Ninja Pot Shadow

In her inner world, Ino grabbed the utterly dejected Gaara and lifted him up with one hand, in the exact same posture as before at the match.

"I'm asking you a question. Your father is dead, did you know that?"

Gaara glared at her, "Isn't that obvious? I knew it back then!"

Ino read some of his memories and found that it was indeed true; this energetic young man had noticed something was wrong when Orochimaru broke the Five Elements Seal for her.

"Now that you know the truth, things are easier. Stand up like a man, don't let your sister or your somewhat dim-witted brother worry, fight with us, go find Orochimaru, and avenge your father!"

In this world, there's no such thing as laws or the rule of law; it's all about revenge and retribution. If you kill my father, then I'll kill you! People like Itachi Uchiha are extremely rare... Most people don't think that way.

Gaara falls within the range of most people.

Ino's words align with current global values ​​and are also in line with human nature.

"You're willing to help me? Why?" Gaara, having cast aside his inner rage, possessed a composure and wisdom beyond his years, and he asked the incisive question.

Ino answered frankly: "That's right, helping you is also helping ourselves."

She let go of his hand, and in his inner world, Gaara covered his head. His body quickly grew from seven or eight years old to about fourteen or fifteen years old, slightly shorter than Ino, but no longer in the childlike form he had before.

Stepping out of the self-imposed prison, he stood up, glanced back as if looking at his past, pondered for a moment, and finally reached out his hand, and the two clasped hands.

"Okay, let's join forces."

Ino withdrew from Gaara's inner world, nodded gently to Shikaku, and released the Shadow Binding Technique, along with Temari and Kankuro.

Gaara knelt on the ground, gasping for breath, the characteristics of the tailed beast rapidly fading.

Ino tossed a bottle of antidote to Temari: "Take it orally, and the toxins will be neutralized quickly. The remaining toxins can also be slowly expelled thanks to his constitution."

Hai gave her a wink, and she nodded slightly.

Haiyi and Luji exchanged glances, followed by Dingzuo.

The three families made up their minds and soon "assisted" Gaara in quelling the unrest.

In the original timeline, Shikamaru was able to marry Temari because the two were in love, but the Nara clan's secret arrangements in Sunagakure cannot be ignored.

How many years has the history of the Ninja Village been? Only sixty years. The history of the Ninja Clan is much longer.

The Hyuga and Taketori families have always been allies, which has nothing to do with the village.

The Ino-Shika-Cho trio also have their own forces outside the village. Now that Konoha is in turmoil, they have made their move in Sunagakure in advance. This is the way of survival for ninja clans.

Gaara is not only a Jinchūriki, but also the son of the former Kazekage. He possesses outstanding ninjutsu skills and can easily gain a large following by rallying his supporters.

The three families of Pig, Deer, and Butterfly are fully qualified to form an alliance with him.

If he wants to inherit the position of Kazekage, he needs some external support, and the same goes for the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.

If things really come to a head, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio can leave Konoha and go to Sunagakure to continue being a powerful ninja clan. Shikaku can continue to be his strategist, and the Yamanaka clan can continue to control intelligence. For them, apart from the damage to their family businesses, there won't be any major losses.

Going to Sunagakure was their last resort; the village was too poor. For now, they still wanted to protect Konoha, their main asset.

Ino doesn't see anything wrong with the Ino-Shika-Cho trio stealing Naruto's bond with Gaara. With Naruto's political acumen being practically nonexistent, what help could he possibly offer Gaara? Ninjas aren't just about fighting and killing; they also need to be considerate of human relationships!

Temari and Kankuro were skeptical, but Gaara pointed out with certainty that the Fourth Kazekage they had seen was a fake, an imposter Orochimaru, and that the entire Sand Village had been deceived by him.

The three of them were quite influential. Some Sunagakure ninjas saw them standing with Konoha ninjas, and after some explanation, they watched the Konoha ninjas from a distance and did not make any further moves.

Gaara quickly gathered nearly a hundred Sunagakure ninja.

Meanwhile, the Konoha ninjas were also discussing the matter.

"...Lord Shikaku, what should we do?" Genma Shiranui was incredibly frustrated.

He was initially a subordinate of the Third Hokage, but seeing that the Fourth Hokage was young and had few subordinates, he decisively joined the Fourth Hokage's ranks. However, the Fourth Hokage died after only two days in power, and he had no choice but to return to the Third Hokage's side. After finally regaining the Third Hokage's trust, he was caught in the unlucky Chunin Exams. Now, upon hearing this, he thought, "What? The Third Hokage is finished? Holy crap, what have I been busy with for the past ten years!"

