Bang!
Another muffled impact sounded, accompanied by the faint noise of Karura's armor cracking and her bones breaking.
Karura was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string. The violent impact exploded on her body, and the shockwave mixed with the remaining chakra of the Rasengan swept her up.
She smashed and plowed through the sand and gravel along the way, finally crashing heavily to the ground dozens of meters away. She rolled several times before stopping, her figure mostly buried by the dust and gravel that rose up in the air.
In an instant, the entire venue fell silent.
Immediately afterwards, like cold water being poured into boiling oil, the stands exploded!
"What... what happened?!"
"What kind of technique is that?! How can it be so powerful?"
"The Sand Shield... has been broken?! The absolute defense has been broken?!"
"My god! Was that katana a disguise using the Transformation Technique?!"
"A series of schemes! He used that big move to create chaos and exhaust the enemy, then used the Transformation Technique plus that blue ball to launch a surprise attack!"
"This is astonishing! He had been hiding such a trump card all along!"
"That blue ball... it looks so dangerous! Getting hit by it would be the end of me!"
"Is his Transformation Technique really that advanced? Can he even hide a deadly move while transforming?"
"Has the outcome already been decided?!"
Exclamations, doubts, fervent analyses, and incredulous shouts intertwined to create a deafening roar.
"It's actually a Ninjutsu without hand seals?"
Even Pakura, who was acting as the referee on the field, showed obvious surprise for the first time on his usually aloof face.
She was closest and could see it most clearly; that brat from Konoha hadn't formed any hand seals.
"Unfortunately, Karura's combat experience is still too limited; otherwise, that kid's Transformation Technique with such obvious chakra fluctuations wouldn't have been able to deceive her at all."
On the high platform, the composure on the third Kazekage's face vanished completely. He suddenly stood up, leaned forward, and stared intently at the arena below, which was shrouded in dust.
Meanwhile, the third Hokage remained seated as calmly as a mountain, simply saying, "Kazekage, it seems that the resilience of young people is indeed not to be underestimated."
in the field.
"Cough... cough... cough..."
A soft coughing sound came from the billowing smoke.
Sand slid down, and a figure staggered slightly as she slowly stood up.
It was Karura.
The Sand Shield covering her body had shattered considerably from the impact and was now turning into quicksand, sliding off her shoulders, arms, and cheeks.
Under her will, it would gather again and adhere to her body, forming a new, slightly thin layer of protection.
Her hands hung limply at her sides, clearly injured from the parry, but her eyes remained clear, and her face showed no anger or resentment, only a calm after the dust had settled, and a hint of... relief.
She raised her head, her gaze piercing through the dissipating dust to meet Shinichi's gaze, who was also catching his breath, as she spoke clearly and steadily: "Referee, I concede."
She still had the strength to fight, and the sand still answered her call.
But she knew very well that in that split second of that fatal moment, her opponent had a perfect opportunity to push that dangerous chakra ball toward her head.
Even with the Sand Shield protecting her, she would still inevitably suffer severe damage.
The opponent chose to attack her blocking arm, which was undoubtedly a sign of mercy.
She was gentle by nature and disliked fighting. Although she knew that her surrender might disappoint the third Kazekage, who had placed high hopes on her, this was her choice.
The words of surrender clearly echoed throughout the suddenly silent arena.
After a brief silence, whispers spread like a tide.
"He won? That kid from Konoha... he actually won?"
"Karura actually admitted defeat? Her absolute defense has been broken!"
"What was that last move? It was too fast, I didn't see it clearly!"
The discussion grew louder and louder, filled with disbelief and shock.
At this moment, Pakura, acting as the referee, cleared her throat, silencing the surrounding noise, stepped forward, and announced clearly and formally: "The outcome is decided. According to the rules, the winner of this final is Shinichi Higashino of Konoha!"
After making the announcement, she didn't immediately let Shinichi leave the stage. Instead, she turned to him and asked directly, "Kid, what was that Ninjutsu you just used?"
That's a good question!
Shinichi mentally gave it a thumbs up, but showed no sign of it on his face: "It's called Rasengan."
"Rasengan?"
Pakura's eyebrows furrowed slightly as she searched his memory, confirming that she had no recollection of it. "How come I've never heard of it before? Is it a new Ninjutsu developed by one of your Konoha's Jonin who is proficient in Change in Chakra Form?"
Shinichi shook his head, his tone calm yet firm: "It's normal that you haven't heard of it, senior, because this technique is relatively new, and its developer wasn't a Jonin from the village... but me."
"What?!"
Pakura's usually cold eyes widened suddenly, a look of astonishment appeared on her cool face, and even her voice rose slightly involuntarily: "You developed this Ninjutsu?!"
"Exactly."
Shinichi nodded firmly, offering no further explanation.
Their conversation, which they did not deliberately lower their voices, clearly echoed in the arena, which had just calmed down slightly after the announcement of the winner.
"Are you kidding me?! That terrifying blue ball, that Konoha kid invented it himself?"
"How old is he?! His strength is already ridiculously high, and he even created his own Ninjutsu? Shouldn't it be said to be a Hidden Jutsu of Konoha?"
"Developing such a powerful Ninjutsu on his own? How is that possible! Even a genius couldn't..."
"I remember this Konoha ninja is named Shinichi Higashino, right?"
"What kind of monster has emerged in Konoha?!"
The commotion that had just subsided erupted with even greater force! Exclamations, doubts, and frenzied discussions instantly engulfed the stands.
Countless gazes, like spotlights, were fixed on the black-haired boy in the arena, who was not tall, even somewhat tired, but at this moment appeared incredibly dazzling.
On the high platform, the third Kazekage looked at the third Hokage beside him.
"Third Hokage, is this true?"
When Shinichi frankly admitted it, the third Hokage was indeed slightly taken aback and subconsciously frowned.
Regarding the developer of the Rasengan, he, out of a desire to protect young geniuses and avoid unnecessary trouble that might arise from standing out too much, decided to suppress it.
After Shinichi presented it at the opening ceremony, he intentionally controlled the spread and popularity of the news within the village.
He never expected that Shinichi, a child who had always appeared calm, thoughtful, and shrewd, would reveal his true nature to the public in this setting and in this manner.
But on second thought, this was, after all, a moment of victory in the spotlight, a time when young people are full of vigor and eager to gain wider recognition and praise, which is only natural.
No matter how mature and sensible he may seem, he is still just a nine-year-old child.
Since things have come to this, let's just go with the flow.
Thinking of this, the third Hokage's slight resentment vanished. He waved his hand and said to the third Kazekage in a tone as if complaining about his own mischievous child: "Oh, third Kazekage, don't even mention it! When I found out that this child had secretly devised such a dangerous Ninjutsu all by himself, I was both shocked and angry. I was so worried that I couldn't sleep for days. Sigh, what a troublesome little fellow."
Upon hearing this, the third Kazekage's expression involuntarily stiffened slightly. He managed a forced smile, gave a dry chuckle, and then looked away, returning his gaze to the noisy arena below, saying nothing more.