Both start in hell: but their talents are multiplied a hundredfold.

Shen Jue smiled.

The corners of his mouth turned up slightly, the curve of his eyebrows softened, and a rare warmth appeared in his deep, abyss-like eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

Shen Jue's voice was very soft, as if she were asking Naruto, or as if she were talking to herself.

This scene reminded Shen Jue of a classic moment from his past life.

A passionate young man sincerely pleads with his departing senior to stay, using his purest sincerity to break down the strongest barrier.

This time, however, he found himself in the position of being asked to stay.

Just as Naruto was about to say something, the Third Hokage's voice rang out first.

"That's enough, Naruto."

The Third Hokage placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder, the pressure light but carrying an undeniable firmness.

Naruto turned around and saw the Third Hokage's cloudy yet still sharp eyes.

There was no blame in those eyes, only a deep weariness and heartache that belonged to an old man.

"Step down."

Naruto opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but the Third Hokage had already gently pulled him behind him.

The aged Hokage took a step forward, shielding Naruto behind him while also positioning himself once again at the forefront of the confrontation with Shen Jue.

He raised his head and looked at the white-clad, gold-patterned figure in the void.

"Shen Jue, you've said so much." The third generation's voice was hoarse and deep, each word seeming to be squeezed out with difficulty from the depths of his chest.

"You said Konoha was too small, you said the power of ninjas was too weak, and you said you wanted to pursue a greater power."

"I can understand these things."

After all, the powerful techniques that Shen Jue taught Might Guy were enough to greatly benefit Konoha.

He paused, his knuckles turning white from gripping the golden rod so tightly.

"But that's no excuse for attacking ninjas from your own village."

The Third Hokage's voice suddenly rose, no longer that of a weary old man, but the Third Hokage of Konoha, the hero who led Konoha to victory in the Fourth Shinobi World War.

"That's no excuse for you to sabotage the Chunin Exams."

The vajra rod slammed heavily onto the ground, creating a spiderweb-like network of cracks.

"You want power, you want to leave, you even think Konoha isn't good enough for you!"

"But what did those ninjas you hurt do wrong?"

"What did those genin who took the exam in the Forest of Death do wrong?"

"They're just completing their exams, just pursuing their own path as ninjas! Why should they become sacrifices for your pursuit of power?!"

The voice of the third generation echoed over the ruins, carrying an uncontrollable anger and heartache.

Kakashi clenched his fists in the distance, Asuma gritted his teeth, and Kurenai's eyes reddened slightly.

Shen Jue's smile did not disappear.

He stood in the void, listened to all the questions from the three generations, and then slowly shook his head.

The movement was very light and subtle, yet it made everyone present feel a sense of unease.

"A sacrifice?"

Shen Jue repeated the word.

"Third Hokage, you've misunderstood. These were neither attacks nor acts of sabotage."

Shen Jue raised her hand, her five fingers slightly spread, as if she were displaying a beautiful work of art.

"These are just necessary tests."

"A test?" The Third Hokage's voice suddenly turned cold. "You call harming fellow villager ninja a test?"

"An experiment conducted to gain power," Shen Jue corrected.

"The experiment needs a control group and an experimental group, data, and observation results."

"The battle between Nekogen and Might Guy is the data I need."

His gaze swept across three generations and landed on Might Guy.

Might Guy didn't speak. In the fight with Cat Xuan just now, the girl had no intention of killing him.

"Since it's an experiment, we need materials." Shen Jue withdrew his gaze and began to self-destruct.

"The Konoha villagers' disappearance case, those four brainless idiots, and Mizuki whom you've been investigating—they've all fallen into my hands."

Shen Jue paused for a moment.

"They all became my experimental subjects."

The moment those words were spoken, the air above the ruins seemed to freeze.

Kakashi's Sharingan suddenly contracted, Asuma instinctively clenched his fist, and Kurenai covered her mouth.

The Third Hokage's face turned ashen in that instant.

"You!" The Third Hokage's voice trembled. "Those are villagers from Konoha, your own people!"

