Victory

Bang!

Another dull thud rang out, accompanied by the faint sounds of cracking shell and breaking bone.

Karura was sent flying backward like a kite with its string cut. The violent impact exploded through her body, and the shockwave mixed with the Rasengan's residual Chakra swept her up.

She smashed through everything in her path, plowing across the sand and scattered stones before crashing heavily onto the ground dozens of meters away. She rolled several more times before finally stopping, half-buried beneath the billowing dust and debris.

For an instant, the entire arena fell deathly silent.

Then, like cold water splashed into boiling oil, the stands erupted!

"W-What happened?!"

"What kind of jutsu was that?! How could it be so powerful?"

"The Sand Shield... was broken?! The Absolute Defense was broken?!"

"My God! That sword from before was a Transformation Technique disguise?!"

"A chained scheme! He used that big move to create confusion and drain her, then used the Transformation Technique and that blue ball to launch a surprise attack!"

"Unbelievable! So he'd been hiding a trump card like this all along!"

"That blue sphere... it looks terrifying! If it hits you, you're definitely done for!"

"Is his mastery of the Transformation Technique really that high? He could hide a killing move even while transformed?"

"Has the winner been decided?!"

Shouts, doubts, frenzied analysis, and incredulous cries intertwined into a deafening roar.

"A Sealless Jutsu?"

Even Pakura, the referee in the arena, showed clear surprise on her usually cool face for the first time.

She had been the closest and had seen it most clearly. That Konoha brat had not formed any hand seals.

"What a pity. Karura still lacks battle experience. Otherwise, that brat's Transformation Technique had such obvious Chakra fluctuations that it never could have fooled her."

On the high platform, the Third Kazekage's composure vanished completely. He abruptly rose to his feet, leaning forward as he stared fixedly at the arena below, shrouded in dust.

Beside him, the Third Hokage remained as steady as a mountain. He merely said lightly, "Lord Kazekage, it seems the resilience of young people truly should not be underestimated."

In the arena.

"Cough, cough... cough..."

A faint bout of coughing came from within the spreading haze.

Sand and dust rustled down as a figure slowly rose to her feet, somewhat unsteadily.

It was Karura.

Much of the Sand Armor covering her body had shattered under the previous impact. It now turned into flowing sand, sliding from her shoulders, arms, and cheeks before gathering again at her will and clinging to her body, forming a new, somewhat thinner layer of protection.

Her arms hung unnaturally at her sides, clearly injured from blocking the attack earlier. Yet her eyes remained clear, and there was neither anger nor resentment on her face—only the calmness that came after the dust settled, along with a trace of... relief.

She raised her head and looked through the gradually dispersing dust toward Shinichi, who was also catching his breath and recovering on the opposite side. Then she spoke clearly and steadily:

"Referee, I concede."

She still had the strength to continue fighting. The sand still answered her call.

But she knew very well that, in that lightning-fast, deadly instant, her opponent had had every opportunity to drive that dangerous ball of Chakra into her head.

Even with the Sand Armor protecting her, she would have suffered severe injuries.

He had chosen to strike the arm she used to block instead. That was undoubtedly an act of mercy.

She was gentle by nature and disliked fighting. Although she understood that her surrender might disappoint the Third Kazekage, who had placed high hopes on her, this... was her choice.

Her words of surrender clearly carried through the arena, which had suddenly fallen quiet.

After a brief silence, whispers spread like a rising tide.

"He won? That Konoha brat... actually won?"

"Karura surrendered? The Absolute Defense was broken!"

"What exactly was that final attack? It was too fast—I couldn't see it clearly!"

The discussions grew louder and louder, filled with disbelief and shock.

At that moment, Pakura cleared her throat, suppressing the surrounding clamor. She stepped forward and formally announced, "The victor has been decided. According to the rules, the winner of this grand final is—Higashino Shinichi of Konohagakure!"

After making the announcement, she did not immediately tell Shinichi to leave the arena. Instead, she turned to him and asked directly, "Brat, what was that jutsu just now?"

Good question!

Shinichi gave silent approval inwardly, though none of it showed on his face. "It's called the Rasengan."

"Rasengan?" Pakura's valiant brows drew together slightly. After searching her memories and confirming that she had never heard of it, she asked, "Why have I never heard of it? Is it a newly developed jutsu created by some Jonin in Konoha who specializes in shape transformation?"

Shinichi shook his head. His tone was calm yet certain. "It's normal that you haven't heard of it, Senior. This jutsu has only existed for a short time, and its creator is not a Jonin from the village... but me."

"What?!"

Pakura's always-calm eyes suddenly widened. Clear astonishment appeared on her cool face, and even her voice rose involuntarily.

"You developed this jutsu?!"

"That's right." Shinichi nodded firmly, offering no further explanation.

Neither of them had deliberately lowered their voices, and their conversation echoed clearly through the arena, which had only just calmed somewhat after the winner was announced.

"Y-You've got to be kidding?! That terrifying blue ball was invented by that Konoha brat himself?"

"How old is he?! It would have been incredible enough if he was only that strong, but he even created his own jutsu? Shouldn't it be some secret Konoha technique instead?"

"He developed such a powerful jutsu himself? How is that possible?! Even a Genius..."

"I remember this Konoha ninja is called Higashino Shinichi, right?"

"What kind of monster has Konoha produced?!"

The recently subsided uproar exploded again with even greater force! Cries of alarm, doubts, and frantic discussion instantly drowned out the stands.

Countless gazes fixed on the black-haired boy in the arena like spotlights. He was not particularly tall and even looked somewhat exhausted, yet at this moment, he seemed incomparably dazzling.

On the high platform, the Third Kazekage looked toward the Third Hokage beside him.

"Lord Hokage, is that true?"

When Shinichi openly admitted it, the Third Hokage was indeed briefly startled and instinctively frowned.

Regarding the identity of the Rasengan's creator, Konoha had deliberately controlled how widely and intensely the news spread within the village, both to protect the young Genius and to avoid unnecessary trouble from a tree standing taller than the forest.

After Shinichi demonstrated it at the opening ceremony, they had intentionally limited the spread of that information throughout the village.

He had not expected Shinichi, a child who had always appeared steady, thorough, and remarkably shrewd, to reveal it publicly in this manner on such an occasion.

But on second thought, this was a triumphant moment in which he had claimed the championship before countless spectators. It was only natural for a spirited young boy to desire broader recognition and praise.

No matter how mature and sensible he acted, he was still only a nine-year-old child.

Since things had come to this, he might as well go with the flow.

With that thought, the Third Hokage's slight misgivings vanished. He waved a hand and said to the Third Kazekage in a tone that sounded as if he were complaining about a mischievous child from his own family, "Ah, Lord Kazekage, don't mention it. When I found out this child had hidden it from everyone and secretly tinkered up such a dangerous jutsu all by himself, I was both shocked and angry. I worried so much that I couldn't sleep properly for days. Sigh, he really is such a troublesome little fellow."

Upon hearing this, the Third Kazekage's expression stiffened slightly beyond his control. He forced the corners of his mouth into something resembling a response, gave two dry chuckles, then looked away and returned his gaze to the noisy arena below without another word.