[Roar!]
Shukaku let out a thunderous roar, the chilling Chakra unique to the Tailed Beasts soared into the sky, and the wild waves of energy swept through the entire venue.
Some fearful high officials and nobles were knocked unconscious by the force of that impulse.
"This is a Tailed Beast?"
"Why is the tailed beast of Sunagakure here?"
"Damn it, are the Sunagakure Shinobis planning to attack Konoha?"
Countless Konoha Shinobi were shocked.
At the same time...
Orochimaru grabbed the Third Hokage and ascended to the rooftop, followed closely by his subordinates, the Sound Four: Sakon and Ukon, Tayuya, Kidōmaru, and Jirōbō, who all removed their disguises and formed hand seals.
Four invisible barrier walls enveloped the entire area where the two were about to fight...
The sudden eruption of the battle between the Hokage and the 'Kazekage' caught everyone present off guard.
Some nobles instinctively shouted and tried to escape, causing the exits to become congested. Other guests from different shinobi villages also gathered together without hesitation.
Realizing that this attack was orchestrated by Sunagakure and Otogakure, they immediately retreated to protect the nobles of their own countries while avoiding a clash between the shinobi of Sunagakure, Otogakure, and Konoha.
They wouldn't let Konoha use them as cannon fodder!
However, Yakushi Kabuto quickly launched a genjutsu, hypnotizing all the spectators.
"Hey, what's going on?" Because Kabuto deliberately avoided Naruto, so he was not affected by the genjutsu.
But his mental state at this time was obviously not so calm and he was somewhat nervous.
"The shinobis of Sunagakure and Otogakure are preparing to attack Konoha!" Sasuke widened his eyes, his Sharingan appearing.
Compared to Naruto, he was much calmer. His pair of Three Tomoe Sharingan accurately captured the enemy's figure.
"What should we do, Natsuo?" he calmly asked, but there was a hint of excitement in his eyes.
These were enemies. Although he had sparred with Neji, Naruto, and others, he had never fought against enemy shinobis before. Although he was asking, his eyes were eager for battle.
"Then let's play around with the shinobis of Sunagakure and Otogakure at the edge of the battlefield." Natsuo chuckled lightly, seemingly unconcerned.
This level of battlefield was only suitable for these two little ones to treat as practice.
"Should we retreat first?" Sasuke calmly said. "We can't defeat that monster across from us, can we?"
He was referring to Gaara. Although Sasuke has made significant progress in strength, he now understands the opponent's strength and won't recklessly charge forward.
"It's fine." Natsuo smiled and said: "Someone will take care of it soon."
The next moment, both of them saw Neji, who was sitting in the participants' seats, running forward.
He arrived in front of Shukaku along with Kakashi and Might Guy. The latter, being Jōnin Elites, naturally carried the heaviest responsibility. The moment Shukaku broke out, they did not hesitate to move forward and tangle with this colossal creature.
"Are you a Genin participating in this competition?" Kakashi noticed Neji's actions and frowned. "Are Genin these days all so reckless?"
"Kid, this big guy is not an opponent that a Genin can handle!"
"You retreat quickly! Leave this to us!"
Suddenly...
Shukaku roared in anger, and his arm rushed downwards.
Kakashi, Might Guy, and the others were about to take action.
Suddenly, they saw Neji rushing forward, directly meeting Shukaku's arm at the forefront. He twisted his body and used the Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven.
[Bang!]
Shukaku's arm was forcefully pushed away.
"As a Konoha shinobi, I can also help protect the village."
Neji stopped his figure, a smile on his lips.
At this moment, there are countless high-level Konoha shinobi here. Neji, who wants to gain reputation. Would he find any other occasion more suitable than this?
Neji's actions seemed dangerous, but in fact, there was no risk at all. Although Shukaku is a tailed beast and is difficult to control when it goes berserk, at this time, it is still under Gaara's control and won't go on a rampage.
There are high-ranking officials and nobles everywhere, and Gaara is not crazy enough to want to eliminate them all, which would cause everyone to hate him and bring disaster to Sunagakure.
Gaara will cooperate with the shinobi of Konoha and voluntarily leave this place to truly unleash his fury outside the examination grounds.
Not only Gaara, but also the shinobi of Sunagakure and Otogakure, after they go berserk, will gradually move the battlefield outside the examination venue while cooperating with the Konoha Shinobi.
"To think there is a Jōnin-level..." Kakashi was stunned. He didn't expect this examinee, Neji, to be so strong.
