The Three Strongest Emerge
Shirō had planned this for a long time. After returning to the Village, he intended to hand over a portion of his "magic" to Konoha—enough to show loyalty and provide an explanation for the origin of his abilities.
Even if the Third Hokage and the others didn't fully value what he offered, the gesture would make his stance clear, building trust and possibly earning him better training opportunities in the future.
Perhaps he was being a little presumptuous, but he wouldn't be losing anything. These magical techniques weren't invented by him, and they were never something he could claim sole ownership of—they had always existed freely in his world. And without magic circuits, no one in this world could fully harness their potential anyway.
It was like the Secret Techniques of Konoha's great clans—while the Village had access to many jutsu, the most important "core" was always kept within the clan. Outsiders couldn't use them at full power.
That was why Shirō had chosen to gradually reveal his magic after his strength had improved. Sooner or later, hiding it would arouse suspicion. Better to offer it up openly and gain goodwill than be seen as an unknown danger.
It always pays to be cautious.
But that would come after the tournament. Right now, the goal was to win.
When Rasa crashed to the ground, Shirō dispelled the Projection of his Noble Phantasm, drawing a kunai and closing the distance in an instant. He didn't kill him—just pressed the cold steel to Rasa's neck.
Rasa exhaled, bitter but calm. "I lost."
He had no choice. Even a ninja would be injured from that fall, and with a kunai at his throat, further resistance was pointless.
"Thanks for the match," Shirō replied, performing the reconciliation seal before leaving the arena.
Back in the stands, Shirō turned his attention to the next bout—Sasori vs. Watanabe Akira. The winner would face Kitsuchi to decide the qualifier.
Sasori entered with his usual calm expression, but this time, he brought out his puppets—and not just one or two. He controlled five at once.
For someone their age, it was terrifying. Most experienced puppeteers struggled to manage more than three at a time. Sasori, however, was the grandson of Chiyo, whose mastery of combined puppet tactics was famous across the Hidden Sand. The way his puppets moved in perfect coordination showed that her teachings had taken root.
Watanabe Akira's defense was steady, his body reinforced by the Earth Release: Hardening Technique, but Sasori's coordinated assault was relentless. It didn't take long for Akira to realize he was being overwhelmed.
If the match dragged on, Sasori would win easily. So Akira made his choice—he'd go all in to destroy as many puppets as possible, even if it cost him the match, to give Kitsuchi an advantage later.
He broke out of the encirclement with a swift retreat, forming rapid hand seals.
"Earth Release: Added-Weight Rock Technique!"
With his strength suddenly boosted, he lunged forward and smashed one of Sasori's puppets apart with a single punch.
Sasori's brow furrowed—he'd seen Akira's intent. He quickly pulled his remaining puppets back and shifted to long-range attacks.
Akira countered by switching to Earth Release: Light-Weight Rock Technique, surging forward with blinding speed, then swapping back to the Added-Weight Rock Technique mid-strike to shatter another puppet.
Even so, Sasori's skill was no less frightening. Two scrolls flicked open, releasing replacement puppets to reinforce his lines, preventing Akira from ever reaching Sasori himself.
Chakra depletion finally caught up to Akira. He destroyed three more puppets before being brought down, leaving Sasori with only three in working order and forcing him to expend considerable effort.
Then it was Kitsuchi's turn. The two formed the seal of confrontation, and without a word, Kitsuchi began weaving hand seals.
"Earth Release: Golem Technique!"
A massive clay giant rose from the earth, shielding him from Sasori's first volley. Kitsuchi followed up with Earth Release: Added-Weight Rock Technique, causing the golem to grow heavier and more compact, each step making the ground tremble.
Climbing onto its shoulder, Kitsuchi advanced steadily. Sasori's puppets swarmed forward, but against something that size—and density—they were useless. His poison couldn't act fast enough, and his weapons couldn't pierce the armor-like clay.
Seeing no path to victory without sacrificing his remaining puppets, Sasori conceded.
At this stage, Kitsuchi's combination of the Golem Technique and the Added-Weight Rock Technique was simply overwhelming. Few genin-level jutsu could match its destructive power.
If Shirō had already mastered his Thousand-Faced Wind technique, paired with his "bloodthirsty demoness" weapon, he might have had a direct counter. But he hadn't had time to train it—his focus had been on the exams.
Minato, however, was a different story. His raw speed, coupled with the Flying Thunder God Technique, meant the golem couldn't touch him, and he could deliver precision strikes at will.
Still, Shirō doubted Kitsuchi would use the same tactic against him or Minato, knowing their speed advantage. But they needed a backup plan just in case.
When Shirō woke that evening from a much-needed nap, he found Minato and the others in the living room, deep in discussion. They decided:
If Shirō faced Kitsuchi before Minato, Minato should hold back on using Flying Thunder God, conserving its element of surprise. If Minato fought first, he'd do the same for Shirō. In the end, whoever fought Minato would lose—because Minato was the ace.
The priority was ensuring Konoha's final victory. And with two of their own already in the qualifiers, the odds were in their favor.