As the morning sun bathed the arena stands, two handsome young men entered the battlefield, facing each other. These were none other than the nine-star-level Uchiha Sasuke and Namikaze Naruto.
Sasuke's outfit was reminiscent of his appearance in the Shippuden series. He wore light grey clothes and black pants, with a light purple rope belt around his waist. One hand rested on his waist, while the other was on the Kusanagi sword at his side, his handsome face exuding coldness.
As Sasuke appeared, the stands erupted in cheers.
"Sasuke-sama is so cool!"
"Sasuke-sama, go for it!"
"Oh my, Sasuke-sama is looking at me..."
From the cheers in the stands, it was clear that despite Zhang Miao giving him a somewhat rustic nickname, Sasuke's popularity was still sky-high, even surpassing that in the original story.
Even among the Five Kage, the Fifth Mizukage, Mei Terumi, couldn't hide the sparkle in her eyes upon seeing Sasuke.
"This young man is quite something, very handsome. I wonder how strong he is."
Her implication suggested that if Sasuke was powerful enough, she might consider pursuing him.
Compared to Mei Terumi, the other four Kage shifted their focus to Naruto after just a glance at Sasuke and couldn't look away, captivated by Naruto's attire.
Naruto wore a long robe similar to Konoha's Hokage robe. However, while the Hokage robe was white with red lettering and flame patterns, Naruto's robe was black with white lettering. The back read "Strongest Shadow." The cuffs and hem featured white wave patterns.
Moreover, Naruto wore a black hat similar to those worn by the Five Kage, with the character "God" written in the centre.
Seeing Naruto's outfit, the Five Kage frowned simultaneously.
In the ninja world, only the leaders of the Five Great Nations' villages could be called "Kage." Other nations' and villages' leaders couldn't claim this title. The title "Kage" required immense personal strength and substantial national power.
Naruto's outfit suggested he considered himself on par with the Five Kage, perhaps even superior, which naturally didn't sit well with them.
However, their discomfort was short-lived as they recalled the previous day's match.
"If those two were to join forces, even one of the Five Great Nations might struggle to withstand them. Now, the Land of Waves appears to rival the Five Great Nations in strength, effectively becoming the sixth Great Nation."
With this realisation, the Five Kage reassessed the Land of Waves, placing it on equal footing with their nations.
The ninja world was still a place where strength reigned supreme. So, the Five Kage quickly adjusted their perspective on Naruto's "Kage" attire and watched his battle closely to evaluate if he deserved it.
As the Five Kage composed themselves, Namikaze Iron Gate, the match announcer, entered the arena and raised his right hand high.
"The final match of the First Martial Arts Tournament of the Land of Waves is about to begin. Contestants, get ready... Begin!"
Upon announcing the start, Iron Gate immediately used the Flying Thunder God Technique to teleport away. At that moment, Naruto and Sasuke simultaneously shouted.
"Kurama Mode!"
"Susanoo!"
Both knew each other's strength, so they skipped the preliminaries and went straight to their ultimate moves!
As their shouts echoed, the arena was instantly filled with a purple Susanoo and a golden Nine-Tails.
In Kurama Mode, Naruto charged at Sasuke's Susanoo with a fierce swipe, a decisive move to challenge even Susanoo's defences.
However, Sasuke wasn't worried. His Susanoo was fully formed with enormous wings. As Naruto's chakra claw approached, Sasuke spread his wings and flew up.
While airborne, he drew the bow of his Susanoo, a massive energy arrow forming instantly.
Looking down at Naruto's Kurama form on the ground, Sasuke smiled and shouted.
"Blaze Release: Kagutsuchi!"
With a low shout, Susanoo released the arrow filled with violent energy, aiming straight at Naruto.
"Boom!"
The energy arrow hit the ground with a loud explosion, creating a massive crater almost covered the entire arena, with black flames burning within.
The Amaterasu flames!
Naruto was caught in the blast but quickly shifted from Kurama Mode to his Six Paths Sage Mode, donning a golden cloak, holding a black chakra rod, and floating Truth-Seeking Balls behind him.
In this form, the Amaterasu flames couldn't harm Naruto.
Initially, Naruto didn't want to use this move, but Sasuke's Kagutsuchi was too fast and broad in its attack. Dodging in the narrow arena was impossible, and Kurama Mode couldn't withstand it. Thus, Naruto had to use Six Paths Sage Mode to endure it.
After blocking the attack, Naruto raised his right hand, forming a black sphere surrounded by a giant shuriken made of wind chakra.
This combined technique of Tailed Beast Bomb and Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, enhanced by Naruto's Six Paths power, makes it extraordinarily powerful.
Once formed, Naruto shouted and hurled it at Sasuke in the air.
"Tailed Beast Bomb Rasenshuriken!"
As the technique left Naruto's hand, it emitted a piercing "swoosh," accelerating rapidly and instantly hitting Sasuke's Susanoo, exploding in blinding white light with a thunderous roar.
"Boom!"
The explosion shook the barrier protecting the stands. The area near the Tailed Beast Bomb Rasenshuriken bulged outward, threatening to break through.
Seeing this, the Five Kage widened their eyes in shock.
"How terrifying! Can ninjas truly reach this level?"