The next day, the sun rose as usual.
Because of some incidents last night, many people stayed up all night.
After the explosion at the Root Organization's base, Sarutobi Hiruzen and the Anbu Ninja went to investigate but did not find any trace of Shimura Danzo, only his broken ninja blade.
A living person couldn't just disappear, could they?
Preliminary assessments suggested that Shimura Danzo had a fierce confrontation with a Fire Release Ninja, though it was unclear if he escaped, went missing, or was killed.
Unfortunately, there were no clues all night.
After Shimura Danzo's disappearance, Sarutobi Hiruzen felt a void in his heart. He could temporarily assume it was the work of Uchiha Itachi or Uchiha Obito, which implied that all three S-Class Konoha Traitors might appear in this Chunin Examination?
Sadly today, the Daimyo and leaders of Small Ninja Villages would arrive in Konoha, and today's main Chunin Examination must proceed.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had to suppress his complex emotions, set aside the Danzo matter, and head to the exam venue to await the arrival of high-ranking personnel from The Hidden Sand Village.
The spectator stands of the Chunin Examination's main arena.
Sarutobi Hiruzen watched as two Hidden Sand guards escorted an old lady over, and his gaze betrayed a slight change: "Lady Chiyo, long time no see. I never thought I would meet an old friend one day."
Indeed, it was this old lady!
With the lack of successors in The Hidden Sand Village, Granny Chiyo had to step forward.
Granny Chiyo slowly sat down in her seat and softly began, "Lord Hokage seems to have aged quite a bit…"
"Is that so?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen chuckled softly, speaking with a smile: "Our generation has indeed aged. I wanted to retire a few years ago, but seeing you back in charge of The Hidden Sand Village reignites my passion!"
After speaking, Sarutobi Hiruzen turned his head and continued: "If Lady Chiyo can rise to the position of Fifth Kazekage at the age of sixty-nine, I will definitely come to congratulate you and attend your enthronement ceremony."
"..."
Granny Chiyo pondered for a moment before speaking: "I'm already old, unlike Lord Hokage, who clings to power. The position of Fifth Kazekage should be left to the younger generation!"
"I could recommend a candidate for you…"
Sarutobi Hiruzen seemed unfazed by Granny Chiyo's veiled sarcasm, continuing with a smile: "I once had a not-so-capable disciple named Orochimaru, skilled in Wind Release Jutsu. Do you think he would be suitable as your village's Kazekage?"
"Has the match not started yet?"
Granny Chiyo bit her teeth and changed the subject, finally understanding why this Sarutobi Hiruzen was disliked by outsiders for so many years!
What a glib talker!
Sarutobi Hiruzen looked at the arriving contestants below, and spoke softly: "It should start soon! This time, we have many outstanding young talents!"
The Hidden Rain Village, Uehara Naraku, Haku.
The Hidden Sand Village, Gaara, Temari.
Konoha Village, Aburame Shino, Hyuga Neji, Uzumaki Naruto.
Another one, Uchiha Sasuke, for some unknown reason, still hasn't arrived, even though Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura spent an entire night searching for him.
Uehara Naraku stood beside Uzumaki Naruto, noticing his bad mood, and gently asked, "What's wrong, Naruto? Did you not sleep well last night due to nerves?"
"Hey, no need for that, right?"
Nara Shikamaru stood beside, grinning at Uzumaki Naruto: "Naruto, this is just a small stage. Don't get so nervous that you can't perform later!"
"I'm fine."
Uzumaki Naruto unexpectedly shook his head slightly, looking at Uehara Naraku and Nara Shikamaru, with a calmly eerie smile: "Shikamaru, Uehara, I promise my performance this time will surprise you."
"That's good then."
Uehara Naraku friendly patted his shoulder.
Just as he was about to continue speaking, their third exam proctor approached them.
"Uchiha Sasuke has not arrived yet, but we must begin the exam. Everyone else returns to the prep area; the first match participants stay."
Shiranui Genma, with a senbon in his mouth, loudly announced the match-ups: "Chunin Exam individual battle first match… Uzumaki Naruto, Hyuga Neji!"
This opponent was already locked in.
Everyone else retreated to the side, leaving the main stage to Uzumaki Naruto and Hyuga Neji, as they awaited the result of their battle.
Uzumaki Naruto slowly lifted his head to look at Hyuga Neji: "I told you during the preliminaries, I will win this round for sure."
"Oh, is that so?"
Hyuga Neji was unmoved by Uzumaki Naruto's stance, arrogantly responding: "When you see the shape of reality, you'll understand how pathetic you look…"
"You talk too much!"
Uzumaki Naruto's figure suddenly appeared in front of Hyuga Neji at an almost undetectable speed, swinging his fist into Neji's abdomen!
This scene almost left people jaw-dropped!
Nobody expected him to land a hit immediately!
Haku, shocked, watched this unfold: "Uehara, that blond kid in just a month's time… seems reborn!"
"Isn't that quite normal?"
Uehara Naraku's lips curled up, chuckling softly: "Heh, going dark makes you three times stronger, this is just the beginning! Just wait, the show is just about to start!"
In the arena.
Uzumaki Naruto was almost completely suppressing Hyuga Neji.
"Byakugan·Open!"
Hyuga Neji activated his Byakugan, looking in shock as the Chakra in Uzumaki Naruto's body increased more and more. He even saw a streak of red Chakra surging from within Naruto. What kind of power was that...
Watching Uzumaki Naruto leap towards him again, Hyuga Neji decisively activated a technique he had mastered in advance: "Eight Trigrams Palm Revolving Heaven!"
