The orphanage came into view, but it was framed by a nightmare. A giant, three-headed snake—one of Orochimaru's primary summons—was coiled around the main dormitory, its weight crushing the timber frame. Below, three Sand ninja were closing in on a group of children huddled near the well. The matron stood before them, a simple kitchen knife trembling in her hand.
"Akio, Ren! You handle the Sand ninja! Get those kids to the shelter!" I commanded, my voice cold and echoing with the authority of the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
"What about you?!" Akio yelled, his eyes wide as he looked up at the towering summon.
"I'll handle the snake."
I didn't wait for a reply. I was already moving. My 255 EP felt like a burning weight in my mind. I needed more than just speed and Taijutsu to take down a beast of this scale.
System! I thought. Execute Master-Level Fire Release Upgrade.
Purchase Confirmed: Fire Release Mastery (A-Rank Upgrade) (150 EP). Current EP: 105.New Skill Unlocked: Katon: Gōkyūka no Jutsu (Great Fireball Technique - Enhanced Version).Skill Progress: Fire Release (A- -> S-).
The knowledge flooded my brain, the heat in my lungs intensifying until it felt like I was breathing liquid sun. I skidded to a halt between the children and the snake, just as one of its heads lunged downward, its maw wide enough to swallow the entire group.
"Stay back!" I roared.
I didn't just perform hand signs; I slammed my hands together in a single, fluid motion. My Chunin-level chakra surged, meeting the new S-rank understanding of fire.
"Katon: Gōkyūka no Jutsu!"
Instead of the standard sphere of flame, a massive, concentrated sun erupted from my mouth. The heat was so intense that the ground beneath my feet turned to glass instantly. The blast hit the central head of the snake point-blank. The creature didn't just burn; the force of the S-rank heat caused the air inside its lungs to expand and explode. The central head was incinerated, and the shockwave sent the other two heads reeling back, their scales blackened and melting.
The smell of scorched flesh was overwhelming. The snake shrieked—a sound that vibrated in the very bones of everyone present—before it dissolved into a massive cloud of white smoke. The summon had been forcibly unsummoned by the sheer trauma of the attack.
Behind me, the children were silent, staring at my back in awe. I didn't turn around. My Three-Tomoe Sharingan was already locked on the three Sand ninja. Akio and Ren had engaged them, but these were seasoned Chunin. They were pushing my teammates back.
With my B- Speed, I appeared in the center of their skirmish like a thunderclap.
Taijutsu (A+): Dragon's Tail Sweep.
I caught the lead Sand ninja in the ribs. The sound of snapping bone was muffled by the roar of the ongoing invasion. Before his companions could react, I caught their wrists, using my Sharingan's precognition to redirect their own kunai into each other's shoulders.
"Run," I hissed, the crimson of my eyes spinning with a predatory hunger.
Terrified by the boy who had just deleted a giant summon, the remaining Sand ninja grabbed their fallen comrade and fled into the smoke.
Event Mission Update: The Konoha CrushObjective 1: Protect the civilians and the orphanage children (1/1) - COMPLETED.Objective 2: Intercept the Sand and Sound infiltration units (2/5).Reward Pending.
"Namekaze..." Ren whispered, her eyes fixed on my spinning tomoe. She had seen the raw power I usually kept hidden. The 'ordinary Genin' mask was cracked, perhaps beyond repair.
"Get them to the shelters, Ren. Now," I said, my voice softening just a fraction. "The invasion isn't over. I can feel a darker chakra moving toward the forest. Sasuke is in trouble."
I could sense it—the heavy, suffocating pressure of the One-Tails' chakra. Gaara was beginning his transformation, and Sasuke was the target. If I didn't intervene, the timeline might shift in a way even I couldn't predict.
Current EP: 105.Status: Exhausted (Chakra: 15%), Adrenaline (High).
I looked toward the forest where the 'Konoha Crush' was truly beginning to peak. I had 105 EP left. I needed to recover chakra fast, or I'd be walking into Gaara's sand tomb with nothing but a pair of tired eyes.