章 61: 61. Me And My Frog

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Chapter 22: Chaos Unleashed

The arena was in chaos. Smoke billowed from various points throughout Konoha, and the sounds of battle echoed across the village. Sora, no longer disguised as Akira, darted through the pandemonium, his red hair a vibrant streak against the dusty air. His mind raced, processing the rapid turn of events that had transformed a simple exam into a full-scale invasion.

As he dashed towards where he had last seen Kakashi and Guy, Sora couldn't help but reflect on the absurdity of his situation. Here he was, a six-year-old academy student, in the midst of a war zone. If someone had told him a few months ago that he'd be participating in the Chunin exams and now facing an invasion, he would have laughed it off as a bad joke. Yet, here he was, his small frame weaving through panicked civilians and clashing shinobi.

Suddenly, a group of Sound ninjas appeared in his path, their eyes gleaming with malicious intent as they spotted the young boy.

"Well, well," one of them sneered, "looks like we've found ourselves an easy target."

Sora's eyes narrowed. "Easy target? I think you might be mistaking me for someone else," he retorted, his hands already forming seals.

The Sound ninja laughed, clearly underestimating the diminutive redhead before them. Their laughter, however, was cut short as Sora's voice rang out clearly through the chaos.

'Water Style: Heavenly Weeping!' He internally shouted.

In an instant, a barrage of water senbon erupted from Sora's mouth, hurtling towards the enemy ninja with deadly precision. The Sound ninja's eyes widened in shock, their bodies barely beginning to react before the water needles found their marks.

With pinpoint accuracy, Sora targeted vital points on their bodies. One by one, the enemy ninjas fell, their limbs going numb as the senbon disrupted their chakra flow and struck pressure points. In a matter of seconds, what had seemed like an easy ambush for the Sound ninja turned into a humiliating defeat at the hands of a child.

As the last of the Sound ninja slumped to the ground, immobilized but alive, Sora couldn't help but smirk. "And that," he said to the groaning heap of ninja, "is why you shouldn't judge a book by its cover... or a ninja by his height."

With the path now clear, Sora resumed his dash towards Kakashi and Guy's location. As he ran, he couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. All those hours spent studying anatomy and practising his aim had paid off. It was one thing to hit a stationary target, but quite another to take down multiple moving opponents in the heat of battle.

As he neared his destination, Sora could see Kakashi and Guy engaged in fierce combat with a group of enemy ninjas. Their movements were a blur, a testament to their skill and experience. Kakashi's Sharingan whirled as he effortlessly countered attacks from multiple opponents, while Guy's taijutsu was a sight to behold, his powerful kicks and punches sending enemy ninja flying.

Sora arrived just in time to see Kakashi finish off the last of their immediate opponents with a well-placed Chidori. As the lightning faded from his hand, Kakashi turned to see Sora approaching.

"Ah, Sora," Kakashi said, his visible eye crinkling in what might have been a smile. "Good work with the barrier. I assume the ANBU Commander made it through?"

Sora nodded, a bit out of breath from his run. "Yes, sensei. The Commander and an ANBU Captain made it through just before the barrier closed again."

"Excellent!" Guy exclaimed, flashing his signature thumbs-up. "Your youthful spirit has shone brightly today, young Sora!"

Kakashi nodded in agreement. "Indeed. You've done well, Sora. But the battle is far from over." His expression turned serious as he surveyed the chaos around them. "I have a new task for you. We need you to help evacuate civilians and assist any Konoha ninja who might be overwhelmed."

Sora's eyes widened. "But sensei, I can help you fight-"

Kakashi cut him off with a shake of his head. "No, Sora. As skilled as you are, direct combat with Jounin-level opponents is still too dangerous. Your speed and stealth will be more valuable in rescue operations. Understood?"

For a moment, Sora looked like he might argue, but then he nodded reluctantly. "Understood, sensei."

"Good," Kakashi said. "Now go. And Sora?" The young redhead looked up at his sensei. "Be careful."

With a nod, Sora turned and dashed off towards the village proper, his mind already planning out the most efficient route for his rescue operations.