Then he decisively said: "Alright, you take care of yourself!"
The Jōnin-level experts can now no longer make the excuse of holding back the tailed beast and have to try to rescue the Third Hokage. They can't say they have to stay to protect the younger generation.
However, despite everything, Kakashi also decided to pay more attention to this 'genius' and if possible, prevent him from dying prematurely here.
Not only Kakashi, but even Hyūga Hiashi, stopped from luring the enemy out of the examination room when he saw Neji's actions. He decided to annihilate the enemy here and take care of his nephew at the same time.
Meanwhile, Natsuo was pulling Sasuke and Naruto to level up in the outer ring, while his gaze was directed towards the outer side.
"Sure enough, he's back. It's within my expectations, but he appeared a bit early..."
"Huh, why is he coming this way? Shouldn't he be dealing with the enemies on the outskirts?"
"Never mind, I'll go and take a look..."
...
At this moment, Konoha was in complete chaos.
The attacks from the shinobis of Sunagakure and Otogakure were not limited to just the examination hall.
Several giant snakes were summoned and forcefully broke through the outer walls of Konoha.
The shinobis of Sunagakure and Otogakure entered through the breach, but the Konoha shinobis quickly reacted and confronted the enemies, buying time for the evacuation to the shelter.
For a while, there was a constant roar of various ninjutsu in Konoha Village.
Some outsiders who were visiting Konoha during the Chūnin Exams couldn't help but start looting.
However, there were always unlucky individuals who targeted people they shouldn't provoke.
"You old geezer, hand over your money quickly, or else... Ah!"
A rough-looking old man with white hair grabbed the head of the unknown wandering shinobi and slammed it hard against the wall.
[Bang!]
A muffled sound. The wandering shinobi immediately passed out.
"Orochimaru, is this your plan? Are you really going to attack our teacher...?" Jiraiya looked at the exam site, his eyes filled with a mixture of complexity and sadness.
He hesitated for a moment, feeling the uncontrolled snakes inside Konoha and then looking at the exam venue not far from him. In the end, he decided to run towards the exam venue.
Konoha has a deep base. He was surprised this time, and the snakes were allowed to wreak havoc to buy time for the villagers to evacuate.
Once the evacuation was over, expert shinobi would immediately come to the rescue. A few snakes were nothing to worry about.
And he really wants to see Orochimaru again. And see his master for the last time.
Without hesitation, he headed straight for the venue, occasionally encountering some Konoha shinobi along the way.
Some young shinobis instinctively wanted to attack this person of unknown origin, but before they could act, they were stopped by older individuals.
"This is our Konoha's Sannin, Jiraiya-sama. What are you trying to do, kid?"
"Jiraiya-sama has returned to Konoha!"
"That's great! With him here, Konoha will be safe and protected!"
As the master of the Fourth Hokage, Jiraiya, even though he has been away from Konoha for a long time, still commands great respect.
With a serious expression on his face, he headed straight to the exam venue.
But he hadn't arrived yet. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, his eyes showing a hint of seriousness.
"You're actually here too. Judging from the direction, you were originally planning to go to the Uchiha clan's residence, but changed course midway to come here..."
"Well, there are several new clubs there. With your style, of course you would want to experience them first."
"That was my mistake."
Natsuo approached with calm steps, while speaking.
In the Naruto Series, during the Chūnin exams, Jiraiya was led astray either by traces left by Orochimaru or by a girl playing in the mountains. It was not until Konoha was in total chaos due to the attack of the Shinobis of Sunagakure and Otogakure that all the shinobi clans realized that the situation was getting out of control and their experts began to act. Only then did Jiraiya rush over and suppress several large snakes in one fell swoop.
But now, the renowned Uchiha Club seems to have caught the attention of even this 'sage', causing him to intervene in the conflict prematurely.
This disrupted Konoha's plan for collapse. Others may not be able to break through the Four Violet Flames Formation's barrier, but he might!
It's all because of our captivating Uchiha Club!
"Who are you?" Jiraiya's face turned serious, and his eyes narrowed.
But he soon noticed the unique Akatsuki uniform on Natsuo. His face is partially hidden by the high collar of his coat and a bamboo hat that covers his head, casting a subtle shadow over his features. Despite this, two crimson red eyes are visible through the shadow.
"Wait, that outfit, and those eyes..."
"Are you Uchiha Itachi?"
That's right! Once again, Natsuo disguised himself as Itachi again.
