manynovel Chapter 25 Konoha Crush Plan
Chapter 25 Konoha Crush Plan
When Mavis and Kakashi arrived at the Hokage's office, Hiruzen Sarutobi had already finished exchanging information with Jiraiya and was waiting for Mavis's arrival.
"Lord Hokage." Mavis greeted Hiruzen Sarutobi, then glanced curiously at Jiraiya standing next to the Hokage.
Noticing Mavis's gaze, Jiraiya slightly raised his head, put his hands on his hips in what he thought was a cool and stylish pose, and said, "Your name is Mavis, right? Let me introduce myself as well. I am Jiraiya, the toad sage of Mount Myōboku!"
Mavis smiled and said, "My name is Mavis, and I'm a mage from Fairy Tail. Also, I'm not Naruto's older sister; Naruto was just joking."
Out of the corner of his eye, Jiraiya noticed that Hiruzen Sarutobi's face was starting to darken again, so he quickly changed the subject, saying, "Ahem, I already know about that. Let's talk about Orochimaru and Zeref instead."
Hiruzen Sarutobi spoke first, "The Chunin Exams have already had two rounds. Orochimaru hasn't been seen since he appeared in the Forest of Death. Knowing him as I do, he's not one to play around like this. I'm afraid he won't be able to resist making his move in the final rounds."
Mavis sighed, a strange sense of foreboding creeping over her. She murmured, "Hopefully, Zeref's target isn't Konoha."
Upon hearing this, Jiraiya and Hiruzen Sarutobi exchanged a glance. Jiraiya, his expression unchanged, said, "With me and this old man here, Orochimaru won't get any advantage. However, what if Zeref intervenes to help Orochimaru?"
At this point, Jiraiya glanced at Mavis and continued, "Mavis, are you confident you can stop Zeref?"
Mavis shook her head gravely. "In terms of strength, I'm afraid I'm no match for him. Zeref's magical skill is extremely profound; he possesses many powerful dark magic spells. In Asland, he is the most powerful dark mage, and even his name has become legendary."
Seeing the grave expressions on Hiruzen Sarutobi's face, Jiraiya and Kakashi, Mavis made a resolute promise: "If Zeref really attacks Konoha, I promise I will do everything in my power to stop him!"
......
Meanwhile, Orochimaru and Zeref, who were being watched closely by the people of Konoha and Mavis, were standing openly on a high place, looking at the Hokage Rock of Konoha from afar.
Orochimaru stared at the face on the Hokage Rock and sneered, "How pathetic. Even if they were once ninjas who looked down on the world, they are now just inanimate objects on a rock. Even if Konoha is destroyed before their eyes, they are powerless to do anything about it."
“Life is precious, but also short and fragile,” Jelf said calmly, his tone devoid of any emotion.
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow and nodded in agreement, "That's true. After all... not everyone can be as powerful as Lord Zeref, able to live forever and stay young forever!"
Zeref's magical energy surged, and he turned to give Orochimaru a cold look, his tone seemingly nonchalant: "Guess if I'll kill you the next time you say something like that."
Orochimaru's pupils contracted, and a hint of displeasure flickered between his brows, but he quickly suppressed it.
Just as Zeref couldn't stand Orochimaru's thirst for the curse of contradiction, Orochimaru couldn't truly empathize with Zeref's suffering. Both seemed to be taking each other's good fortune for granted.
Ultimately, the reason is that although Zeref and Zeref have similarities, they are fundamentally different.
After Zeref finished speaking, the surge of magic power emanating from his body did not stop. Intricate magic circles appeared beneath his feet, their patterns spreading outwards and subtly encircling the entire Hidden Leaf Village.
Countless shapes and lines overlapped and overlapped, and the abundant magic power and extremely profound magical skills made the magic circle draw smoothly and effortlessly.
If another mage were present, they would surely be amazed by the magic and skill used.
As Orochimaru watched Zeref cast his spell, an undisguised fascination and greed surfaced in his eyes.
Even without knowledge of magic, as a genius of ninjutsu and a rare scientific talent in the ninja world, he was able to deduce that he could draw such a complex magic circle so easily. It seems that even in the so-called world of magic, Zeref is an absolute powerhouse!
"Let me see the power of dark magic, Lord Zeref..." Orochimaru couldn't help but show anticipation as he thought about what would happen next.
Time passed, and the final round of the Chunin Exams finally arrived.
