"Moonlight Shigure versus Kankurō of Sunagakure!"
When Gekkō Hayate announced the names, Shigure raised his head in mild surprise. His opponent was none other than Kankurō.
Not bad… this is a good chance to see the art of puppetry up close.
In the stands, Gaara suddenly opened his eyes and cast a glance toward Shigure. Though his expression did not shift, there was the faintest hint of disappointment in his gaze.
"Kankurō, be careful," Gaara warned flatly.
Kankurō looked back at his brother in surprise. "I know."
He had already witnessed Shigure's strength before—how could he afford to be careless now? As he stepped into the arena, his eyes locked onto Shigure, who rose calmly to his feet.
Back in Konoha, when they had crossed paths, Kankurō could feel the overwhelming presence this boy carried. Now, standing opposite him, the pressure was even greater.
"Moonlight Shigure?" Kurenai murmured curiously. As a jōnin, she was familiar with the name. Rumors about the boy had spread quickly, but she had never seen him fight in person. Judging from his presence alone, though, Shigure was no ordinary genin.
"I've heard of this brat," Asuma said, crossing his arms. "Didn't Momochi Zabuza mention him a few times?"
Kakashi nodded. "Yes. Zabuza was defeated."
"His kenjutsu is impressive," Guy added seriously. "He even made a stir at the training grounds some time back."
"That was a while ago," Kakashi said with a faint smile. "He's far stronger now than he was back then."
As Kakashi's disciple, Shigure had already drawn attention from many of the senior ninja. His unique sword techniques, his strange palm-based ninjutsu, combined with the battle between Naruto and Sasuke earlier, had made Team 7 the center of attention.
"The first two were monsters," one of the genin whispered. "That Uchiha kid especially—injured or not, he ended the fight in an instant."
"Yeah, but this guy? He's probably a medical ninja, right? Support types don't usually excel in direct combat."
Few genin really understood Shigure. They had no idea how terrifying the boy in front of them truly was.
Shigure stepped down from the viewing platform, his footsteps steady as he approached Hayate.
"Moonlight Shigure… and the examiner, Gekkō Hayate. Looks like they're from the same clan."
"Never heard of the Moonlight Clan," another muttered. "Must be a small family. He can't be that strong."
The ignorant dismissed him. But those who knew better—like Shikamaru and his friends—were tense.
"Finally, it's his turn," Shikamaru muttered. "I wonder how much he's grown since last time."
"Even if he hasn't improved," Chōji replied, "he was terrifying enough to begin with."
Ino's eyes sparkled as she leaned forward. "Come on, Shigure-kun!"
On the other side, Hinata slowly lowered her trembling hand. She had wanted to cheer for him too… but Ino had beaten her to it.
"The match begins!" Hayate called, leaping back to give them space.
But unlike Naruto and Sasuke before him, Shigure didn't rush to attack. He simply stood, gazing calmly at Kankurō.
"Aren't you going to make the first move?" Shigure asked quietly.
Kankurō unstrapped the large bundle on his back, his eyes sharp. "I know you're strong. Until I figure out your abilities, I won't act rashly and put myself at a disadvantage."
It was a sound strategy—calculated and cautious.
But Shigure only sighed.
"If you won't move first…" His hand drifted toward his blade.
"…then I will."
Bang!
Almost at the same moment Shigure's words fell, the wall behind Kankurō shuddered with a thunderous impact.
Gasps echoed around the arena as everyone gripped the guardrail, staring wide-eyed at the wall.
A cluster of kunai had buried themselves deep into the solid earth, their handles quivering, the blades driven so far in that not a single edge was visible.
"What kind of strength is that?" Shikamaru muttered, eyes narrowing. "To throw kunai with that much force…"
Chōji froze mid-bite, chips falling from his hands. "Shigure's really gotten insane."
It was only a hidden weapon throw—yet it carried more raw terror than most ninjutsu attacks.
Kankurō had barely evaded, his heart hammering in his chest.
What monstrous strength… is this guy even human?
Before he could steady himself—
Thunk! Thunk!
Two dull impacts rang out. The audience cried out in shock as they watched Shigure's shuriken pierce straight through Kankurō's body, exiting cleanly before embedding themselves into the wall behind him.
Kankurō stared blankly at Shigure, eyes wide in disbelief.
"Wh—what? Did… did Shigure already finish him?" Neji frowned.
"This is way too fast…" Lee exclaimed, stunned.
Given Shigure's overwhelming speed and the sheer force behind his weapons, any enemy facing him would first have to weather his barrage of projectiles. Just dodging would be exhausting—each strike was lethal.
But Shigure's voice suddenly cut through the murmurs, calm and cold:
"Not coming out yet?"
The audience stilled, confused.
Then Shikamaru's eyes widened in realization. "Wait… there's no blood. That wasn't the real body—it's a puppet!"
Sure enough, the supposed Kankurō—skewered and lifeless—suddenly twitched. His disguise dissolved, and in his place, the puppet Crow stood revealed, its wooden frame jerking unnaturally under the chakra threads shining from Kankurō's fingers.
Kankurō himself stepped forward, his real body emerging, sweat beading on his brow. What unsettled him wasn't the destructive power of Shigure's attack—it was the fact that Shigure had seen through his trick instantly.
The Crow puppet lurched forward under his command, its joints creaking and its eerie, grating laugh echoing through the arena.
"Gigigi…"
In response, Shigure placed his left hand firmly on the hilt of his sheathed blade.
Ninjutsu—Flowing Blade!
Chakra surged through the scabbard like a torrent, the blade threatening to leap free with the force of the release.
As the Crow hurtled toward him, Shigure's eyes narrowed.
In a blur—
One strike.
A gust of wind erupted as the blade flashed free, a streak of black steel carving through the puppet in a single motion. The Crow split apart with a hollow crack, its pieces clattering lifelessly to the ground.
Silence swept the arena.
The audience turned their gaze back to Shigure—standing calm, blade reversed in his grip, already sliding the weapon smoothly back into its scabbard.
The once-fearsome puppet lay in ruins at his feet.
Destroyed with a single blow.
...
TN:
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