With just a single strike, the entire arena for the final stage of the Chunin Exams had completely vanished!
But that wasn't all.
The erupting magma continued to spread in all directions at an alarming speed. Many shinobi were forced to abandon their current tasks and begin weaving a massive series of Water Release and Wind Release jutsu to rapidly cool the lava, desperate to halt its advance before it caused even more catastrophic destruction.
"Lava Release? The... The Four-Tails! You're actually the Jinchuriki of the Four-Tails?!"
The terrifying volcanic eruption finally snapped Jiraiya out of his blind fury. His face was a mask of pure horror.
Wood Release, the Mangekyo Sharingan, and those bizarre, unidentified abilities were already a massive headache, now he had to contend with the power of the Four-Tails as well.
"Move. I'm leaving. If you want to stop me, you'd better consider the consequences. That was just a warning, but if anyone decides to keep pestering me, this scene will cover the entirety of Konoha." Allen's expression was cold as he swept his gaze over the Jonin converging from all directions, his voice a chilling threat.
"Damn you! What do you take Konoha for? A public restroom where you can come and go as you please?" Jiraiya roared in indignation.
"From where I stand, there isn't much of a difference. Unless... you'd prefer to watch this village be swallowed by magma?" Allen curled his lips into a meaningful, mocking smirk.
"Jiraiya. I suggest you play nice and move out of the way. Otherwise..."
Orochimaru let his voice trail off, his face filled with schadenfreude. He was clearly savoring the sight of people hating him with every fiber of their being yet remaining utterly powerless to act.
Furthermore, if Konoha chose to back down and let the masterminds of this assault walk away, the news would spread across the shinobi world in no time. The era of the Five Great Nations ruling with an iron fist would be over. Konoha's reputation and deterrent power would plummet, likely inviting prying eyes and invasions from other villages.
But if they didn't yield, then given the destructive power of the Four-Tails' Lava Release and Allen's personal strength, the Hidden Leaf Village would be reduced to ash this very day.
It was, quite clearly, one of those impossible two-choice dilemmas typical of the Hunter x Hunter world.
"Stand down! Everyone, stand down! Let them go!"
After a series of agonizing internal struggles, Jiraiya finally made the rational call. Despite having wandered outside the village for over a decade, he still commanded immense authority. Though some were unwilling, they chose to obey.
Within minutes, the thousands of gathered shinobi parted, opening a path leading straight out of the village.
"Hahaha! Allen-kun! After today, your name will echo throughout the shinobi world. You, alone, forced a great nation like Konoha to tuck its tail and run," Orochimaru praised with a loud laugh.
"No. This is only the beginning. The most exciting part is yet to come."
Allen completely ignored the hateful glares of the surrounding Leaf shinobi, strolling through the main gates with an air of arrogant ease.
As the group was about to depart for good, Might Guy suddenly leaped out from the crowd. Shedding his usual goofy demeanor, he spoke with absolute gravity: "Neji! Allen! The next time we meet, we will be enemies. When that time comes, I won't be holding anything back."
"Ah. I know. I'm also quite curious to see just how strong Guy-sensei is when all Eight Gates are open," Allen replied with a faint smile as he paused his stride.
Although Might Guy had only taught him how to open the first few gates, Allen had already mastered the final Gate of Death using the records within the Scroll of Seals. Moreover, bolstered by his superior physical constitution, his Hunter class template, and his near-infinite regeneration, the destructive power he could unleash with all eight gates open would undoubtedly surpass Guy's, and he could sustain it for far longer.
"If it becomes necessary, I will."
With those final words, Might Guy turned and vanished into the crowd, even stopping Rock Lee and Tenten from rushing forward to ask why.
…
With the primary instigators, Allen and Orochimaru, gone, the remaining Sand and Sound cannon fodder became the sole targets for Konoha's vented rage. Even the One-Tail Jinchuriki, Gaara, was beaten into a pulp and forced into custody as a hostage and prisoner of war.
With the Fourth Kazekage dead and a significant portion of their forces captured, the Sand Village couldn't hold out. Before long, Chiyo and her brother, Ebizō, took joint control of the village's authority, announced their surrender, and began negotiations with the Leaf.
Meanwhile, reports of Allen and Orochimaru's performance in the war quickly reached the upper echelons of the other hidden villages.
In particular, the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, was jumping mad. He slammed his fists onto his desk, roaring, "Bastards! How did this happen? How was the Four-Tails stolen? Is the Anbu full of morons? You didn't notice something this important until now?!"
"Tsuchikage-sama. It's not a failure on our part. Orochimaru and this young man named Allen are simply too strong! Who could have guessed that even a perfect Jinchuriki like Roshi couldn't stand against them? Every man we sent out was slaughtered; they didn't even have time to send word back to the village," an Iwagakure Anbu explained helplessly.
"Curse it! That brat will definitely be our greatest enemy. This ends now! We can't let him grow any further! Send someone to contact the Akatsuki. Ask how much it costs for his head." Ohnoki made his decision through gritted teeth.
"The Akatsuki? Those mercenaries charge a premium! Meeting their price might put the village's finances in dire straits," an elder advisor reminded him softly.
"Financial trouble is temporary! But if this guy reaches his full potential, our Iwa shinobi will never know a moment's peace. While you're at it, send someone to the Land of Fire to ask Konoha if they're willing to join forces. Regardless of the cost, this dangerous element called Allen must die, or I won't be able to sleep at night," noki said, clenching his fist tight.
"Very well. I'll send envoys to the Akatsuki and the Leaf tomorrow morning. I believe we should also reach out to the Cloud, Sand, and Mist. Some of this young man's rhetoric has already crossed the line for all the Great Nations. Perhaps we can reach an agreement to nip this threat in the bud together."
Another elder advisor offered his counsel. Onoki nodded slowly. "You're right. It's time to show this arrogant brat the true power of the shinobi world!"
The high-ranking officials of the Stone Village quickly reached a consensus. Early the next morning, several teams left the village as envoys to other hidden villages, attempting to forge an alliance against Allen and Orochimaru.
Little did they know, before those envoys could even leave the borders of the Land of Earth, Allen was already planning to fulfill his own promise: to wipe the Stone Village off the map, kill Onoki, and seize that incredibly fascinating jutsu, Dust Release.