He was outnumbered and outmatched, so he could only rely on the Ino-Shika-Cho trio. After all, Shikaku was the leader of the Jonin squad and the chief strategist, belonging to the village's high-ranking officials. It wasn't shameful for a washed-up special Jonin like him to obey the strategist's orders.

"Gather the Konoha ninjas, assist the Sunagakure ninjas, and begin the counterattack." Shikaku set the tone for the entire operation. The Ino-Shika-Cho trio began to slowly gather the scattered ninjas, heading towards the Chunin Exams site at a pace reminiscent of old folks taking a leisurely stroll after a meal.

Along the way, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio contacted the Hyuga, Inuzuka, and Aburame clans, as well as the Sarutobi clan of the Third Hokage. With many ninja clans joining forces, a large number of ninjas rushed to the battlefield under the leadership of their clans, as if they had just learned of the invasion. The stalemate that had been reached began to reverse.

Ino, finding the main force's movement too slow, said to Inoichi, "I heard the Second Hokage is over there; I want to go check it out."

"Don't enter the battlefield. Also, be careful." Haiyi knew that she had learned a lot of the Second Hokage's ninjutsu. Now that Orochimaru had resurrected the Second Hokage with Edo Tensei, seeing her idol beat up the Third Hokage would probably broaden her horizons.

Chapter 166 The Dismantling of the Four Purple Flame Array

Gaara's regenerative abilities are not as good as Naruto's. The One-Tailed Beast was blown up three times by the Steam Blast Technique, which caused him great damage. There was no time to help him, so Gaara could only rely on his own regenerative abilities to slowly recover his chakra.

Regardless of what those Sunagakure ninjas thought before, the current situation is that the Sunagakure ninjas were deceived by Orochimaru. That's the only explanation. To elaborate further, the root of the problem is that Orochimaru impersonated the Fourth Kazekage.

There's a conflict between Sunagakure and Konoha? Don't be ridiculous! The two villages have an unbreakable alliance, and all the bad things were done by Orochimaru! Of course, Konoha also needs to bear some responsibility for indulging Orochimaru, roughly to the extent of a slap on the wrist.

Whether in name or in reality, Gaara is determined to avenge his father.

He's the key player; if he's out of breath and has no energy left, how can he get revenge?

Even for a Jinchūriki, it takes time to recover chakra.

Shikaku intentionally slowed down the main force's march. Heaven and earth can bear witness that this was all for the sake of his allies, out of a sense of public duty, and absolutely not because he wanted the Third Hokage to die on his own.

Naruto seized the opportunity to chat with Gaara. The two did have a lot in common. Although their bond wasn't as deep as it was in the original timeline, they still had a certain foundation for friendship.

Ino called her friends Shikamaru and Choji, and the three of them quietly left the main group and returned to the Chunin Exams site. Putting everything else aside, she had to see the Reaper Death Seal for herself.

At the same time, Kidomaru, one of the Sound Four, released his internal seal and whispered a few words to Orochimaru.

The message was delivered by Kabuto Yakushi, who had been traveling outside the battlefield but had never left it.

Upon hearing the news, Orochimaru's golden eyes gleamed with a chilling light: "Oh? Those ninja clans made their move at a very opportune time... Don't they care at all about Sarutobi-sensei's old life? This grand celebration should be even more lively, hehe..."

He suddenly gave the order: "Release the Four Purple Flame Formation."

The Sound Four answered in unison, "Yes, Lord Orochimaru!"

The four immediately formed hand seals, and the purple barrier curtain slowly fell, restoring the connection between the inside and outside.

The Third Hokage was taken aback: "Orochimaru, you!?"

He didn't understand why Orochimaru wanted to break the unspoken agreement between master and disciple. Orochimaru gave him a wicked smile and said, "Sarutobi-sensei, you still don't understand me."

Before he could finish speaking, two kunai from the Anbu ninjas flew in front of him. He raised his Kusanagi sword and deflected them one by one.

If the Anbu's attacks could hit him, then the attacks from the First Hokage, the Second Hokage, and the Fourth Kazekage could naturally also be launched.

Without the restraint of the Four Purple Flame Formation, the two Anbu ninjas were directly submerged by the Second Hokage's Water Release technique. Afterward, the surging floodwaters rushed down towards the village below.

The civilians who had not yet been evacuated were mixed together with various debris, bricks, and trees on the streets. They were tossed about by the giant waves, cried out twice, and then disappeared without a trace.

The First Hokage clapped his hands, and towering trees rose from the ground, instantly transforming the orderly streets into a forest. This was his signature technique that made him a dominant force in the ninja world: Wood Release: Descent of the Tree World.

The Fourth Kazekage also stirred up a sky full of yellow sand, which for a moment obscured the sun's brilliance.

"Orochimaru!!" The Third Hokage was furious, staring intently at Orochimaru.

