A white figure landed atop the tallest peripheral building of the arena after a few bounds.
Jiraiya's white, hedgehog-like long hair was somewhat disheveled from the frantic dash, clearly having rushed here with all his might.
The moment he arrived at the arena, Jiraiya sensed a terrifying Chakra. The feeling of foreboding in his heart grew stronger and stronger.
'Tailed Beast's Chakra?! Could the Nine-Tails be out of control? Is Naruto in trouble?!'
This thought made his heart clench.
But the next moment, his keen sensory perception told him that's not the case!
Although this Chakra had the same violent nature as Tailed Beast's Chakra, it felt different from the Nine-Tails' pure malice. It was not only somewhat weaker but also seemed to carry the scent of wind and sand...
'This is... the One-Tail?! Shukaku's Chakra?!' Jiraiya instantly judged, his shock even greater.
'The Jinchuriki of the One-Tail had been brought to Konoha Village by the Land of Stars?'
After Sunagakure was annexed by the Land of Stars, information on the One-Tail's Jinchuriki had also disappeared. Now, the appearance of this Tailed Beast's Chakra meant the Land of Stars was likely closely related to this attack!
Before Jiraiya could think further, his gaze was firmly drawn by another sight.
On the roof of the VIP viewing stand, the Four Violet Flames Formation stood quietly like an ornate coffin.
And inside the barrier, faintly visible were the shadows of countless frantically growing, twisting and dancing giant trees, as well as two familiar Chakras.
One belonged to his teacher, Sarutobi Hiruzen.
The other, cold and sticky Chakra, Jiraiya would never forget in his lifetime… it belonged to his once friend, Orochimaru!
And below his line of sight, the large eastern section of the arena stands had already been swallowed by a suddenly appearing, wildly growing dense sea of trees!
Within the sea of trees, several familiar figures were engaged in battle… it seemed to be Kakashi and Guy fighting against Land of Stars' Ninja.
"Wood Release... Four Violet Flames Formation... Tailed Beast's Chakra... the Land of Stars?" Jiraiya's face turned ashen. A chill instantly swept through his body, making him involuntarily shiver.
Orochimaru and the Otogakure's Ninja's invasion, the Land of Stars' Jinchuriki, the Four Violet Flames Formation imprisoning the Hokage, and that shockingly vast sea of trees from Wood Release...
"Orochimaru... you bastard... what have you done!!"
Amidst his low growl, Jiraiya's figure charged from the heights towards the battlefield of the purple barrier and the sea of trees, without hesitation!
In the competitor rest area, the air was thick with the malice of Tailed Beast's Chakra and the dry, raspy feeling of yellow sand.
In front of the Kirigakure's team, the veins around Ao's right eye bulged. His white pupils were firmly locked on Gaara, who was suspended in mid-air, supported by yellow sand, radiating violent Tailed Beast's Chakra.
He held a pair of special kunai in a reverse grip, his body slightly crouched, shielding Suigetsu, Chojuro, and Honoka as much as possible behind him.
"Suigetsu, Chojuro, Honoka." Ao's voice was very low, his speech fast, carrying a commanding tone.
"Listen, don't act rashly. This guy is a Jinchuriki, and he seems to have quite stable control over the Tailed Beast's power. You absolutely cannot contend with him head-on."
"Once there's an opportunity, I'll create an opening. You immediately evacuate this area at maximum speed. Don't look back. Find a chance to leave Konoha Village directly!"
Suigetsu, who always prided himself on being a Kirigakure's genius and had a flighty and arrogant personality, rarely didn't argue.
He tightened his grip on the Long Sword Nuibari slightly. His eyes, always carrying a cynical expression, were now fixed intently on Gaara and the swirling yellow sand around him. His Adam's apple bobbed.
Even though he possessed the Hydrification Technique and was confident he could immunize most physical attacks, facing a Tailed Beast's power, that kind of pure, unreasonable Chakra crush, he couldn't muster much thought of resistance.
Jinchuriki held extremely high strategic status in every Ninja Village as top-tier combat power. For example, the two Jinchuriki of their Kirigakure were not only powerful, but the Fourth Mizukage, Karatachi Yagura, had himself risen to power by becoming the Three-Tails' Jinchuriki!
What's more, there was Temari and Kankuro watching nearby, and that team led by the red-haired, glasses-wearing girl named Karin was also not simple. During the second exam a few days ago, they had already suffered losses at their hands.
On the other side, Kumogakure's Samui also had a frosty expression on her pretty face.
She held a Ninja Sword with a dark red hilt and a narrow blade in a reverse grip. Faint lightning light jumped on the blade, clearly infused with Lightning Release Chakra.
She shielded Karui, Omoi, and Atsui behind her. Her cool eyes quickly scanned the six Land of Stars' Genin's positions and the surrounding environment. Her brain rapidly calculated possible breakthrough routes and escape opportunities.
She knew very well how terrifying a Jinchuriki's strength was. Head-on confrontation offered no chance of victory. She would either need to outsmart them or escape amidst the chaos.
However, the Land of Stars' side clearly did not intend to give them any chance to catch their breath or escape.
