As usual, before things got really ugly, there had to be some back-and-forth questions, demands, the whole "talk it out before we throw hands" routine. Someone had to ask Orochimaru what he wanted and politely suggest he surrender.
Not that he had any intention of explaining himself.
Especially not after seeing the Fourth Kazekage he'd reanimated, because over on the sidelines, the Sand Village's lead jonin Maki was absolutely losing it, shouting nonstop outside the barrier… though notably, he wasn't volunteering to go inside.
Trying to get answers out of Orochimaru?
Yeah not happening. Not today, not ever. With Konoha's heavy hitters surrounding him, the barrier locked tight, and one very unpredictable Akio lurking nearby, the only thing on his mind was survival.
Inside the barrier
Orochimaru licked his lips, scanning the crimson walls.
"Four Crimson Ray Formation…" he muttered.
"No way I'm breaking that."
Hand signs flashed.
"Summoning Jutsu: Snake Swarm!"
What followed wasn't just "a lot of snakes."
It was a nightmare.
Thousands upon thousands of serpents flooded the barrier, writhing over every inch of space like a living tidal wave. From the outside, the arena became a churning mass, you couldn't even see the fighters anymore.
Only four towering Susanoo silhouettes stood out, carving through the swarm.
That was enough for Jiraiya to hesitate and glance toward Akio.
"Senpai! That's Orochimaru in there, right?!"
Akio nodded lazily.
"Yep. He's currently picking a fight with the entire village. You going in or what?"
Jiraiya frowned.
"…Then why are you lying here doing nothing? Don't tell me he showed up because of you."
Akio froze for half a second then immediately shook his head.
"Nope. Not me. Nothing to do with me. I'm sitting this out because… I hate snakes. Also, I'm guarding Tsukika."
Jiraiya rolled his eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn't fall out.
"…I'm taking out his lackeys first."
"Be my guest."
Akio sat up, holding the still-sleeping Tsukika, and glanced around.
"Looks like all the exam candidates are gone, except the Sand team. Civilians are still being evacuated… once they clear out, that barrier drops, and Orochimaru's done for."
He sighed.
"And that lazy oversized cat… couldn't it just go full kaiju and carry off a hundred people at once? Would've wrapped this up way faster."
With Jiraiya joining the fray, the remaining members of the Sound Four didn't last long. One by one, they were knocked out and hauled away by Ibiki Morino for interrogation.
Jiraiya then flickered over beside Minato Namikaze, who was maintaining the barrier.
"Minato! Open a gap, I'm going in!"
Minato hesitated.
"Sensei, it's safer if you take over barrier duty. If I open a hole, it creates a weak point."
Inside the barrier
The snake swarm was finally cleared.
Orochimaru and the Fourth Kazekage stood surrounded by Konoha's top-tier shinobi.
But the tight space worked both ways, it trapped Orochimaru, sure, but it also limited everyone else. Four Susanoo alone were already taking up most of the battlefield.
For a moment, neither side moved.
Then Orochimaru made the first move.
His target: Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The Kazekage unleashed a wave of gold dust, obscuring vision to cover Orochimaru's charge.
He was almost there
Then suddenly
He stopped.
A flash of gold.
Minato appeared beside Hiruzen.
Orochimaru's expression darkened slightly.
"So Jiraiya swapped you out… Does the Hokage have one of your Flying Thunder God kunai on him?"
Hand signs snapped into place.
"Guess you really went all out just to trap me, sensei…"
"Sage Art: White Rage Technique!"
The air inside the barrier began to vibrate violently.
The effect wasn't something you could block, everyone's bones started grinding against each other from the inside. Even elite shinobi staggered under the pressure.
Some, like Fugaku and Yun, couldn't even maintain their Susanoo.
Then
A flash of blue behind Orochimaru.
The Kazekage's gold dust defense was shattered instantly.
Orochimaru had no choice but to cut off the technique and turn to defend.
Boom!
A golden streak.
Crack!
A silver flash.
Slash!
A staff swung down with crushing force.
Orochimaru was blasted backward.
He steadied himself, licking his lips again.
"…Guess I'll have to go all out."
Up in the stands, Akio clicked his tongue.
"Took them long enough to get serious."
Kimimaro stepped forward slightly.
"My lord… may I join the fight?"
Akio thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"Better not. Orochimaru's already on the ropes, kicking him while he's down wouldn't sit right. Besides, you wouldn't sync well with Konoha's fighters anyway."
"…Then after this, may I spar with them?"
"Knock yourself out."
Kimimaro smiled faintly, eyes scanning the battlefield
Before locking onto Might Guy, his body blazing with blue chakra.
A pure taijutsu fighter.
Perfect.
Akio almost warned him but stopped.
Honestly… that might be the best matchup for him.
Inside the barrier, Orochimaru was being battered around but not seriously injured.
The Kazekage, on the other hand, was in bad shape, already bound by Wood Release and nearing sealing.
Akio frowned slightly.
"…He's not lasting much longer. Letting him go down here feels a bit cold…"
Then
He froze.
Not far away
A massive surge of chakra erupted.
Karin collapsed to her knees, trembling.
"W-what is that?! That level of chakra… that's impossible!"
Akio's expression turned serious.
He handed Tsukika over to Haku.
"Take care of her. Tell the others I'll handle this."
Miles away, on the far western edge of Konoha
A colossal white cat rose into view.
Over a hundred meters tall.
Even from this distance, it dominated the skyline.
Akio vanished in a flicker.
"…What the hell happened? That dumb cat didn't even summon me first… and since when did it stockpile more chakra than me?"
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