The crowd leaned forward, hearts pounding, eyes locked on the golden wasteland below where Gaara and Sasuke stood suspended between attack and defense.
The air itself was electric with sand hung frozen mid-whirl, chakra hummed like thunder about to strike.
Every breath, every heartbeat in the stadium waited for what came next.
And then, it began.
Shhhhhh
A strange stillness crept across the stands.
The faint whisper of feathers brushing against the air drew confused glances upward. The white plumes began drifting down from the sky. The atmosphere was soft, delicate, and dreamlike.
The white plumes looked harmless, even beautiful, glimmering under the sunlight as they descended like snow.
Someone in the audience chuckled nervously. "Huh… where are these feathers coming from?"
But before anyone could answer, the heads began to drop.
One by one, people slumped in their seats, bodies leaning against each other like wilting flowers.
Thud... Thud... Thud...
A wave of unconsciousness swept through the stadium.
"Genjutsu!" Kakashi snapped, his single visible eye narrowing in alarm. His hand shot to his headband, pulling it up to fully reveal the Sharingan. "Everyone's under—"
"Genjutsu?" Gai muttered beside him, his usually boisterous tone sharp and grim. "This is bad!"
Both men reacted instantly as they flared their chakra violently, dispelling the illusion around them. The feathers vanished from their sight, replaced by the panicked echo of chaos and the sound of hundreds collapsing.
Kakashi gritted his teeth. 'So it begins…'
Gai clenched his fists, eyes narrowing. "Who would dare… during the finals of the Chūnin Exams?"
Up in the VIP gallery, the tension snapped like a bowstring.
The Kazekage sat motionless, face concealed behind his ceremonial veil. Only his eyes, which were dark, narrow slits, focused on Hiruzen Sarutobi. For a brief second, the two leaders simply stared at each other through the curling tendrils of smoke and chakra-charged air.
"Something's wrong," Hiruzen murmured, his voice dropping to a growl. His aged fingers tightened around the armrest of his seat.
The 'Kazekage' tilted his head slightly. Beneath that pale mask, a sly smile curled.
BOOM!
A smoke bomb detonated behind them, the blast echoing across the VIP section. The entire platform vanished under a storm of gray smoke and shattering tiles.
"Lord Hokage!" One of the guards cried, before disappearing into the choking cloud.
And then, the real chaos began.
From the far outskirts of Konoha came the distant rumble of explosions. Thick plumes of smoke rose against the horizon, darkening the clear sky.
BOOOOOM!
The earth quaked, and the cracks raced through the stone walls surrounding the village.
Gai's eyes widened. "No… it can't be…"
From the shattered outer wall of Konoha, something massive and scaly burst through. They were the giant serpents, their bodies glistening like wet iron, slithering into the streets. Their hissing roars echoed across the rooftops as they crushed towers, uprooted trees, and sent civilians screaming in terror.
"Snakes!?" Kakashi's expression turned dark. "There's only one man who'd—"
"Orochimaru…" Hiruzen's voice echoed faintly from within the smoke, steady but heavy.
As the dark clouds of sand and smoke rose higher, the once-vibrant stadium descended into chaos. The shinobi leapt into motion with ANBU appearing in flashes of black cloaks, kunai drawn.
Some rushed to evacuate the unconscious civilians, while others moved to contain the breaches.
But even amidst the panic, there were undercurrents of grim anticipation.
Gai glanced at Kakashi, a rare, tight smile crossing his face. "Heh… looks like our students aren't the only ones being tested today."
Kakashi's visible eye sharpened. "Let's move. We'll split up. We need to protect the kids first, and then regroup."
------
The ANBU stationed around the arena reacted instantly, their black cloaks blurring into motion as they dashed toward the VIP section.
The air itself seemed to tighten with tension, and the chakra flared in bursts as they cut through the panicking crowd, weaving between the unconscious bodies that lay scattered like fallen leaves under the Genjutsu's spell.
Just as the first group reached the platform, two figures burst out from the thick veil of smoke. They were fast and silent, kunai glinting under the sunlight.
"Enemies!" One ANBU shouted, already drawing his tanto.
The metal clashed against metal, sharp and vicious as the sparks flew.
The attackers were skilled. They looked like Sand jonins, judging by the insignias half-burnt on their sleeves. But the ANBU were elite for a reason. In a flurry of motion too fast for the eye to follow, the two enemies fell with silent gasps, their upper torsos cut off from their lower bodies.
"Secure the Kage!" The captain barked.
The squad pressed forward, closing the distance, but just then a guttural groan cut through the smoke, making everyone freeze for a second.
A figure stepped out.
The shadows parted, revealing the unmistakable outline of the Kazekage, his one arm wrapped around Hiruzen Sarutobi's neck, a kunai pressed against the old Hokage's throat.
A series of gasps rippled across the stands.
"Lord Hokage!"
The ANBU spread out instantly, blades drawn, but before they could close in, four new presences dropped onto the platform, forming a perfect square around the supposed Kazekage. Each of them slammed their palms on the ground, their chakra surging in unison.
In the next heartbeat, an ominous dome of golden light erupted around the entire stage, creating the Four Violet Flames Formation.
The crackle of chakra burned the air, and the barrier shimmered like molten glass.
From within it, the Kazekage began to laugh. His tone changed into a lower, serpentine, mocking tone. He raised his free hand and slowly removed the mask.
"Ku-ku-ku-ku… It's been a long time, hasn't it, Sarutobi-sensei?"
Orochimaru's pale face gleamed in the light, his snake-like eyes brimming with amusement.
Hiruzen's expression hardened. His grip tightened on his staff. "Orochimaru… you truly have fallen this far."
"Fallen?" Orochimaru chuckled, his tongue sliding across his lips like a serpent tasting the air.
"No, sensei… I've ascended." His voice dropped into a dangerous purr. "And today, the Leaf will witness the birth of a new age."
Outside the barrier, ANBU pounded their fists against the shimmering wall of chakra, but it held firm, pulsing with an otherworldly glow.
Inside, Hiruzen's eyes narrowed. 'So it begins… The snake finally bares its fangs.'
"But, sensei, don't misunderstand…" Orochimaru's grin widened. His eyes flickered toward the arena below. "We are not the main attraction today."
"What?" Hiruzen's gaze followed his former student's.
BOOM!
Just then, a deafening explosion rocked the arena, and the ground trembled.
A massive cloud of smoke erupted in the center of the battlefield, spreading across the tiles like a living storm. The spectators who had broken free of the Genjutsu turned in horror as shockwaves rippled outward.
Wind howled through the crumbling stone as fragments of dust danced in the air, and the light dimmed under the heavy smoke.
Hiruzen's eyes widened, his heart sinking. "What now…?"
Orochimaru's smile turned razor-sharp, eyes glinting with wild delight. "Ah… right on cue."
The smoke twisted, and the ground beneath began to crack as a figure slowly emerged from within the haze, his presence radiating raw, unrestrained power.
Every ninja in the arena froze, their instincts screaming.
Even Orochimaru tilted his head, lips curving into a sinister smirk. "And so… the real show begins."
--- ✦ ✦ ✦ ---
📢 Author's Note 📢
If you're enjoying this story and want more chapters right now, I invite you to check out my Patreon. There you'll find:
✅ Daily updates – never miss a day of new content
✅ Advanced chapters – read far ahead of public releases
✅ Exclusive perks & extras – only available to patrons
Your support not only gives you early access but also helps me dedicate more time to writing and expanding this story. Every reader who joins makes a huge difference.
👉 Dive into more chapters today: patreon.com/Myth_Valley
Let's keep the adventure alive! 🔥📚✨