Chapter 27: Fishing in Troubled Waters

“Hehehe~ You’ve grown soft in your old age… Sarutobi-sensei!” The figure that had been disguised as the Fourth Kazekage sneered, the voice now unmistakably that of Orochimaru.

“You are…!” The Third Hokage’s previous composure shattered, replaced by shock and dawning horror as he stared at the man before him.

The kunai pressed tighter against his throat.

***

Down in the arena, the world had gone silent. Sasuke stood panting, the exhilarating rush of using the Chidori still coursing through him, mingling with the throbbing pain from his cursed seal. He had done it. He’d pierced Gaara’s infamous Absolute Defense.

But his triumph was short-lived. His eyes scanned the eerily quiet stadium, thousands of people slumped unconscious in their seats. Then his gaze was drawn upward, to the massive, shimmering violet cube of energy—the Four Purple Flame Formation—encasing the roof of the stadium. A cold dread, separate from the seal’s pain, began to creep into his heart.

*What the hell is going on?* he thought, his mind racing to make sense of the chaos.

“Enough, Gaara!” a voice cut through the tension. Temari and Kankuro had leaped into the arena, positioning themselves between their unstable brother and Sasuke.

“I’m going to kill him!” Gaara snarled, his voice a guttural rasp. The sand around him writhed like a living thing, and a trickle of blood from his shoulder seemed to fuel his madness. He ignored his siblings, taking a lurching step forward.

“It’s pointless to continue fighting him! Don’t forget our mission!” Kankuro insisted, grabbing Gaara’s arm.

“Get away from me! Or I’ll kill you too!” Gaara shrieked, shoving Kankuro back with surprising force.

Before he could advance further, their Jōnin commander, Baki, materialized in front of them. “What are you waiting for? The operation has begun!” he barked.

Almost simultaneously, Genma Shiranui, the proctor, appeared at Sasuke’s side, a senbon clenched tightly in his teeth. The two groups faced off, a silent standoff in the center of the sleeping stadium.

“Gaara is seriously injured. His chakra is too depleted to complete the transformation,” Temari explained hurriedly to Baki.

“Damn it,” Baki cursed. “Gaara is the Sand’s ultimate weapon. You two, get him out of here. Find a way to stabilize him. He *must* be able to use that technique.” He gestured for Temari and Kankuro to retreat while he stood his ground to cover their escape. Without another word, the two Sand siblings supported their unstable brother and fled into the ruined streets of Konoha. Latest content published on novel※fire.net

“Sasuke,” Genma said, his eyes never leaving Baki. “The exam is over. You’ve already proven yourself at the chunin level. You’re a Konoha shinobi now. Your village needs you.”

“I haven’t finished my fight with Gaara,” Sasuke retorted coldly, his Sharingan still active, tracking the retreating figures.

“This isn’t an exam anymore! It’s a real battle! Don’t pursue blindly!”

Sasuke ignored him. “The objective is the same either way.” With a burst of speed, he shot past Baki and Genma, giving chase into the crumbling village.

***

High above, within the confines of the Four Purple Flame Formation, the confrontation continued.

“Tch. I originally intended to snatch Sasuke away amidst the chaos Gaara would cause,” Orochimaru mused, his voice a theatrical sigh. “It seems things aren’t going entirely to plan.”

“So that’s it,” Hiruzen said, his voice heavy with resignation. “Your goals are Konoha… and Sasuke.”

“Konoha itself is secondary,” Orochimaru hissed. “But if Gaara fully awakens, you’ll witness something truly fascinating. But no matter. Your idiocy has thrown Konoha into chaos. I’ve already won.”

“Humph! You won’t know the outcome until the very end!” Hiruzen’s voice hardened, his eyes blazing with the will of fire he had carried for decades. “I taught you that! Great Shinobi… Orochimaru!”

With a grotesque, tearing sound, Orochimaru ripped the face of the Kazekage from his own, revealing his true, pallid features and serpentine eyes. “I told you, you should have chosen a Fifth Hokage. Because the Third… that is, you… will die here today.”

“I knew this day would come eventually,” Hiruzen admitted, closing his eyes for a brief moment before opening them to stare directly at his greatest failure. “But… don’t think you can take my head so easily.”

The air between the former master and student crackled with killing intent. A battle between two Kage-level shinobi was about to erupt.

***

Below, the streets of Konoha were pandemonium. Civilians, guided by frantic chunin, scrambled towards designated shelters. But Uchiha Ren was not among them. He had been waiting for this day. Hiding was the last thing on his mind.

He stood on the roof of his home, watching the colossal summoned snakes rampage through the village, their roars echoing the sounds of collapsing buildings and distant combat. A thrill of grim excitement ran through him.

“The show has finally begun,” he whispered to himself.