Gaara in mid-air, his green eyes indifferently sweeping over the people below who were on guard like facing a great enemy, as if looking at a group of prey trapped in a cage, struggling futilely.
He slowly raised his right hand, fingers slightly spread.
"Sand's Giant Fist."
With this pronouncement, the yellow sand swirling around him, infused with Shukaku's Chakra, suddenly became even more furious!
A large amount of sand furiously gathered and shaped, instantly condensing into four extremely thick, dark yellow sand arms with fierce beast claw-shaped ends!
Each of these four Sand's Giant Fists was seven or eight meters long, covered in rough sand textures, emitting a suffocating sense of oppression. Like four Shukaku hands from the depths of the desert, they ferociously grabbed and struck towards the Kirigakure's team, the Kumogakure's team, and Sasuke's team and Shikamaru's team!
The attack covered the entire area, clearly intending to keep them all here!
"Spread out!" Ao shouted sharply, his hands quickly forming hand seals.
"Water Release: Water Severing Wave!"
He sprayed a high-pressure water jet from his mouth. It didn't attack the Sand's Giant Fist, but rather bombarded the ground in front of it, attempting to use the water flow impact to change the trajectory of the Sand's Giant Fist while creating water vapor to interfere.
Suigetsu, Chojuro, and Honoka each retreated rapidly to the side and rear.
On the Kumogakure side, Samui's figure moved like lightning. Her lightning sword carved out several sharp slashes, trying to cut through the incoming Sand's Giant Fist. But the lightning light striking the sand condensed with Shukaku's Chakra only kicked up sparks and scattered sand particles, unable to cause effective destruction.
Karui, Omoi, and Atsui rapidly evaded backward.
On the Konoha's side, Shikamaru had been rapidly thinking of countermeasures from the moment the Sand's Giant Fist began to form. But facing this kind of pure power crush, his Shadow Imitation Technique was difficult to take effect.
"Choji! Block the front! Ino, prepare for Mind Body Switch! Sasuke, find an opportunity..." Before his instructions were fully issued, Choji had already roared.
"Partial Multi-Size Technique!"
His right arm instantly swelled several times, like a giant shield, fiercely blocking in front of Shikamaru and Ino!
However, the power of Gaara's Sand's Giant Fist far exceeded imagination. The giant sand claw viciously slammed into Choji's enlarged arm!
Bang—!!!
In the dull sound of impact, Choji's enlarged arm was heavily struck by the sand claw!
He was hit like being rammed by a heavy truck, screamed, and flew backward, heavily crashing into a wall in the distance. The enlargement technique instantly canceled, restoring him to normal, and he passed out on the spot!
"Choji—!!!" Yamanaka Ino let out a scream.
"Choji!" Shikamaru's face turned pale, his eyes filled with bloodshot veins.
'Just a casual strike!'
'Choji was knocked unconscious with severe injuries!'
'This is the power of a Jinchuriki?!'
Sasuke's crimson Three-Tomoe Sharingan barely captured the attack trajectory of the Sand's Giant Fist. Relying on the dynamic vision brought by his Sharingan and the results of Kakashi's training, he narrowly avoided the sand claw reaching for him.
Sai and Shigaraki behind him always stayed close to his sides, using exquisite Taijutsu and Ninja Swords to block and deflect the aftermath of the Sand's Giant Fist. Their primary mission remained 'protecting' Sasuke.
However, not everyone could remain calm.
"Damn! Take this! Cloud-Style Flame Slash!"
Atsui, who had a hot-tempered and impulsive personality, seeing the Sand's Giant Fist approaching again, lost his cool due to the anger in his chest and his pride as a Kumogakure's Ninja.
He roared, his entire body erupting with Chakra. The Ninja Sword in his hand was instantly entangled with scorching Fire Release Chakra, transforming into a blazing flame sword. Instead of retreating, he advanced, leaping high towards Gaara in mid-air, slashing down!
The sword momentum was fierce, the flames blazing, showcasing his considerable skill in Nintaijutsu.
"Atsui! Don't be impulsive! Come back!" Omoi shouted anxiously, the lollipop falling from his mouth.
Gaara didn't even turn his head.
A thick tail covered with purple patterns suddenly emerged from behind him and fiercely swung like a steel whip!
Clang—!!!
The blazing flame sword viciously struck the Shukaku tail, producing a loud sound of metal clashing!
Flames scattered, sand and dust flew.
Atsui felt an unrivaled immense force transmit from the blade. The web of his hand split, and the Ninja Sword was knocked out of his hand!
The next moment, the Shukaku tail's momentum didn't diminish. It solidly struck his chest!
"Pff—!"
Atsui coughed up a mouthful of blood, his body flying backward like a broken kite. The armor on his chest was dented.
Then the Shukaku tail pursued Atsui!
"Atsui!" Samui watched her brother get knocked away, her eyes nearly splitting. Her figure instantly disappeared from its original position, reappearing in the path of Atsui's backward flight. The lightning sword in her hand bloomed with dazzling lightning light, as she slashed with all her might towards the pursuing Shukaku tail!
