As Fugaku's words fell, a colossal tanuki and an enormous insect with three pairs of wings materialized in the center of the Chūnin Exam arena.
"ROAR!"
Shukaku threw back his head and bellowed, unleashing a torrent of golden sand that blotted out half of Konoha's sky. Chōmei beat his wings, scattering clouds of glittering scale powder. Together with the swirling sand, it swept across the entire village.
"Tailed Beasts? Two of them?!"
Hiashi stared blankly at the two giant monsters, his mind going numb.
How could tailed beasts appear in Konoha? The scale of their destructive power… one only had to remember the Nine-Tails. A single Tailed Beast Ball from it could wipe out half the village.
Even if these two weren't as strong as Kurama, their devastation was still unimaginable. With just a few moves, they could make the ground quake and mountains tremble — and they were only a short distance from the village center.
This was the shinobi world's equivalent of nuclear weapons.
Fugaku cast a glance at the monstrous pair, then spoke quietly to Hiashi:
"Look — Konoha's end is here."
"Where will the Hyūga stand?"
"What do you mean?" Hiashi finally snapped out of his daze, staring at Fugaku in confusion.
His former rival, the man he had once matched move for move, now radiated an aura so oppressive that even he felt a chill. He couldn't even gauge Fugaku's strength.
All he could see was the sheer, overwhelming volume of chakra within the man's body.
And it wasn't just Fugaku — every Uchiha present was the same, their chakra levels outrageous.
What on earth have they been through these past years?
Could they really be what they claim — Uchiha revenants clawed back from hell?
"What are you planning?" Hiashi asked, a creeping premonition forming in his gut, though it felt too absurd to voice.
The very idea that the Uchiha were now in Root was already absurd. Everyone in Konoha knew that Danzō despised the Uchiha — that no one had targeted them more viciously than him.
And now… every single Root operative was Uchiha.
Fugaku's smile deepened, carrying the weight of long years of patience. They had awaited this moment without rest, without pause.
At last, the day had come.
"By the end of today… there will be no Third Hokage."
Hiashi's breath caught. He recalled the words of that masked Root operative with the spiraling pattern.
Konoha is going to change.
It was true. The change wasn't Sarutobi, nor was it Danzō.
It was the Uchiha — or the unseen hand behind them.
In his mind's eye, Hiashi saw that terrible figure, and a cold, suffocating fear gripped him.
Then his thoughts turned to someone — someone he had nearly dismissed.
Neji… What role are you playing in all this?
From a rash, gifted prodigy, to a traitor who had allied with Root… now, Hiashi could no longer see through his own nephew.
"Temple of Nirvana Technique!"
From the skies above the arena, countless white feathers drifted down like a gentle snow, blanketing the audience.
Anyone touched by the feathers fell into a genjutsu-induced slumber.
With the exception of a select few, the entire crowd was hypnotized.
From hidden corners, waves of Sound-nin surged into the arena. At the same time, barriers across Konoha were broken, and a flood of Suna-nin poured into the village.
The arena dissolved into chaos.
In that moment, the Fourth Kazekage suddenly moved, pressing a kunai to the Third Hokage's neck and forcing him up onto the rooftop.
Two bodyguards at his side split into four, taking positions at the cardinal points of the roof.
"Four Violet Flames Formation!" ×4
This was the barrier technique famed for its impenetrability — nothing from the outside could enter.
The four users moved in unison, sealing Orochimaru and the Third inside.
An ANBU who tried to rush to the Hokage's aid was instantly reduced to ash the moment he touched the barrier.
The Four Violet Flames Formation was not only defensive — it was lethal.
"Just the two of us now, Third," the "Kazekage" said slowly, the kunai still at Sarutobi's throat.
"Does the Kazekage wish to start a war? We should avoid bloodshed — we can still resolve this through diplomacy—"
The Third's words were cut off by the next sentence.
"Have you grown senile with age? You haven't even realized who I am?"
A cold premonition gripped the Hokage.
The next words confirmed it.
"Sarutobi-sensei."
Only three people ever called him that — and of them, there was only one who would be posing as the Fourth Kazekage here.
The same person who had appeared in the second stage of the Chūnin Exams.
One of the Legendary Sannin — Orochimaru.
"At last… I can fight you again," Orochimaru said, withdrawing the kunai and slicing his own arm, licking at the blood with a fevered grin.
Seizing the moment, Sarutobi leapt back, casting aside the Hokage's ceremonial cloak.
"Here, Sarutobi-sensei — you will die at my hands."
He pressed his palms together and slammed them onto the rooftop.
Three coffins slowly rose from the ground, each marked with the characters for "First," "Second," and "Third."
"I prepared these just for you," Orochimaru purred.
"It begins."
In the VIP box, Danzō rose to his feet.
As the former unrivaled master of Wind Release, there was no way a genjutsu of this level could ensnare him.
A Root operative leaned in at the perfect moment:
"Danzō-sama, all proceeds according to plan. Suna and Oto have begun their joint invasion. Thirty clans have pledged to support you as Hokage. Lord 'K' is currently negotiating with the Hyūga. Once the Third is dead, as long as the daimyō agrees, you will be the Fifth Hokage."
Danzō looked down at the unconscious daimyō at his feet — and smiled.
It was a childlike smile, the giddy joy of someone seeing the Hokage's seat within reach for the first time.
"He will agree. The clans are with me, the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki is with me, and the daimyō will be with me."
"With everyone on my side… I am destined to be the Fifth Hokage."
In his mind's eye, Danzō already saw himself beneath the Hokage hat, draped in the ceremonial robe — the words "Fifth Hokage" emblazoned proudly on his back.
"Hahahaha… Everything is under control. Everything is under control."
A roar shattered his reverie. Shukaku was lumbering forward, unleashing a powerful air bullet into the distance.
Savage beast.
Danzō shot the tanuki a displeased glance — he hadn't accounted for two tailed beasts appearing.
Still, that was fine. More chaos meant less resistance.
The more total the destruction, the easier it would be for him to rebuild the village under his rule.
As for the dead? If their sacrifice secured him the title of Hokage, then it was worth it.
"Escort the daimyō to safety," Danzō ordered.
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