"Compatriots?"

Shen Jue's smile finally changed, turning from gentle to cold.

A sarcastic smile played on his lips.

"Third Hokage, do you know what they've been doing behind the scenes?"

His voice remained calm, but beneath that calm, something was slowly cracking.

"The villagers of Konoha, the ninjas of Konoha."

"Those who keep talking about the will of fire, about unity, about companionship, about how fire never dies where leaves dance."

"But in the corners you can't see, what did those so-called 'companions' do to a child without parents? What did those 'leaves' do to another leaf falling in the shadows?"

"The White Fang of Konoha who committed suicide, his remains haven't completely turned to ashes yet, have they?"

Blood dripped from Kakashi Hatake's palm.

"The most important lesson I learned during my years in Konoha is not ninjutsu, not taijutsu, not genjutsu."

"It is the will of Konoha to dominate."

When Shen Jue uttered those four words, each syllable sounded like a poisoned dagger.

Every word Shen Jue uttered made the Third Hokage age several years.

Only now does this renowned Renxiong seem like a weathered old man who feels ashamed of failing his juniors.

After Shen Jue finished speaking, his gaze lingered for a moment on the aged face of the third generation.

Then he turned around.

"goodbye."

His voice was very soft, as if he were saying goodbye, or as if he were making a declaration.

Just those two simple words sent the hearts of everyone present plummeting to the bottom.

He raised his right hand, his five fingers slightly spread, and his Yuan Magnetic Chakra condensed into an indigo halo in his palm. The halo spread outward from him, simultaneously enveloping Nekogen, Orochimaru, and Kabuto Yakushi.

The gravitational field and the electromagnetic field are activated simultaneously.

The earth trembled, and the rubble on the ruins broke free from the constraints of gravity, slowly suspending itself and swirling at the edge of the force field.

The figures of Shen Jue and the other three began to rise, not in the abrupt disappearance of the Body Flicker Technique commonly used by ninjas, but in a calm and unhurried, almost sacred, ascent.

White robes billowed in the force field, and the golden sun pattern emitted its last glimmer in the twilight.

"stop!"

A Konoha Jonin took a step forward, a kunai already sliding into his palm, and the chakra beneath his feet coalesced into an explosive stance.

Immediately afterwards, the second and third ninjas also reacted, several figures rushing forward at the same time, their target the rising gravitational field.

Kakashi's palm was still dripping blood, but his Sharingan was already locked on Shen Jue's back. His left leg was slightly bent, and his center of gravity was lowered, which was the starting stance of Raikiri.

The Vajra Cudgel was placed horizontally in front of everyone.

The Third Hokage's arm trembled, but he still firmly gripped the weapon that had accompanied him for most of his life, holding it horizontally in front of all the ninjas who tried to pursue him.

The movement exhausted all the old man's strength, but his body remained motionless.

"Step back."

His voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible, yet it carried an undeniable command.

"But it's the Third Hokage!"

"I said, step back."

The third generation simply kept their heads up, watching the white-clad figure rise higher and higher, fly farther and farther away, and finally turn into a tiny point of light on the horizon, disappearing above the clouds.

Then his hand slowly fell to his sides, and he let out a sigh.

"There's no need to pursue them."

"Don't do anything meaningless."

"Clean up the mess and finalize the casualty list."

The numerous Konoha ninjas and clan leaders were ordered to withdraw and begin searching the ruins for possible survivors.

To the Third Hokage's surprise, a Konoha Jonin found a large number of unconscious Genin from various villages lined up in a remote corner of the ruins.

Most of them were intact and did not show any signs of injury.

Upon hearing this news, the third generation aged even more.

Meanwhile, Might Guy, who had come to Kakashi's side, comforted his friend after a long time.

Naruto was still staring intently in the direction Shen Jue had left, muttering to himself, "Brother Shen Jue..."

"I will definitely bring you back."

The ninja tools that Shen Jue gave to Naruto are still on his waist.