Kakashi and the other jonin were locked in fierce combat with several Sand shinobi, though it looked as if they were merely going through the motions.
Naruto's shadow clone, alongside Sasuke and Sakura, coordinated well enough to keep one enemy jonin occupied.
Within the barrier, Orochimaru, his true face revealed, was already clashing with the Third Hokage.
The Third began by unleashing a veritable storm of shuriken at Orochimaru—a classic shinobi opening gambit. The countless shuriken traced elegant arcs through the air, completely sealing off Orochimaru's escape routes.
Yet, Orochimaru, though targeted, remained unperturbed, calmly using a Substitution Jutsu to evade. The shuriken embedded themselves densely into the rooftop, striking with sharp, clear sounds.
"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands." Orochimaru's counterattack came swiftly. Countless snakes erupted from his sleeves, surging towards the Third.
The snakes lunged at an earth clone, only to be enveloped by mud.
The Third capitalized on the moment, forming hand seals.
"Earth Style: Earth Flow River!" The earth clone and the mortar beneath the roof tiles suddenly surged forth, transforming into a great river that swept up the snakes and crashed towards Orochimaru.
"Earth Style: Earth Projectiles!"
"Fire Style: Fire Projectiles!"
The Third Hokage, truly deserving of his title as "The Professor" of ninjutsu, formed seals in an instant, using his own chakra to manifest a dragon of earth and another of fire. Both dragons spewed forth streams of projectiles, as swift as bullets, from their maws.
This display alone was enough to instantly kill an ordinary jonin.
In the past, when Orochimaru had defected, the soft-hearted Third, mindful of Orochimaru's status as his former student, had turned a blind eye, ultimately allowing him to escape. He had hoped they would never cross paths again.
But he hadn't expected this.
Orochimaru, now returned, intended to destroy Konoha. This revelation had thoroughly extinguished any lingering sentiment the Third held for him. Thus, he was holding nothing back.
"How ruthless, Sarutobi-sensei." Facing the combination ninjutsu, Orochimaru remained calm, even managing a taunt. "But I won't be killed so easily."
"Earth Style: Multiple Mud Wall!" Several earthen walls erupted in front of Orochimaru.
The projectiles exploded, blasting through layer after layer of the mud walls before finally subsiding as the last barrier shattered violently. Smoke billowed from behind the demolished walls. A light cough, and Orochimaru emerged, his face dusted with debris, an expression of wary apprehension clear in his eyes.
While the Third's strength might not have been enough to rank him as the absolute strongest in the shinobi world, he was certainly a prominent figure among the current Kage-level shinobi. It was only with the passage of time that his power had shown a marked decline.
Orochimaru had counted on this, believing the Third would pose no significant threat to him.
He hadn't anticipated this.
Through these few exchanges of ninjutsu, the Third's prowess was on full display. That a few simple ninjutsu could unleash such devastating power forced Orochimaru onto his guard.
"Truly worthy of the name Sarutobi-sensei. I underestimated you," Orochimaru admitted, a note of genuine respect in his voice. His expression then turned cold. "But I won't be killed so easily."
"Orochimaru, what is your objective this time?" the Third demanded, his voice grave.
"Just as you see: the destruction of Konoha," Orochimaru said mockingly. "Oh, right, and to meet a few interesting little ones."
"Naruto? Or Sasuke?" The Third's eyes widened sharply.
What did Orochimaru want with them? Could it be their Kekkei Genkai?
The Third's brow furrowed deeply. Through the barrier, he could see the chaos still raging outside.
'Where is Danzo? With Konoha facing such a crisis, where are the Root shinobi?' he wondered, but the current situation left no room for such thoughts.
"Impure World Reincarnation." Orochimaru unleashed the forbidden jutsu.
The Third's expression changed drastically.
After leaving the arena, Naruto used the Transformation Jutsu to become an unremarkable Konoha shinobi, moving through the village, occasionally taking out a Sand-nin or two.
He saw no sign of the so-called Root shinobi, only ANBU members fighting desperately to protect the villagers.
Not far off, Gaara had begun his rampage. After being brought down by several jonin, Shukaku, sealed within him, had emerged and was now tearing through everything in its path.
"You damn brats! Watch the great Shukaku wreck this whole place!" the manifested Tailed Beast roared, its face a mask of ferocity, its arrogance boundless.
Following his deal with Naruto, Shukaku had also found an opportunity for an all-night talk with Gaara, and the two had reached a preliminary understanding.
Therefore, with Gaara's willing cooperation, Shukaku had appeared in its full, rampaging glory.
Tailed Beasts truly lived up to their reputation as living weapons of war. With a body like a mountain, its mere movements could effortlessly demolish Konoha's buildings. The appearance of such a behemoth in Konoha was a catastrophe of the highest order.
Countless shinobi swarmed towards Shukaku. Each of its attacks reaped a grim harvest of lives.
Yet, firm in their belief in the Will of Fire, they threw themselves at Shukaku, one after another.
They believed their deaths would become flames, illuminating Konoha's future.
"Quite the spectacle," Naruto murmured, standing atop a building, gazing at the distant, beautiful chaos. Konoha in turmoil served as the most exquisite backdrop.
The sun was setting, casting a dim, yellow glow over everything.
With a casual flick of the kunai in his right hand, Naruto effortlessly pierced the neck of an attacking Sand-nin. He pulled it out, his expression blank. The crimson blood mingled with the fading sunlight, weaving a beautiful scene.
To cast aside the identity of Uzumaki Naruto, to become his truest self...
The sensation was utterly intoxicating.
This... this was freedom.
'Let me add a little more color to this magnificent view,' he thought.
The taste of freedom made Naruto lose some of his composure. He covered his face, a soft chuckle escaping him, the corners of his lips curling into an unsettling smile, his eyes growing colder by the second.
He infused his Reiatsu into the Sand-nin's soul. The next moment, the soul trembled, its back arching. Dense white mist enveloped the soul's form.
Having done this, Naruto gracefully stepped past the soul towards the Sand-nin's physical body.
Behind him, the white mist coalesced into a mask, firmly adhering to the soul's face. A deep black hole appeared in its chest.
A Hollow was born.
"ROAR!" The Hollow threw its head back and let out a deafening cry. Then, under the shocked gazes of the others, it swung its claws, tearing a Genin's body apart.
Blood splattered everywhere. Organs, shredded and torn, fell to the ground.
The completely berserk Hollow began its indiscriminate assault.
The remaining shinobi wore expressions of pure terror.
"What is that monster?!"
Their kunai and shuriken rained down on the Hollow, but only managed to leave the faintest of scratches. Yet, a single, simple strike from the Hollow could rip them to shreds.
The shinobi dodged frantically. A swipe of its claws cleaved a stone wall behind them in two.
No resistance whatsoever! Incredibly sharp!
"Fire Style: Fire Projectiles!" a Chunin reacted, immediately unleashing a ninjutsu.
"BOOM!" The fire projectiles exploded against the Hollow. It howled in pain, and charred marks appeared on its body.
Ninjutsu worked!
Overjoyed, the shinobi quickly organized a volley of ninjutsu attacks, continuously striking the Hollow.
Naruto, hidden in the shadows, silently recorded his observations.
A Hollow formed from a Chunin-level soul seemed to retain roughly Chunin-level strength. Its physical structure provided excellent defense against physical attacks. However, it had little resistance to chakra. From this, it was clear that chakra-infused blade techniques could also easily dispatch a Hollow.
More experiments were needed.
Naruto rose, vanished from his spot, and headed towards other Sand shinobi.