Konoha's Tatsuya

"Stop spectating! Let's move!"

Watching Tatsuya fiercely engage Yagura Karatachi, Kakashi spoke in a low voice. As he spoke, his eye patch was already pushed aside, revealing the hidden Sharingan, while sparks of lightning crackled to life in his hand.

This is an away game, an uphill battle. We need to end this quickly!

Flash!

With a burst of lightning, Kakashi streaked towards a Kirigakure shinobi. He wasn't worried about Tatsuya in the slightest. Having served as Tatsuya's sparring partner for over two years, Kakashi naturally knew the terrifying extent of Tatsuya's current strength.

The Copy Ninja of Konoha Village, Hatake Kakashi!

The moment Kakashi revealed his Sharingan, several Kirigakure shinobi present immediately recognized him. A peculiar light flashed in Terumi Mei's eyes. She glanced towards the ongoing battle where Tatsuya fought, then turned her gaze to Guy and Itachi. Based on Kakashi's identity alone, Mei had already deduced the identities of all four members of ANBU Squad 11.

Konoha actually dispatched this elite squad. Our chances of victory in this battle have increased dramatically.

"Gate of Joy, open!"

A powerful surge of green energy erupted around Guy's body. His thoughts mirrored Kakashi's – finish this fast. With a flash of green light, Guy charged towards the opposing Kirigakure ninja.

Among the four, only Itachi remained relatively calm. He simply drew a short sword and moved towards another Kiri shinobi.

The explosive assault from ANBU Squad 11 momentarily stunned Zabuza, Kurosuki Raiga, and Hozuki Mangetsu.

Not a single member of this Konoha elite squad is ordinary!

With this realization, their spirits were greatly lifted, and they joined the charge against the shinobi from the major clans.

Now, it was the turn of the clan heads and their subordinates to pale. Outnumbered and outmatched, they were completely disadvantaged. Furthermore, the Chunin Exam site was far from Kirigakure proper, making it impossible to quickly summon reinforcements from the village.

"Oh dear, oh dear! Things aren't looking good! It's Konoha's ANBU Squad 11!" White Zetsu cried out from his hiding spot near the edge of the platform far away. Beside him, Black Zetsu's visible eye also showed a hint of gravity. With the appearance of Konoha's Squad 11, the battle on the platform was indeed shifting in a direction unfavorable for Obito.

BOOM!

Another violent collision sent both Tatsuya and Yagura flying backward. Tatsuya managed to arrest his momentum right at the edge of the platform. He lifted his hands and glanced at them; both palms showed slight signs of burns from the repeated impacts against Yagura. The injuries were caused by the corrosive Tailed Beast cloak Yagura wore in his partial transformation state.

Looks like I can't keep trading blows directly with him!

With that thought, Tatsuya began forming hand seals.

Opposite him, the partially transformed Yagura also began to get serious. A dark Tailed Beast Ball started coalescing before him.

Tatsuya completed his seals first, slamming his hands onto the ground. "Earth Release: Tectonic Shift!"

As earth-natured chakra surged into the ground, the platform beneath Yagura suddenly began to sink rapidly.

Whoosh!

Even as the ground fell away beneath him, Yagura finished forming the Tailed Beast Ball. With a deafening roar of wind, he launched it forward.

BOOM!

Because of the rapidly sinking section of the platform, the Tailed Beast Ball slammed directly into the exposed earth wall of the structure. An immense explosion instantly followed, shaking the entire platform violently. Countless chunks of rock were blasted outwards like cannonballs. Rolling clouds of dust filled the air, forcing the battling shinobi to dodge and weave.

When the dust settled, a perfectly square pit was revealed on the platform.

Tatsuya flickered to the edge of the pit, completed another set of hand seals, and unleashed a Great Fireball Technique down into the hole.

FWOOSH!

The blazing fireball roared downwards into the pit. Suddenly, three long chakra tails erupted from below, tearing the massive fireball apart. Amidst the scattering sparks, a crimson figure shot upwards, landing swiftly on the edge of the pit.

It was the partially transformed Yagura.

"ROAR!"

Yagura looked quite ragged now. He let out a furious roar directed at Tatsuya. Then, with a flicker, he charged towards Tatsuya again, moving even faster than before.

Tatsuya flashed backward, retreating while continuously launching various ninjutsu.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!" "Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique!" "Earth Release: Earth Flow Spear!"

Tatsuya unleashed technique after technique, yet none could stop the advance of the partially transformed Yagura. The two engaged in a chase across the platform, Tatsuya hitting and running, Yagura relentlessly pursuing. Despite the speed boost from the Tailed Beast chakra, Yagura couldn't quite catch Tatsuya.

Soon, under the strain of the fierce combat, the entire observation platform was groaning, on the verge of collapse.

"Move! The platform's coming down!"

Realizing the imminent collapse, the combatants on both sides quickly disengaged and leaped clear. Elder Genshi was also safely escorted away by Ao and Gonbei.

RUMBLE!

A massive cloud of dust billowed skyward as the platform, over twenty meters high, finally gave way and crumbled.

Once everyone landed in the rainforest below, the fierce battle immediately resumed.

By now, the tide had decisively turned. In just a few short minutes of fighting, five of the dozen or so shinobi from the major clans loyal to Yagura were already dead. Three had been taken down by Kakashi and Guy, while the other two fell to Terumi Mei and Kurosuki Raiga respectively.

The loyalist clan shinobi were now disadvantaged not only in individual strength but also in numbers. If the situation continued like this, the remaining clan heads and their elite shinobi would undoubtedly all perish here.

Witnessing this, Elder Genshi spoke for the first time since the fighting began.

"Yukiha! Kuroishi! Do you truly intend to die alongside the person manipulating the Fourth Mizukage from the shadows?" he called out, his voice resonating across the battlefield. He directed his words towards Yukiha, head of the Yuki clan, and Kuroishi, head of the Nakamoto clan, both locked in combat.

Hearing Genshi speak, both sides temporarily separated.

Yukiha looked up at Genshi, his expression bitter. "Elder Genshi... can we truly retreat now?"

Genshi's face was stern as he declared unequivocally, "Of course! Yukiha, I promise you, in my capacity as an Elder of Kirigakure, that if you cease resistance, the village will absolutely not pursue your transgressions afterward! After all, you were merely following the orders of the Fourth Mizukage."

Hearing Genshi's words, Yukiha and the others wavered. They were clearly losing, and the promise came from Genshi, a highly respected Elder of immense prestige in Kirigakure. How could they not be moved?

No one wanted to sacrifice their own life and their clan's future fighting desperately for a Mizukage whose situation was unclear!

Gradually, someone lowered their weapon. Once one person took the lead, the remaining few also chose to surrender.

The battle on this front was over.

Now, only the Fourth Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi, remained.