Konoha Crush! The Ultimate Game Between Hunter and Prey

The words were still echoing in the hall, and tens of thousands of people were simultaneously stunned.

"I'll take you back to Hidden Leaf and have a big, healthy son."

Three seconds. A full three seconds of vacuum.

Then the whole place erupted.

"Is this kid crazy?!" A Chunin in the front row of the stands jumped up from his seat.

Whistles, curses, and jeers mingled together in a chaotic mess. The female ninjas of Hidden Leaf had a variety of expressions; some covered their mouths to stifle laughter, while others rolled their eyes. Inside the Anbu, a masked hand pressed against its forehead, and four words were squeezed out from the mask's gaps—"Take responsibility, stay calm."

On the high platform, the Third Hokage Hokage's wrist, holding a teacup, froze in mid-air. A drop of tea slid down the rim of the cup, hit the table, and splashed out a small spray.

The "Kazekage" beside him remained motionless. But beneath the mask, Orochimaru's vertical pupils shrank to pinpoints.

It wasn't because of that arrogant remark.

It was because of the physical prowess displayed by the blond boy in the center of the arena— his Absolute Defense was shattered with a single punch, and his One-Tail was swatted back into the depths of the seal. The potential of this body was far more unfathomable than he had anticipated.

Second-floor grandstand.

Temari's face burned from her ears down her neck, all the way to her collarbone.

She bit her lower lip, her teeth digging into her flesh, leaving a shallow white mark. The dignity of the Hidden Sand princess told her that she should now draw her Iron Fan and strike.

But her legs were trembling.

It wasn't fear. Her heart was pounding like a drum, and all the blood rushed to her head. Her ten fingers gripped the iron railing in front of her so tightly that blood seeped from under her fingernails; she couldn't let go at all.

The phrase "give birth to a big, healthy son" kept repeating in her mind. Coupled with the scene of Naruto shattering Absolute Defense with a single punch, the undeniable domineering tone in those words completely crushed the last vestige of her composure as a princess of an enemy country.

Temari's overall state is like that of a rat with its hands behind its back—it appears to be standing, but inside it's completely given up.

In Naruto's mind, the system notification sounded right on time.

Ding! S-rank target "Temari" has experienced a structural collapse in her mental defenses! Her admiration for strength has fully awakened! Affection level surges: 45→75! The Sunagakure side story is now unlocked! Hidden side quest: Hidden Sand's Dowry! Now available!

75.

Naruto's lips curled up slightly, his hands in his pockets, his gaze shifting from Temari to Yuu. A hunter is never in a hurry to close the net.

The instant he looked away—

A cold and violent burst of Chakra exploded from behind without warning.

The ground trembled violently, and rubble was propelled upwards by an invisible force. Naruto turned his head. In the ruins at the corner, Gaara's body stood up, twisted in a way that defied human anatomy. His light green eyes had pupils that had turned into four-pointed stars.

Fear. Pure fear.

This was the first time in Gaara's life that he truly experienced something like this. His Absolute Defense was torn apart, his Sand Armor was blasted apart, and even Shukaku was blasted back into the depths of its seal by a single punch. The smile of that blond man was more suffocating to him than any killing intent.

The string of reason snapped.

"I'll... kill you--!"

His throat felt like it had been sanded, his voice stuck between that of a human and a beast.

"Blood! Give me more blood! Prove my existence!!"

The fine yellow sand on his right arm gathered, condensed, and mutated wildly. A thick, giant raccoon arm covered with blue patterns burst forth from his shoulder, its claws half a meter long, and spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the ground.

The malevolent Chakra, comparable to that of Tailed Beast, spread like a tsunami. The audience in the front row of the stands instantly turned pale; some vomited blood, and some even fell off their seats. Several young Chunin knelt on the ground, their knees buckling.

The examiner, Genma Shiranui, dropped the Senbon he was holding for the second time with a "thud." His entire body was stiff; he wanted to move, but couldn't.

This is not the amount of Chakra Genin could produce.

This is Tailed Beast.

"Oh no! The One-Tail is about to go berserk! All Jonin to your positions immediately!"

Naruto stood less than twenty meters away from Gaara. His short, golden hair was blown backward by the wind pressure of the Tailed Beast Chakra. He did not retreat; his hands remained in his pockets.