As he made his way through the village, Sora could see the extent of the invasion. Buildings were damaged, fires burned in various locations, and the sounds of battle echoed from every direction. In the distance, he could see a massive, three-headed snake smashing through Konoha's protective wall.

"Well," Sora muttered to himself, "this day just keeps getting better and better."

Using his Body Flicker technique in conjunction with his Shape Shifting Jutsu to reduce his weight, Sora moved at incredible speeds through the village. His small size and red hair became nothing more than a blur as he zipped from one location to another.

As he neared the village walls where the giant snake was wreaking havoc, Sora spotted a familiar figure: Jiraiya, the Toad Sage, was engaged in battle with the monstrous serpent. A giant toad was grappling with the snake, their colossal forms causing tremors with each movement.

Sora quickly changed course, heading straight for Jiraiya. As he approached, he reached into his pouch and pulled out a seal tag he had prepared earlier. "Sensei, take this!" he called out, tossing the tag towards Jiraiya.

The Sannin, caught off guard by Sora's sudden appearance, almost jumped back, likely mistaking the seal for an explosive tag. Sora couldn't help but roll his eyes at the reaction. Here was one of the legendary Sannin, nearly spooked by a six-year-old.

"Head towards the stands where the old man is fighting with that snake," Sora explained hurriedly. "That seal should let you enter the barrier. I'll deal with this."

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised by the young boy's boldness. "Fine," he said after a moment's consideration. "Gamahiro here can handle the heavy lifting. Don't die, kid." With that, the Toad Sage disappeared in a blur, leaving Sora to face the enormous serpent.

Sora turned his attention to the giant toad Jiraiya had summoned. Unlike Gamabunta, whom Sora had met before, this toad was unfamiliar to him. The massive amphibian was a bluish colour and had two enormous swords strapped to his back.

Without hesitation, Sora leaped onto Gamahiro's back. The toad's eyes widened in surprise at the tiny passenger who had just landed on him.

"Kid, I hope you don't fall off," Gamahiro rumbled, his voice a deep bass that Sora could feel reverberating through his body.

Before Sora could respond, Gamahiro was already in motion. With a powerful leap, the toad launched himself at the nearest snake head. His swords flashed in the sunlight as he drew them mid-jump, slicing through the serpent's neck with a precision that belied his massive size.

As the severed snake head fell to the ground with a thunderous crash, Gamahiro was already moving towards the next target. This snake, smaller than the first but more agile, saw them coming and prepared to counter-attack.

The serpent opened its mouth wide, clearly intending to spew a cloud of poison at them. Gamahiro crossed his swords in front of him, preparing to block, but at the last instant, the snake's head tilted to the side, releasing its toxic breath harmlessly into the open air.

In the next moment, Gamahiro's blade found its mark, and another snake head fell.

"What just happened?" Gamahiro asked, confusion evident in his voice.

Sora, who had been concentrating intensely during the encounter, allowed himself a small smirk. "It seems big snakes are also prone to genjutsu," he explained.

Gamahiro's eyes widened at that, but being a veteran of many battles, he quickly regained his composure. "Well, well," he chuckled, the sound rumbling through his massive body. "It seems I've got quite the interesting little partner here."

Their brief moment of victory was short-lived, however, as another massive snake reared its head, already preparing to launch a poisonous attack. This time, the serpent was quicker, releasing a massive cloud of toxic gas directly at them.

Gamahiro reacted swiftly, spitting a large ball of water that collided with the poison cloud mid-air. The two substances mixed and neutralized each other, creating a harmless mist. However, the force of the collision sent the mixture spraying in all directions, and several nearby buildings crumbled under the onslaught.

Sora winced at the collateral damage. "We need to be more careful," he called out to Gamahiro. "There might still be civilians in those buildings!"

Even as he spoke, Sora was already forming hand seals. In a matter of seconds, eight Earth Clones materialized around him, each an exact replica of the original.

"You guys know what to do," Sora said to his clones. "Rescue any civilians in the area and take down any enemy ninja you encounter. But remember to prioritize rescuing over direct confrontation"

The clones nodded in unison before scattering, each heading in a different direction. As they moved, they utilized the Body Flicker technique in combination with the Shape-Shifting Jutsu, their forms blurring as they zipped through the battlefield at incredible speeds.