"ROAR!"
"AHHHHH!"
Throughout the village streets, ferocious and bone-chilling roars echoed from every direction as massive summoned creatures rampaged through Konoha's residential districts. Huge monsters charged forward with devastating force while giant predatory birds soared menacingly through the darkened sky above.
At this critical moment, most of the villagers and visiting civilians had not yet fully comprehended the magnitude of what was unfolding around them. The transition from peaceful Chunin Exam festivities to full-scale coordinated assault had happened with such shocking suddenness that many people remained frozen in bewildered terror.
Why had the originally celebratory examination suddenly transformed into this nightmare scenario?
Some of the older residents immediately felt their blood run cold with recognition and dread, because this horrific scene bore an unmistakable resemblance to the devastating attack that had nearly destroyed their village more than a decade ago.
"ROAR!"
Within Konoha's central districts, just as the villagers stood paralyzed by fear and confusion, a massive creature resembling an armored rhinoceros was already charging directly toward a group of helpless civilians with murderous intent.
"Summoning Jutsu: Rooftop Rock Collapse Technique!"
A giant green toad of equally impressive proportions suddenly materialized in the air directly above the charging rhinoceros, crashing down with tremendous force to pin the beast beneath its crushing weight.
"Jiraiya-sama!" several Konoha ninja called out with obvious relief, appearing on nearby damaged rooftops as they spotted the legendary Sannin standing confidently atop his massive toad summon.
"Others will handle these summoned creatures," Jiraiya declared with grim authority, his voice carrying clearly across the battlefield. "Notify every available ninja throughout the village and prioritize civilian evacuation procedures immediately!"
Almost simultaneously with Jiraiya's decisive intervention, coordinated responses began emerging throughout various districts of the village as Konoha's elite forces mobilized to counter the multi-pronged assault.
A brilliant flash of crimson sword light shot upward into the sky, cleaving one of the rampaging monsters cleanly in half before Uchiha Yoruki suddenly turned to address a masked figure beside him.
"Itachi, the mission of protecting the civilian population is now your primary responsibility!"
"Yes, sir!" the ANBU operative responded with unwavering determination, his acknowledgment revealing the distinctive three-tomoe pattern of his activated Sharingan beneath his porcelain mask.
Swoosh!
Uchiha Yoruki nodded with satisfaction, the flame-like patterns in his own eyes beginning to rotate rapidly as his figure transformed into a streak of black light, racing toward the Chunin Examination venue with incredible speed.
"CRACK!"
Violent lightning chakra surged through the air and completely obliterated the head of another attacking monster in a spectacular display of raw destructive power.
"Suzuka, proceed according to Minato's predetermined contingency arrangements," Hatake Sakumo instructed curtly before his figure suddenly vanished without a trace.
Hatake Suzuka remained at his assigned position, forming rapid hand seals as his sensory perception abilities expanded outward to encompass the entire battlefield and coordinate defensive responses.
"ROAR!"
The summoned monsters throughout the village were being systematically defeated and eliminated by Konoha's responsive forces, but one particularly troublesome giant bird continued to circle overhead, proving difficult to engage effectively due to its aerial mobility.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
From atop a strategically positioned building, Nawaki completed his hand seals with practiced precision, opening his mouth to release a massive torrent of water that immediately transformed into a ferocious dragon of liquid chakra, spiraling upward to engage the flying threat.
Back at the Chunin Examination venue, the epicenter of the coordinated assault continued to unfold.
"The people of Konoha are truly formidable," the masked man observed with grudging admiration tinged by wild amusement. "Under the leadership of their current Hokage, this village has produced so many powerful ninja that their collective strength completely overshadows the other four great nations combined."
"What you really want is my life," Minato replied, his voice filled with barely contained killing intent so intense that a faint scarlet gleam had begun to appear in the depths of his pupils. "If that's truly your objective, then why don't you have the courage to attack me directly?"
The situation was frustratingly clear to both combatants. While the masked man was definitely no match for Minato in terms of raw power and combat ability, his unique intangibility technique was perfectly suited to restraining and containing the Fourth Hokage's legendary speed.
Therefore, even if Minato chose to relocate this confrontation to a different battlefield, it would accomplish nothing meaningful and would only serve to make the overall situation more chaotic and unpredictable.
After hearing Minato's direct challenge, the masked man responded with calculated calm that barely concealed his malicious satisfaction: "Of course, the purpose is to provide both the Fourth Hokage and all the people of Konoha with a truly memorable surprise."
Within the village proper, just as Jiraiya and the other elite ninja had successfully eliminated the initial wave of summoned creatures, an enormous cloud of transformation smoke suddenly erupted from the central plaza area.
"HISS!"
From within the dissipating smoke, a colossal serpent possessing three distinct heads slowly emerged, its massive form dwarfing the surrounding buildings as it prepared to unleash devastation upon the village.
