Chapter 131: A Quick Battle, Insta-Killing Kimimaro
Wait, who?
Akiyama Makoto immediately chose to use a guidance. He had never expected such a change to occur. Wasn't Rasa already ambushed and killed by Orochimaru?
But then he realized: Orochimaru was a free agent. At least for now, he was the strongest enemy Konoha faced. Not only could he easily assassinate Rasa, but he could also summon the First and Second Hokage and had powerhouses like Kimimaro under his command. He could do whatever he wanted.
So, what had made him choose to spare Rasa's life and have him join the attack on Konoha?
The corner of Makoto's mouth twitched slightly. The reason was most likely... him.
Not long ago, he had almost stirred up a major turmoil in the ninja world. Although it had now subsided, the various villages would certainly have strengthened their guard. At least in the short term, this heightened state of alert would not be lifted. And to deal with Konoha's potentially increased defenses, it wasn't surprising that Orochimaru would leave Rasa alive to lead the charge.
In fact, Rasa was very suitable for this kind of work. He could easily suppress a rampaging One-Tails Shukaku, and his Kekkei Genkai, Magnet Release: Gold Dust, was capable of extremely large-scale attacks. His combat style could be compared to Gaara's, and his true strength was unlikely to be weaker than the Gaara of the Great Ninja War era; it was just that at that time, he had no fighting spirit and went offline at the speed of light.
Even if he was a disgraceful figure among the Kage, he was not someone an ordinary Jōnin could compare to. Especially when the Third Hokage was trapped by Orochimaru, who else in Konoha could deal with him?
Jiraiya could certainly do it. Guy, by opening the Seventh Gate, could also do it. But when one of them went to deal with Rasa, who would deal with Orochimaru's summons in the village, and the invading Sand and Sound ninja?
And that wasn't all. What if Orochimaru had brought Kimimaro? In his Cursed Seal Level 2 state, Kimimaro was also a large-scale reaping machine. If Konoha had no other suitable countermeasures, then many more people might be in danger this time.
In addition, the scandals he had previously exposed had already put Konoha in a very dangerous position. If the outcome of this war was too unfavorable, then the scenario from the previous simulation where Konoha was directly destroyed might happen again.
That wouldn't do. In the previous simulation, he could defect with Kurenai and Anko. He couldn't just run away with Moegi this time, could he? Wouldn't that mean he'd have to take care of her like a father for ten years? Would it even be appropriate for him to make a move on her then? Moegi had no hatred for Konoha. If her heart was set on avenging or rebuilding the village, she might not be in the mood to have a little Moegi for him.
Forget it. When it's time to act, I'll act.
It was just a simulation anyway. This time, he would just be the hero who saves everything.
A plan to deal with all this had already formed in his mind, one that could even turn the tide for Konoha.
After he finished inputting his guidance, the simulation began anew.
[At the same time as Rasa makes his move, Orochimaru's subordinates also take the opportunity to trap the Third Hokage with the Four Violet Flames Formation. Without his suppression, Rasa instantly causes many casualties. It is not until Guy releases the Eight Gates and engages him that the pressure from Rasa begins to lessen.]
Seeing this, Makoto sighed with emotion. This Chūnin Exam didn't have the classic duel between Lee and Gaara, but it did have a duel between Rasa and Guy. Couldn't this be considered a more powerful version of that fight?
[Yakushi Kabuto activates the genjutsu, Temple of Nirvana Technique, causing most of the audience in the venue to fall unconscious. Baki commands the Sand forces, coordinating with the Sound ninja to attack Konoha's defensive facilities from multiple directions. Orochimaru's three-headed snake summon also begins to wreak havoc.]
[Jiraiya appears, summoning Gamabunta to suppress the summon snakes and protect the evacuating civilians. Sasuke and the others are ordered to pursue the rampaging Gaara. They defeat Temari and Kankurō one after another, but are then intercepted by Kimimaro.]
Oh no. It's over.
Seeing this, he knew he had to make a move. As expected, because Konoha had raised its alert level, Orochimaru had brought out all of his most elite subordinates. If he couldn't resolve the situation quickly, Konoha would surely suffer huge losses this time, and even some of the people he knew might die.
But it didn't matter. He was already prepared.
