Lost in his thoughts, Shinichi unknowingly arrived back at the entrance of the camp.
"What a hardworking little brat," a loud, booming voice echoed from the shadows to his side.
"Lord Jiraiya," Shinichi stopped walking, turned toward the voice, and offered a calm greeting.
He had actually noticed the presence long before Jiraiya spoke. Buffed by the [Spiritual Perception] trait, his sixth sense and acute awareness of his surroundings far exceeded those of ordinary people. Even without learning systematic sensory ninjutsu, his ability to detect a gaze or a hidden presence was incredibly sharp.
Jiraiya hadn't deliberately hidden his presence, so before Shinichi even stepped foot into the camp, he had felt the evaluating gaze land squarely on him.
"Absolute, top-tier talent, and more importantly, an unwavering, relentless willpower. No wonder the old man values you so highly..." Jiraiya stepped out of the shadows, his arms crossed, his tone laced with genuine admiration.
"I am merely doing my duty. It is Lord Third who is too generous and forgiving," Shinichi slightly lowered his head, his tone humble but not overly submissive.
"Alright, alright, you don't need to pile on the praise for that old man," Jiraiya waved his hand. Suddenly, a mysterious, almost conspiratorial smile broke across his face. He looked around shiftily, then lowered his voice.
"Come here. I want to show you something cool."
Hm?
A question mark popped up in Shinichi's head, but he complied and walked over.
Jiraiya chuckled mischievously, then extended his right hand. His eyes sharpened, and the air just above his palm seemed to warp slightly. Azure chakra rapidly surged, spiraling and condensing. In the blink of an eye, a fist-sized, perfectly stable, and brilliantly glowing sphere of chakra materialized. It hovered steadily above his palm, emitting a low, vibrating hum of raw energy.
The Rasengan!
"Well? How about that? Pretty amazing, right, kid?!" Jiraiya gleefully waved his hand, the chakra sphere rotating steadily along with it. The pale blue light illuminated the childish, show-off expression on his face. "It only took me three days! Three days to completely master your jutsu!"
The distant campfire flickered, reflecting in Shinichi's slightly widened eyes on his otherwise perfectly calm face.
He was indeed a little surprised—but not because Jiraiya had learned the Rasengan, nor because he had mastered it in just three days.
He was surprised because this legendary Sannin was currently acting exactly like a child who had just gotten a brand-new toy and couldn't wait to show it off.
Shinichi quickly collected his expression and nodded earnestly. "As expected of Lord Jiraiya. That is truly incredible. It took me a very long time to conceptualize and develop this jutsu."
"Heh, well, that's because I was standing on your shoulders," Jiraiya admitted frankly. He clenched his fist, and the Rasengan silently dissipated.
He rubbed his chin, his gaze turning much more serious and analytical as he looked at Shinichi. "But you really are something else, kid. To come up with the concept for a seal-less ninjutsu like this, and then successfully put it into practice step-by-step... the old man wasn't wrong to call you a genius. But more importantly, you're willing to put in the grueling hard work."
He paused, his eyes sweeping over Shinichi, noting the lingering sharpness and traces of sweat from his recent training session. "I've seen far too many people rely solely on their talent and eventually slack off. Do your best in these exams. Let me see if the creator of the Rasengan is just as monstrous in other areas."
With that, he slapped Shinichi heavily on the shoulder. Instantly reverting to his usual, lazy demeanor, he ambled casually toward the campfire in the center of the camp, acting as if the enthusiastic man excitedly showing off a jutsu just seconds ago was an entirely different person.
Tch. Didn't even offer a jutsu in return. Just straight-up free-riding, huh? Shinichi stood there, watching Jiraiya's retreating back while complaining internally.
Several days later, at the edge of a seemingly endless sea of golden sand, a starkly different, dark silhouette finally appeared on the horizon.
It was a massive settlement built directly into colossal rock formations. The giant emblem of the Hidden Sand Village was carved deeply into the towering cliffs, looking solemn and unyielding under the scorching sun.
They had arrived at the Hidden Sand Village.
---
Over the following days, the exams proceeded methodically.
They navigated the written test and the brutal scroll-snatching survival battle in the Demon Desert. Even though they faced highly targeted, coordinated ambushes from the Sand shinobi during the survival phase, the rock-solid strength and flawless teamwork of Shinichi, Kosuke, and Might Duy easily secured their place in the final tournament.
