The current situation in Konoha was nothing short of chaos. That word wasn't nearly enough to describe it. Battles raged in every corner of the village. Konoha shinobi clashed with Sand shinobi, Sound shinobi, and the Uchiha clan, all at once. The Konoha ninja were in the most difficult position; aside from their own, every face they saw was an enemy.
Inside the Chunin Exam arena, the four Sound-nin supported the injured Orochimaru, preparing to make their escape. But Sasuke and Izumi Uchiha suddenly appeared, blocking their path.
Sakon stepped forward, shouting, "You three take Lord Orochimaru and go! I'll hold them off!" Tayuya and the others nodded, helping Orochimaru to flee.
"Orochimaru, don't even think about escaping!" Sasuke shouted anxiously, about to give chase. But Izumi grabbed his arm, giving him a calm look. "Don't worry, Sasuke," she whispered. "Let Orochimaru go. Someone else will take care of him."
"Who?"
"Your brother, of course."
"My brother?" Sasuke's face lit up with joy. "He's here too?"
"Mm-hm. I sensed Itachi's presence nearby. With him here, Orochimaru won't be able to escape. Let's deal with this two-headed weirdo in front of us first."
"Right!"
In the village, Jirobo and the others carried Orochimaru on their backs, darting through the streets at incredible speed. After a moment, Orochimaru said weakly, "Wait… wait a moment."
"Is there anything we can do for you, Lord Orochimaru?"
"Tayuya, go find Kabuto. Then, the two of you, go help Sakon and try to capture one or two Uchiha clansmen." Orochimaru's original target had been Shiro, but looking at the loyal Danzo who never left his side, and considering Shiro's own formidable strength, Orochimaru knew it was unrealistic to try and capture him in his current, broken state. In that case, he would have to lower his goals. Even capturing another Uchiha would be a victory. Orochimaru was intensely curious about how the Uchiha had learned Wood Release. He knew all too well how difficult it was to master and adapt to. He had conducted countless experiments and had more experience with it than anyone.
Hearing this, Tayuya said with some concern, "But, Lord Orochimaru, if I leave, what about your safety?"
"Don't worry, Tayuya," Kidomaru said. "Jirobo and I are here. That's enough. And we won't fight for long, even if we encounter an enemy."
"Well then… I'm counting on you, Kidomaru," Tayuya said. Then she yelled at Jirobo, "Fatty, don't let me down! If anything happens to Lord Orochimaru, I'll kill you!" With that, Tayuya vanished in a puff of smoke.
Inside the arena, Minato Namikaze was still fighting desperately. His original target had been Shiro, but the mad dog Danzo was proving too difficult to deal with. Perhaps it was a psychological block, the hesitation of a junior, but he was reluctant to deliver a killing blow to Danzo.
"Lord Danzo, please, wake up! You used to hate the Uchiha more than anyone! How can you be willing to be their dog now?"
"Woof! Woof!" No matter how much Minato pleaded, Danzo only responded with fierce barking.
"Lord Minato, it's useless!" Raido Namiashi advised. "If we continue like this, it will never end! We have to fight with the intent to kill!"
Genma Shiranui seemed to notice something and quickly stopped, saying in surprise, "Oh no, the Third Hokage… he seems to be…!"
"He's dead!"
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