Fierce Battle
Not to mention Watanabe Akira, who was no less formidable than Iwagakure's Kitsuchi. Although Shirō had never seen Watanabe in the original plot, that was only because the Naruto manga and anime centered on the main characters. What appears on-screen is only a fraction of the real shinobi world.
Just because a person didn't show up in canon didn't mean they didn't exist.
In this Chūnin Exam, aside from Namikaze Minato, no one could claim certain victory.
Of course, even Minato's Flying Thunder God Technique worked best the first time—once an opponent understood it, the advantage decreased significantly.
Still, no matter how formidable the competition, the battles had to begin.
Half a month later, the third round of assessments arrived. Shirō was called first.
The exam site was a temporary arena built in Sunagakure. Though temporary, it rivaled Konoha's examination grounds in quality. This wasn't the time for frugality—hosting shinobi from multiple villages meant prestige was on the line. As one of the Five Great Nations, Suna would not risk ridicule over a shoddy arena.
The circular arena was surrounded by high sandstone walls, with tiered seating for the spectators—most of them jōnin. The leaders of each village sat alongside the Third Kazekage, their positions aligned with the two contestant entrances.
Shirō didn't feel stage fright. In his previous life, he had been an accomplished student and competed in many events. While this was his first martial arts match, the crowd didn't faze him.
"The third round of the Chūnin Exams begins! Contestants Heijō Masamura and Emiya Shirō, enter the arena!"
Shirō rose, stepping into the hot Suna sun. His opponent, Heijō Masamura, waited on the opposite side.
"Form the Seal of Confrontation," the referee ordered.
They pressed their hands together in the seal.
"Very well. You know the rules—begin!" The referee vanished in a puff of smoke via Body Flicker.
The smoke was Shirō's signal. He surged forward, drawing the weapons hidden in his wrist guards.
"Strengthening—commence!"
Blue magical circuits flared across the twin blades—his own projection of Dryn Mo Xie. These were replicas, lacking any Noble Phantasm effects, but modeled after Archer's imagined version—C-rank, efficient, and perfect for extended combat.
He had chosen them for their low projection cost and deadly combination technique—the Crane Wing Threefold Strike. Today's fight was the perfect chance to familiarize himself with their flow.
But Heijō was no amateur. He leapt back, iron sand erupting from under his overcoat, swirling toward Shirō like a living storm.
Forced on the defensive, Shirō's twin blades blurred, cutting through wave after wave of iron sand. The metallic dust hissed apart under his chakra-empowered strikes, each swing dispersing the enemy's control over it.
From the stands, Tai yi and the others stared wide-eyed.
"Since when could Shirō use swords like that?"
Nakamura's jaw tightened. "First time I'm seeing it too. When he asked me to help make those weapons, I thought he just wanted to mess with Heijō…"
In the other stands, shinobi from different villages exchanged looks. Even the Third Kazekage's sharp eyes noted the precision in Shirō's movements. Cutting through iron sand required a precise release of chakra at the exact point of contact—a skill famously mastered by Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo.
The Kazekage's fist briefly tightened… then relaxed. With Konoha's Elder Homura Mitokado here, attempting anything reckless would be suicidal. Even killing a lesser Konoha shinobi would risk open war; killing this boy outright wasn't worth it.
Smiling thinly, he said, "Elder Mitokado, your village certainly breeds talent."
Homura chuckled, masking his own surprise. "Merely a few tricks—hardly comparable to your village's bloodline abilities."
Privately, however, Homura was unsettled. Few in Konoha could match this level of precision. He had already ruled out the possibility of Shirō being an infiltrator—his family history had been thoroughly vetted, especially after his interactions with Kushina Uzumaki. Still, Homura made a subtle hand sign, signaling the ANBU to keep their guard up.
On the arena floor, Shirō pressed forward, looking for an opening. The fight had become a war of attrition. Heijō's magnet release was powerful, but every slash cost Shirō chakra as well, and his reserves weren't infinite.
"Give it up," Heijō taunted. "You can't beat Sunagakure's Magnet Release—the strongest in the shinobi world!"
Shirō's eyes narrowed. "Strongest? Don't flatter yourself. Even the Third Tsuchikage's Dust Release could erase it in an instant. And no matter how strong the jutsu, it all depends on the shinobi wielding it!"
He readjusted his grip on the twin blades. It was time to break this stalemate.