Uzumaki Naruto's body was instantly sent flying by the Revolving Heaven!
The battle became more intense!
Uzumaki Naruto seemed like a stubborn beast, relentlessly attacking Hyuga Neji, even if he was repeatedly repelled, he kept advancing!
As the fight escalated, Uzumaki Naruto's emotions gradually became agitated!
Uzumaki Naruto's eyes suddenly turned a shade of red!
A layer of red Chakra Armor appeared around him instantly, with a red Chakra tail emerging behind Naruto. This scene changed the faces of all the higher-ups present!
On the high platform.
Granny Chiyo looked at Uzumaki Naruto, clad in the red Chakra Armor, and said with a bit of schadenfreude on her face, "So that's Konoha's Nine-tailed Jinchuriki? I didn't expect the village that first mastered the Jinchuriki technique would also face the risk of a Jinchuriki going berserk!"
After speaking, Granny Chiyo continued on her own, "Indeed, after all, the Nine-tailed Fox Chaos back then caused such heavy losses for Konoha..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen ignored Chiyo's sarcasm, immediately calling over the Anbu behind him, and gave a deep order, "Go, dispatch the Sealing Team to stop this battle from continuing! Find out why the Nine-tails' seal was breached!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen believed that in a situation where they couldn't determine if Naruto could use the Nine-tails' power, they couldn't let anything unexpected happen to him.
If it was just the power of one tail, Sarutobi Hiruzen thought that it wouldn't require action, just a few Jonin should be enough to suppress Uzumaki Naruto.
What Sarutobi Hiruzen didn't expect was that the Anbu Ninja he sent out only served to thoroughly infuriate Uzumaki Naruto!
Several Anbu had just stopped the battle and were about to capture Uzumaki Naruto when the blond boy suddenly lifted his head, his eyes turning dark and sinister!
"Grandpa Hokage couldn't hold back anymore and wants to kill me? But am I not fulfilling his wish now by being able to use the Nine-tails' power?"
"Uzumaki Naruto, calm down!"
"Why should I calm down?"
Uzumaki Naruto slowly extended his hand, gazing at the red coat on his hand, revealing a fierce smile, "This power, isn't it exactly what Grandpa Hokage wanted? I'm showing it to him now!"
In the next moment, the tail behind him suddenly split!
A second red Chakra tail appeared!
The third tail!
The fourth tail...
Uzumaki Naruto's body was completely covered by the Nine-tails' Chakra, and the deep red Tailed Beast Cloak made him no different from a Half-Tailed Beast Transformation, even his voice had turned into a beastly roar!
"Roar!"
In the Four-tailed state, Uzumaki Naruto vanished from the spot in an instant!
The Anbu Ninja trying to control him were easily sent flying by his claws!
The audience stands of the entire stadium were in turmoil.
The survivors of the Nine-tailed Fox Chaos back then vividly remembered the events, and now even though Uzumaki Naruto hadn't shown the complete form of the Nine-tails, just the Four-tailed form made them feel the evil and terror of that Chakra!
"Not good!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen saw Uzumaki Naruto's state, and the old man could no longer contain himself in the stands and was about to rush towards the arena in a hurry.
However, at that moment, a guard behind Granny Chiyo suddenly flashed behind Sarutobi Hiruzen!
The guard pressed a Kunai to Sarutobi Hiruzen's throat, extending his long tongue to lick the Kunai, then opened his mouth in a hoarse voice, "Lady Chiyo, who would've thought the timing was more perfect than we imagined, the Konoha Collapse Plan can be initiated!"
"Orochimaru!"
Sarutobi Hiruzen immediately recognized the voice of the person behind him, a flicker of anger in his eyes, yet he forcibly suppressed his emotions and looked at Granny Chiyo: "Lady Chiyo, as the person presiding over the One-tailed Jinchuriki project, you should understand the dangers of a Jinchuriki going berserk, and your Hidden Sand Village Ninja won't be exempt either..."
Sarutobi Hiruzen continued in a deep tone: "Initiating war recklessly without negotiations is a very dangerous thing, especially in a situation like this..."
"Lord Hokage, I understand what you're saying."
Granny Chiyo slowly stood up, gazing at Naruto rampaging below, gently lamenting, "Even though starting a war now might lead to our deaths... but if we don't start a war now, the Hidden Sand Village will still die!"
A set of puppets suddenly appeared around Chiyo, and she coldly ordered her subordinates, "Fire the signal flare, tell them the plan is to be initiated early, the war has begun!"
"Yes, Lady Chiyo!"
A red signal flare shot into the sky!
Chiyo turned to look at Orochimaru, who was holding Sarutobi Hiruzen hostage, and spoke in a deep voice: "According to our agreement, Lord Orochimaru, you are in charge of eliminating Konoha's top combat power, correct?"
"Of course."
Orochimaru chuckled, "My most important objective is to send my teacher off on his final journey!"
Pandemonium erupted on the high stands instantly!
With Chiyo and Orochimaru's initiation, the Hidden Sand Village Ninja also began a sudden and fierce attack on the Konoha Ninja, catching them by surprise, causing significant losses for Konoha Ninja in that moment.
On the ground of the arena, the Four-tailed Naruto continued his rampage, and for a moment, Konoha truly exposed signs of collapse!
Haku, hiding in a corner, looked at the erupting battles everywhere and couldn't help but ask, "Uehara, what do we do now, who should we help?"
"Just enjoy the show for now!"
Uehara Naraku looked at the chaotic arena, then glanced at his main storyline progress, which had grown from seventeen percent to twenty percent, and softly said, "As the true big bad, you have to wait until the end to make an appearance!"