[You temporarily create a white cloak, put on a pure white mask, and appear on the battlefield. Through your sensory ninjutsu, you quickly confirm the direction of Sasuke and the others and give chase. As expected, you encounter Kimimaro.]
[Kimimaro is blocking everyone. He must protect Gaara, with the goal of allowing Gaara to fully transform into the Tailed Beast. When you appear, everyone looks at you with suspicion. But Kimimaro seems to be the calmest of them all. He tells you: Orochimaru had warned him to be wary of a mysterious person. He supposes that must be you.]
[You must end this battle quickly. And so, you charge directly at him, attacking with your Chakra Enhanced Strength. Seeing you use this technique, Kimimaro is even more certain of your identity, and he calmly responds with his Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Willow.]
[He did not expect, however, that this was just your tactic. Just as your fist is about to collide with his bones, you switch from a fist to a palm, leaving a Flying Thunder God mark on his back. The next second, you and he disappear. You have taken him to the Land of Earth.]
Seeing this, the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curve up. This was the solution he had thought of for a quick battle. Who said a quick battle had to be an instant kill? At least against Kimimaro, he couldn't achieve a complete instant kill; his life force was too monstrous.
But he could throw him a thousand kilometers away. Let's see what he could do then. No matter how strong your Shikotsumyaku was in Cursed Seal Level 2, could you stab your way back to Konoha with a bone?
[Kimimaro recognizes your ninjutsu and shouts out "Flying Thunder God." He wants to stop you, to prevent you from returning to Konoha and interfering with the situation, but there is nothing he can do. In the blink of an eye, you are back in Konoha. You begin to use the Hiraishin marks you left in the village previously to rack up kills.]
[Under the disbelieving gazes of countless people, you, with your grey hair, become the new generation's Yellow Flash of Konoha. The moment your figure appears, your Chakra Enhanced Strength instantly shatters the enemy's formation. You even have time to make an appearance in front of several of the girls you know. Even though you are wearing a mask, they can easily recognize you.]
[After confirming that the enemy's offensive has been thrown into disarray, you begin to search for your next target. Outside the village, the battle between Naruto and Gaara is reaching its end. The Naruto you have strengthened has no reason to lose to a Gaara who cannot fully release Shukaku.]
[After a period of searching, you finally find your target—Danzō. At this time, he has finally left his Root headquarters and has begun to symbolically organize the battle and evacuate civilians. As for the front-line battles, he has no intention of letting his own men participate.]
[You directly use a Body Flicker to appear beside him. Your sudden appearance catches him off guard. He immediately uses Kotoamatsukami on you, but you, who are already prepared, sacrifice a part of your spiritual power to break it. You then use the same method to throw him directly into the Four Violet Flames Formation.]
[It turns out that in the Forest of Death, when your fist had hit Orochimaru, you had also casually left a Hiraishin mark on him. This had become a good habit of yours. Just in case, you had also left multiple marks on the roof of the arena. All for this very moment.]
[The unprepared Danzō looks at Orochimaru and Hiruzen Sarutobi appearing beside him, and his entire being is thrown into chaos. Orochimaru will not give him a chance to react. Since he's here, he might as well kill him along with the others. He has already summoned the First and Second Hokage. Facing them, it's just one more Danzō. The advantage is mine!]
Seeing this, he decided that after the simulation was over, he would definitely go back and watch this great battle. Especially to see the expressions on the faces of the First and Second Hokage when they saw Danzō's state. That scene would surely be wonderful.
But his simulated self still had things to do. And that was to go and make an appearance in front of Kurenai as well.
[After solving the Danzō problem, you continue to sweep across the entire battlefield. You discover the fighting Kurenai, who is having a hard time being besieged by several Sound Village Jōnin. The Sound-nin can use sound to cast genjutsu, and almost no one in the ninja world has a good way to counter it.]
[You withstand their sound genjutsu, shatter the earth with a single punch, and the aftershock sends Kurenai flying. She had noticed you, this new force using the Flying Thunder God, long ago, but had never dared to guess your identity.]
[Now she is certain. You are Akiyama Makoto. You catch the falling Kurenai, take off your mask, and ask a question that makes her heart pound: "Big Sister Kurenai, do I count as a peerless hero in your heart now?"]