After leaving the venue, Mizuki rushed straight to the front line. If there was anything that concerned him the most, it was Chiharu Tsubaki's safety.
Chiharu Tsubaki's strength was moderate, but she definitely wasn't the type with strong survival abilities. If something happened to her, Mizuki would surely regret it too late.
Dashing through Konoha's alleys, the central areas still remained relatively peaceful, not yet touched by war. However, there were already very few people on the streets; no one would willingly stay in dangerous places at times like this.
The majority of Konoha's combat forces had gone to the frontline. Indeed, there weren't many ninjas on the road, and Mizuki arrived at the small building where Chiharu Tsubaki worked without encountering much resistance.
From afar, he saw several figures lying dead at the entrance, his heart sinking immediately. Upon closer inspection, he found out they weren't Konoha ninjas.
"That wound—only Chiharu Tsubaki could have done this!"
A piercing injury that went straight through the body couldn't have been caused by ordinary ninjutsu. This kind of direct assassination-style powerful technique currently could only be done by Chiharu Tsubaki with her unique combined release techniques.
Not daring to waste time, Mizuki quickly entered, finding several Suna ninja corpses scattered along the way.
"The battle situation seems favorable. The barrier hasn't completely failed yet—that explains how they've held off the enemy so far."
Generally speaking, units like Sealing Teams, Medical Teams, and Barrier Teams didn't often face frontline combat. Many were specialists with limited combat ability, and some were even civilian staff or researchers.
They were especially vulnerable when facing enemies alone. Of course, not all of them were like that. Tsunade was the most typical example—her Medical Ninjutsu mastered to perfection made her battle power extremely impressive.
Mizuki hurriedly reached the innermost defensive line just in time to see a brilliant flash of lightning chakra. Chiharu Tsubaki was pulling her right hand back from a Suna ninja whose body was slowly collapsing.
"Chiharu Tsubaki, over here!" Seeing that the enemies had already been taken down, Mizuki let out a breath of relief.
"Mizuki, why did you come here?" Chiharu Tsubaki, showing a smile despite her obviously exhausted face.
"I was just worried about you. Are you injured?" Mizuki asked with concern.
"I'm fine."
"Good then."
"But several of my colleagues were injured..." Chiharu Tsubaki said worriedly.
"Leave that to me." Mizuki glanced at the nearby injured ninjas—it didn't seem like any of them were life-threatening.
...
At the Chunin Exams venue, the battle between Orochimaru and Hiruzen Sarutobi had already been going on for a while. The initial ordinary ninjutsu exchanges were almost over. For ninjas of their caliber, attacks of that caliber were merely a warm-up.
"Come out, Orochimaru! Stop playing games!" After burying Orochimaru using an earth and water release combination technique, Hiruzen said.
"Yes, I suppose these useless games are over now!" From amid the ruins, Orochimaru slowly emerged.
"Though the Third is old, his former authority still commands respect. Ordinary ninja techniques won't easily affect him. If this drags on too long, it won't be good for us~"
Orochimaru smirked, having made his decision. "Since you're so eager to die, let me show you my latest achievement then~"
Instantly, Orochimaru bit his thumb and swiftly formed Hand Seals. Pressing both palms downward, he activated a summoning rune array.
[Impure World Reincarnation]
Instantly, three coffins burst forth from the earth.
"This isn't good!" the Third cried out in alarm, hastily hurling several shuriken at Orochimaru, only to have them blocked by the front coffin. Because of the interruption, only two of the three summoned coffins managed to emerge.
Outside the Four-Corner Sealing Barrier, Mizuki's Artificial Jinchuriki couldn't help but admire how many expendable minions Orochimaru had. Dosu from the Otogakure trio was still lying unconscious in Konoha Hospital, yet Orochimaru had easily gathered enough sacrifices.
Seeing only two emerged, Orochimaru sighed in mild disappointment, "Although the third failed, these two should suffice."
The Third glared at Orochimaru and said, "I originally thought you had merely strayed from the right path, but I never expected you to go this far! You dare desecrate the dead?"
"Hahaha~" Orochimaru laughed, saying, "That's exactly why you look your age. And wasn't this technique invented by the Second Hokage? Such a miraculous ninja art, yet no one uses it! I'm merely perfecting it. I'm also quite curious—what purpose could have driven Tobirama Senju to develop such a forbidden jutsu in the first place? The wisdom of our predecessors truly cannot be underestimated!"
"You've become beyond redemption, Orochimaru. I deeply regret letting you escape back then," the Third spoke with heartfelt sorrow. "I failed in my duty as your mentor, so today I'll make up for my past negligence and make you understand that wrongdoing must be punished!"
"Wrongdoing? Punishment?" Orochimaru scoffed. "Look at yourself—you're nothing but an old man now. What a pitiful sight to behold. Where's the legendary ninja hero you once were? Let me show you the miracle I've achieved..."
As he spoke, Orochimaru tore off the disguise covering his face, revealing a surprisingly youthful appearance.
This unexpected transformation left not only the Anbu outside stunned but also the Third momentarily speechless.
"What do you think? Isn't my ageless beauty enviable? Completely different from your withered body!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi regained his composure. "We have nothing more to talk about."
"That may be true. However, we should greet these senior predecessors first. It's been quite some time since you last saw each other; perhaps you can reminisce a little..."
Outside the battlefield, Mizuki's Artificial Jinchuriki watched as history seemed to repeat itself—First and Second Hokages emerging from their graves, followed by a chaotic battle between the three Kage, showcasing the magnificent and breathtaking Wood Release techniques unseen for decades. The power of the Second's Water Release and Genjutsu also left everyone astonished. With the activation of [Bringer-of-Darkness Technique], combined with the obstruction of Wood Release, people outside could no longer easily observe what was happening inside.
"What should we do?" Several Anbu members could do nothing against the Four-Corner Sealing Barrier.
Mizuki shook his head helplessly. This was clearly beyond their capability. Even if they went in, they wouldn't stand a chance and would only cause chaos. The battle readiness inside had far surpassed the level where sheer numbers could make up the difference.
『There's also Kabuto Yakushi, a powerful figure lurking in the shadows like a hawk. I wonder what he's up to now…』
Moreover, from Mizuki's observation, the village's defense had been quite solid and effective overall—important outposts remained unbroken, civilians were mostly evacuated. The Genin and young trainees had also been kept away from the front lines. Yet strangely, support for The Third here was extremely scarce.
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