CHAPTER 180 - 180 : THE SECRET REVEALED!

Boom!

A deafening explosion rang out, shaking the entire Chūnin Exam venue.

Sasuke's Chidori collided with Kimimaro's bone sword, the raw force of lightning crashing against sharpened bone.

The blast wave surged through the arena like a ripple of thunder, igniting a roar of excitement from the spectators.

But not everyone was swept up in the thrill—some sharp-eyed individuals sensed something was very wrong.

Although Sasuke and Kimimaro were undeniably powerful prodigies of their generation, this level of destructive force seemed far beyond what they should be capable of.

Something wasn't adding up.

"They're here..."

Uchiha Haru's eyes narrowed, his gaze cutting through the air like a blade.

To others, the noise was strange. To Haru, it was confirmation.

Orochimaru had begun.

He knew not just because of his memories from a past life—his reincarnated knowledge of this world—but also because his Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan gave him unmatched insight.

Yet, in the swirl of chakra signatures around the venue, Haru caught something else.

Unfamiliar presences. Unscripted variables.

Unexpected guests.

Now this was getting interesting.

"Uchiha Haru, isn't it...?"

Yuhi Kurenai stood beside him, frowning slightly.

Since the third stage of the Chūnin Exams, Kurenai had stuck close to Haru's side.

They didn't care how others looked at them. Not anymore.

"Don't worry. I'm here."

Haru's voice was low and calm, carrying a weight that soothed the nerves.

Even Kurenai, no stranger to violence or chaos, found her heart steady at his words.

"Haru," she said urgently, "we have to evacuate the civilians."

"Go," Haru nodded. "Take the villagers and the younger shinobi. Get them out of here. This place is no longer safe."

He had no interest in saving Konoha.

But innocent people had nothing to do with Orochimaru's vengeance.

He only hoped the snake bastard would die here today—preferably alone.

"Understood."

Kurenai gave him one last glance, then turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Whatever her thoughts on the Third Hokage or the corruption embedded deep within Konoha's leadership, she was still a kunoichi of the Hidden Leaf.

She wouldn't stand by and let the village burn while she did nothing.

All around them, suspicion turned to panic.

At first, the crowd simply stirred with confusion. Then came the screams.

Several shinobi, confused and unsettled, rushed to alert the ANBU and security stationed at the venue.

But they never got the chance.

The very guards assigned to protect them had already begun slaughtering each other.

Blood sprayed the arena's edges.

Simultaneously, shinobi wearing the forehead protectors of the Hidden Sand Village began attacking without warning.

"What's going on?!"

"Is this an enemy invasion?!"

"But that's the Sand Village! They're our allies!"

Chaos erupted like wildfire.

Confusion bred fear. Fear turned to violence.

Up in the Kage box, Sarutobi Hiruzen's face darkened.

He'd been puzzled at first—who would dare mount an attack here, in the heart of Konoha?

But then, he saw the truth.

Hidden Sand shinobi were among the attackers.

That could only mean one thing.

He turned slowly toward the man standing beside him.

The Fourth Kazekage.

In that split second, the Kazekage struck.

A wave of chakra surged toward Sarutobi.

But the old man was no ordinary shinobi.

Though past his prime, he was still a Kage-level powerhouse with decades of battlefield experience.

And as the golden sand surged around the so-called Kazekage, Sarutobi's eyes sharpened.

"You're not Rasa."

His voice was cold.

"Who are you?"

The figure sneered—and vanished using the Body Flicker Technique.

Sarutobi didn't hesitate.

He vanished after him in pursuit.

Down below, the chaos had reached its peak.

Spectators scrambled to flee the arena.

But with limited exits and too many bodies, the evacuation quickly turned into a stampede.

Panic ruled the crowd.

The noblemen, merchants, and even the Daimyō of the Land of Fire were caught in the wave of fear.

The Daimyō, once seated comfortably and full of pomp, was now just another body being pushed and trampled.

No one cared about titles when survival was at stake.

"Out of my way! Move!"

The poor man was pale with terror, utterly helpless.

Eventually, Might Guy leapt into action, springing to the Daimyō's side and helping him escape.

Only then did the nobleman breathe a ragged sigh of relief.

Back in the arena, the battle between Kimimaro and Uchiha Sasuke had come to a reluctant halt.

They'd both wanted to see their fight through to the end—one to prove his loyalty and power, the other to demonstrate his evolution.

But the chaos around them was too great.

Even if they tried to continue, it would be meaningless.

Their eyes met across the distance, both of them breathless, covered in dirt, blood, and sweat.

This battle wasn't over.

Just...postponed.

But neither knew that beyond the arena's walls, the real war was only beginning.

Masked shinobi—some ANBU, some impostors—flooded the streets.

The barriers around Konoha had been breached.

After leaving the venue, Orochimaru swiftly discarded his disguise, revealing his true, grotesque form.

With a wave of his hand, he summoned several massive snakes that burst out of the ground, slithering into the streets of the Hidden Leaf Village and causing devastating chaos.

