Chapter 294: Tengai Sensei
Thud.
The host's microphone fell to the ground, emitting an extremely sharp and piercing sound.
But none of the spectators complained because they, like the host, had their mouths agape and were staring at the sky with vacant eyes, their faces filled with terror.
"Is that... a meteorite?"
Someone muttered, their voice trembling.
A meteorite falling from the sky wasn't unprecedented. It had happened several times in Konoha's history, even causing some damage to the village.
However.
None of the previous meteorites had been this large, nor had they appeared so suddenly.
At this moment.
Above the stadium, a meteorite with a diameter of a thousand meters emerged from the clouds and began to fall, seemingly slow yet fast, towards the ground.
The stadium and the entire central district of Konoha were enveloped in the meteorite's massive shadow as if doomsday had arrived.
Countless Konoha villagers and tourists looked up in horror, their legs giving way, collapsing to the ground.
Gulp.
Kakashi swallowed hard, finally snapping out of his daze. He then shouted in a trembling voice:
"Enemy attack!"
For this Chunin Exam, Konoha's ANBU and Police Force had joined forces, making thorough preparations and contingency plans for various potential dangers.
To ensure everything went smoothly.
However, when the enemy's attack actually came, Kakashi realized that all their efforts were in vain.
A meteorite over a kilometer in diameter falling from the sky was beyond the scope of ninjutsu; it was the power of a god.
Who could have anticipated such an attack method, and how could they possibly defend against it?
"What a joke."
In the corner of the stands, Orochimaru cursed under his breath, his already pale face now even paler.
He was frightened.
He had come this time for Sasuke, coveting the body of Konoha's top genius, only to see Sasuke being beaten by a group of Genin in turn, a shocking sight.
After that, Sasuke awakened the Mangekyo Sharingan in a fit of rage, which made Orochimaru anxious.
He had to act before Sasuke fully adapted to the Mangekyo's power; otherwise, the longer he waited, the more disadvantageous it would be for Orochimaru.
But seeing Sasuke leave with Itachi, Fugaku, and others, Orochimaru knew he wouldn't find an opportunity anytime soon.
Unless Madara Uchiha attacked and destroyed Konoha, creating chaos to assist him.
So Orochimaru patiently watched Marissa and Hidan's match, waiting until the Chunin Exam was nearly over.
It finally happened when he thought Madara wouldn't show up, and he was getting restless.
There was no doubt that it had to be Madara Uchiha.
Who else could summon a meteorite of this magnitude?
Orochimaru had thought Madara's claim of destroying Konoha was just boasting, but now he realised he knew nothing about Madara's power.
At this point, escape was futile.
Once the meteorite hit the ground.
Not only would the spectators die, but even the resilient Orochimaru would likely perish.
Cold sweat drenched him for a moment, and like the ordinary Konoha villagers, he felt a deep despair.
Wait.
There was one person who could stop this meteorite.
Thinking of this, Orochimaru abruptly looked towards the Sixth Hokage, Uchiha Dan, in the arena.
Dan raised his head, glancing at the meteorite above, showing no sign of panic:
"Hmm, someone used the Rinnegan to summon a meteorite from space. This move is quite something. I think it's called... Tengai sensei."
Marissa was startled upon hearing this and quickly asked:
"Did that Uzumaki Naruto guy do it?"
She had heard about the Akatsuki and knew that Naruto had transplanted the Rinnegan, making him the second person in the ninja world, besides her father, to possess it.
Seeing the meteorite, even the usually fearless Marissa was scared.
But being in her father's arms and seeing his calm expression, Marissa felt much more at ease.
"Who knows, maybe."
Dan said nonchalantly, then put Marissa down and instructed her, "Go find your godmother Tsunade and protect your mother and brother with her. Leave everything else to me, understand?"
"Okay."
Marissa nodded, unusually obedient.
Although she liked to go against her father, she knew better than to act out in such situations.
Whoosh.