"Cloud-Style: Flash!"
Amidst the ear-piercing electric current hiss, Samui's lightning sword barely left a shallow scorch mark on the Shukaku tail, forcing it to pause slightly.
Karui and Omoi took the opportunity to rush forward, catch the heavily injured and unconscious Atsui, and quickly drag him to a relatively safe distance in the rear.
Samui retreated after one strike, her face pale, the hand holding the sword trembling slightly.
In that last clash, she had used almost all her strength, yet could only barely blunt its edge. She herself was also left with her blood and energy churning from the recoil.
In just one exchange, four teams, twelve examinees, and two Elite Jonin were completely suppressed by Gaara's casually performed [Sand's Giant Fist] and the Shukaku tail's counterattack!
Choji was unconscious, Atsui's fate unknown, and everyone else was in a sorry state, their morale plummeting.
Shikamaru supported the still-panicked Ino, looked at the unconscious Choji, then at the distant Atsui who had coughed up blood and was being dragged away by his companions, and finally at Gaara in mid-air, who seemed to dominate everything. His heart sank to the bottom.
'The opponent's strength was too great. This was not an enemy we could handle at our level!'
His brain operated at unprecedented speed. Apart from seizing the opportunity to escape, he couldn't find any way to break the deadlock. A sense of despair slowly coiled around his heart.
Sasuke clenched his teeth, the three tomoes in his Sharingan trembling slightly due to extreme emotional agitation.
He looked at Gaara's indifferent, condescending posture, at Choji's injury, at the Kumogakure's Ninja's crushing defeat. A flame mixed with anger, unwillingness, and a deep sense of powerlessness burned in his chest.
Clearly...
Clearly, he had already awakened the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, received special training from Kakashi, mastered Chidori. Logically speaking, he should now have strength close to that of a Special Jonin.
But why...
Why, when facing powerful enemies from the Land of Stars, was he still so powerless?
How strong had this Gaara become?!
Just then, a clear female voice, carrying dissatisfaction, sounded.
"Hey hey, Gaara!" Karin put her hands on her hips and walked to Gaara's side. Her green eyes glared at the disheveled Kirigakure's team, especially Suigetsu.
She said angrily: "Remember to leave that Kirigakure's team for me! Especially that annoying guy with white hair and sharp teeth! We haven't settled the score from the Forest of Death in the second exam yet! I'm going to beat him until he's scrambling for his teeth on the floor, make him know the consequences of provoking this young lady!"
As she spoke, she flexed her wrists, interlocking her fingers, producing a 'crackling' teeth-shattering sound of knuckles cracking, full of fighting spirit.
Upon hearing this, Gaara just let out a light snort from his nose as a response.
The Sand's Giant Fist aimed at the Kirigakure's team slowly dissipated, turning into ordinary sand particles that drifted down.
The pressure slightly eased. Suigetsu looked at Karin above, full of fighting spirit, then at the indifferent Gaara in mid-air, and the watchful Temari, Kankuro, and others around. He felt like his head was about to split.
He scratched his short white hair, bit his lower lip with his sharp teeth, and muttered softly: "Tch... what a pain. I thought during the second exam by the river that your Chakra Reserves was weirdly off the charts, and your secret technique was damn hard to deal with. I never thought there were even more outrageous guys behind you... This young master doesn't want to deal with two monsters like you at the same time."
However, although he verbally complained about having a headache, a flicker of cunning light flashed in his eyes.
His hands quickly formed hand seals in front of him.
Ox – Snake – Goat!
"But, although I'd really like to have a good fight with you, you bad-tempered woman, to settle who's better," Suigetsu raised his voice, his tone regaining that flippant manner.
"As the saying goes, 'a wise man doesn't fight when the odds are against him'. Right now... it's not a good time to fight."
"Hiding in Mist Technique!"
With his final low shout, his Chakra instantly erupted!
Centered on him, dense white mist appeared out of nowhere and spread and permeated in all directions at an alarming speed!
Within just two or three breaths, the entire rest area, including the positions of the six Land of Stars' Genin, was completely enveloped in mist so thick you couldn't see your hand in front of your face!
Vision was completely deprived, and even Chakra perception was severely interfered with and distorted.
"Bye-bye, y'all~" Suigetsu's flippant voice sounded in the thick mist, carrying a hint of smugness, its position erratic, clearly moving rapidly.
"Retreat!" On the other side, Samui also made an immediate decision, uttering a low command to Karui and Omoi.
Seize the opportunity!
Taking advantage of the sudden cover of thick mist, this was the best time to break away!
She moved, preparing to take the injured Atsui and her two subordinates, racing towards an exit direction she remembered.
Shikamaru reacted quickly too, hoisting Choji onto his shoulder and saying in a low voice to Ino: "Ino, calm down! Let's go now!"
However, just as the Kirigakure and Kumogakure's Ninja thought they had grasped a lifeline and prepared to evacuate…
From deep within the thick mist came Karin's disdainful light shout:
"Trying to run? How can it be that easy!"
"Adamantine Sealing Chains!"