Simultaneously, several shinobi from Sunagakure—those still loyal to their Kazekage, unaware he was actually Orochimaru in disguise—launched attacks under his command, tearing through the village defenses.

The Hidden Leaf Village immediately activated full emergency protocols.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, long suspicious that something might go wrong, wasted no time. He issued swift, decisive orders.

One team was dispatched to locate Jiraiya, who was traveling outside the village.

Another was sent to find Danzo.

He hoped both could be summoned to assist in the village's defense.

However, both reinforcements were doomed to disappoint.

Jiraiya had already been lured away by White Zetsu, far from the village and unreachable in time.

And Danzo? The man was a master of political maneuvering and backdoor scheming. When it came to actual combat, especially against powerful enemies, he was nowhere to be found.

Historically, Danzo never once showed his face when Konoha suffered catastrophic disasters. That alone was proof enough of his cowardice and opportunism.

He had turned a blind eye so many times before. This time would be no different.

Danzo was likely hoping for Hiruzen to fall during the chaos—clearing the path for him to finally seize the title of Hokage.

Konoha's destruction?

For Danzo, this was nothing less than a prime opportunity.

Hiruzen knew all of this deep down.

But what choice did he have?

Even with that knowledge, there was no one else left to call upon.

With a heavy heart and steeled resolve, he prepared to face Orochimaru alone.

"Orochimaru has made his move," said a cold, emotionless voice.

It was Tendo Pain—the Heavenly Path—one of the six bodies controlled by Nagato, made from Yahiko's corpse. Among the Six Paths of Pain, he was the strongest, the one that bore the most significance to both Nagato and Konan.

"Excellent," the masked man beside him murmured, his Sharingan spinning behind his mask. "With Orochimaru distracting the Konoha shinobi, we're free to move on the Jinchūriki."

He turned to Tendo Pain, his tone calm but commanding.

"Uchiha Haru... I leave him to you."

"Yes," Tendo Pain replied, his tone flat.

Then he turned and soared toward the Chūnin Exam arena.

The targets were there—three Jinchūriki participating in the exams.

Now, with the village in total disarray, they were easy prey.

Chaos choked the Chūnin Exam arena. Screams, shouts, and the crush of bodies echoed across the coliseum.

Thousands of spectators pushed and trampled each other in a mad panic. The exits were bottlenecked—people were crushed against the walls, unable to escape.

Konoha's shinobi worked frantically to maintain order, guiding civilians and shouting over the roar of fear.

Meanwhile, shinobi from the other villages saw what was happening and quickly evacuated. They had no reason to help Konoha.

This wasn't their war.

Better to leave, hide, and wait for the dust to settle.

It was the logical choice for any outsider.

Uchiha Haru didn't move.

He stood silently amid the chaos, his presence like an immovable boulder in a raging flood.

Beside him were the three Genin under his guidance—Kimimaro, Uzumaki Karin, and Chojuro.

Though chaos reigned around them, none of them looked worried.

Because their sensei, Uchiha Haru, was here.

And if Haru was standing tall, then nothing could touch them.

As for why he stayed?

He was waiting.

And the ones he was waiting for... had arrived.

Six black figures suddenly appeared in the sky above the arena.

Most of the crowd was too busy panicking to notice.

But a few sharp-eyed shinobi froze mid-step, their instincts screaming.

The chakra these six emitted... was terrifying.

"That's...!"

Kakashi's one visible eye widened.

Beside him, Might Guy and Kurenai Yuhi also looked skyward, their faces pale.

The six figures hung in midair, suspended as though defying gravity.

Not floating with chakra.

They were simply standing—standing on the very air itself.

Not a technique any normal human could perform.

This was godlike.

One by one, the six descended to the ground.

They wore black cloaks adorned with ominous red clouds.

Their faces were expressionless, cold, inhuman.

Kakashi's blood ran cold.

He didn't know their faces, but he knew that cloak.

"Akatsuki..." he breathed.

The Akatsuki had arrived.

That such a calamitous invasion struck Konoha—and now the Akatsuki appeared—was no coincidence.

There could be no doubt: this was coordinated.

Might Guy, Asuma, and Kurenai joined Kakashi, quickly moving to intercept.

They didn't bother hiding their presence.

This wasn't a covert op. It was about defense, survival.

The civilians still trapped in the arena had to be protected.

"No matter who you are," Kakashi said, his voice sharp, "get out of here right now."

He stared at the six in front of him—six Pains—each radiating deadly intent.

Something was wrong.

Something about them didn't feel human.

Asuma, Guy, and Kurenai took position behind him, ready for battle.

Tendo Pain took a step forward. His gaze swept over the Leaf jonin like one might glance at insects.

"Hand over all the Jinchūriki," he said. "Or die."

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This Week Bonus Chapter - 200 Power stones

2nd Bonus Chapter - 400 Power Stones

3rd Bonus Chapter - 600 Power Stones

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