"This is genjutsu, isn't it, Kakashi?"
Might Guy watched the feathers drifting down from the sky, then turned to Kakashi.
Kakashi nodded, and the two formed hand seals at the same time.
Release!
After breaking the genjutsu, Might Guy and Kakashi moved to rush straight to the Third and protect him.
"Leave it to us."
Several black-cloaked figures wearing animal-patterned masks leaped over their heads.
They were ANBU.
On the other side of the stands, Sakura Haruno had sensed something was wrong the instant the white feathers appeared.
As she watched her companions and the civilians around her fall asleep, her own consciousness began to grow hazy.
Sakura formed hand seals.
"Release!"
With a low shout, she broke the genjutsu's hold on her.
She looked around anxiously and found that Ino, Shikamaru, Choji, and the others had already been caught in the genjutsu. Farther away, Hinata, Kiba, and Shino seemed to have been affected as well, but were recovering with their companions' help.
Sakura immediately set to work helping her teammates break free of the genjutsu.
But the crisis had only just begun!
Outside the arena, the Otogakure forces that had long lain in hiding saw the smoke signal and abruptly cast off their disguises like hyenas catching the scent of blood.
"Kill!"
Countless vicious-looking ninja wearing Otogakure forehead protectors charged into the arena through every entrance and exit, some even smashing straight through the walls.
They were well trained and had clear objectives: sow chaos, attack Konoha ninja, and tie down their fighting forces!
At the same time, most of the Sunagakure contingent, who had supposedly come to watch as "allies," suddenly turned on them.
They discarded their disguises, revealed their vicious intentions, and joined the Sound Ninja in launching a fierce assault on the unsuspecting Konoha ninja.
**"Enemy