Jiraiya's pupils contracted. He had once tracked Orochimaru and naturally knew about Orochimaru's affiliation with Akatsuki and the information about Itachi.
But he quickly calmed down.
"No, you're not Uchiha Itachi. So, who are you exactly?"
Jiraiya's expression was serious. He didn't know the true relationship between Itachi and Konoha, as he had been away for many years when the Uchiha clan was annihilated.
But as a skilled shinobi, he could see the traces of Transformation Technique on Natsuo.
Although he couldn't discern the true identity beneath the Transformation Technique, it also denied the fact that he was Itachi.
"I am Uchiha Itachi." Natsuo smiled. "Or would Jiraiya-sama like to verify it personally?"
In the next second, his pupils changed. The pattern of a windmill appeared in his eyes.
'The Mangekyō Sharingan!'
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'Mangekyō Sharingan?!'
Jiraiya's face changed, his expression becoming more serious. As a Kage-level powerhouse, he naturally could sense the opponent's aura and immediately recognized them as a formidable enemy. But Mangekyō Sharingan...
'Isn't that an ability only possessed by Uchiha Itachi? Could this person really be Uchiha Itachi? I clearly noticed traces of Transformation Technique on him... Could it be that I'm getting old, and my eyes are deceiving me?'
However...
"Do you think that with just your eyes, you can defeat me?"
Jiraiya remained fearless, facing him directly.
"Being an Uchiha doesn't mean you're invincible. When I let my troops against the Shinobi of Iwagakure, there were no shortage of Uchiha clan members among my subordinates."
He subtly moved his posture, showing the confidence that a Sannin should have. In reality, the Sannin were undoubtedly the top powerhouses in the Shinobi World.
In the Naruto series, when Uchiha Itachi and Kisame tried to capture Naruto while he was traveling with Jiraiya, they only acted when they managed to get the latter away from Naruto. In fact, Itachi and Kisame commented that in a fight against Jiraiya they would at best kill him but end up dead as well.
Even Pain admitted that his victory over Jiraiya was largely due to his ability to summon multiple bodies through the Six Paths Technique. This gave him a crucial advantage over Jiraiya during their confrontation otherwise he would not have been able to defeat Jiraiya.
This shows how powerful the Sannin really are.
If Orochimaru had not been with his health deteriorating and his body beginning to fail due to his experiments and continuous use of forbidden techniques, which made him much more vulnerable in combat; he could have defeated the young Uchiha Itachi and taken the Mangekyō Sharingan from him.
So facing Natsuo, Jiraiya naturally had no fear and proudly said: "I participated in two of the three Great Shinobi Wars. I've seen all kinds of grand scenes!"
"So what if you're an Uchiha?"
"You're just a coward!"
"Let me measure your worth!"
"Don't underestimate me!"
Even if this plan to destroy Konoha was probably orchestrated by Orochimaru, this person in front of me is either Orochimaru's subordinate or an ally brought in by Orochimaru. But even if Orochimaru personally made a move, I am confident that I can hold him off!
The next second...
[Crack!]
The surrounding space suddenly fell silent, turning into black and white. Then, a series of cracks and breaks appeared... The monotonous and cold aura of the Tsukuyomi world came forth... Jiraiya was directly bound to a cross, unable to move... He had never seen this scene before...
Jiraiya was a bit dumbfounded. 'Did I just fall into a genjutsu?'
[Splatter!]
Natsuo calmly stabbed Jiraiya, then turned his head to look at him. "Jiraiya-sama, what did you just say?"
"Oh my god, it hurts!"
At the same time...
Konoha Village, Uchiha residence.
Among the Uchiha clan today, aside from the young children, the remaining wives are all skilled kunoichi.
Additionally, some of the most trusted wives have received information from Natsuo.
When the alarm sounded in Konoha, the Uchiha residence immediately reacted.
A large number of rogue and wandering shinobi recruited by Akatsuki appeared and firmly protected the Uchiha residence.
They were not protecting Natsuo's wives, but rather the ordinary customers.
After explaining the current situation in a friendly manner, all customers, merchants, and service personnel calmly sought shelter and constructed temporary defensive structures using Earth Release.
Due to Natsuo's presence, Orochimaru deliberately did not allow the giant snakes to break into the Uchiha residence and even deliberately arranged for the shinobi of Sunagakure and Otogakure to avoid that direction.
Of course, during the chaos of war, it was inevitable that some shinobi would get out of control. However, they were quickly killed by shinobi brought by Akatsuki.