Mind's Eye of the Kagura raced through her One-Tail — Shukaku's Chakra was breaching the sealing barrier at an alarming rate. In a maximum of thirty seconds, Shukaku would completely take over this body.

Naruto narrowed his eyes. It was a bit troublesome, but not unsolvable.

However, just as he was about to make his move—

Mind's Eye of the Kagura detected an extremely strange signal.

Above the venue, countless tiny, almost Chakra- free white objects slowly drifted down.

Feathers. Pure white feathers. As soft, light, and harmless as the first snow of winter.

Naruto's pupils constricted sharply. The Great Evolution Divine Soul Art issued a frantic warning—these feathers contained extremely sophisticated hypnotic mental waves!

Temple of Nirvana Technique: S-Rank Large-Scale Genjutsu.

He made his judgment in less than a second. He abruptly turned his head to look at the high platform. The "Kazekage," who had been sitting quietly all along, let out a faint, sinister smile through the gap in his mask.

Orochimaru has arrived, just as expected.

Naruto's lips curled into a dangerous smile. "Fine, old man. You really dare to come."

The moment the white feather landed, more than 80% of the audience and Genin in the hall simultaneously closed their eyes and slumped into their seats.

Kabuto Yakushi adjusted his glasses, formed a hand Hand Seals in the corner of the stands to dispel the effects of his own Genjutsu, and then silently disappeared into the crowd.

Sasuke's mark on the back of his neck suddenly burned. He clutched his neck, and the world before his eyes began to distort and spin. His Sharingan spun wildly, barely resisting the hypnotic effect, but the Snake Mark was taking advantage of this chaotic moment to fiercely erode his Chakra pathways.

On the high platform, Orochimaru tore off the Kazekage's veil.

A deathly pale, snake-like face with vertical pupils and a chilling smile were revealed before the Third Hokage Hokage.

Hiruzen Sarutobi's pipe slipped from the corner of his mouth.

He wasn't shocked. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply.

"It really is you... Orochimaru."

Four Hidden Sound instantly appeared at the four corners of the platform, and a purple barrier rose from the ground, sealing the Third Hokage and Orochimaru within a small area.

The walls surrounding the venue were simultaneously blown apart.

Dozens of ninjas wearing Forehead Protector musical notes burst out of the smoke and dust, launching a fierce attack on Hidden Leaf's defenses in coordination with the Hidden Sand. Alarms blared throughout Hidden Leaf. Explosions, shouts of battle, and clashes of Chakra —in an instant, the examination grounds transformed into a battlefield of carnage.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Kankuro jumped off the stands and grabbed the half-berserk Gaara: "Go! Retreat! The mission has changed!"

Temari hesitated for a moment. She glanced at Naruto instinctively.

Naruto stood in the center of the arena, surrounded by chaos erupting from all sides. He stood at the eye of the storm, like a pillar of strength.

Mind's Eye of the Kagura was operating at full speed. The Third Hokage was sealed off by the barrier on the high platform. Sasuke was writhing in pain, clutching his neck in the stands. Karin's Chakra signal was fluctuating violently in a corner of the stands—she was terrified. The Hidden Sand trio was moving in the direction of retreat.

Too many targets. Too many threats.

But there wasn't a trace of panic on his face. He even smiled.

"Okay... they're all here. Saves me the trouble of looking for them one by one."

Instantaneous decision-making. Sasuke's Snake Mark – the Yang Release Mark on his shoulder will automatically suppress the attack, preventing immediate fatalities. The Third Hokage's battle – the old man isn't that fragile; he can at least hold out within the barrier. The invading Hidden Sound and Sand Ninja – Hidden Leaf 'Jonin are sufficient.

Prioritization complete. His gaze locked onto Gaara, who had been carried away by Kankuro and whose body was half-transformed into Gaara. If Shukaku were to fully transform—the entire Hidden Leaf would be reduced to ruins. That would be the true S-rank threat.

"Sasuke!"

Naruto shouted without turning his head. Sasuke, who was crouching on the ground fighting against the erosion of the Snake Mark, suddenly looked up when he heard the voice.

"Hold on. You have my thing on your shoulder, that thing won't kill you."

