A flash of thunderlight.
It instantly pierced through Gaara's sand defense.
"Gaara!!!" Kankuro's face went pale. "He actually broke Gaara's defense…"
That jutsu—blinding thunderlight—the attack power was terrifying.
Cold sweat slid down Temari's cheek.
Gaara was wounded, and his technique had been interrupted. In such a state, it was nearly impossible for him to activate it again.
And the plan… wouldn't that also—
In the stands, Sand's instructor Baki clenched his fists, furious.
"Acting on your own before the signal… Gaara, you—"
Yuichi crouched on the fence railing, calmly overlooking the chaos.
The plan… begins…
Suddenly—
Feathers drifted down from the sky.
They swayed in the wind, slowly twisting in the air.
An illusion!
Yuichi lifted his gaze. The falling feathers shimmered for a breath, then vanished.
As I thought.
Genjutsu won't work on me.
The essence of illusion was to disrupt another's chakra, twisting perception and senses.
But Yuichi's chakra—when his immortal body stirred—overflowed with vitality and surged endlessly.
Even without activating it, his chakra flowed with an inexhaustible blessing.
No genjutsu could shake it.
Yuichi remained unaffected.
But all around him, the audience collapsed one after another.
It was a simple sleep-type illusion.
Yet, for the unprepared—even trained shinobi—falling into it was almost inevitable.
Three seconds after the technique spread, Yuichi spotted Anbu leaping from the stands onto rooftops, scanning the area.
Their movements were swift. Too swift.
They had been waiting for this.
"The Hokage team—protect the daimyos! Everyone else, eliminate the enemy!"
As Anbu appeared, Sand shinobi surged forward, and Oto-nin spilled into the arena.
Within moments, the stadium, once full of voices, erupted into the chaos of battle.
Yuichi scanned the scene.
Around fifty from Sand and Sound combined.
Konoha has triple that in Anbu alone. These won't even put a dent in them.
The plan had only just begun.
That meant even stronger opponents were waiting to handle the Leaf's real forces.
BOOM!!
A sudden explosion roared in the Hokage's direction.
Yuichi's head turned sharply.
Orochimaru has begun. I need to move faster.
The corners of his mouth curled upward.
This time, Orochimaru's grand "Konoha Crush" plan—Yuichi intended to ride its wave.
Of course, not by himself.
He raised a finger, tracing a circle in the sky.
Hidden among the crowd, five or six Wood Style clones, already disguised with Transformation Technique, leapt into motion.
In an instant, they blurred away like afterimages.
Their movement caught the eye of Anbu and Sand shinobi, but in the chaos, few registered who they were.
Most thought them just shadows in the melee.
For this chaos, I've prepared thirty-six Wood Style clones and twelve Shadow Clones…
Two objectives:
First—find the Book of Seals.
Second—"protect" the daimyo.
Yuichi vaulted from the railing, dropping straight into the exam floor.
There, Baki had landed in front of the injured Gaara, with Temari and Kankuro guarding him.
Across from them, Shiranui Genma stood before Sasuke, brow furrowed, eyes locked on Baki.
Behind him, Sasuke looked around in confusion. "What… what's going on?"
Genma didn't look back. "Isn't it obvious? Sand has betrayed Konoha!"
Sand… betrayed Konoha!?
Just like that?
"You two, take Gaara and go!" Baki barked. "Treat his wounds. Once his chakra recovers, continue the mission. Gaara is our trump card!"
Temari's eyes widened. "What about you, sensei?"
"I'll hold them off!"
Temari bit down hard, teeth grinding.
Konoha shinobi were everywhere.
Their teacher was planning to throw away his life—to buy them time.
Kankuro grimly hoisted Gaara onto his shoulder. He and Temari turned to retreat.
But—
Footsteps echoed ahead.
Yuichi stepped out slowly, blocking their path.
His eyes glinted as he smiled faintly.
"Sorry. I can't let you leave."
The words had barely fallen when—
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!!
Kunai tore through the air, a deadly handful hurtling straight for Yuichi.
They were so fast, they vanished from sight.
Among the chaos, Sasuke's Sharingan caught it—a string of explosive tags tied to their ends.
His lips parted. "Be careful—"
CLANG!
Dozens of kunai collided midair, bursting into a storm of sparks.
The projectiles aimed at Yuichi were instantly deflected, clattering harmlessly to the ground.
The explosive tags ignited, detonating in fiery blasts.
A cloud of smoke swallowed the scene.
From the haze, Yuichi flicked a single kunai idly in his hand, gaze calm as ever.
"You planned to kill me… with just those?"
Baki's face twisted, bloodshot eyes narrowing. "This… this brat from Konoha…"
Shiranui Genma, watching, nodded in approval.
Impressive kunai technique. Well done.
If Yuichi could fight like this, Sand's little brats weren't escaping.
"Why betray Konoha?" Genma demanded, glaring at Baki.
But Baki didn't answer. His eyes flicked between Genma, Yuichi, and Sasuke.
Three against three.
He could handle the Leaf's jōnin alone… maybe.
But with the Uchiha boy and Yuichi—the prodigy with terrifying Water Style—he wasn't sure Temari and Kankuro could break through.
What now?
At that moment—
From Sarutobi Hiruzen's direction came a roar:
"Ninpō — Four Violet Flame Formation!"