"What is that?" Minato demanded, his attention drawn by the ominous sound. When his eyes fixed upon the giant snake, his pupils contracted sharply with recognition and mounting anger.
"Orochimaru!" he growled in a voice filled with betrayal and fury.
Minato recognized the legendary summoning technique all too well, having witnessed it during their previous encounters when the Sannin had still been loyal to Konoha.
Both Jiraiya and Sakumo, who had been racing toward Minato's position to provide assistance, felt their eyes blaze with murderous intent as they identified their former comrade's distinctive jutsu.
That traitorous snake who had defected from the village was now actively collaborating with foreign enemies to destroy everything they had sworn to protect!
"BOOM!"
At that same moment, the explosive bombardment above the village finally began to subside, revealing that the protective barrier surrounding Konoha had become severely fractured and compromised from the sustained assault.
"These defenses are remarkably stubborn," Deidara muttered with grudging respect from his position high in the air, already preparing another explosive creation in his palm to deliver the finishing blow.
"BANG!"
A relatively modest explosion struck the barrier's weakened structure once more, but this time the defensive matrix had finally reached its absolute breaking point.
Following this final detonation, the entire barrier system collapsed instantaneously in a cascade of failing energy.
"Nothing can withstand my supreme artistic expression!" Deidara declared with obvious satisfaction and creative fulfillment.
His massive white bird began to descend slowly as he prepared to create even more devastating explosives for the next phase of his artistic assault.
"Lightning Hound!"
At that critical moment, a brilliant flash of electrical energy shot upward from somewhere within Konoha's boundaries. Upon closer examination, it revealed itself to be a chakra construct resembling a dog composed entirely of crackling lightning.
The speed of the lightning technique was impressive, but Deidara reacted immediately with trained reflexes, controlling his clay bird to dodge gracefully out of the projectile's trajectory.
The Lightning Hound rushed harmlessly past into the empty sky above, and Deidara dismissed it as inconsequential to his artistic mission.
Swoosh!
At that precise moment, a human figure suddenly materialized directly beside the dissipating lightning construct.
"Lightning Cutter!"
A sphere of intensely concentrated lightning chakra formed in Kakashi's right hand as he positioned himself above his target and dove toward Deidara with lethal precision.
"Deidara, watch your back!" a voice suddenly warned from within the artist's own body, causing him to spin around abruptly just in time to spot Kakashi's approach.
He dodged desperately at the last possible second, managing to avoid a fatal blow but losing his stable position in the process.
At this critical moment, Deidara successfully evaded Kakashi's Lightning Cutter technique, but his giant white bird was cleaved cleanly in half by the devastating attack.
Both combatants began falling rapidly toward the village below. Deidara immediately reached toward his specialized ninja tool pouch, intending to create another flying mount before hitting the ground.
However, at that same instant, Kakashi produced a chakra-enhanced chain from his equipment and hurled it with perfect accuracy, the restraint wrapping securely around one of Deidara's legs.
"Damn it!" Deidara snarled through gritted teeth as his escape attempt was thwarted.
Below him, Kakashi's expression had become absolutely grim as he spoke with cold determination: "I won't allow you to escape back into the air so easily this time!"
Using the chain as an anchor, Kakashi dragged Deidara downward with him until both fighters crashed onto a rooftop within Konoha's residential district.
"Go to hell!" Deidara shouted the moment he regained his footing, immediately hurling the explosive creation he had managed to complete during their descent.
"BANG!"
Kakashi disappeared within the explosion's radius, and taking advantage of this momentary distraction, Deidara broke free from the restraining chains and leaped backward to create distance.
"What the hell just happened? How did that guy suddenly appear directly behind me in mid-air?!" Deidara wondered frantically, his analytical mind racing to understand the tactical implications.
Through the smoke and debris of the explosion, Kakashi emerged largely unharmed, drawing the short blade from his back and gripping it tightly as lightning chakra began to crackle around the weapon's edge.
"I see," Deidara murmured after a moment of intense concentration, sudden understanding dawning in his eyes as he regarded Kakashi with new wariness and shock.
"You can actually use the Flying Thunder God Technique!"
The earlier aerial assault by the Lightning Hound had never been intended to strike Deidara directly. The chakra construct had served as nothing more than a spatial coordinate marker for Kakashi's instantaneous movement technique!
HISS!
Kakashi felt no need for further conversation. With his lightning-enhanced blade gleaming menacingly, he launched himself toward Deidara with deadly intent.
"Excellent work, Kakashi!" Minato felt a surge of relief and pride as he witnessed Deidara being successfully pulled down from his aerial advantage.
Without the ability to continue dropping explosives from relative safety, the artist's threat to civilian populations would be significantly reduced, and ground-based combat would favor Konoha's defenders.
Observing this tactical development, the masked man spoke in a voice filled with grudging recognition: "Hatake Kakashi, you are truly worthy of being the Fourth Hokage's most genius disciple."