Hiruzen Sarutobi fell silent for a long while, then gently shook his head and slowly spoke.
"No need."
"The Sky Screen's appearance has already unsettled the entire Shinobi World and destabilized the situation."
"Starting another dispute now and stirring up conflict between the villages would only send everything spiraling out of control."
"For peace in the Shinobi World and stability in Konoha, we must not create further complications."
Utatane Koharu and Mitokado Homura immediately nodded. "We agree."
The two promptly took his side, steadying the situation.
Danzo exploded with rage on the spot, his eyes wide as he shouted furiously!
"We're just letting Rasa get away with this?!"
"Konoha suffered that humiliation for nothing? Took those losses for nothing?! We've lost every shred of dignity!"
The Third's gaze remained firm as he shook his head again. "Peace matters more than dignity."
"You!!"
Danzo trembled with fury, his chest heaving.
Mitokado Homura frowned and snapped coldly, "Danzo! Remember your position!"
"Hiruzen is Konoha's Hokage! The Hokage's decisions are final!"
Danzo clenched his teeth, forcibly suppressing his towering rage without another word.
Yet his lowered eyes were cold to the bone, dark and menacing.
Deep down, he seethed with contempt and fury.
Having to work with these three weak, hidebound old fools who only ever sought peace!
Compromising on everything, giving way at every turn, throwing away all our authority!
How could a Konoha like this ever grow strong?! How could it ever flourish?!
The image on the Sky Screen abruptly changed, cutting straight back to the arena's elevated platform.
Fourth Kazekage Rasa suddenly moved. A cold glint flashed at his wrist, and he seized Hiruzen Sarutobi firmly by the neck, taking the Third hostage!
Every ninja still present erupted in shock.
Despite the grip on his throat, the Third remained composed and spoke gravely, trying to persuade him to surrender. "Stop this, Kazekage. If you end this conflict now, there's still time to set everything right."
At those words, the man disguised as Rasa curled his lips into a sinister, inscrutable smile, his tone mocking yet familiar. "Sensei, I never imagined you wouldn't recognize me."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils abruptly contracted. His expression changed drastically as his face turned deathly pale and his entire body tensed!
"You... you're Orochimaru?!"
The instant those words left his mouth!
A pitch-black barrier rose from the ground, and the Four Violet Flames Formation thundered into place!
The purple barrier walls separated the inside from the outside, forcibly cutting off everyone on the platform, all the invading ninja, and Konoha's guards, sealing off the entire area.
Within the barrier, only the Third Hokage and Orochimaru, stripped of every disguise, remained facing each other.
Orochimaru slowly peeled the human-skin mask from his face, revealing his own pale, effeminate features. His slender tongue lightly licked the corner of his lips, his smile chilling.
"Sensei, it's been a long time."
The Third clenched both fists, chakra surging around him, his voice utterly cold. "Where is Rasa?"
Orochimaru casually raised an eyebrow, his airy tone utterly untroubled, as though discussing something trivial. "Who knows? He's probably been dead for some time, in some forgotten corner of the desert."
In that instant, Hiruzen Sarutobi understood everything.
The entire plot behind Sunagakure and Otogakure's joint invasion of Konoha had been orchestrated by Orochimaru from beginning to end!
"Orochimaru, why would you go this far?"
Orochimaru glanced aside, his gaze passing through the purple barrier toward Konoha below, where battle raged and smoke rose everywhere. Deep obsession filled his eyes as he slowly spoke. "I want to make Konoha's windmill turn again."
The cryptic remark left the Third frowning in confusion, and he was just about to ask what Orochimaru meant.
Orochimaru's killing intent surged. Without another word, he sprang into motion, launching a vicious attack straight at the Third Hokage!
The Four Violet Flames Formation was impenetrable. Neither ninjutsu nor taijutsu from anyone outside could break through it, completely cutting off all outside support.
Outside the barrier, the Konoha Anbu paced anxiously, helpless to intervene. They could only remain at its edge, providing a running commentary on the battle within.
Nearby, Might Guy saw the Third trapped with his own eyes. His eyes reddened as he roared in fury, "Lord Third!"
He clenched his fists and was about to charge through the crowd to aid the Hokage.
Kakashi Hatake, standing beside him, instantly raised a hand and firmly stopped him.
Guy turned toward him, his eyes full of confusion and urgency.
Kakashi lowered his gaze, avoiding Guy's eyes, and spoke softly. "We have to trust Lord Third."
"The village is in chaos right now. Sunagakure and Otogakure ninja are slaughtering villagers. Protecting the civilians is our most urgent priority."
Guy froze, then immediately calmed down and nodded firmly.
No longer dwelling on the battle inside the barrier, the two turned and rushed toward different parts of the village, joining forces to eliminate the invaders and protect Konoha's people.
Elsewhere in the scene, on a mountain path through the woods.
Sasuke pursued at full speed and caught up with Temari, who had stayed behind to block him. Fighting one-handed with his Sharingan, he struck with ruthless precision, brutally knocking her to the ground in just a few exchanges without showing the slightest mercy.
With the obstacle dealt with, he kept moving, his gaze cold and stubborn as he resumed his pursuit of Kankuro, who was fleeing ahead with Gaara.
Outside the Sky Screen, the entire Shinobi World was utterly dumbfounded. After a moment of complete silence, everyone erupted in an uproar!
"My god! What a shocking twist!"
"We thought these were the Chunin Ninja Exams, but it turned out to be an invasion of Konoha."
"And now we find out the invader wasn't even the Fourth Kazekage! It was Orochimaru himself!"
"The real Fourth Kazekage Rasa had already been killed by Orochimaru!"
"No wonder an Otogakure army appeared out of nowhere! It looks like the Sound Ninja are a force Orochimaru created himself!"
"Trap after trap! Orochimaru set this whole thing up from start to finish!"
The ninja all talked among themselves, filled with disbelief and dismay.
"We thought Sunagakure was stabbing Konoha in the back to carve up its resources!"
"But Sunagakure was just a pawn all along! Their Kazekage was dead, and their village was being used!"
"The Konoha Anbu are actually providing commentary, and Kakashi and Guy have so much faith in the Third Hokage. He should be fine. Orochimaru's plan must have been foiled!"
"Huh? Is that really how it goes? Why do I feel like something's off?"
Inside the Kazekage's Office in Sunagakure.
Rasa and the assembled Sunagakure High Command froze on the spot, all of them stunned, their faces pale as paper.
Just moments earlier, they had been secretly delighted, plotting to use this war to annex Konoha's territory and plunder its resources.
Then, in an instant, the Sky Screen laid bare the truth-
Their village's Kazekage had already become a dead man, and Orochimaru had been toying with the entire village in the palm of his hand!
Sunagakure was a joke.
One member of the Sunagakure High Command slammed the table and sprang to his feet, blazing with fury. "Damn it! That treacherous bastard Orochimaru! He's been playing us all for fools!"
Killing intent churned in Rasa's eyes, and a bone-chilling aura surrounded him. He clenched his fists tightly and coldly uttered a single name. "Orochimaru."
He made no attempt to conceal his overwhelming killing intent.
That bastard Orochimaru actually used me.
Just great. Now I'm the clown.
A senior official immediately offered a suggestion. "Lord Kazekage! We must distance ourselves from this at once! Put all the blame on Orochimaru! We were deceived and coerced by him, and knew nothing of his plans!"
Rasa nodded, his eyes cold, and settled on the plan immediately. "That's what we'll do."
Before you continue