Back to normal
In the arena, Genma Shiranui struggled to his feet off to the side. Gaara and Temari stood where they were, while all his Sand Binding Coffin had destroyed was a section of wooden stump beneath the Wood Locking Wall.
Sakura herself stood behind the two of them, and neither had noticed her.
"Genjutsu? When did she cast it?" Genma Shiranui immediately saw what had happened. "What a genius!"
Inside the Genjutsu
Sakura's body gradually blossomed into a cherry tree, beautiful cherry blossoms blooming without end.
Temari reacted first. "Oh no! It's Genjutsu! Release!"
Because Gaara was a Jinchūriki, he soon woke from the Genjutsu too, but it was already too late.
Cherry Blossom Genjutsu was a Genjutsu Sakura cast through the sight of cherry blossoms. Although it still needed work, her timing had been precise.
By now, Sakura was already standing behind them. "Wood Release: Great Tree Binding!"
Trees rose beneath Gaara and Temari, rapidly winding around them. Within five seconds, both were trapped in Wood Release trunks so thick that it would take three people joining hands to encircle them.
"Damn it!" Temari lacked the strength to break free, let alone use Ninjutsu.
Beside her, Gaara tried to wrench free with brute force. The wood began to shake and crack.
Sakura pressed her right hand onto their heads. "You two can have a nice sleep!"
The Genjutsu activated. They saw countless cherry blossoms falling and grew sleepier and sleepier. Although they knew it was Genjutsu, they had no way to form hand seals to release it now.
Gaara said, "Hehehe, you really are stupid."
Temari said, "No! You can't let Gaara fall asleep!"
In the Hokage's viewing stand, Orochimaru tore off his mask, revealing a pale, handsome face. "Teacher Sarutobi, long time no see!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed. "I knew this day would come sooner or later. What have you done to the Lord Kazekage?"
Orochimaru said, "The Kazekage? I already killed him. By now, he's probably become someone else's puppet."
Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "I never imagined you would grow this much, Orochimaru. But... taking my head won't be so easy."
Orochimaru said, "I told you long ago to choose the Fifth Hokage sooner, because you're going to die here! Lord Third Hokage!"
At that moment, Tayuya and Sakon and Ukon brought Yuhan and Hongshi back. "Lord Orochimaru, we've brought these two."
Orochimaru said, "Good! Begin!"
Just then, Hiruzen Sarutobi's voice came from behind Orochimaru. "Orochimaru, you couldn't even recognize a clone. How disappointing."
"What!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi's clone was a Shadow Clone. It dispelled now, catching Orochimaru off guard.
"Ah!" Hiruzen Sarutobi's heavy punch struck Orochimaru squarely in the back, but Orochimaru gave a cruel smile. "Teacher Sarutobi, I'm not that stupid! Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
A mass of venomous snakes shot from Orochimaru's hand and coiled around Hiruzen Sarutobi, then carried him through the roof to the top of the lookout tower.
Hongshi said, "You're actually lusting after his body! Shameless!"
Orochimaru said, "???"
Sakon and Ukon said, "What? You're awake! Kabuto's Genjutsu was that easy to break?"
Tayuya shouted, "Forget him! There's a Hyuga Clan ninja chasing us from behind too! Hurry up and erect the barrier!"
With that, the four leaped up to the lookout tower's four corners and formed hand seals together. "Ninja Art: Four Violet Flames Formation!"
Four shafts of violet light rose behind them, then connected. A sealed barrier rapidly spread out, trapping everyone inside.
Orochimaru and Hiruzen Sarutobi stood facing each other. "Teacher Sarutobi, now it's just us..."
Hongshi said, "(°ー°〃) Uh... well, I got in too... how about opening the door and letting me out? Oh, Neji, you got in too?"
Hongshi and Neji had both entered the barrier before it closed.
Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at Hongshi and Neji. "Hongshi of the Kira family and Neji of the Hyuga Clan? I'm sorry you've been caught up in this. If you touch this barrier, you'll die."
