Hiruko's illusion technique was so massive that basically the entire village of Konoha could see it.
But everyone's reactions were different. Most of the ninja clans were simply observing, since they didn't understand the enemy's purpose.
Konoha definitely couldn't be the first to panic.
In Konoha Hospital, Tsunade, seeing Hiruko appear again, was also somewhat surprised.
Because Hiruko had already defected from the village long ago, and now he had actually returned to Konoha, clearly, this meant he had come with ill intent.
And in the Forest of Death, although the trees were thick and dense, many people still caught sight of Hiruko's image.
These people were all just genin, and were naturally at a loss.
But Rengoku quickly had the proctors broadcast inside the Forest of Death, ["The exam will proceed as normal."]
Rengoku's true body didn't even bother returning.
He was still inside the central tower of the Forest of Death, watching the surveillance feeds of the exam.
Rengoku looked utterly relaxed. Anko couldn't help but ask, "Elder Rengoku, isn't something happening in your clan grounds?"
Rengoku smiled lightly, "There are plenty of experts in my clan grounds."
———
At the entrance of the Uchiha clan grounds.
As the kunai closed in, Hiruko just gave a cold laugh, and his skin instantly turned bluish-black.
It was Steel Release, hardening.
The kunai struck his body with a series of clangs, all bouncing off.
The Uchiha clansmen were a little shocked, "Steel Release?"
"Fire Release, Great Fireball Technique!"
Three Great Fireballs roared toward Hiruko at the same time, sealing off all his escape routes.
But Hiruko only raised his hand.
"Dark Release, Absorption Hole!"
He lifted his hand, producing an enormous suction. The Great Fireballs visibly shrank in midair, and were completely absorbed by him.
"Dark Release, Evil Self-Destruction Cannon!"
He spread his palm, and the chakra from the absorbed Fireballs turned into a shockwave that blasted out.
Several Uchiha ninja were directly blown away. With more and more Uchiha arriving, they all drew weapons and charged.
Hiruko formed seals with his hands, "Storm Release, Thunder Cloud Wave!"
A black thundercloud rose up from his body, massive arcs of lightning suddenly lashing outward.
The Uchiha either defended or dodged, scattering in all directions.
But when the later lightning struck, a sudden gust of wind appeared behind them.
A wall of wind formed in front of the crowd, completely blocking the remaining lightning.
After using Wind Release, Orochimaru looked Hiruko up and down, his eyes filled with excitement.
"Fall back!", said Rengoku's clone, who had come out together with Orochimaru.
The clansmen's faces were ugly as they retreated.
The gap was too wide, they couldn't even break through his defenses. Even though they hadn't been injured, it was humiliating.
Seeing Orochimaru appear, Hiruko became wildly excited.
"Hahahahaha!"
"Orochimaru, do you see it? This is my conception from back then, the technique of Hiruko!"
"I have already taken for myself the kekkei genkai of the Five Great Ninja Villages!"
"Now, none can defeat me, I am the true immortal, perfect ninja!"
"Back then you scorned my research, certain I could never complete this experiment."
"And now, I have succeeded!"
Orochimaru studied Hiruko up and down. Just from appearance alone, one could see the transformation of his physique.
But it was true. Back then, Orochimaru had indeed looked down on him.
After all, in human experimentation, Orochimaru had considered himself unrivaled.
Now his expression was somewhat twisted.
"Heh, Hiruko, is it?", In his eyes flickered a trace of mockery.
The current Orochimaru's outlook and mindset were entirely different.
He was no longer the petty, narrow-sighted type like Hiruko.
He didn't bother with verbal sparring, but instead said indifferently:
"Indeed remarkable. Just now you've already shown three different kekkei genkai."
"Didn't you say there were five? Where are the other two?"
If it were another ninja, they would have hidden their abilities as much as possible. But Hiruko was different.
He was first a researcher, only second a ninja.
So his first instinct was to display his scientific results.
"Hahahaha! Then I'll let you experience the rest for yourself!"
"Swift Release!", Hiruko formed a seal.
His figure vanished like a ghost, instantly reappearing before Orochimaru.
And then—
BANG!
He was kicked flying by Rengoku, who was standing beside Orochimaru.
Although Hiruko quickly activated Steel Release midair to harden his body, kinetic energy couldn't be canceled, and he was flung back violently.
"Using my Uchiha clansmen to make a show of power,.did you ask me first?"
Though Hiruko wasn't injured, he was certainly left disheveled, "Hmph! Uchiha Rengoku, nothing more than this…"
"Amaterasu!", Rengoku didn't waste words. Black flames of Amaterasu slammed directly onto Hiruko's face.
"AHHH!"
The flames clung to Hiruko's face, and he screamed in pain. In a panic, he first tried using Dark Release to absorb, but found the fire only spread from his face straight onto his hand.
With searing pain in his wrist, he finally remembered, he still hadn't used his last kekkei genkai.
"SUSANOO!", With a roar, his eyes instantly turned into Mangekyo Sharingan.
A gray-white Susanoo erupted from his body, blocking the Amaterasu firmly outside.
The Uchiha clansmen were in an uproar.
"What's going on?"
"Where did he get a Sharingan?"
"And it's Mangeko Sharingan!"
Even Orochimaru was surprised, scrutinizing Hiruko as if pondering something.
Rengoku's gaze grew cold. The Uchiha's eyes had not been stolen from within the clan, so these Mangekyo Sharingan must have been given to him by Obito.
But thinking again, it didn't seem right. With Obito's stingy personality, it was unlikely he would just give Mangekyo away.
Regardless, as head of the Uchiha clan, seeing the clan's most precious kekkei genkai taken by outsiders, it was only natural to reclaim it!
"Heheheheh! Hahahaha!"
"See it? Even your Uchiha clan's kekkei genkai can be mine all the same!"
"Hahahaha!"
By now, members of Konoha, Anbu and other clan ninja, had already arrived on the scene.
They had to subdue Hiruko quickly.
The easiest method was, of course, sealing techniques. Only, Rengoku couldn't afford to drop his disguise.
But he wasn't the only one who could use seals.
With just a wave of his hand, a massive sealing formation spread out from the clan grounds.
Hiruko instantly felt his body sink, his chakra conduction speed dropping by thirty percent.
Rengoku took a deep breath. His eyes shifted into the horizontal pupils of a toad, sage markings appearing on his face.
It was Sage Mode.
Whoosh!
The sound of wind echoed, as Rengoku flickered in front of Hiruko in an instant.
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