Chapter 81: The Shattered Illusion and the Revealed Serpent
Aizen was dead?
The thought permeated the minds of the spectators, shaking them to their core.
The match had been a rollercoaster of twists and turns.
Before it began, most had been optimistic about Gaara, believing he would crush all opposition and easily claim first place as the most dazzling talent of his generation.
Yet, during the fight, the narrative had flipped. Aizen had not only repeatedly thwarted Gaara's assaults but had done so with an air of mysterious ease.
This was utterly intolerable to Gaara. Under the weight of this humiliation and the beast's influence, he had finally lost control, causing the One-Tail's chakra to leak from its seal.
Empowered by this influx of bestial energy, Gaara's power had surged, instantly reversing the momentum and completely suppressing Aizen.
In the end, Aizen had been cornered, with nowhere left to run. When that enraged, monstrous palm of sand descended from the sky, it seemed to have written a tragic finale, reducing Aizen to a fine, crimson mist.
"How… how is this possible? How could Aizen die like this?!"
Hinata was distraught, her legs giving way beneath her as she collapsed to the floor. Her clear, pale eyes welled with tears, blurring her vision until the world was nothing but a watery haze. She couldn't believe it. Aizen, the boy who held a place in her heart, the one who always performed miracles… was gone.
Pain. Despair. Sorrow.
A torrent of agonizing emotions twisted within Hinata's heart, leaving her utterly devastated. The trauma was so immense she couldn't accept the reality, wishing instead that she was trapped in a nightmare.
"Hinata!" Kiba caught her as she fell, but he was at a loss for words. His own heart was a heavy lump of grief in his chest. Aizen's death felt like the shattering of Team 8 itself, the bonds and camaraderie they had built, all broken in an instant.
No matter how much they denied it, they could not refute the evidence of their own eyes.
They were not alone. Everyone in the stadium had been deceived by the spectacle. They had all seen Aizen dissolve into a blood mist, leading them to the inescapable conclusion: Aizen was dead. Gaara had won.
Kurenai slumped weakly against her seat, muttering under her breath, "Impossible… It can't be. This has to be an illusion. Aizen… he couldn't have died like this!"
Her heart screamed in denial, but a cold, rational part of her knew it was futile. As much as she didn't want to believe it, she couldn't erase the image of Aizen's body disintegrating.
"So, that's how it ends? The power of the One-Tail is indeed formidable. And judging by the timing, the genjutsu should be taking effect now."
Orochimaru was momentarily taken aback, but his expression quickly smoothed back into a mask of calm. Though Gaara's full transformation had occurred earlier than planned, it was of little consequence.
Because the time to initiate the grand illusion had simply been moved up as well!
Suddenly, everyone in the stadium felt a strange blurring of their vision. The air filled with countless, drifting white feathers, layering over one another, creating a hazy, dreamlike atmosphere, as if they were floating amidst clouds and mist.
Eyelids grew heavy with overwhelming drowsiness. The ordinary civilians felt a wave of darkness wash over them and quickly lost consciousness, slumping in their seats. Even the guards flanking the daimyos of various nations crumpled to the ground, completely incapacitated.
"Huh? What's going on?!" In the stands, Kakashi's visible eye narrowed. He felt a strange weakness spreading through his body, his eyelids becoming leaden. But as one of Konoha's elite jonin, he quickly recognized the signs. "This is a genjutsu!"
He scanned the surroundings. Row upon row of spectators were falling into a deep sleep. Aside from a few powerful shinobi, nearly everyone else had succumbed to the illusion.
"Finally making your move, are you? Tch. Then it's our turn as well."
Orochimaru observed the sudden chaos and let out a low, treacherous chuckle.
As if his words were a signal, the two Sand shinobi flanking him burst into action. They shot out from the stands, their movements swift as lightning, and launched a surprise attack on the unsuspecting Konoha ANBU nearby.
Their assault was the spark that lit the fuse. The other Sand and Sound ninja scattered throughout the crowd suddenly turned violent, attacking the Konoha shinobi beside them who were still reeling from the genjutsu's effects.
The Third Hokage's gaze was sharp as a blade, taking in the entire scene at a glance. His pupils contracted. "So, Sunagakure has colluded with Otogakure and betrayed our treaty," he stated, his voice cold.
"A treaty is merely a blindfold to lull the enemy into a false sense of security," Orochimaru sneered, a fanatical gleam in his eyes. "This boring charade ends here. The wheels of history are now in motion!"
After so long spent meticulously planning, his desire to destroy Konoha could finally be realized!
He strode directly toward the Third Hokage. With a flick of his wrist, a sharp kunai appeared in his hand. His arm shot out, the cold steel pressing against the Third Hokage's neck, the blade a hair's breadth from his skin.
It all happened in the space between a flash and a spark. The Third Hokage, caught off guard, found himself held hostage by Orochimaru.
POOF!
With a snap of Orochimaru's fingers, a burst of smoke erupted around them. Holding the Third Hokage tightly, he shot upwards, his target clear: the highest watchtower in all of Konoha.
Simultaneously, chaos erupted throughout the village.
Enormous pythons, summoned from nowhere, appeared within Konoha's walls, wreaking havoc and slaughter. Before these giant snakes, ordinary civilians were as insignificant as ants, powerless to resist.
Even Konoha's genin and chunin, banding together, were hard-pressed to fight a single summoned serpent. The village's jonin were forced to divert their attention to deal with these monstrous threats.
In an instant, Konoha was plunged into a state of internal and external crisis. They were besieged not only by the infiltrated Sand and Sound ninja but also had to contend with the giant snakes rampaging through the streets.
But the focal point of the entire conflict remained Orochimaru and the Hokage.
"Your stupidity has left Konoha vulnerable," Orochimaru hissed, his arm a vise around the Third's neck. "I have already won."
He still wore the Kazekage's disguise, leading everyone to believe the Fourth Kazekage had betrayed them. However, at such close proximity, the Third Hokage finally saw through the facade.
"I should have taught you that nothing is certain until the very end… Orochimaru!"