Feathers drifted slowly down from the sky, and ordinary people who didn't know ninjutsu and low-level genin were all affected by the genjutsu and fell into a coma.
Kakashi looked at the large-scale illusion in front of him, and his previously anxious and restless heart suddenly calmed down.
The moment I've been worrying about and fearing has finally come to pass. Since I can't stop it, I'll do my best and do everything I can to do what I should do!
Orochimaru, disguised as the Fourth Kazekage, had already trapped the Third Hokage in the Four Purple Flame Formation. The Konoha Crush Plan had officially begun!
"Sarutobi-sensei, you discovered my presence so far in advance, yet you still ended up trapped in my barrier without any preparation, huh...?"
Taking off the cumbersome Kazekage robe he used for disguise, Orochimaru curled the corners of his lips and spoke with great interest.
Hiruzen Sarutobi also removed his Hokage hat and outer robe, revealing his ninja combat uniform underneath. He demanded sharply, "Orochimaru, what exactly are you and that man named Zeref doing?!"
"I'm just a little curious about the strength of the strongest ninja village." A clear and elegant voice suddenly rang out.
Hiruzen Sarutobi's pupils contracted as he saw the shadow beneath Orochimaru slowly writhe, and a familiar figure gradually emerged.
The boy with black hair and black eyes, wearing a long black robe, with a gentle and elegant appearance, was none other than Zeref!
Orochimaru was somewhat surprised, seemingly not expecting Zeref to show himself so quickly, and couldn't help but say, "I didn't expect you to be so impatient, hehehe. I thought you would choose to watch a good show first before making your appearance."
Hiruzen Sarutobi's brow twitched involuntarily. The last time they met was the day Zeref chose to leave with Orochimaru.
Back then, Orochimaru still had a condescending attitude, but how long has it been, and Orochimaru is already addressing Zeref with the formal "you"?!
Hiruzen Sarutobi was secretly alarmed. He knew Orochimaru's ambition and pride better than anyone else. Had Zeref actually managed to subtly suppress Orochimaru so quickly?
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep look at Zeref, finally gaining a more realistic understanding of how terrifying Zeref was.
Zeref looked at Hiruzen Sarutobi and gave him a gentle and polite smile: "It's nice to meet you again, Third Hokage of Konoha."
Hiruzen Sarutobi remained outwardly calm, replying, "To be addressed as 'sir' by a legendary black mage is truly an honor for this old man."
Jelf chuckled, unconcerned, and shifted his gaze slightly before suddenly speaking, "Come out, Mavis. Your illusion magic is still as powerful as ever."
Mavis and Jiraiya were startled by what they heard. After exchanging a glance, Mavis dispelled the magic and revealed her true form.
It turns out that Mavis had been using illusion magic to conceal herself and Jiraiya's presence, staying close to Hiruzen Sarutobi to protect him, intending to capture Orochimaru before he could make his move. However, she didn't expect that Zeref would discover their presence so quickly.
“But you still found out, didn’t you, Zeref?” Mavis looked at Zeref with a complicated expression.
Zeref's gaze fell on Mavis, and he said with a smile, "Because I know you too well, whether it's your magic or your personality. You haven't changed at all, you're still so soft-hearted and kind, even for a village in another world that has nothing to do with you, you're willing to fight for it."
“But you’ve become cruel, Zeref.” Mavis sighed softly, a hint of coldness flashing in her clear emerald eyes. “Now, are you going to unleash your cruelty and pain upon this innocent village?”
"Hehehahahahaha"
Seemingly amused by Mavis's words, Jelf suddenly laughed out loud. He reached up and pressed his hand to his face, and the black pupils peeking through his hand seemed to be faintly red.
"Didn't I tell you this a long time ago, Mavis? I am just as dark and cruel as the rumors say!"
"As I said, I just want to see the strength of the strongest ninja village in the ninja world. If you please me, I will not interfere for your sake, Mavis."
Removing his hand from Mavis's face, Jelf revealed a genuine yet cruel smile as he spoke.
Upon hearing Zeref's words, which seemed to disregard Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi and Jiraiya were instantly filled with rage.
However, unlike Hiruzen Sarutobi's pure anger, Jiraiya felt a trace of doubt after his anger subsided.
He overheard the entire conversation between Zeref and Mavis, and then glanced at Zeref, who, despite uttering harsh words, hadn't moved an inch since Mavis appeared.