A month later, inside the Hidden Sand Village's largest combat arena.
The stadium was deafeningly loud, the stands packed to absolute capacity. The audience didn't just consist of local Sand residents; numerous wealthy merchants and officials from the Land of Wind had flocked to witness the grand event. The sheer volume of the roaring crowd threatened to tear through the sun-baked air.
The participants who made it to the final tournament were predominantly from Konoha and the Sand.
The tournament brackets seemed highly deliberate—pitting Konoha's participants against each other to force early internal attrition and eliminate their forces before facing the Sand.
The very first match was Shinichi Higashino against Kosuke Maruboshi.
However, before the match even officially started, Kosuke directly announced his forfeit, citing "acclimatization issues and physical discomfort." This blatant move instantly drew a massive chorus of dissatisfied boos from the stands.
Up in the VIP viewing box, the Third Kazekage leaned over to the Third Hokage, who was sitting beside him with perfect composure. His voice wasn't loud, but it was clear enough for the surrounding dignitaries to hear.
"Lord Hokage, that shinobi of yours... seems quite unusual. Given his age and the strength he displayed earlier, he hardly seems like an ordinary Genin. Did your village perhaps deliberately disguise an elite Jonin to participate in this exam?"
His tone was mild, but the underlying accusation was razor-sharp. The Kazekage had paid special attention to Kosuke during the preliminary rounds. That level of seasoned, ruthless experience and effortless power absolutely belonged to the realm of a Jonin.
Is Konoha really so desperate to secure first place that they would throw away all their dignity? The Kazekage sneered internally.
He had specifically arranged this matchup to force Konoha's hand: would they completely abandon their pride to protect a veteran ringer for the sake of the championship, or would they sacrifice him to protect the younger, clearly high-potential Shinichi Higashino?
Hearing this, the Third Hokage's face remained adorned with his usual, gentle smile. He unhurriedly took a long drag from his pipe before speaking slowly.
"You must be joking, Lord Kazekage. Kosuke's identity and service record are perfectly documented in Konoha. He is unquestionably a Genin. I can personally guarantee that fact."
Then, his tone seamlessly shifted. His gaze drifted casually toward the Sand's waiting area. "Speaking of which, that young kunoichi of yours—the one who manipulates sand and possesses an impenetrable defense—has also displayed truly astonishing capabilities. I couldn't help but wonder if she might actually be a highly skilled Jonin from your village, simply changing her outfit to give the younger generation some pointers."
The Third Kazekage's expression didn't change as he offered a faint smile. "You worry too much, Lord Hokage. Karura is a genuine, certified Genin of our village. I can also personally guarantee that fact to you."
He wasn't entirely lying.
Since graduating from the Academy, Karura had primarily worked a desk job inside the Kazekage's administration building. She was absolutely not an active-duty combat shinobi.
However, perhaps due to her inherently kind nature, or the trauma of witnessing her parents' deaths at a young age, she had awakened a highly unique Kekkei Genkai.
She could infuse her chakra into sand, manipulating it flawlessly for both offense and defense. Her defensive capabilities, in particular, moved entirely according to her will, forming a "Shield of Sand" that was hailed as an absolute defense.
In order to absolutely guarantee that the Hidden Sand would secure the top spot on their home turf, the Third Kazekage had specifically reinstated her active shinobi status and deployed this highly unconventional, ultimate weapon.
Originally, after witnessing the sheer power and scale of Kosuke Maruboshi's Water Style, the Kazekage had harbored significant anxiety about securing the championship.
But now, with Kosuke's voluntary withdrawal, the heavy stone weighing on his heart was finally lifted.
The two remaining Konoha participants posed no threat. Shinichi Higashino clearly possessed exceptional talent, but he was simply too young; he lacked the necessary refinement.
The other, Might Duy, was a severely unbalanced shinobi who only knew taijutsu. Against Karura's omnidirectional, absolutely flawless sand defense, a taijutsu specialist was completely useless.
In the Kazekage's eyes, neither of them had the slightest chance of breaking Karura's defensive line. The championship was already firmly in the Sand's pocket.
You cunning old ghost!
The two old foxes exchanged a brief, fleeting glance. While their faces maintained perfectly polite smiles, they simultaneously cursed each other internally.