Grandpa Kakuzu sat firmly in the main house, and several masked creatures had already been summoned, giving off a murderous aura, giving a feeling of invincibility.
In coordination with the shinobi brought by Akatsuki who came and went, the Uchiha clan's residential area, which was of considerable size, surprisingly gave the feeling of a paradise amidst the chaos of war.
Many Konoha residents who were near the Uchiha clan's residential area also gathered there, hoping to seek refuge.
The person in charge of the residential area, Yukino, of course, did not refuse. Warmly, she arranged for the residents to welcome people while quietly promoting the Uchiha clan.
At least they have obtained the protection of the Uchiha clan, and the residents of Konoha are grateful. Even the Konoha shinobi who lived nearby hesitated for a moment and chose not to go with their families to the Konoha shelter, which is a bit far away, but instead sent their loved ones to the Uchiha clan area.
The defensive power of the Uchiha clan is so strong that it may be safer than going to Konoha shelters!
It can be said that even though there is only one adult, Natsuo, left in the Uchiha clan, they have miraculously become the anchor for all the residents of Konoha.
Some merchants who have settled in the residential area of the Uchiha clan couldn't help but feel grateful for the protection provided when they saw this scene. Even the expensive rent they had to pay is no longer a reason for dissatisfaction.
However, there are still some internal problems within the Uchiha clan.
"I'm going to find Natsuo!" Kurenai said seriously. "According to intelligence, this Sunagakure and Otogakure operation is centered around the Chūnin Exam site, and Natsuo and Sasuke are inside the site!"
"What if something happens to them..."
"That's right!" Yūgao also said. "We have enough manpower here, so why not provide some support to Natsuo?"
Other wives also expressed: "Exactly, those women who are pregnant should not take risks, but those of us who do not have any physical impediments are still combat forces who can go and help our husband."
'The problem is that your husband doesn't need your help!' Anko thought to herself, but she persuaded everyone together with Yukino.
She couldn't directly mention Natsuo's strength, so she could only say: "Natsuo bears the great responsibility of the Uchiha clan's revival, and he definitely won't recklessly fight to the death with others. He will definitely be safe, so you can rest assured!"
But such statements are of no use at all...
Even the recognized elder sister, Yukino, couldn't suppress the emotions of her sisters. In the end, Ameyuri suddenly drew her sword and stabbed it at the door.
"Stop wasting time, whoever wants to go save Natsuo, if you can defeat me, I'll let you go!"
"Alright!" Kurenai, starting to get impatient, accepted Ameyuri's challenge.
Kurenai knows that Ameyuri is a kunoichi who has hidden her identity, she is clearly a wandering shinobi, who was lucky enough to meet Natsuo and was eventually accepted into the Uchiha clan.
'She's just a wandering shinobi, how could she be my opponent? Of course, she is also pregnant, so I should spare her...'
[Crackling!]
Kurenai was stunned when Ameyuri easily tackled her to the ground in three moves, despite Ameyuri's belly showing signs of pregnancy and preventing her from moving easily.
"With your appearance, it seems like you haven't seriously trained in a long time. Are you even qualified to participate in this kind of big battle?"
Ameyuri looked disdainful. "Are you asking for death?"
"Be a good girl and wait for your husband to come back. He's much safer than you!"
Ameyuri remembered the scene where Natsuo defeated her back then and her mouth couldn't help but twitch. Even though she had been training diligently since then, she did not feel the slightest chance of winning.
Although Natsuo was at the site of the Chūnin exam, facing many expert shinobi from various villages. But she still felt that she and the other women, who were being protected by the shinobi brought by Akatsuki, were in greater danger than Natsuo.
'With his strength, I'm afraid no one in the entire village can kill him, right?' Ameyuri thought in her heart, and without mercy, said: "If you can't beat me, just stay here!"
Then she mercilessly knocked to the ground another of the women who was screaming that she wanted to go save Natsuo.
They all began to doubt their lives.
As kunoichi who could marry Natsuo, even the weakest among them were Chūnin, and some even had Jōnin level strength. However, they were all defeated by Ameyuri, a pregnant woman.
'Could it be that I really haven't practiced well for too long and my strength has greatly declined?'
'No!'
'I have to work hard to train in the future. Otherwise, when a dangerous situation occurs again, I will only be able to stay at home honestly like now, and I will be of no use at all!'
Then, one by one, the women said goodbye to their quiet life, which had become idle due to the wealth of the Uchiha clan and began to work hard and practice again.
