THUD!
Another heavy impact rang out—followed by the sharp, sickening crack of breaking sand armor and bone.
Karura was blasted backward like a ragdoll. The raw force of the Giant Rasengan detonated against her crossed arms, the leftover spiral chakra whipping around her like a storm. She smashed through sand and shattered stone, tumbling dozens of meters before slamming into the ground and rolling several more times. Dust and debris buried half her body.
For one stunned heartbeat, the entire stadium went dead silent.
Then it exploded.
"What the hell just happened?!"
"What was that jutsu?! How did it hit that hard?!"
"The Shield of Sand… actually broke? Absolute Defense—broken?!"
"Holy shit—that sword throw was a Substitution feint?!"
"He set it up perfectly! Used the big move to create chaos and drain her, then Substitution + that blue orb for the kill shot!"
"Insane! He was holding that back the whole time!"
"That blue sphere… felt like pure death. Getting tagged by it would've been game over!"
"His Substitution mastery is that good? He hid a lethal follow-up while transforming?"
"So… it's over? He actually won?!"
The stands erupted—gasps, shouts, frantic analysis, disbelief crashing together into a roaring wave.
"No hand seals?"
Even Pakura, the icy referee standing closest, let her usual cold mask crack. Her eyes widened in clear shock.
She had the best view. That Leaf kid never formed a single seal.
"Too bad Karura still lacks real combat experience," she muttered. "Otherwise that obvious chakra flare during the Substitution would never have fooled her."
Up in the VIP box, the Third Kazekage's calm expression shattered. He shot to his feet, leaning forward, staring down at the dust-choked arena.
Beside him, the Third Hokage remained seated, still puffing his pipe. He spoke mildly, almost apologetically.
"Lord Kazekage, it seems the resilience of the young really can exceed even our expectations."
Down on the field, a weak cough cut through the settling dust.
"Cough… cough…"
Sand slid away. A figure rose unsteadily.
Karura.
Her sand armor had shattered in several places during the impact. Loose grains poured off her shoulders, arms, and cheeks—then, at her silent command, flowed back and reformed into a thinner, patchwork layer of protection.
Her arms hung awkwardly at her sides, clearly injured from the block. Yet her eyes stayed clear, her face calm. There was no anger, no resentment—just quiet acceptance… and a faint trace of relief.
She lifted her head, gaze piercing the thinning dust to meet Shinichi, who was also catching his breath across the arena.
"Referee," she said, voice steady and clear. "I forfeit."
She still had fight left. The sand still answered her call.
But she knew the truth. In that razor-sharp instant, Shinichi could have driven the Giant Rasengan straight into her head. Even with her sand armor, she would have been gravely wounded—or worse.
Instead, he chose to strike her blocking arms. A deliberate act of mercy.
Karura had never enjoyed fighting. She understood her surrender might disappoint the Third Kazekage, who had placed such high hopes in her. But this was her choice.
Her words rang clearly across the suddenly hushed arena.
A beat of silence.
Then the whispers turned into a tidal wave.
"He… he won? That Leaf kid actually won?!"
"Karura forfeited? The Absolute Defense got broken!"
"What was that last move? It was too fast—I couldn't even see!"
The murmurs swelled, thick with disbelief and awe.
Pakura cleared her throat, silencing the noise. She stepped forward and announced in a crisp, official tone:
"The match is decided. By the rules of the finals, the winner is—Shinichi Higashino of Konoha!"
After the declaration, she didn't dismiss him immediately. Instead, she turned to Shinichi and asked directly, "Kid, what was that jutsu?"
Perfect timing.
Shinichi gave a mental thumbs-up, keeping his face composed.
"It's called the Rasengan."
"Rasengan?" Pakura's sharp brows knitted together as she searched her memory. Nothing. "I've never heard of it. Is this a new Konoha technique developed by one of your elite Jonin specializing in shape transformation?"
Shinichi shook his head, tone calm but certain.
"You wouldn't have heard of it yet, ma'am. It's brand new. And the developer… wasn't a Jonin."
Pakura's always-cool eyes widened. For the first time, genuine astonishment broke through her icy demeanor. Her voice rose slightly.
"You developed it?!"
"Yes," Shinichi nodded simply, offering no extra explanation.
Their exchange hadn't been whispered. Every word carried clearly across the arena, which had just begun to quiet after the victory announcement.
"He… he's joking, right?! That terrifying blue orb—that Leaf kid invented it himself?!"
"How old is he?! His strength is already ridiculous, and now he's creating his own jutsu? Shouldn't this be some secret Konoha technique?!"
"Self-developed a jutsu with that much power? That's impossible! Even for a genius…"
"I think the Leaf guy's name is Shinichi Higashino, right?"
"What kind of monster did Konoha just produce?!"
The stands detonated again—this time with even greater force. Shouts, questions, and frenzied discussion swallowed the entire stadium.
Countless eyes locked onto the black-haired boy in the arena like spotlights. He wasn't tall. He looked tired. Yet in that moment, he shone brighter than anyone else.
Up in the VIP box, the Third Kazekage turned to the Third Hokage.
"Lord Hokage… is this true?"
The Third Hokage had felt a tiny flicker of surprise when Shinichi openly admitted it. Internally, Konoha had deliberately limited the spread of information about the Rasengan's creator—both to protect the young genius and to avoid drawing unwanted attention.
He hadn't expected the boy—who usually played things so carefully—to reveal it here, in this spotlight moment.
But then again… he was still only nine. Winning the championship in front of the entire Sand Village and half the ninja world, it was only natural for a kid to want the recognition.
The Third Hokage's brief calculation vanished. He waved a hand casually, adopting the tone of a fond but exasperated grandfather complaining about his troublemaking grandson.
"Ah, don't even get me started, Lord Kazekage. When I first learned this boy had secretly developed such a dangerous jutsu behind everyone's back, I was both shocked and furious. Couldn't sleep for days worrying about him. Sigh. What a handful that kid is."
The Third Kazekage's face stiffened. He forced a dry "Heh heh," then turned his gaze back to the roaring arena without another word.
The boy in the center of it all—Shinichi Higashino—stood quietly, letting the thunderous cheers wash over him.
Inside, a faint, satisfied smile curved his lips.
Perfect.