Sasuke his teeth. The Yang Release Mark on his shoulder was indeed emitting a warm light, fiercely clashing with the Snake Mark on the back of his neck. Despite the pain, he forced a twisted smile, "... Understood, brother."

Naruto's calf muscles tensed to their limit instantly. He hadn't opened the Eight Gates yet—there were still more than four hours left in the 12-hour weakness period, and Opening Gate the gates rashly would have destroyed his body. However, the explosive power of his Perfect Sage Body was more than enough to overwhelm an average Jonin.

Radial cracks appeared on the ground beneath his feet. His figure blurred into afterimages as he chased after the Hidden Sand trio.

Temari, carrying the Iron Fan, ran at the back, constantly glancing back out of the corner of her eye.

Then she saw it—the blond man was chasing them like a cheetah, moving at an incredible speed.

My heart started pounding again. Not out of fear. Or rather, not entirely out of fear.

Kankuro's voice trembled with tears. "Sister, run! That monster is catching up!!"

Temari, drew her Iron Fan, and held it horizontally behind her. She was the princess of Hidden Sand. No matter how chaotic her mind was, her stance at this moment did not allow for hesitation.

Just as Naruto chased after them out of the venue, Mind's Eye of the Kagura detected another unusual signal—in the secret passage below the stands, Kabuto Yakushi was leading three Hidden Sound towards Karin's hiding place.

Naruto paused, a chilling killing intent flashing in his eyes.

"... to harm someone from my Uzumaki Clan."

The sound was as calm as a frozen lake in winter.

"You'd better pray you're out of the village before I catch you."

But he didn't stop; he continued chasing Gaara.

It wasn't because of abandoning Karin — Mind's Eye of the Kagura revealed that next to Karin's Chakra, a gentle Chakra source with an icy aura was rapidly approaching.

White.

His maid and his icy protector had somehow appeared near the venue.

Naruto's lips curled into a slight smile. "A clever girl."

One last thought flashed through his mind: Old man, your Konoha Crush Plan —today is its grave.

His figure vanished completely into the swirling dust, chasing after the increasingly violent Tailed Beast Chakra as he rushed out of the venue.

Behind them, the sky above Hidden Leaf was stained red with the flames of war.

Supporting character perspective completion -- Kabuto Yakushi

The passageway was dimly lit, and the soles of boots creaked as they stepped on the damp stone slabs.

Kabuto adjusted his glasses, the lenses reflecting the faint light from the end of the passage ahead. Three Hidden Sound followed behind, their footsteps barely audible.

Only one thing kept running through his mind.

The instant Naruto turned his head, Mind's Eye of the Kagura caught him, and at the same time, he also caught the faint killing intent in Naruto's eyes.

It wasn't anger. It wasn't alertness.

It's the calm of a hunter discovering mice stealing grain—they're certain to kill them, it's just a matter of order.

Kabuto broke out in a cold sweat. Lord Orochimaru had said that his Chakra fluctuations this month had remained at the Taijutsu level, suggesting he was in a weakened state. But now it seemed that even in its weakened state, the monster's perception range still covered the entire venue.

He quickened his pace. He had to take that Uzumaki Clan girl away before Naruto could finish off Gaara. The value of her bloodline was of the highest priority, personally designated by Lord Orochimaru.

At the corner at the end of the passage, a red-haired girl was huddled in a corner, trembling all over.

A standard, gentle smile curved at the corners of his lips. His pace was neither hurried nor slow.

Then he stopped.

The air ahead of the secret passage suddenly dropped by more than ten degrees Celsius without warning. Exhaled breath turned into white mist. The water stains underfoot began to freeze, and frost spread along the stone floor at a visible speed.

Deep around the corner, a pair of icy blue eyes shone brightly in the cold air.

A girl in a white dress stood there quietly. Her black hair fell to one side of her shoulder, and her face was expressionless.

The cold air condensed in her palm, transforming into a crystal-clear ice spike.

Dou's pupils contracted slightly.

The Ice Release of the Yuki Clan? Wasn't that Kekkei Genkai severed long ago?

He quickly adjusted his expression, maintaining that harmless smile. But his hand, hidden in his sleeve, had already gripped the handle of the Kunai.

This is troublesome.