Kaido Knocked Down The Ape Demon With A Stick

After some time, all the major ninja countries noticed strange changes in the land.

Konoha Village, Hokage Office.

"Master Hokage, Kirigakure, Iwagakure, Sunagakure, and Cloud Shinobi Village have all called, asking if the Chūnin promotion exam should continue this time," an Anbu ninja reported.

"Why wouldn't it continue? With everything happening right now, it's the perfect time to use the Chūnin promotion exam to address the current situation. Let's figure out how to deal with these unexpected changes," Sarutobi Hiruzen responded.

Hearing this, the Anbu ninja immediately left to deliver the message.

At that moment, the alarm above Konoha Village suddenly blared.

"What's going on? What happened?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked loudly.

An Anbu ninja rushed in, kneeling before him to report. "Master Hokage, something terrible has happened… it's Orochimaru."

Hearing that name, Sarutobi Hiruzen's expression shifted with concern.

This was his former student.

In the past, out of mercy, he had spared Orochimaru's life. Now, that mercy seemed like a mistake, as Orochimaru had continued to grow stronger, intent on seeking revenge on Konoha.

If he had been more ruthless back then, none of this would have happened.

But what baffled him now was Orochimaru's timing. Why would he strike now, during the Chūnin exam?

Normally, Orochimaru would wait for a more opportune moment. But now, with the village distracted by the exams, his success rate would be higher. So why would he choose now to attack?

"How did he get in?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked.

"How did he get in? He entered through the main gate of Konoha Village," the Anbu ninja replied, clearly confused.

"Through the gate?" Sarutobi Hiruzen frowned, deep in thought. "Impossible. With Orochimaru's character, there's no way he'd come in so openly…"

"How many did he bring?" Sarutobi Hiruzen asked again, his mind racing.

"Many people," the Anbu ninja replied. "They attacked directly through the main gate."

"Attacked?" Sarutobi Hiruzen's shock was palpable. "How did they get through? What about the village's defenses?"

"Master Hokage, the protective barrier surrounding Konoha was shattered," the Anbu ninja explained.

"Shattered?" Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes widened in disbelief. "That can't be possible. Even if Orochimaru brought all his subordinates, it's impossible to break Konoha's barrier so quickly."

"Master Hokage, not only did Orochimaru bring his usual subordinates, but he also brought many new faces. It seems they're his new followers," the Anbu ninja continued.

"New followers? Are they that strong?" Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Just then, Orochimaru's voice echoed through the village via ninjutsu: "My Sarutobi teacher, I'm waiting for you to come out. Come on, let me personally send you on your way."

"Damn it, how audacious!" Sarutobi Hiruzen fumed, his face darkening in anger.

This was a direct insult.

With a furious roar, Sarutobi Hiruzen slammed his hands on the table and stood up.

He stormed out of the office.

Outside the village, chaos reigned.

Battles raged in every direction, and high-ranking ninjas from Konoha were locked in combat with unfamiliar foes. These opponents were strong, and their clothing was completely foreign to Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"Orochimaru, who are these people?" Sarutobi Hiruzen demanded, glaring at his former student, who stood in the village square.

If outside forces were involved in the battle, it would be a serious problem.

"Summoning! Ape King! Ape Demon!" Sarutobi Hiruzen quickly made the hand signs and slammed his hand on the ground.

A massive ape appeared before him.

"Yuan Fei, are you facing any difficulties?" the Ape King asked as he surveyed the battlefield.

Sarutobi Hiruzen pointed ahead. "We may have a tough battle today. Thank you for your help."

The Ape King rolled his eyes and smirked. "Let's get started then!"

With that, the Ape King charged into the battle, delivering punch after punch, knocking many of Orochimaru's forces to the ground.

But then, a towering figure standing beside Orochimaru caught sight of the Ape King, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

"Kaido," the giant figure called, "Do you think this guy is a worthy opponent?"

Kaido sneered. "No, but I think he's about to get a taste of what I can do."

With a grin, Kaido stomped his feet, and his massive mace crackled with lightning. He hurled it directly at the Ape King.

"Eight Trigrams Thunder!" Kaido shouted.

The mace, now covered in lightning, struck the Ape King.

"Ahhh!" The Ape King howled in pain as the lightning coursed through his body. He was blasted backward, blood dripping from his mouth, clearly injured but still alive.

Though hurt, the Ape King's immense durability meant that he wasn't fatally wounded.

Sarutobi Hiruzen's eyes widened in shock.

This was his summoning beast, the mighty Ape King. Yet, this unknown foe had struck the Ape King down so easily.

The strength of this new opponent was incomprehensible.

Was he a Kage-level fighter? No, even a Kage wouldn't have been able to severely injure the Ape King with a single blow.

This person must be far beyond Kage-level—someone with superior Kage-level strength.

Hiss...

Realizing the enormity of the situation, Sarutobi Hiruzen took a sharp breath.

No wonder Orochimaru had become so bold. With a powerful ally like this and a strong army behind him, it was clear why he felt confident enough to openly attack Konoha.

"Quick! Send someone to inform Jiraiya and Tsunade!" Sarutobi Hiruzen ordered, worry in his heart.

The enemy he faced was far stronger than he had anticipated. If Konoha was left in ruins, Jiraiya and Tsunade would be needed to help rebuild.

He needed to make sure they knew what was happening and were prepared for what was to come.