Under Dan's watchful eye, Marissa dashed towards the stands, joining Tsunade and Samui.
Dan himself flashed to the highest point of the stands.
The Four Kage had already stood up, their faces full of shock as they watched the falling meteorite.
Seeing Dan appear.
The Four Kage finally found their backbone and quickly pleaded, "Sixth Hokage, please act quickly. We can't let this meteorite hit the ground!"
If the meteorite landed, Konoha would be destroyed, and the Four Kage, the daimyos, and thousands of Genin participants from various ninja villages would all perish.
In other words.
The entire high command of the ninja world faced the huge risk of being wiped out by this meteorite.
If that happened, the ninja world would undoubtedly descend into chaos and endless war once again.
However.
The Four Kage never expected what happened next.
"Why should I stop it?" Dan showed a puzzled expression and then casually sat down in his chair.
"But you're the Hokage... isn't it your duty to protect Konoha?" Chiyo, the Kazekage, asked in disbelief. Dan's words had shocked her more than the falling meteorite.
Dan shook his head and replied slowly:
"I became the Hokage because the entire village begged me to take the position. I never made any promises to the village, nor do I bear any responsibility towards the villagers.
This meteorite is too big; there's nothing I can do. I can only save myself."
As soon as he finished speaking, Dan's form began to blur, as if he was about to escape into another dimension to avoid the meteorite's impact.
"..."
Seeing this, the Four Kage were collectively stunned.
At this critical moment.
As the number one ninja in the world, Uchiha Dan chose to abandon everyone and prioritize his own safety, disregarding the lives of others.
How did the man revered as the greatest Sixth Hokage turn into this?
No.
The truth is, Dan had never changed; he had always been this way.
The praise and accolades from the outside world, calling him the savior of the ninja world, were merely wishful fantasies of the people about the Sixth Hokage.
As they chatted, the massive meteorite was getting closer and closer to the ground, about to crush Konoha's core district and kill tens of thousands.
At this point, survival depended solely on oneself.
"Sigh."
Onoki suddenly sighed, a look of resolve appearing on his wrinkled face. He then spoke solemnly to the other three Kage:
"This old body of mine doesn't have many years left; I'm already halfway to the grave.
Since that's the case, let me buy you some time to escape.
But you must promise me that after I die, the major ninja villages won't wage war against Iwagakure for ten years."
"Third Tsuchikage…"
"Onoki-senpai."
Hearing his words, the Raikage, Kazekage, and Mizukage all showed deep respect.
Before they could respond.
Whoosh.
Onoki took off, his eyes sharp as he gazed at the meteorite in mid-air, then fearlessly soared up.
At this moment.
This elder, only 130 centimetres tall and in his twilight years, displayed courage surpassing everyone else's, facing the heavenly punishment-like meteorite alone.
Earth Release: Ultra-Light-Weight Rock Technique!
Onoki raised both hands, pressing against the bottom of the meteorite, and used his signature ninjutsu to lighten the meteorite's weight as much as possible to slow its descent.
"Ahhh!"
Under the pressure of the thousand-meter-wide, mountain-heavy meteorite, Onoki roared, veins bulging all over his body, his eyes bloodshot, and his scalp and nails stained with blood.
The stadium's cameras captured and displayed This incredibly shocking scene on the big screen.
The audience was stunned, everyone watching with tense faces, silently praying for Onoki and placing their hopes on this diminutive elder.
In everyone's hearts, Onoki was a towering giant at this moment.
"Tsuchikage-sama…"
Miles away, Iwagakure villagers watching on TV couldn't hold back their tears, feeling proud to have such a Tsuchikage.
However.
Even though Onoki was nearly burning his life to stop the meteorite, his strength alone was too limited.
At this rate, the people on the ground still wouldn't have enough time to escape before the meteorite landed.
"Damn, I can't let this old man hog all the glory by himself. This is annoying."
The Fourth Raikage grumbled in a deep voice, his body suddenly bursting with blue lightning, instantly entering Lightning Release Chakra Mode. He then launched himself into the air.
