Indeed, death in the Fate-Witnessing Stage could be undone—revival was a small price.
But Hiruzen's words, promising Rasa's resurrection without returning his badge, were little better than "surrender and I'll spare you." It demanded Rasa entrust his life—and Sunagakure's future—to his enemies.
"Don't speak so boldly, Hokage!" Rasa snarled, glancing at his village's ninja in the stands.
His form shrank rapidly, morphing once more. In a flash, he became a small quail, darting skyward.
"Trying to flee?" Tsunade summoned a spear of light in her hand.
"Escaping the Fate-Witnessing Stage requires surrender first," Hiruzen said, eyes fixed upward.
Fleeing and fighting meant death without easy revival.
Given Rasa's dire state, escape wasn't unthinkable.
Then, a sudden gale roared, kicking up clouds of dust.
"He's not fleeing," Jiraiya said, his Sixth Sense tingling. "He's preparing a big move!"
"Big move?" The team's faces shifted.
For can openers, "big move" carried immense weight.
"Apocalypse!" Tsunade shouted, raising her hand.
A radiant, intangible sun bloomed above the arena, its light bathing her allies in strength. This time, it was purely for buffs.
The gale grew fiercer, thunder cracking through swirling clouds. Within seconds, deafening roars shook the arena, the wind so fierce it threatened to topple them.
"Brace yourselves!" Hiruzen shouted, but his voice drowned in the storm, vision obscured by raging dust.
To the spectators, the arena was engulfed in a colossal tempest.
Wind and thunder roared, relentless and close.
This was Rasa's other Blue Rare skill—Storm Descent.
His quail form wasn't for escape; it amplified his spell's power and range. This was his final, mightiest strike.
"This skill's made for crowd control!" Tsunade growled, slamming her cross into the ground. She crouched, activating her Strength of a Hundred Seal.
She felt a flicker of relief. Without the stage's barriers, this move could've razed Konoha.
At the storm's heart, Rasa gritted his teeth, pouring in his chakra.
Magnet Release: Gold Dust!
A golden sea of sand surged, merging with the storm. Each grain became a whistling bullet, pummeling everything within.
A sandstorm, deadlier than the wind alone.
Rasa held nothing back—every ounce of natural energy, every shred of chakra, fueled his final blow.
Now, Konoha's figures vanished, swallowed by the fully formed sandstorm.
Even the screens showed nothing but chaos.
The stands clenched their fists, watching in tense helplessness.
"Lord Hokage, Lady Tsunade, hold on!"
"We'd just die if we joined that fight."
"What's happening?!"
Even Kisame and Itachi were struck dumb with awe.
"This isn't just terrain-altering," Kisame said, eyeing the unbreakable barrier. "This arena isn't to confine them—it's to protect us. No, to protect the village outside."
Without the stage, this battle in Konoha would've erased the village.
Survivors might seek vengeance on Sunagakure.
A war between such monsters would be cataclysmic.
The world itself could end.
Even fearless Kisame shivered at the thought.
"He grants them immense power but doesn't want the world destroyed?" Itachi realized, searching for Shen Mo's figure. Even his Sharingan couldn't pierce the sandstorm.
Above, Shen Mo watched with keen interest.
Rasa couldn't defeat Konoha's full roster—his cans weren't enough for that. But his edge lay in his potent natural energy, amplifying his Blue Rare skills. Combined with his ninjutsu, the sandstorm's power was apocalyptic.
He'd likely die.
But if it lasted, weaker fighters like Kurenai or Shikaku might fall too.
Still, death in the stage was cheap—thirty to forty Level 3 cans for revival.
Barring surprises, Sunagakure faced a crushing loss. Their strongest, wealthiest ninja's badge would fall to Konoha.
But would it be so simple?
Shen Mo glanced outside the stage, a smirk curling his lips.
He'd brought Orochimaru back early for a reason. Rasa alone was no match for Konoha, and a Chūnin Exam without Orochimaru was too dull.
Rasa, your ally is coming.
Outside, panic gripped Konoha. The entire arena—Hokage, Kazekage, and all—had vanished, an unprecedented event in ninja history.
But Naruto and Sasuke, bearing Hiruzen's orders, calmed the chaos.
Per the orders: full village alert. Any developments, Naruto and Sasuke would relay intel back to the stage.
With that done, a group of Jōnin surrounded Naruto, Sasuke, and Neji.
Faces grim, they demanded, "Now, tell us what's going on."
"Why did the Hokage and everyone disappear, Neji?"
"Why can only you three come and go?"