Naruto jerked his chin toward Orochimaru and raised his voice.
"I'll remember this favor."
Orochimaru's face twitched.
Who the hell was asking for your gratitude? I came here to carry out the Konoha Crush Plan and take Sasuke away while I was at it.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked as if he had grabbed hold of a lifeline, his voice cracking.
"Orochimaru! His strength is equivalent to that of a small nation! Every village has its eyes on him, and now he has come to Konoha for revenge. We must unite and deal with the external enemy first!"
Naruto snorted.
"Konoha threw him out, and everyone outside was fighting to recruit him. Doesn't that mean you handled things stupidly? Besides, Orochimaru came to install heating for us."
His expression turned severe.
"Move! Don't let a single one of them get away!"
Konoha ninja sprang out from all over the village in response, tightly intercepting the Sound Ninja who had charged in.
"What!?"
Orochimaru's expression changed dramatically.
Konoha had clearly prepared this trap in advance, waiting for the Sound Ninja to walk right into it.
Elsewhere, the sound of explosions reached Gaara and the other two, and several heads turned toward the window almost at once.
"The operation has begun!"
The three were about to rush to the Hokage Building to release Shukaku's Tailed Beast power when the door opened, revealing dozens of ninja in white robes densely packed outside.
Konoha's Barrier Team.
"What?!"
Kankuro stared at the scene before him, his throat tightening. "Konoha was prepared all along?!"
"Barrier!"
After the white-robed elder leading them shouted, enormous transparent barrier patterns immediately covered the surrounding buildings.
It could not compare to the Four Red Yang Formation of the previous Hokage, but it was far sturdier than the Sound Ninja Four's Four Violet Flames