"Idiot, are you in such a rush to go up? Do you want to embarrass yourself in front of everyone?"
Tsunade whispered quietly into Heiyan's ear.
Then, she gave Sada a signal. He nodded and immediately sprang onto the arena platform.
In Tsunade's strategy, Sada was specifically chosen to confront Rasa directly.
On the arena platform.
"It's not Hiashi Hyuga. How boring."
Seeing Sada step forward, Rasa immediately showed disinterest.
Shsh!
Without saying a word, Sada directly pulled out a shuriken and threw it straight at Rasa.
The shuriken moved at a steady pace—nothing flashy, just a simple, straightforward throw.
"At this level of attack, even my grandma could defend against it," Rasa mumbled while cleaning his ear, clearly not taking it seriously.
But in an instant, everything changed.
Sada's hands moved rapidly through seals, creating afterimages—Toru (Ox), Iru (Dog), Tatsu (Dragon), Ne (Rat), Iru (Dog), Mitsu (Boar), Shi (Snake), Inu (Tiger)—flawlessly and in one continuous motion.
As soon as he completed the seal, a smirk spread across Sada's lips.
Hiss!
In an instant, that seemingly normal shuriken multiplied—two from one, four from two, eight from four… until hundreds of shurikens filled the air like a net, sweeping toward the unsuspecting Rasa.
[Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique]!
This sight instantly caused gasps from those in the audience.
Sarutobi and Danzo exchanged glances, both revealing satisfied smiles.
Sada was a promising talent found by Danzo from an orphanage, recruited early into Root for training. Though unknown to many, his strength rivaled any genius.
Even Hiruzen Sarutobi looked on with appreciation. The Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu was an A-rank ninjutsu he himself had developed, requiring completion of hand seals within four seconds—but Sada had done it in just two. That alone proved his excellence.
"Heh."
The Third Kazekage let out a light grunt and muttered, "Rasa, show them your true power."
On the arena platform.
Facing the incoming rain of shurikens practically upon him, Rasa neither dodged nor avoided, simply standing there with his hands behind his back.
Then, something amazing happened right before their eyes.
"Stop!"
With a soft shout, Rasa slowly raised one hand in a halting gesture. The storm of shurikens abruptly froze midair, as if instantly frozen solid.
Surrounding his body, countless golden sand particles materialized out of nowhere. They coalesced and scattered repeatedly, constantly shifting into different shapes.
This was Rasa's Kekkei Genkai—[Magnet Release: Gold Dust]!
When using Magnet Release, Rasa's chakra emitted magnetism. Any weapon containing metal—be it shurikens, kunais, or ninja blades—became completely ineffective against him.
"Go!"
With a casual wave of his hand,
Hiss!
The skyful of shurikens reversed direction under Rasa's magnetic chakra control, whistling through the air as they hurtled back toward Sada.
Not good!
Sada's expression changed drastically. Once again, he formed the hand seals in a flash before slamming both palms onto the arena floor.
[Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall]!
With a thunderous roar, a towering earthen wall erupted from the arena, blocking in front of Sada and shielding him from the backlash of the Shuriken Shadow Clone technique.
He was temporarily safe.
Just as Sada exhaled in relief, an inexplicable sense of danger struck him.
He quickly looked down—golden sand was surging up from beneath his feet.
Before he could react, Sada was completely wrapped in golden sand like a giant dumpling, leaving only his head exposed.
[Sand Binding Coffin!]
Rasa extended one arm, fingers splayed. From a distance, all he needed to do was clench his fist, and the Golden Sand Funeral would activate—reducing Sada to unrecognizable pieces.
But just then—
*Boom!*
The Sada wrapped in golden sand vanished into a puff of white smoke—revealing it to be merely a Shadow Clone.
"So while I blocked my vision with the Earth Flow Wall, you created a Shadow Clone," Rasa muttered, slightly frowning.
*Whoosh!*
Sada's real body appeared behind Rasa, launching a punch filled with fierce wind straight at him.
