Bang!
Another muffled explosion rang out, accompanied by the faint sounds of a shell cracking and bones fracturing.
Karura was sent flying backward like a kite with its string cut. The violent impact detonated across her body, and the shockwave mixed with the residual chakra of the Rasengan swept her up.
She smashed through and plowed across the sand and scattered stones along her path, before finally crashing heavily onto the ground dozens of meters away. She rolled several more times before coming to a stop, most of her figure buried beneath the sky-filling dust and debris that had been kicked up.
In an instant, the entire arena fell into dead silence.
The next moment, like cold water dripping into boiling oil, the stands erupted!
"W-What just happened?!"
"What kind of jutsu was that?! How could it be that powerful?"
"The Sand Shield… was broken?! The absolute defense was broken?!"
"My God! That blade just now was disguised with the Transformation Technique?!"
"A chained strategy! He used that big move to create chaos and drain her, then used the Transformation Technique plus that blue sphere to launch a surprise attack!"
"Incredible! So he'd been hiding such a trump card all along!"
"That blue ball… it feels so dangerous! If you're hit by that, you're finished!"
"Is his mastery of the Transformation Technique that high? He could still conceal a killing move while transformed?"
"Has the match already been decided?!"
Shouts of shock, doubt, frenzied analysis, and incredulous cries intertwined into a deafening roar.
"So it was a no-hand-seal ninjutsu?"
Even Pakura, serving as the referee on the field, showed a rare trace of surprise on her usually cool expression.
She was the closest and had seen it most clearly—the brat from Konohagakure had not formed any hand seals.
"What a pity. Karura's combat experience is still too lacking. Otherwise, that kid's Transformation Technique—with chakra fluctuations that obvious—would never have deceived her."
On the high platform, the Third Kazekage's composure vanished completely. He abruptly rose to his feet, leaning forward as he stared intently at the arena below, now shrouded in dust.
Meanwhile, the Third Hokage remained seated as steady as a mountain, merely saying lightly, "Kazekage-dono, it seems the tenacity of the young truly must not be underestimated."
On the field—
"Cough… cough…"
A faint coughing sound came from within the drifting smoke and dust.
Sand trickled down with a soft rustle. A figure staggered slightly as she slowly stood up.
It was Karura.
The sand armor covering her body had shattered in several places under the previous impact. Now it dissolved into flowing sand, sliding down from her shoulders, arms, and cheeks, before gathering once more under her will and adhering to her body, forming a new—though noticeably thinner—layer of protection.
Her hands hung at an unnatural angle—she had clearly been injured during that block just now. Yet her gaze remained clear, and there was no anger or unwillingness on her face—only the calm that comes after the dust settles, along with a faint… sense of relief.
She lifted her head, her eyes passing through the gradually thinning dust as she looked toward Shinichi on the opposite side, who was likewise catching his breath and adjusting. Then she spoke, clearly and steadily: "Referee, I concede."
She still had the strength to fight. The sand still answered her call.
But she knew very well that, in that lightning-fast, fatal instant just now, he had fully had the chance to drive that dangerous chakra sphere toward her head.
If that happened, then even with the sand armor protecting her, she would still inevitably suffer a heavy injury.
He had chosen to attack the arm she used to block—this was, without a doubt, showing mercy.
By nature she was gentle and disliked fighting. Even though she understood that conceding might disappoint the Third Kazekage, who had placed great hopes in her… still, this was her choice.
Her words of concession spread clearly through the arena, which had abruptly gone quiet.
After a brief silence, murmurs spread like a tide.
"H-He won? That brat from Konohagakure… he actually won?"
"Karura conceded? The absolute defense was broken!"
"What was that last hit, exactly? It was too fast—I couldn't see it!"
The discussion grew louder and louder, filled with disbelief and shock.
At this moment, Pakura, acting as referee, gave a light cough, pressing down the surrounding noise. She stepped forward and announced clearly and formally: "The outcome has been decided. According to the rules, the winner of this grand final is—Higashino Shinichi of Konohagakure!"
After making the announcement, she did not immediately have Shinichi leave the field. Instead, she turned to him and asked directly, "Brat, what was that jutsu just now?"
What a good question!
Shinichi praised her inwardly, but his face showed nothing at all. "It's called the Rasengan."
"Rasengan?" Pakura's heroic brows knit slightly. She searched her memory and confirmed she had no impression of it. "How have I never heard of it? Is it a newly developed ninjutsu by one of your Konohagakure jōnin who specializes in shape transformation?"
Shinichi shook his head, his tone calm yet firm. "It's normal that you haven't heard of it. This jutsu hasn't been around for long, and its developer wasn't a jōnin from the village… it was me."
"What?!"
Pakura's eyes—always cold and sharp—widened abruptly in that instant. Clear astonishment appeared on her cool face, and even her voice rose unconsciously by a notch: "You developed that jutsu?!"
"Correct." Shinichi nodded decisively, offering no further explanation.
The conversation between the two of them was not deliberately lowered; it echoed clearly across the arena, which had only just begun to settle after the announcement of the result.
"Y-You've got to be kidding?! That terrifying blue sphere was invented by that brat from Konohagakure himself?"
"How old is he?! It's one thing for his strength to be that outrageous, but he even created his own ninjutsu? Shouldn't it be some secret technique of Konohagakure instead?"
"He developed such a powerful ninjutsu on his own? How is that possible! Even for a genius…"
"I remember that ninja from Konohagakure is called Higashino Shinichi, right?"
"What kind of monster has Konohagakure produced?!"
The noise that had just subsided erupted once again with even greater force! Exclamations, doubts, and frenzied discussions instantly drowned the stands.
Countless gazes, like spotlights, locked firmly onto the black-haired boy standing in the arena—his figure not tall, even somewhat fatigued, yet at this moment incomparably dazzling.
On the high platform, the Third Kazekage turned to look at the Third Hokage beside him.
"Hokage-dono, is this true?"
At the moment Shinichi admitted it so frankly, the Third Hokage was indeed slightly taken aback, his brows furrowing instinctively.
Regarding the identity of the Rasengan's developer, Konohagakure had deliberately controlled how widely and intensely the information circulated within the village after Shinichi displayed it at the entrance ceremony—both to protect the young genius and to avoid the unnecessary trouble that might come from standing out too prominently.
He had not expected that this child—who had consistently behaved steady, thorough, and somewhat calculating—would reveal it publicly in this setting and in such a manner.
But on second thought, this was a moment of seizing the championship, a victory witnessed by all. For a youth, brimming with spirit and eager to gain broader recognition and praise, it was only natural.
No matter how mature and sensible he appeared, he was still just a nine-year-old child.
Since things had already reached this point, better to go along with the current.
With that thought, the slight calculation in the Third Hokage's mind dispersed. He waved his hand and said to the Third Kazekage in a tone that sounded almost like a complaint about his own mischievous child: "Ah, Kazekage-dono, don't even mention it! When I found out this child had secretly tinkered with such a dangerous ninjutsu all by himself without telling anyone, I was both shocked and angry. I was so worried I couldn't sleep properly for several days. Sigh… he really is a troublesome little fellow."
Upon hearing this, the Third Kazekage's expression stiffened uncontrollably for a brief moment. The corner of his mouth forced out a curve that could barely be considered a response. He let out two dry chuckles, then shifted his gaze back down to the clamorous arena below, saying nothing further.
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