The fifty-year-old woman was not afraid at all; her eyes were full of provocation, as if to say, "Go ahead and kill me if you dare."

The Third Hokage used his remaining chakra to create three shadow clones to deal with the three reanimated Kage, while he and his summoned beasts launched a fierce attack on Orochimaru. However, the effect was minimal, as Orochimaru's orders to the three Kage were simply to cause destruction and use their powerful attacks indiscriminately without any clear purpose.

When Ino arrived at the scene, she was shocked to find that the Four Purple Flame Formation had been dispelled.

The ground was flooded with giant trees, and the sky was filled with yellow sand. This scene didn't resemble Konoha Village, nor did it seem like a battle between ninjas. It was more like three Marine admirals who had suddenly stumbled upon the village...

The scene was in complete chaos. Some were attacking Orochimaru alongside the Third Hokage, some were trying to stop the three Kage, and some were Sunagakure ninjas gathering around the Fourth Kazekage, killing and burning.

Shikaku's steady and methodical plan has been completely ruined by this disruption. Even if Gaara, who usually speaks softly like a cute boy, had Zhang Fei's voice, it wouldn't matter because the scene was too chaotic!

No matter how much influence he has, can he compare to the Fourth Kazekage, who wears a divine robe and a straw hat?

You're saying the Fourth Kazekage is fake? Look at this Magnet Release, this gold dust, isn't it fake?

Ino and the others did not rush up, but instead helped rescue people nearby.

She really didn't intend to show off, but seeing the floodwaters about to reach her flower shop, she just couldn't resist.

"Water Release: Big Explosive Water Wave!"

Her Water Release: Great Explosive Water Wave blocked the Second Hokage's Water Release: Water Wave, and the surging waters collided, forming a water wall more than ten meters high.

The Second Hokage glanced at her, then turned and went elsewhere. The Third Hokage's shadow clones caught up shortly after. Seeing Ino blocking the flood, he nodded and continued to pursue the Second Hokage.

Many villagers and several injured ninjas sought refuge in a flower shop in the mountains, where Ino spotted Sakura.

The poor kid was covered in mud and dirt, looking like an unearthed artifact.

"What are you doing here?" Since they were acquaintances, she reached out and pulled Xiaoying to the second floor of the flower shop.

Sakura had long since abandoned any semblance of ladylike manners, lying sprawled on the ground, panting heavily.

How did the Chunin Exams turn out like this? She still can't figure it out.

She was originally chasing after Sasuke, but Sasuke ran too fast and the two got separated on the way. After that, she followed the medical ninjas from Konoha Hospital to transport the wounded in a daze. Three minutes ago, for some reason, yellow sand fell from the sky endlessly, and then there was a flood. Seeing that everyone else was running, she ran with them.

On the way, she even used her ultimate technique, the Great Summoning Jutsu: Naruto, but unfortunately it was useless. If Ino hadn't blocked the Second Hokage's Water Release in time, she might have drowned.

Ino sighed. Sakura's strength was far too dangerous in this kind of battle. A single attack's aftershock sent her away, and the worst part was that she didn't even know how she died.

"You two, stop talking now, the water's about to reach this side!" Shikamaru reminded her.

The mountain flower shop is situated on higher ground, but not by much. The village is currently submerged by floodwaters, and although the Second Hokage was just blocked by her, water from other areas will still overflow.

Faced with a large number of civilians and wounded, Ino had to step forward.

"Don't be afraid, watch me, Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!" Four earthen walls carved with the portraits of Class 10 rose from the ground, keeping the flood out and surrounding the flower shop in the mountains.

Chapter 167 Ino and the First Hokage

It was supposed to be an action-packed anime, but suddenly it turned into a disaster movie.

Ino found it very difficult to adapt.

Regardless of whether she adapts or not, all they can do at this point is try their best to manage the situation.

She reinforced the earthen wall, and Shikamaru, Choji, and several other ninjas whose injuries were not too serious helped to rescue the villagers who had fled there. Sakura, who had regained some strength, also went to help.

Upon discovering that a large number of people had gathered there, along with ninjas from the Sound Village and the Sand Village who came to attack, Ino showed no mercy, unleashing her Water Break Wave! She wiped them all out in one go!

Finally, he joined forces with Shikamaru, Choji, Shino, and the shadow clone of the Third Hokage to defeat the resurrected Fourth Kazekage, who was none other than Shino Aburame. I wonder when he arrived.

The Fourth Kazekage was trapped by Ino's Great Water Prison Technique, and then stabbed by the Third Kazekage's shadow clone, his body shattered. He could only lie on the ground waiting for his resurrected body to recover. The surrounding Sunagakure ninja thought they had killed their village's Kage, and attacked him like madmen.