Since weapons had failed, Sada now relied on raw speed and brute strength—going straight for hand-to-hand combat.
That was his plan.
However, facing Sada's sudden close-range attack, Rasa remained perfectly calm. His golden sand reacted faster than Sada's fist.
*Bang!*
The punch never hit Rasa—it slammed into a solid shield of golden sand instead.
The very next second,
the surface of the sand shield rippled like flowing water, firing several shrieking golden sand shurikens at Sada.
*Zzzzip!*
Sada wasn't easy prey. He swiftly dodged the assault and retreated back to the edge of the arena.
For a moment, both sides resumed their standoff.
"This fight is mine."
Suddenly smiling at Sada, Rasa extended his right hand and made a grasping motion through the air.
*Hiss!*
At once, intense pain shot through Sada's arm.
Looking down, he spotted countless tiny grains of golden sand silently clinging to his limbs.
"Truthfully, I let you get close on purpose—to allow my sand to stick onto your fists. Once my golden sand enters someone's body, it can completely paralyze them."
Confident in victory, Rasa smiled and asked, "So… do you wish to continue?"
"I surrender."
Fully aware of his predicament, Sada replied bitterly.
This battle hadn't lasted long, yet it was thrilling and far more intense beyond the standard of the typical Chunin Exam matches.
Though seemingly unremarkable, Sada was actually an elite ninja from ROOT, with power matching that of a Jonin.
Still, Rasa—who had activated [Magnet Release]—was simply superior.
[Magnet Release] was a Kekkei Genkai passed down through the bloodline of the Kazekage family. By transforming highly refined chakra in his body into magnetic energy, Rasa could manipulate golden sand to shift into any shape for attack or defense—making it Sunagakure's most terrifying weapon.
"Rasa, well done."
The Third Kazekage's expression carried approval. He had always seen Rasa as his chosen successor.
As for Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo, their expressions were clearly less favorable.
"Who will be next?"
Rasa stood triumphantly atop the arena after defeating Sada, gazing down at the Konoha ninja below.
Everyone exchanged uneasy glances. Though they knew none could match Rasa's strength, for the sake of their honor as ninja, they had no choice but to step forward one by one.
The second challenger was from the Akimichi clan. The moment he entered the fight, he activated his clan's secret techniques—the Expansion Jutsu and Human Bullet Tank. Yet even with these powerful moves, he failed to break through Magnet Release's defenses.
Next came a kunoichi from the Yamanaka clan. As a Sensor-type ninja by nature, she had never been suited for direct combat. True to form, she was quickly defeated by Rasa.
The fourth fighter belonged to the Nara clan. His Shadow Imitation Technique proved equally ineffective against Magnet Release, leaving him no option but to concede defeat.
Fifth was a ninja from the Uchiha clan. He attempted to cast Genjutsu using his Sharingan, only for it to be effortlessly shattered by Rasa's "Third Eye" Gold Dust technique. He fell helplessly in battle.
These famed Konoha clan warriors unleashed every technique they had, yet none could overcome Rasa, who defeated them one after another.
Morale on the Konoha side plummeted, sinking into gloom and despair.
In contrast, Sunagakure's spirits soared after Rasa's five straight victories.
Wait—no.
Not five—six consecutive wins.
Because now only Hiashi Hyuga and… Heiyan remained among the Konoha fighters.
Though Heiyan had not yet entered the battle, no one dared suggest he fight anymore. Facing such a terrifying enemy as Rasa wielding Magnet Release, hesitation was understandable.
After all, he was just a wealthy young master—not a true ninja.
"Rasa…"
Hiashi Hyuga lifted his head, locking eyes with Rasa on the arena platform.
Their intense gazes met like sparks flying through the air.
Rasa aimed to complete the legendary feat of defeating seven opponents in a row, while for Hiashi Hyuga, defeating Rasa meant restoring Konoha's dignity.
The long-awaited clash between two prodigies was finally about to begin.
Yet—just then—
Whoosh!
A sudden figure landed on the battlefield, instantly capturing everyone's shocked attention.
It was Heiyan.
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