Sasuke understood the moment he looked at her eyes.
The girl's chakra didn't circulate outward. It folded inward, layered and sealed, like a pocket cut out of space itself. Not a summoning. Not a barrier. Storage.
So that was it.
She hadn't hidden the hostages in a location. She had hidden them inside herself.
"Release them," Sasuke said.
His voice was flat. No urgency, no anger.
The girl moved without resistance. A seal flared under her hand, and four shinobi collapsed onto the ground as if dropped from nowhere. Their chakra signatures were intact, only dulled by unconsciousness.
Jūgo, Homura, and the others rushed forward at once. Fingers pressed to necks. Breaths counted. After a moment, shoulders loosened.
Alive.
They looked up at Sasuke.
"Thank you," Homura said.
Sasuke gave no reply.
One by one, the allied teams withdrew from the field. They did not argue. They did not protest the outcome. They had seen the Susanoo earlier. They had felt the pressure of his chakra. None of them believed this was a battle they could finish.
The space cleared.
Then the ground ruptured.
A figure burst upward from below, chakra spiking violently. A blade formed mid-swing, aimed for Sasuke's back, driven by desperation rather than skill.
Sasuke didn't turn.
His wrist flicked.
Two invisible arcs crossed the air.
The man screamed as his arm and leg separated cleanly, blood splashing across shattered stone. He hit the ground hard, howling.
The girl froze.
Sasuke finally faced them.
"You lost," he said. "Including him."
He looked at the fallen man, then back to her.
"The one who told you your blood made you superior. The one who taught you strength meant cruelty."
The girl stared at the severed limbs. Something inside her cracked. Not grief. Collapse.
Her knees gave out. She sat heavily, shaking.
"That's not possible," she whispered. "We were supposed to be the strongest."
Sasuke stepped closer.
"You were lied to."
Silence stretched.
Then he spoke again, quieter.
"If you want strength, choose it yourself. Walk a different path."
He turned away, already done with the matter.
Behind him, she stood.
"I'll go," she said. "With you."
The wounded man screamed obscenities from the ground. She walked past him without slowing and kicked him aside as if clearing debris.
"You always said the weak deserved to be discarded," she said. "So be discarded."
The proctor's voice trembled as it echoed across the ruins.
"The match is… concluded. Team Uchiha Sasuke holds the highest score."
The crowd erupted. Sasuke barely registered it.
Later, during the ceremony, the Fire Daimyō finally appeared, flanked by guards and his daughter. Gold and scrolls changed hands. Applause washed over the square.
Sasuke accepted the prize.
As the man smiled stiffly, Sasuke's voice entered his mind.
You sent men after me last night. Today, you tried again.
The Daimyō's smile twitched. Sweat broke across his brow.
If I wanted, you, your child, and every adviser you trust would vanish as quietly as your palace walls.
This wasn't my order, the man thought frantically. The minister acted alone. Take what you want. Just end this.
Sasuke already knew the truth. He had looked.
The gate stays with me, Sasuke replied. And your daughter comes with us.
The Daimyō's breath hitched.
Seven years, Sasuke added. Then she returns.
The ceremony ended. The crowd cheered.
Sasuke turned away.