He transformed into a blue lightning bolt, heading straight for the meteorite.
"The meteorite's descent has slowed. There's hope! Mizukage, let's help too."
Chiyo, the Kazekage, suggested. She was a very rational person and wouldn't rush to her death on impulse.
But if the Four Kage worked together, they might have been able to stop this meteorite.
"Alright, let's go."
Mei Terumi nodded, and together with Chiyo, they rushed up, using their techniques to assist Onoki, significantly reducing his burden.
However, a kilometre-wide meteorite was too massive, far beyond human capability to counter.
Despite the Four Kage's combined efforts, which greatly slowed the meteorite's descent, it still wasn't enough to stop it completely.
"Where is the Hokage? Why hasn't he acted yet?"
Countless spectators in the stands and in front of their televisions were puzzled, unable to understand why the strongest ninja in the world was doing nothing at such a critical moment.
Dan ignored all the noise.
His expression was calm, detached as if the impending apocalyptic disaster had nothing to do with him.
Suddenly.
"Hmm? The fish are starting to surface."
Dan looked toward the centre of the empty arena and muttered to himself.
Just as he finished speaking, there was a "boom," and four figures appeared in the stadium as a puff of white smoke dissipated.
They were the First, Second, and Third Hokage, along with Jiraiya, the Pervy Sage.
The host, standing not far away, noticed their appearance and, shocked, quickly picked up his dropped microphone and shouted to the audience:
"Look, it's the former Hokage who were wanted!
Damn, are they behind this attack? These heinous criminals actually want to destroy Konoha...
No, wait. If they were responsible, they'd be killed by the meteorite too. It doesn't make sense."
The Second Hokage glanced coldly at the host, who immediately fell silent, feeling a chill down his spine.
In the next moment.
The four gave the reason for their presence.
"Hah!"
The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, clasped his hands together, shouted, and then slammed his palm onto the ground, channelling his immense chakra to awaken the dormant plant seeds beneath.
Rumble.
With a tremendous quake, a gigantic tree burst from the ground, rapidly growing until it towered over the stadium at over 300 meters high.
The massive tree quickly branched out, forming countless limbs that reached up to support the meteorite from below.
It stopped.
With the combined efforts of the Four Kage and the First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, the colossal meteorite's descent finally halted, hovering above Konoha.
"We're… saved."
The host stammered, voicing the relief of the audience.
Though the situation was still unclear, the joy of surviving filled everyone's hearts, and many spectators collapsed into their seats, grateful to have escaped the disaster.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.
Kakashi, leading a group of Konoha ANBU, appeared in the arena, surrounding the four Hokage with a vigilant stance.
After all.
Not long ago, the First and Second Hokage had secretly returned to the village, with one attempting to assassinate the Sixth Hokage's family and the other destroying the Naka Shrine, causing numerous innocent casualties.
These former Hokage were now listed as terrorists on Konoha's most wanted list.
"Kakashi, don't be nervous. We mean no harm; we're just here to help."
Jiraiya stepped forward, speaking sincerely on behalf of the other three.
After their previous failures, the First and Second Hokage had regrouped with Jiraiya, reassessing their situation and the future of the ninja world.
Learning about the grand Chunin Exam Konoha was hosting, they foresaw a major event and thus observed from outside the village.
They initially thought the Deidara and Gaara battle was the biggest surprise of the exam until they saw the meteorite appear over Konoha.
Without hesitation, Hashirama decided to act to save Konoha.
Despite their disdain for the Uchiha clan, their resolve to protect the village had never wavered, prompting their appearance.
Kakashi glanced up at the tree holding the meteorite and knew it was thanks to the First Hokage that the disaster was averted.
Then he looked towards the highest stand, seeking the opinion of the Sixth Hokage.
Dan nodded, his expression amused.
"Stand down."
Kakashi made a gesture, and the ANBU lowered their weapons, easing the tense atmosphere.
(Chapter ends.)