Chapter 165: Common Enemy
Just as Kakashi Hatake and Might Guy repelled several Otogakure Ninja and looked anxiously toward the roof isolated by the Four Violet Flames Formation, preparing to find a way to break through and support the Third Hokage, four figures blocked their path like ghosts.
The leader was dressed in standard Hidden Leaf Village Anbu attire, wearing an animal mask.
It was Yakushi Kabuto, who had been disguised and infiltrating Hidden Leaf Village for many years, finally showing his fangs!
The three Otogakure Ninja behind him made no attempt to hide their hostility, their Chakra surging as they took up battle stances.
"Wanting to go help the Third Hokage?"
"Unfortunately, this path is closed."
He gestured with his hand, and the three Otogakure Ninja behind him immediately dispersed, faintly surrounding Kakashi and Guy along with Kabuto.
Kakashi's Sharingan slowly rotated, scanning the four people in front of him, finally fixing on Kabuto.
"You're not Anbu. Who are you?"
Kabuto chuckled and didn't answer directly.
"Rather than caring about my identity, you two should care more about yourselves."
"After all, breaking through us won't be an easy task."
Might Guy's thick eyebrows shot up, his blood boiling: "No matter who you are, anyone who dares to harm Hidden Leaf Village or Hokage-sama is our enemy! Kakashi, let's go!"
"Yeah."
Kakashi pulled up his forehead protector, his gaze becoming sharp.
The enemies in front of them were clearly prepared, and their strength was not to be underestimated; they had to be dealt with quickly.
On the other side, the Hyuga residence.
Compared to the clamor of war and chaos outside, the Hyuga Clan Compound seemed relatively quiet, but it was also filled with a tense atmosphere.
Hyuga Hiashi's face was as cold as water as he had the people behind him casually toss several bodies, crudely wrapped in straw mats, into the courtyard.
Those were the corrupt Hyuga Elders, their direct descendants, and several Branch House members who protected them, who had colluded with external enemies and forced Hizashi to his death, and had been cleared out by him and Neji earlier.
Looking at these corpses, Hiashi felt no sadness; instead, he found them exceptionally eyesore and troublesome.
Killing them was for the good of the Family, a housecleaning, but explaining their sudden deaths to the clan and the Hidden Leaf Village higher-ups—especially since they died at his hands—was a difficult problem.
He had originally intended to keep it hidden.
Just as he was worrying about not finding a suitable excuse or scapegoat, the Hidden Sand Village delivered itself to his doorstep!
Could there be a more perfect timing?
"Dammit!"
Hiashi immediately turned and shouted in a low voice to the several Hyuga Branch House Elite Jonin standing by: "Quick! You go support Sandaime-sama first!"
Then, he strode to the center of the courtyard and announced loudly:
"Everyone! The Ninja of the Hidden Sand Village have secretly infiltrated our Hyuga Clan Compound amidst the chaos of the Chunin Exams!"
"They are plotting for our Hyuga Clan's Byakugan!"
"They have frantically attacked and brutally murdered several of our Elders!"
His voice was full of'shock' and 'fury' as he pointed toward the arranged corpses.
Hearing this, the clansmen fell silent one by one.
It wasn't in mourning, but because they were holding back laughter.
"Ninja of the Hyuga, take up your weapons! Join me in slaying the invading Sunagakure, protecting our Family, and protecting Hidden Leaf Village!"
"Let those rats who covet the Byakugan pay a price in blood!"
He didn't even bother to mention 'avenging the Elders.'
Following Hiashi's order, the Ninja of the Hyuga Clan quickly sprang into action.
Byakugans were activated one after another, searching for any possible 'Sunagakure infiltrators.'
The entire Hyuga Clan Compound quickly entered a state of high combat readiness.
Hiashi himself straightened his robes and looked coldly toward the direction of the chaotic sounds coming from outside the compound.
To him, the Sunagakure invasion was not only a crisis for Hidden Leaf Village but also a perfect stage to cover up the internal clan purge and use the opportunity to further consolidate clan power and demonstrate the Hyuga's strength.
He even skipped the act of pretending to be grieved and went straight into 'Clan Chief mode' to repel the enemy.
The deaths of several corrupt Elders could be blamed entirely on the Sunagakure, and the Hyuga Clan could stand on the moral high ground and in the war records as both 'victims' and 'heroic resistors' in this crisis.
These Sand Ninja came at just the right time!
——————————
On the roof, under the purple glow of the Four Violet Flames Formation, the atmosphere was eerie and oppressive.
Outside the barrier, the Hidden Leaf Village Anbu were anxious, their various Ninjutsu and Taijutsu striking the barrier wall in turns, but they could only stir up ripples of purple flame waves, unable to move it in the slightest; instead, several people were accidentally burned by the purple flames.
Inside the barrier, Orochimaru held the Third Hokage hostage, seemingly in absolute control.
However, the next scene stunned everyone who witnessed it.
The playful and cold expression on Orochimaru's face remained unchanged, but his left hand suddenly raised the Kunai he was using to hold the Third Hokage and stabbed violently.
He stabbed, surprisingly, his own right hand that was holding the Third Hokage!
"Puchi!"
The dull sound of the blade entering flesh was clearly audible.
Blood instantly splattered from Orochimaru's right palm, a few drops falling onto the Third Hokage's robes.
The Third Hokage's gaze narrowed, but he didn't take the opportunity to counterattack or break free; he just tensed his body slightly, watching his close Disciple warily.
Orochimaru seemed not to care about the wound on his palm; he even... lazily yawned, then completely released his hold on the Third Hokage.
"Ah~~ I've been feeling sleepy since just now, and now I'm finally a bit awake."
Orochimaru's voice carried a hint of raspiness and laziness as if he had just woken up.
His gaze bypassed the somewhat stunned Third Hokage in front of him and cast toward the chaotic battlefield below.
His sight accurately locked onto the golden-haired figure weaving through the crowd, constantly directing and leading his peers to effectively resist the attacks of the Otogakure and Sand Ninja—Uzumaki Naruto.
Watching Naruto calmly assign tasks, use Shadow Clones to draw fire, use a wooden sword to defeat enemies, and even find time to save comrades in danger, the appreciation in Orochimaru's golden snake-like pupils grew stronger, almost overflowing.
"I knew it would be like this, what a fine child."
The Third Hokage glanced sideways at Orochimaru, feeling extremely puzzled and wary of his self-mutilation and sudden relaxation of vigilance, but he did not act rashly and remained where he was.
He spoke in a low voice, trying to use words to probe the true intentions of this Disciple who had long since become strange and dangerous:
"Orochimaru, I know you. You are not someone who acts purely out of hatred."
"You attacked Hidden Leaf Village and caused this disturbance, yet there is no clear political goal, nor a motive driving you to do this."
Deep in his heart, he even held a tiny, unrealistic sliver of hope.
Hoping that this was really just an out-of-line and malicious 'joke' by Orochimaru, that he had discovered the Sunagakure's conspiracy in advance, assassinated and impersonated the Fourth Kazekage, and used this method to 'protect' Hidden Leaf Village?
Although logic told him this was impossible, looking at the Disciple who was once his greatest pride and greatest heartbreak, the complex emotions of a teacher still made him unable to stop thinking in the best direction.
"Yes."
Orochimaru withdrew his gaze from Naruto and looked back at the Third Hokage, his mouth curling into an exaggerated and eerie arc.
"Teacher, you're right, but as for a goal... I suppose I do have one."
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