BOOM!
Terrifying flames completely consumed the entire arena!
Compared to ordinary chakra extracted solely from cells, Senjutsu-enhanced natural energy was undoubtedly more abundant and far more destructive.
The searing heat, reaching temperatures of over a thousand degrees Celsius, annihilated almost everything in its path, even melting solid stone into glowing, molten lava.
Yet, as the flames gradually subsided, Allen remained sitting on that tree, motionless. Even the tree itself had not suffered the slightest bit of damage.
Furthermore, the tree was enveloped in a large volume of light blue, translucent, unidentified liquid that continuously radiated a bone-chilling frost into the surroundings.
Transmutation Ability: Liquefied Air.
"What kind of ability is this? It actually blocked Sage Art: Goemon! Is it some kind of Ice Release Kekkei Genkai?"
Jiraiya's eyes widened, unable to believe the reality before him.
"Be careful! The enemy's power is bizarre! It's not even Ninjutsu!" Shima warned with a grave expression.
"I know! That's why it's such a headache!" Jiraiya rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling a massive throbbing pain.
Just as he was about to prepare another Sage Art, Allen suddenly held up a single finger and spoke: "The first time, I forgive you. But it would be best if there isn't a second. My patience is not limitless. If you make any further aggressive moves, I will begin my counterattack. And once I retaliate, the entire Konohagakure will be reduced to a pile of rubble. This isn't a hyperbolic metaphor; it's a literal description."
"Hm?!"
Jiraiya instantly halted all movement.
At that moment, he finally realized that, aside from the very first split-second of his sneak attack, the opponent truly hadn't reacted to his offensive at all.
"Excellent. It seems you've finally realized the situation. Don't forget, these eyes are capable of controlling Tailed Beasts. Just imagine: if I were to release the Nine-Tails and the One-Tail simultaneously right now, what would become of Konoha?" Allen threatened with a faint, mocking smile.
"Damn it! Kakashi, get Naruto out of here immediately!"
The mere thought of two Tailed Beasts rampaging at once made Jiraiya shudder. He immediately barked an order to Kakashi.
"Understood!"
Kakashi, having lived through the Nine-Tails' attack years ago, knew all too well how terrifying Tailed Beasts were. Ignoring Naruto's protests, he knocked the boy unconscious with a single punch, threw him over his shoulder, and vanished within seconds.
Watching this, Sasuke's face contorted with rage as he interrogated Allen: "Why? Why warn them instead of just destroying Konoha? Haven't you already defected?"
"Calm down. Don't let hatred consume your reason. First of all, I owe you nothing. In fact, I helped you kill the true mastermind behind the Uchiha massacre, Danzo. So, watch your tone with me, or I might be forced to teach you a lesson. Second, I don't have any irreconcilable grudge against Konoha; at most, I simply despise their methods. Finally, and most importantly, there is no relationship between us. You are neither a member of my team nor a partner. I have no obligation to do anything for you."
Allen didn't give "Sasuke-kun" an ounce of face, stating his position bluntly.
He knew that with a guy like Sasuke, the type who would act entitled and think the whole world owed him something the moment you gave him an inch, one could never indulge his temper. Otherwise, he'd likely bite the hand that fed him.
Moreover, Allen was now the only person in this world besides Obito and Itachi who possessed the Mangekyo Sharingan.
As long as Sasuke wasn't a fool, he would inevitably choose to side with Allen rather than anyone else.
"What do I have to do to become a member of your team?" Sasuke asked directly.
"It's both simple and difficult. I don't have a unified standard for choosing team members; it's mostly based on personal preference. Clearly, your current performance doesn't sit well with me." Allen rejected the boy's intent to join just as bluntly.
Compared to Karin's simplicity or Neji's maturity, Sasuke's personality was far too abrasive. As long as Allen remained sane, he wouldn't accept such a person into his inner circle.
"You bastard! You clearly stole the Uchiha bloodline! What right do you have to look down on me?" Sasuke roared in a fit of rage.
But in the next second...
A familiar fist suddenly swung in from the side, slamming hard into his handsome face.
THUD!
The unlucky boy was sent flying, tumbling over ten meters across the ground before coming to a stop.
"Shut up! Who gave you the courage to speak to Allen-sama like that!"
Karin adjusted her glasses, scolding him with a harsh tone.
Undoubtedly, as a textbook Enhancer, the power of her punches was becoming increasingly terrifying as her Nen improved.
"Haha, never mind that. Besides, as a girl, it's better if you aren't too violent." Allen waved his hand with a smile, signaling for the Uzumaki descendant to stop.
Otherwise, with Sasuke's current strength, she might actually beat every bone in his body to splinters.
"O-Of course! I've always hated violence! It's just that this guy is too infuriating!"
Karin's demeanor flipped instantly. She responded with a beet-red face and a stammer.
Just as Sasuke was struggling to crawl up from the ground, the battle between Orochimaru and the Third Hokage finally reached its conclusion.
However, unlike the original timeline, Orochimaru had not lost his hands. Instead, he dragged the Third Hokage's corpse out of the barrier with a swagger, saying with a cheerful smile: "Oh my, that was a close one! I didn't expect the old man to use that forbidden Grim Reaper summoning jutsu right before he died. If it weren't for the Nen abilities Allen-kun taught me, I might have suffered a major setback."
"OROCHIMARU!!!!"
Staring at the aged, scar-covered corpse, Jiraiya let out a roar of absolute fury.
"Hmph. So you were here too, you idiot," Orochimaru sneered mockingly.
"I'm going to slaughter you, you teacher-killing piece of filth!"
The death of the Third Hokage caused Jiraiya to completely snap!
He ignored Allen entirely, lunging forward to launch a torrential barrage of attacks against Orochimaru, showing absolutely no mercy.
But Orochimaru was no pushover. Using various bizarre Ninjutsu and tactics, he managed to hold his own against Jiraiya's Sage Mode, ensuring that no winner would be decided anytime soon.
On the other side, Neji had finally resolved his grudge with the Main House and returned to Allen's side.
Seeing that the Konoha Crush plan was nearing its end, Allen slowly stood up from his seat, took a deep breath, and said: "It's time to bring the curtain down on all of this!"
The moment the words left his mouth, he leaped high into the air. Drawing a massive amount of chakra from the Four-Tails within him, he slammed it all toward the ground.
"Lava Release: Flower-Fruit Mountain!"
BOOM!
Accompanied by a deafening roar and a violent tremor, the entire arena and its surrounding areas were swallowed by a terrifying sea of lava.
Fortunately, the Konoha Anbu had already completed the evacuation of the spectators and nearby residents. Otherwise, this single move would have resulted in thousands of casualties.