The Iron Sand exploded.
It burst apart like a wave of dark water crashing against a wall, scattering in front of the Third Kazekage. Yuji's Blood Style technique had punched clean through the metallic barrier, liquid turning solid on impact with enough force to shatter iron.
Even the Kazekage's expression shifted.
On the sidelines, the reaction was immediate.
"Did you see that? The blood changed from liquid to solid mid-flight. That's how it pierced the Iron Sand. The transformation happened in an instant." A Sunagakure jonin leaned forward, voice sharp with analysis. "Is that chakra-driven? Or inherent to the Kekkei Genkai itself?"
Standing nearby, Rasa stroked his chin in silence.
He'd returned to the village only recently. With Iwagakure's withdrawal, the border had stabilized enough for him to take a short rest. He'd arrived just in time to see Yuji's squad come home, and when word spread that the Kazekage was personally testing the boy's Kekkei Genkai, he'd come to watch.
He knew the basics about Yuji. The blood was his chakra. But what he was seeing now went well beyond the basics.
"Arai," the jonin turned to the captain standing nearby, "Yuji could only do basic blood manipulation before, right? No nature transformation, no formed techniques. Do you know anything about this Blood Release ninjutsu?"
Arai said nothing. Because he didn't have an answer.
For six months in the Land of Grass, he'd watched Yuji use his Kekkei Genkai with increasing flexibility. Simple manipulation. Minor variations. But nothing like this. Not a fully formed ninjutsu.
His eyes drifted instinctively toward Sasori.
Sasori's expression was perfectly calm.
'These two little bastards had been hiding this from him.'
Arai stayed silent.
Around them, other Sand shinobi were picking the technique apart in hushed voices.
"Water nature chakra for the base liquid properties. Earth nature to harden it and shape it..."
"The acceleration isn't wind nature. It's just raw chakra propulsion..."
"Compression, state change, and speed enhancement all in one technique. That's not a raw Kekkei Genkai output. That's a developed ninjutsu."
Chiyo smiled. "In such a short time, he's already developed a Kekkei Genkai ninjutsu. This exceeds our expectations."
Beside her, Ebizo was less surprised. "The boy created his own technique before he was nine. His understanding of ninjutsu fundamentals is exceptional for his age. The Kekkei Genkai is innate; it was only a matter of time before he started combining it with nature transformation and hand seals."
He paused. "He could likely master Water Release on its own if he tried. The water nature in his Blood Release is obvious. But the individual chakra natures are probably integrated through the Kekkei Genkai. Separating them out for standalone use would take proper guidance and time."
On the field, the Third Kazekage finally moved.
His Iron Sand shifted from passive defense to active offense in an instant.
A massive wave of dark metallic cones formed in the air above Yuji, dense and sharp, and swept downward like a flood.
The coverage was total. Almost no room to dodge.
And the cones that missed didn't stop. They dissolved on impact with the ground and spread into black quicksand, covering the entire surface of the training field. Then, from that carpet of iron particles, countless spikes erupted upward, crisscrossing, forming a massive cage of metal thorns with Yuji trapped inside.
Yuji moved frantically within the cage. Leaping, twisting, ducking between spears, finding gaps that barely existed. Even under that crushing offensive, he kept firing blood projectiles at the Kazekage whenever he found a fraction of a second to aim.
But the density was too much.
An iron spike caught his clothing and pinned him midair, suspended and exposed.
In that same instant, the Kazekage used Iron Sand Body Flicker and appeared behind him. A hand settled on the boy's shoulder.
It was over.
"Hehe... as expected of the Kazekage. Truly something else."
Yuji grinned.
When the Third Kazekage decided to attack, it was like being caught in a tidal wave. The range, the speed of transformation, the sheer density of offensive output. There was no room to breathe. No gaps to exploit. This was what Kage-level power actually looked like.
And the man hadn't even been serious.
"Exam passed."
The Kazekage deactivated his ability and brought Yuji down to the ground.
The referee announced the result, and applause erupted from the sidelines. For a ten-year-old genin to force the Kazekage to actively engage was already remarkable. Losing after that was expected. Winning would have been absurd.
Rasa watched from the edge of the crowd as the Kazekage placed his hand on Yuji's shoulder, eyes filled with open admiration.
Then he turned and walked away.
The scene stirred something in him. Yuji today looked like Rasa himself years ago. Standing in that same training field, receiving that same attention from the same man.
Rasa's respect for the Third Kazekage ran deep. His entire path as a shinobi had begun by looking up to this person. As a fellow Kekkei Genkai user with similar abilities, he'd been personally trained by the Third. The Kazekage was his teacher, his model, and the foundation of his beliefs about both the village and the battlefield.
Rasa was, and always had been, a loyal supporter of the Third Kazekage.
And now a boy he'd once sent to the border as a junior had become the village's newest focal point in just two years.
He hadn't expected that.
In terms of raw military contribution among Suna's younger generation, Rasa was still number one. No contest. But watching Yuji's trajectory, the pace of his growth, the breadth of his abilities... if nothing went wrong, the kid's future achievements might rival his own.
"However..."
Rasa furrowed his brow as he walked.
Based on what he'd observed of Yuji, the boy's personality was fundamentally different from both himself and the Third Kazekage. Optimistic, Personable, Popular. All good qualities.
But not the kind of person who would naturally inherit the Third's will and philosophy.
Yuji was a different breed entirely.
Having such a genius in the village was undeniably a good thing. Rasa agreed with that. He was part of the upper echelon now, even if his status and influence were still growing, and he recognized that Yuji could become an important figure for Sunagakure's future.
But worth pinning the village's highest hopes on?
Not yet. Not in Rasa's eyes.
...
BOnus @200 PS