"What is that thing?"
The sudden appearance of Shukaku in the arena immediately caught Guy's attention, filling him with awe and surprise.
"It's most likely the Sand Village's tailed beast," Kakashi muttered as his gaze sharpened, observing the single tail swaying behind the massive creature. Considering that it had been released by Gaara himself, the connection to a jinchūriki was all too obvious.
The manifestation of the One-Tail was a clear signal. Sand and Sound shinobi began flooding the arena, revealing themselves one after another, launching assaults against Konoha's forces. Even the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, found himself seized by the Kazekage.
"It looks like Sunagakure and Otogakure have chosen to form an alliance—using this Chūnin Exam as their chance to destroy Konoha," Senju Haruto said calmly, his expression unwavering in the face of chaos.
Haruto had long been aware of Orochimaru's scheme. He had even provided subtle assistance, ensuring the plan reached this stage. His objective was clear: let Orochimaru remove Hiruzen from the board, then step into the light as a savior of the village.
If he truly wished, Haruto could have unleashed his full strength and crushed this invasion in mere moments. But such power had to be shown at the right time.
"That One-Tail isn't exactly among the stronger beasts," Haruto continued in a measured tone, "but if we don't deal with it swiftly, the damage to the village could be devastating."
His eyes flicked briefly toward the Hokage's position.
"Kakashi, Guy—hold things here. I'll handle Shukaku."
Before the two could respond, Haruto had already leapt into the arena.
At the same time, Naruto also formed the seals of a summoning technique he had learned at Mount Myōboku. With a thunderous puff of smoke, Gamabunta appeared—his size rivaling even that of Shukaku.
"Gamabunta, huh?"
Seeing the massive toad emerge, Haruto wasted no time. With a swift leap, he dashed across Gamabunta's broad body and landed on his back.
The great toad was about to voice his irritation at being summoned yet again, but he immediately sensed Haruto's chakra.
"Of all times for me to be dragged out here… and it's to deal with Shukaku?" Gamabunta grumbled.
"Haruto-nii-san!" Naruto called out, his voice full of relief. To him, as long as Haruto was there, no obstacle—no matter how overwhelming—could break Konoha.
"For now, the priority is moving Shukaku away from here," Haruto said flatly, not even sparing a glance back.
Naruto was about to reply—he had thought the very same—but Shukaku didn't give him the chance. The beast, exhilarated at his newfound freedom, immediately launched an assault.
The One-Tail inhaled sharply, molding a torrent of chakra within its throat. For all his reputation as the weakest bijū, Shukaku's chakra reserves were still immense. With Gamabunta blocking his sight, he unleashed his signature wind technique.
"Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet!"
A colossal sphere of compressed wind tore through the air toward Gamabunta.
Startled, the toad chief leapt high into the sky to avoid the blast.
"This battlefield is far too cramped! I can't fight properly here. Haruto, do you have a plan?"
From above, Gamabunta watched as Shukaku's attack crashed into the audience stands, ripping open a massive crater. Countless spectators didn't even have time to scream before being blasted aside—most with no chance of survival.
But Shukaku didn't care. Whether his opponent was Gamabunta or some nameless human, it didn't matter. What mattered was that he was free. After being sealed away inside Gaara's body for so long, denied freedom, his hatred for humanity had only grown deeper.
Humans, with their endless greed, their obsession with controlling bijū and wielding their power—that was the reason for his suffering. And now, with humans swarming around him in every direction, Shukaku's instinct was simple: blow them all away.
"Wind Release: Drilling Air Bullet!"
Again, Shukaku inhaled, this time aiming at another section of the audience.
Gamabunta, though adept at aerial maneuvering, could not stay suspended indefinitely. His body soon began to fall back toward the ground.
"Water Release: Iron Cannonball!"
As Shukaku's second attack condensed, Gamabunta spat out a massive water sphere, hurling it against the raging gale.
Wind and water collided violently, dispersing much of each other's force—but the resulting shockwave was still powerful enough to blast outward in all directions, shaking the entire arena.
"This isn't going to work," Gamabunta muttered, landing with a thunderous crash. His eyes never left Shukaku, fearing another sudden strike. He quickly gathered chakra, ready to fire another volley of cannonballs.
But deep down, he was troubled. If Shukaku dodged, his own attacks would devastate the already-panicked crowd. That was not a risk he could take lightly.
"Haruto-nii-san…"
Naruto swallowed nervously. He too wanted to drive Shukaku away, but the beast's sheer size made it impossible to think of a straightforward solution.
"It's fine," Haruto said, taking a deep breath. He began gathering his chakra, molding it into magnetic release. The ground beneath Shukaku's feet trembled, shifting at his command.
"Gamabunta—when I give the signal, leap eastward."
"…A command?" Gamabunta's eyes narrowed. He was not fond of taking orders. Yet he couldn't deny that with Haruto's strength, such words carried undeniable weight.
"…Fine," he replied after a pause.
Haruto didn't even acknowledge the toad's answer. His focus was absolute, molding the earth beneath Shukaku. Massive arms of sand and magnetized stone erupted upward, coiling around the beast's body, binding him tightly.
At the same time, the earth under Shukaku was wrenched free, lifted high into the air like a colossal platform.
"Now!" Haruto barked.
Gamabunta's legs flexed, power surging through his massive frame. With a tremendous leap, he bounded in the direction Haruto had indicated.
And with him, Haruto dragged Shukaku away—hauling both beast and battlefield beyond the walls of the exam arena.
But as they left, Haruto couldn't help but note one more thing: with Shukaku removed, and Naruto alongside him, there would be no one left in the arena capable of stopping Orochimaru.
"…It's been far too long, Sarutobi-sensei."
Only when Haruto was gone did Orochimaru finally drop his disguise, his true voice whispering against the Hokage's ear as he tore away the Kazekage's mask.
"It was you after all…"
Hiruzen's sharp gaze slid toward him from the corner of his eye. There was no shock in his expression, only grim certainty.
"So the Fourth Kazekage, Rasa—you've already disposed of him, haven't you, Orochimaru?" Hiruzen's voice was low, calm, and edged with iron.
"Indeed, sensei. And the next one… is you."
Orochimaru's lips curled into a sinister smile as he seized the Hokage and vaulted to the rooftop of the coliseum.
From the shadows, four Sound shinobi emerged, hands weaving signs in unison. With a surge of chakra, the Four Violet Flames Formation ignited, sealing the battlefield in a blazing barrier that cut them off completely from the outside world.
Yet Orochimaru did not strike immediately. He stepped back, shedding the robes of the Kazekage, the smirk on his face growing wider and more arrogant.
"…Sarutobi-sensei."