***Ding!***

***The System has issued a War Mission. Please choose a faction:***

***Defender: Konoha***

***Attacker: Sand-Sound Alliance***

***Mission Parameters: Eliminate enemy combatants. Jōnin: 5. Chunin: 10. Genin: 20.***

***Mission Reward: 50,000 Points.***

***Mission Failure Penalty: Deduction of 50,000 Points.***

***Does the Host accept?***

*A 50,000 point deduction?* Ren’s excitement faltered. *What happens if I don’t have that many points? Does it… kill the host?* The paranoid thought of a system turning on its user flashed through his mind.

“Host, please be assured. The scenario you fear will not occur,” the system’s voice intoned, as if reading his thoughts. “The Powerhouse System exists symbiotically with the Host. The Host holds supreme command. If the Host dies, the System ceases to exist. Therefore, the System does not possess host-obliteration protocols. Should the Host fail to complete the mission, the points will simply be deducted. If the Host’s points are insufficient, the total will enter a negative value. The Host will be unable to make any exchanges until the debt is cleared.”

*A negative balance…* Ren let out a breath he didn’t realize he was holding. *That’s manageable. Just means I’ll be broke and have to grind back from zero. Or worse.*

“Accept the mission!” he stated firmly.

***Please choose a faction: Defender: Konoha. Attacker: Sand-Sound Alliance.***

The choice was simple. Despite its flaws, Konoha was his home. It contained the only people in this world he had any connection to, however strained those connections were.

“Konoha.”

***Ding! Host has chosen the Konoha faction. Hidden Mission Triggered: Eliminate the enemy commander, Orochimaru.***

***Mission Reward: 100,000 Points. One complimentary System Lottery Draw.***

***Mission Failure Penalty: None.***

***Please proceed to the battlefield to execute your mission.***

Ren almost choked. *Kill Orochimaru?! Is the system trying to get me killed?!* The sheer audacity of the task was staggering. *Well, at least there’s no penalty for failing that one. I’ll just… table that objective for another decade or so.*

“First things first,” he muttered. “System, exchange for a standard ANBU uniform and mask.”

***ANBU Uniform Set. Item Level: E-Rank. Item Type: Equipment. Cost: 100 Points. Confirm exchange?***

“Confirm.”

In a flash of light, the gear appeared in his hands. He changed quickly, the porcelain mask and form-fitting armor making him feel anonymous, powerful. Another soul lost in the machine of Konoha’s secret police.

With the mask securely in place, he took a deep breath and performed the Body Flicker Technique, vanishing from the rooftop and streaking toward the heart of the chaos.

***

Elsewhere, Kakashi and Might Guy had just dispatched a squad of Sand ninja, their combined speed and power making short work of the invaders. They had sent Naruto, Sakura, and a reluctantly complaining Shikamaru after Sasuke to deal with the Gaara situation.

“Kakashi! Let our glorious contest continue!” Guy yelled, his signature enthusiasm undimmed by the surrounding battle. “The score is 17 to 18! My springtime of youth will not be defeated!”

Before Kakashi could offer his usual dry retort, a cold blur shot past them.

There was a whisper of steel, a series of soft *thuds*, and then silence.

The remaining Sand ninja who had been about to flee suddenly froze, then crumpled to the ground, their throats slit with surgical precision before they could even register the attack.

Standing amidst the falling bodies was a single, small figure in an ANBU uniform, calmly sheathing a standard-issue tantō.

***Ding! Host eliminates five Chunin. Reward: 5,000 Points.***

“So fast…” Guy murmured, his usual boisterousness replaced by genuine shock. “He moved faster than I could track!”

Kakashi’s lone eye narrowed. *ANBU?* he thought. *But that stature… he’s just a child.*

“Apologies,” a young, muffled voice came from behind the featureless porcelain mask. “I stole your prey.”

“You… you’re with ANBU?” Guy asked, recovering slightly. “But you sound so young!”

“Don’t be so surprised,” the masked boy said evenly, his voice giving nothing away. “Kakashi-senpai was my age when he joined. His files are classified, of course, but his reputation is legendary within the corps. We all hold him in the highest regard. Compared to him, I am nothing.” The words were delivered with a flat, practiced neutrality that was utterly convincing. “We don’t have time for chatter. The battle is elsewhere.”

Without another word, the small ANBU operative performed another Body Flicker and vanished, leaving the two legendary Jōnin staring at the empty space where he’d stood.

“Kakashi…” Guy began, uncharacteristically solemn.

“He’s right,” Kakashi interrupted, his voice low. “Underestimating an opponent based on their age is a fatal mistake for a shinobi. Come on, Guy. Our match isn’t over.” But his mind was racing, trying to place the young voice behind that mask. *An Uchiha?*

***

Ren reappeared on the ledge of a shattered building, overlooking the devastation. One of the giant summoned snakes was particularly active, crushing entire blocks under its bulk. Konoha’s defenders were hurling futile jutsu at its scaly hide.

*Perfect,* Ren thought, a plan forming. *Time to see what this new power can really do.*

He leaped from the ledge, biting his thumb as he fell through the air. He flashed through a sequence of hand seals, slamming his palm downward as he neared the ground.

“Summoning Jutsu!”

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