Neji thrust a palm toward Tayuya in the corner. "Gentle Fist: Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!"
"Hmph, it's useless!" Tayuya and the other three moved their hands again. An additional layer of barrier separated them from the interior, and the Vacuum Palm struck it without any effect.
Orochimaru chuckled. "Someone from the Hyuga Branch Family? Hehehe, what a fated encounter."
Already irritated that his strike had failed, Neji felt anger rise at the words "branch family." "What are you muttering to yourself about, you Konoha missing-nin?"
Hongshi laughed too. "You're fighting three people on your own now. We've got more people."
Instead, Orochimaru shook his head. "No, no, no. Do you know why I left Konoha?"
Hongshi said, "(͡°͜ʖ͡°)✧ Was it because the pay wasn't high enough?"
Orochimaru said, "???"
Neji said, "???"
Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "Orochimaru, your pursuit of eternal life and the mysteries of Ninjutsu has ruined you."
Orochimaru said, "Doesn't Ninjutsu exist so we can unravel the secrets of life and death? What's wrong with what I'm doing?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi slowly removed his hat and Hokage cloak, revealing his armor. "You experimented on people. You were wrong from the very beginning!"
Hongshi said, "Neji, Neji, look! Don't I look cool wearing the Hokage cloak?"
Hongshi had actually picked the Hokage cloak up off the ground and put it on, but his enormous frame turned the coat into a short-sleeved shirt.
Neji said, "(°ー°〃)... Could you get lost?"
Ignoring Hongshi's foolishness, Orochimaru continued, "Teacher Sarutobi, you've been shackled by conventional thinking for too long. I'm doing this so the entire Shinobi World can live forever! Only when everyone is immortal will there be no desire for war or conflict! I'm creating a new Shinobi World!"
The more Hiruzen Sarutobi heard, the more chilled he felt. "Orochimaru, you're beyond saving."
Orochimaru said, "Hahaha, you still don't understand. All of Konoha fails to understand. Only the first person to mix blue chakra with green seals discovered techniques, and I..."
Hongshi said, "Wait!"
Orochimaru said, "(°ー°〃)???"
Hongshi said, "Ahem, I need to correct you on something."
Orochimaru said, "(°ー°〃)..."
Hongshi looked utterly serious. "I know chakra is blue, but how are seals green? Aren't seals colorless?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "???"
Neji said, "=͟͟͞͞(꒪ᗜ꒪‧̣̥̇).."
Orochimaru said, "And I'm going to do the same thing, create-"
Hongshi said, "Look, rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon. Where's the green? Don't think I'm blind!"
Neji said, "Bro, stop talking. This is too embarrassing."
Orochimaru finally ran out of patience. "Die! Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"
Fierce winds blasted toward the three of them.
Neji said, "Hongshi, watch out! Get behind me! Gentle Fist: Wind Release, Eight Trigrams Rotating Wind Palm!"
Neji darted in front of Hongshi, combining Wind Release with Rotation to form a tornado where he stood and counter the force of Great Breakthrough. But Neji was ultimately only at Chunin level, while Orochimaru was genuinely Kage Level. Neji's tornado could not withstand it at all and flew backward.
Just as he was about to hit the Four Violet Flames Formation, Hongshi reached out and caught Neji's lower leg. "Oh, Neji, that's not how you use Rotation."
With just a thought from Hiruzen Sarutobi, an earthen wall rose before him and blocked the fierce wind. Seeing that Neji could actually combine Gentle Fist with Wind Release truly surprised him. "Combining Gentle Fist and Wind Release? What a brilliant idea."
Hongshi said, "Oh, you flatter me."
Known as the Professor of Ninjutsu, he saw the technique's value at a glance. "I must keep you alive, no matter what. Orochimaru, let's settle this. These old bones haven't had any exercise in a long time."
Orochimaru chuckled. "Teacher Sarutobi, don't rush. Let me introduce you to a few people first."
"Summoning Technique: Impure World Reincarnation!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi said, "That technique!"