunin Exams was nearly over.

And the real show—the Konoha Crush Plan—was about to begin.

Orochimaru, Danzo, the ambitious figures of the Hidden Sand Village... every force lurking in the shadows would emerge one after another.

The chaotic final-round battle of the Chunin Exams continued.

Ever since Uchiha Mu had made his move and crushed the Four Sound Ninja in a single strike, the atmosphere across the entire arena had completely changed.

All the remaining Naruto from every village restrained their hostility, no longer daring to launch reckless sneak attacks or strike to kill.

Everyone knew clearly that the mysterious ANBU powerhouse on the rooftop was the true ruler here.

Whoever dared to act recklessly would end up just like the Four Sound Ninja—instantly suppressed, eliminated, or even killed.

Mu was free to relax as well. Looking at the Affection Attraction Card in his inventory, his heart stirred slightly.

(Those of the opposite sex who have a favorable impression of you will be deeply drawn to the charm displayed in your every action.)

Naruto

He still relied on the Shadow Clone Technique to help his teammates everywhere, his hot-blooded nature unchanged.

Sasuke's gaze grew increasingly cold. His Sharingan constantly surveyed the entire arena as he silently accumulated real combat experience, always taking Uchiha Mu as the target he needed to surpass.

Sakura fought steadily with her Monster Strength and had more than enough ability to protect herself.

Over on the Hidden Sand Village's side, Gaara sat silently in a corner. The One-Tail's violent aura had been forcibly pacified by Mu, allowing him to regain some of his sanity for once. He no longer wanted to kill at every turn.

Kankuro and Temari had also become much more well-behaved. They silently observed the situation and did not dare cause trouble.

Outside the arena, night quietly fell.

The setting sun sank behind the mountains, and the sky gradually darkened. A faint veil of night covered all of Konoha.

The surface appeared calm, but beneath it, undercurrents had long been surging.

The Four Sound Ninja had been crippled and lay at the edge of the arena. Their meridians were damaged, their Curse Marks had collapsed, and they could only glare venomously toward the rooftop without daring to entertain any thought of revenge.

They knew clearly that before Uchiha Mu, they did not even count as ants.

Inside a concealed attic, Danzo still leaned on his cane, his single eye fixed on the examination grounds, dark clouds gathering in his gaze.

"Orochimaru has lost four pawns, but the plan will not stop."

"Tonight is when the Konoha Crush Plan begins."

"The Hidden Sand Village has long since been drawn in by Orochimaru. Once the barrier is activated, the army outside Konoha will invade, while the Sound Ninja stir up trouble inside the village..."

"The Third Hokage will be unable to attend to everything, and the elite jonin will all be tied down. Then, it will be the best opportunity for me to act."

A cruel curve lifted at the corner of Danzo's mouth. He secretly issued an order to Root, commanding them all to lie low and await orders. Once Konoha descended into chaos, they would seize the chance to act and take Sasuke's and Uchiha Mu's Sharingan.

At the same time, in the forest outside Konoha.

Shadowy figures darted through the woods as elite ninja from the Hidden Sand Village and the remaining Sound Ninja forces quietly gathered.

Orochimaru, draped in a broad cloak, stood on elevated ground amid the forest. His snake eyes were cold as he gazed toward Konoha's examination grounds from afar.

"Dosu, that trash. The Four Sound Ninja, also trash. They all fell at Uchiha Mu's hands."

"But it does not matter. The plan will proceed as usual."

Orochimaru lightly licked the corner of his lips, his eyes filled with greed and madness.

"Once Konoha falls into civil unrest and the Third Hokage cannot divide his attention, I can take the opportunity to stir things up and test Uchiha Mu's true strength."

"If he is strong enough, I will capture him and make him a perfect vessel. If he is merely all show, I will erase him with a wave of my hand, then take Sasuke's Sharingan."

Kabuto Yakushi stood at the side and bowed as he listened. "Lord Orochimaru, the barrier has been set up. The Hidden Sand Village's forces can storm into Konoha at any moment. We only await your command."

"Very good."

Orochimaru slowly raised a hand, and a cold gleam flashed in his eyes.

"Activate the barrier. The Konoha Crush Plan—officially begins!"

As his words fell, several Sound Ninja in the forest formed hand seals at the same time.

Bzzzz—

An invisible giant barrier instantly enveloped the entire Konoha examination grounds and the surrounding forest, cutting off all sensory perception and blocking signals for aid.

The moment the barrier rose, the atmosphere of heaven and earth seemed to sink. Even the sound of the wind appeared to still somewhat.

Inside the examination grounds, many elite jonin instantly sensed that something was wrong, their expressions changing drastically.

"Something's wrong! Chakra sensing has been sealed off!"

"A massive barrier has covered the entire examination site!"

"It's an enemy attack! Someone secretly set up a barrier!"

Ibiki, Might Guy, Asuma, and the other elite jonin immediately turned grave. They swiftly moved in front of the Naruto from every village and vigilantly scanned their surroundings.

All the Naruto in the arena also sensed that the atmosphere was off. They stopped fighting one after another, their expressions tense and guarded.

On the rooftop.

Uchiha Mu slowly straightened, his scarlet Mangekyō Sharingan turning faintly as he instantly saw through the barrier's structure and sensed the gathering presence of a large number of Hidden Sand Village ninja and Sound Ninja in the forest.

"They've finally come."

Mu's tone was calm, without the slightest surprise.

He had long known that Orochimaru's Konoha Crush Plan would begin tonight, and he had been waiting for this very moment.

It was perfect. He could take advantage of the chaos to confront Orochimaru head-on, crush the invading forces from every side, and earn more quest rewards along the way to strengthen himself.

Besides, he wanted to see for himself just how many trump cards Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin, truly possessed.

More importantly, Danzo was still watching covetously from the shadows. He could use this chaos to intimidate Danzo and make him completely afraid to casually set his sights on the ocular techniques of the two Uchiha brothers.

Rumble!

The ground suddenly trembled slightly. From the direction of Konoha's entrance came earth-shaking sounds of battle and exploding ninjutsu, while flames shot into the sky and instantly dyed the night red.

The Hidden Sand Village and Sound Ninja allied army had officially invaded Konoha!

Alarms blared throughout the village, smoke signals rose into the air, and the once peaceful Konoha instantly descended into the chaos of war.

Within the barrier around the examination grounds.

A cold laugh suddenly echoed through the entire arena from nowhere.

"Ha ha ha... everyone of Konoha, it has been a while."

Space twisted slightly as Orochimaru slowly strode out of the forest with Kabuto Yakushi. Standing on the high ground before the arena, his snake eyes swept across the crowd with the indifference of someone looking down upon ants.