In the stands, after the initial gasps of amazement, a murmur of helplessness and shock gradually rose: "This is way too hard!?"
"Just like the previous matches, her opponent simply can't break through her defense! All attacks are blocked. How are they supposed to fight like this?"
"As expected of the ninja who was known to have an absolute defense."
"What a pity. That Konoha kid is so fast and has such good tactics, but he just can't break through the defense and has no chance to get close."
"The difference in strength is still obvious. That female ninja didn't even move more than a few steps. She was completely crushing the opponent with her chakra and Hidden Jutsus."
"It seems the battle is pretty much decided..."
On the high platform, the third Kazekage looked at the seemingly deadlocked situation in the arena, which was actually firmly under Karura's control, and his expression became more and more composed.
He turned his head slightly and said to the third Hokage beside him, "Third Hokage, this young ninja from your village is indeed quite good in terms of tactical execution and adaptability. His willpower is also commendable. However, in the face of an absolute difference in strength, technique is ultimately... appears somewhat powerless."
The third Hokage continued to smoke with a smile, his expression unchanged. He calmly replied, "What you say is quite right, Kazekage. However, the outcome is still uncertain. The resilience of young people can sometimes exceed our expectations. Let's just wait and see."
On the field, after dodging another sandstorm from the side, Shinichi suddenly retreated, instantly creating a distance of more than fifty meters between himself and Karura.
He then stomped his right foot heavily on the ground to steady himself, took a deep breath, and his chakra began to vibrate and boil violently in a unique and violent rhythm!
The surrounding air trembled, and tiny pebbles and dust were swept up by an invisible force field, beginning to slowly rotate around him.
This is a sign that the Leaf Dragon God is about to be activated!
For the first time, a serious expression appeared between Karura's gentle brows. She had watched Shinichi's previous matches, recognized the starting stance, and clearly remembered the devastating power of this move.
She thought that Shinichi had been greatly exhausted in the previous fierce battle with his companion and wouldn't be able to use this move again, but it seems she was wrong...
But this is undoubtedly his most threatening move, and she absolutely cannot let the opponent complete it successfully!
She held nothing back, quickly bringing her hands together and unleashing her full chakra.
"Sand Shower!"
The large amount of sand that had been suspended in the air around her and was ready to be used at any time was instantly mobilized. It was highly condensed and compressed in the air, turning into countless sand bullets that were harder than iron. They poured down on Shinichi's head and upper body vital areas like a rainstorm!
It was extremely fast, covered a wide area, and had a clear objective: To interrupt his accumulation and gathering of power!
However, the invisible energy wave generated by the high concentration and rotation of chakra within his body had already begun to take shape.
As soon as the incoming sand bullets entered the range of the gust, it was as if they had struck an incredibly resilient elastic wall. Their trajectories were deflected and slowed, and ultimately they were swept up and flung aside by the rotating airflow, unable to penetrate the increasingly powerful energy field.
Karura's eyes narrowed, knowing that the remote interference was ineffective. Without further hesitation, she slammed her palms forward and onto the ground!
"Sand Tsunami!"
A massive amount of chakra surged into the ground like ripples, instantly engulfing the entire arena!
The solid rock ground, to everyone's disbelief, began to visibly turn into sand, centered on Karura!
The hard rock layers softened and crumbled, turning into quicksand. In just three seconds, the entire arena had become a constantly flowing and sinking desert!
Her intention was clear: To use this sand domain, which she completely controlled, to bind Shinichi's feet from below, interrupt his next sprint and leap, or even swallow and bury him!
Unfortunately, just before the quicksand spread, Shinichi had already finished charging up his power!
This further exposed Karura's lack of combat experience and precise control over timing, as she failed to interrupt Shinichi's charge-up twice in a row.
If she truly possessed the combat experience of a Jonin, it would be difficult for Shinichi to successfully unleash the Leaf Dragon God.
On the field, Shinichi stomped his foot hard, and the ground, which was not yet completely sandy, suddenly exploded!
Using this recoil force, he was lifted into the air, his body spinning rapidly in mid-air!
Whoosh!
A powerful, solid azure chakra erupted and swept upwards!
The surrounding air currents instantly expanded and solidified, completely expelling the sand and gravel. A majestic and ferocious blue dragon head suddenly appeared at the front of the spinning hurricane, emitting a silent roar!
The Leaf Dragon God descends once more!
Below, Karura's Sand Tsunami was complete, and the entire desert was boiling under her will.
Facing the azure dragon that charged down from mid-air with destructive force, she raised her hands slightly, her eyes calm and resolute.
"Giant Sand Burial!"
Rumble!
At this moment, all the sand transformed and controlled by her chakra was mobilized!
Like a slumbering yellow ocean thoroughly enraged, towering sand waves surged upward in reverse, far surpassing any previous attack in scale, as if intending to bury the entire sky. With the terrifying momentum of entombing all things, it directly met the plunging azure dragon!
The azure hurricane of destruction and the yellow sea of burial!
The next instant, they collided head-on without any fancy moves!
Rumble!
An indescribable, terrifying roar erupted, like a thunderclap from a clear sky!
A blinding white light and surging energy turbulence erupted from the center of the collision. The violent shockwave, mixed with shredded sand, chakra remnants, and rock dust pulverized by the impact, instantly formed a huge, rolling, and rising gray-yellow dust cloud.
It suddenly expanded like a small mushroom cloud, completely engulfing most of the arena!
Vision was completely blocked, and even the boundary walls were trembling and humming violently.
At the very moment when vision was blocked and perception thrown into chaos...
Whoosh!
A cold flash of light tore through the dust curtain, shooting out from the chaotic center. It was a sharp katana, moving at extreme speed, its tip pointing directly at Karura.
Karura frowned slightly, but remained calm despite her surprise.
The sand in front of her had already risen automatically, and the familiar Sand Shield quickly solidified, ready to intercept this seemingly desperate attack.
The katana arrived in an instant, about to crash heavily into the newly formed Sand Shield surface.
Bang!
A soft popping sound rang out, and the katana that was shooting out suddenly turned into a cloud of white smoke, and a black figure flashed out like a ghost from the smoke; it was Shinichi Higashino!
And in the right palm, he thrust forward, a head-sized, wildly rotating azure sphere of chakra radiating heart-pounding, destructive fluctuations had already fully formed!
Odama Rasengan!
Not good!
Karura's light brown eyes contracted sharply. An intense sense of crisis, born from instinct, frantically screamed a warning!
She could sense that the terrifying, penetrating, and destructive power contained in this technique was very likely... to actually pierce through her Sand Shield!
She wanted to retreat and mobilize more sand for a multi-layered defense, but the disadvantages of her years of clerical work and lack of experience in life-or-death combat were exposed once again. Her body reacted a beat slower when her mind realized the danger!
That fatal moment, with a low shout, Shinichi lifted the raging energy ball the size of a head and slammed it hard against the Sand Shield that was right next to him!
Boom!!!
A deafening explosion rang out again, but it was completely different from the previous collision.
The moment the Odama Rasengan made contact with the shield, the highly concentrated and violently rotating chakra displayed terrifying, penetrating properties.
The sturdy Sand Shield surface made a cracking sound as it could not bear the pressure. It was pierced and blasted through in less than half a second!
Although the Rasengan's size shrank noticeably during the penetration and its light dimmed slightly, its remaining energy was still incredibly violent, and like a cannonball, it landed squarely on Karura's arms, which she had hastily crossed to protect her chest!