Jiraiya, a bestselling romance novelist, was suddenly struck by a jolt, and a tangible question mark practically appeared on his forehead.
What's going on with these two? Weren't they supposed to be enemies? What's with this strange, oblivious atmosphere? Yet they're definitely at each other's throats...
Suddenly, a thought flashed through Jiraiya's mind: Could this be his nemesis and lover?
Hmm? This is good material. I'll write it down; I might be able to use it in my next novel...
Unaware that he had guessed the truth so quickly, Jiraiya quickly pulled his wandering thoughts back.
He looked at his former teammates and comrades and questioned them, "Orochimaru, I never thought you'd come to this. You were once a ninja of this village!"
Orochimaru had grown thoroughly tired of hearing Jiraiya's words over the years and, too lazy to waste any more breath on him, simply raised his hands in a smirk and chanted, "Summoning Jutsu: Impure World Reincarnation!"
Suddenly, a coffin bearing the characters "初" (first) and "二" (second) appeared in front of Orochimaru. Hiruzen Sarutobi was shocked; could this ninjutsu be...?
"We must stop the third one!" Hiruzen Sarutobi thought to himself, clenching his fists together and forcefully suppressing the third coffin that was about to appear. The third coffin, bearing the character "four," slowly sank back into the ground.
"It seems the third one can't come out, but these two are enough. Hehehe, Sarutobi-sensei, I've prepared a big gift for you. You can also taste the joy of a life-or-death duel with your own teacher, hahahaha."
As Orochimaru laughed wildly, the lids of the two coffins slowly opened. Hiruzen Sarutobi and Jiraiya stared in disbelief at the faces of the people inside, speechless with shock.
Orochimaru dared to do that! Hiruzen Sarutobi gritted his teeth.
The coffin lid slammed heavily onto the ground, the sound finally bringing Jiraiya to his senses.
He turned to his teacher, asking incredulously, "Hey, old man, these two can't really be...?"
Seeing that Hiruzen Sarutobi and Jiraiya's reactions were too unusual, Mavis couldn't help but ask in confusion, "Are these two people people you know? What kind of ninjutsu is this?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep breath. While feeling angry, he couldn't help but shed tears of nostalgia as he saw the First and Second Hokage gradually becoming more and more lifelike.
"This is a ninjutsu that uses the bodies of living people as sacrifices to summon the dead to fight. It's called the Impure World Reincarnation. These two people are none other than the First Hokage and the Second Hokage of Konoha. They were also my teachers..."
Mavis was taken aback, finally understanding what Orochimaru meant by letting Hiruzen Sarutobi experience the joy of fighting his teacher—it truly was a matter of killing someone's spirit.
Thinking about the conditions for using this ninjutsu, Mavis frowned in disgust: "Orochimaru, that guy, actually uses living people as sacrifices?"
Jelf looked at the two people inside the coffin with great interest, but his expression gradually turned somewhat disappointed.
"It seems the body hasn't regained life; it's still inanimate. As expected, bringing the dead back to life isn't easy, no matter the world," Zeref said calmly.
Orochimaru's eyes lit up upon hearing this. "It's not that easy," instead of "impossible"?
Of all those present, only Orochimaru keenly perceived the meaning behind Zeref's words.
He couldn't help but tentatively ask, "It seems you're quite knowledgeable in this area, Mr. Jelf."
Zeref remained silent. It was because he wanted to revive the dead Natsu that he incurred the curse of the god Ankhseram, which was also the source of his suffering for the past 400 years.
But at this point, there was no need to tell Orochimaru any of this. To Zeref, Orochimaru was merely a tool to help him understand this world.
Every time he met Orochimaru's golden snake eyes, he could see in Orochimaru's eyes a strong desire for immortality and a fanatical pursuit of knowledge and power.
In some ways, he might be the one who best understands Orochimaru's desire for immortality and to learn ninjutsu.
Because after being cursed by the god Ankhseram, Zeref suffered for a long time, both from the pain of taking away other people's lives and from the dark joy of having more time to study magic.
However, no matter how complex and subtle the emotions were, after 400 years of torment and sedimentation, only pure pain remained.
Seeing that his probing had not yielded a response from Zeref, Orochimaru narrowed his eyes slightly. There was plenty of time; he would eventually get the answer. Orochimaru was never short of patience.
How exciting! What kind of wind will this visitor from another world stir up in this ninja world rife with hatred and endless entanglements? Orochimaru thought to himself with delight.