The strength of a shinobi can improve. A strong kunoichi can obviously give birth to more outstanding children. Natsuo has always encouraged his wives to practice hard, but unfortunately, the results were not significant. Except for a few like Ameyuri, most of them gave up on becoming stronger and became idle.
In short, under Ameyuri's suppression, the Uchiha clan stabilized.
On the other side...
Jiraiya collapsed weakly in the corner.
"Damn it, how did it end up like this!"
Of course, he wasn't directly overturned by Natsuo's Tsukuyomi.
In the Naruto series, even Kakashi, after being hit by the Tsukuyomi, was barely able to hold on until Might Guy arrived before finally collapsing due to letting his guard down.
Jiraiya is much stronger than Kakashi. Even if he was hit by Natsuo's Tsukuyomi, he managed to forcibly break free from the illusion and still maintained a certain level of combat power, able to counterattack. But the time he stayed in the illusion was enough for Natsuo.
In a Kage-level battle, even a small flaw can be seized by the enemy and become a crucial factor affecting the outcome. Furthermore, Jiraiya was attacked by the Tsukuyomi, which affected him, leaving him as if he had stayed awake for several days, exhausted and without strength...
Jiraiya gritted his teeth, supporting his tired body, he tried to summon the two Great Sage Toads. But Natsuo, who was familiar with Jiraiya's techniques, would never give him this chance.
Taking advantage of the fact that he was weakened, he quickly defeated him.
Of course, Natsuo didn't really intend to kill Jiraiya here, and Jiraiya also had some tricks up his sleeve.
So, with Natsuo's deliberate performance, Jiraiya finally managed to escape, but was unable to participate in the current Konoha battle.
"Damn it, who uses the Mangekyō Sharingan before even starting the battle?" Jiraiya leaned against the corner, panting heavily, with a helpless expression.
Normal shinobis would evaluate each other first and seize the opportunity before revealing their trump cards.
But Natsuo acted against common sense, starting with Tsukuyomi, and Jiraiya, who was unfamiliar with the Mangekyō Sharingan technique, fell into the trap and lost outright.
"Damn it, where did these Mangekyō Sharingan come from?"
"Could it really be Uchiha Itachi? Has he come to seek revenge on Konoha?"
Exam venue...
Inside the Four Violet Flames Formation, the idle chatter between Orochimaru and the Third Hokage was already over.
In the eyes of others, the fierce attacks that could kill at any moment were not even worth a test for the two Kage-level individuals. They could only serve as 'idle chat' for them to play with.
The next second...
The two finally got serious!
The Third Hokage revealed his armor and Orochimaru took off the Kazekage robe he was wearing, revealing his usual attire.
And at that moment...
"Hmm, just in time."
Natsuo walked onto the roof in his regular attire, as if taking a leisurely stroll.
Looking at the two who were still not completely serious, he smiled immediately.
"This is really great. Luckily, I acted fast, otherwise it might have been too late...."
Orochimaru and the Third Hokage's eyes both narrowed at the same time.
"Hmm?!"
"Natsuo!"
"You're Uchiha Natsuo?" The shadow guards next to him saw Natsuo and were first stunned, then without hesitation said: "What are you doing here? This is not a place where a Jōnin like you can stay!"
"Hurry up and go down, find an opponent you can handle!"
"Leave this to us!"
Their words were full of impatience.
However, they didn't see the solemn look in the Third Hokage's eyes and the furrowed brow of Orochimaru.
"Natsuo, how did you end up here?" Orochimaru's eyes drooped slightly. "I remember I brought Jiraiya here. Didn't you run into him?"
"Oh? You mean him." Natsuo was taken aback, then laughed. "So, it was you who brought him here. I thought it was our Uchiha clan's clubhouse that was too attractive and made him go out of his way..."
"Come to think of it, even if he likes women, a shinobi of that level wouldn't be delayed by women when it comes to important matters."
"It seems I was being presumptuous."
Saying that, Natsuo laughed self-deprecatingly, as if mocking his own overestimation. He slowly walked up to the barrier and looked at the Four Violet Flames Formation.
He then looked at Tayuya, whom he found beautiful, and smiled, saying, "Miss, can you let me in?"
"To be honest, I've wanted to kill the Third Hokage for a long time. I really don't want to leave it to someone else!"
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I will post some extra Chapters in Patreon, you can check it out. >> patreon.com/TitoVillar
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