Bang!
Another muffled thud resounded, accompanied by the faint sound of cracking shells and breaking bones.
Karura flew backward like a kite with its string cut. The violent impact exploded within her body, and the air currents mixed with the residual chakra from the Rasengan swept her up.
She smashed through and plowed across the sandy ground and gravel along the way, finally crashing heavily onto the ground dozens of meters away. She rolled several more times before coming to a stop, her figure mostly buried by the soaring dust and rubble.
In an instant, the entire venue fell into a dead silence.
Then, like a drop of cold water falling into boiling oil, the stands erupted!
"W-what happened?!"
"What kind of jutsu was that?! Its power is actually that immense?"
"The shield of sand... was broken?! The absolute defense was broken?!"
"My god! Was that sword just now a disguise from the transformation technique?!"
"A chain of schemes! He used that big move to create chaos and drain her, then used the transformation technique plus that blue ball for a surprise attack!"
"Incredible! It turns out he's been hiding such a trump card all along!"
"That blue sphere... it feels so dangerous! If you get hit by that, it's definitely over!"
"Is his mastery of the transformation technique that high? To be able to hide a killing move while transformed?"
"Is the match decided?!"
Exclamations, doubts, feverish analysis, and shouts of disbelief intertwined into a deafening wave of sound.
"It's actually a seal-less ninjutsu?"
Even Pakura, acting as the referee in the arena, showed a clear look of surprise on her usually cold face for the first time.
She was the closest and saw it most clearly; that Konoha brat hadn't woven any hand seals.
"A pity, Karura's combat experience is still too lacking. Otherwise, such a transformation technique with such obvious chakra fluctuations from that kid 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 stood up abruptly, leaning forward, staring intently at the dust-shrouded arena below.
Beside him, the Third Hokage remained as steady as a mountain, merely saying calmly, "Lord Kazekage, it seems the resilience of young people is indeed not to be underestimated."
---
In the arena.
"Cough, cough... cough..."
A faint coughing sound came from the thick dust.
Sand and soil slid down with a rustle as a figure stood up slowly, somewhat staggering.
It was Karura.
The armor of sand covering her body had shattered quite a bit under the recent impact. At this moment, it turned into flowing sand, sliding off her shoulders, arms, and cheeks, only to gather and cling to her body again under her will, forming a new, somewhat thin layer of protection.
Her hands hung unnaturally, clearly injured during the block just now, but her eyes remained clear. There was no anger or resentment on her face, only a sense of calm after the dust had settled, and a hint of... relief.
She looked up, her gaze piercing through the gradually dissipating dust toward Shinichi, who was also gasping for breath and adjusting on the opposite side. She spoke clearly and steadily:
"Referee, I forfeit."
She still had the strength to fight; the sand still responded to her call.
But she knew very well in her heart that in that lightning-fast, lethal moment, the opponent had a complete opportunity to push that dangerous chakra sphere toward her head.
Had he done so, even with her armor of sand for protection, she would have inevitably suffered a heavy blow.
The opponent chose to attack the arm she used to block; this was undoubtedly an act of mercy.
She was gentle by nature and disliked conflict. Although she understood her forfeit might disappoint the Third Kazekage, who had high hopes for her... this was her choice.
Her words of surrender spread clearly throughout the suddenly quieted arena.
After a brief silence, whispers spread like a tide.
"He... he won? That Konoha kid... actually won?"
"Karura actually forfeited? The absolute defense was broken!"
"What exactly was that last move? It was too fast, I didn't see it clearly!"
The discussions grew louder, filled with disbelief and shock.
At this time, Pakura, as the referee, cleared her throat, suppressing the surrounding noise. She stepped forward and announced clearly and formally: "The match is decided. According to the rules, the winner of this final match is—Higashino Shinichi of Konohagakure!"
---
After the announcement, she didn't let Shinichi leave immediately but turned to him and asked directly: "Kid, what was that jutsu just now?"
'Well asked!'
Shinichi gave a mental thumbs-up, but it didn't show on his face at all: "It's called the Rasengan."
"Rasengan?" Pakura's heroic eyebrows knitted slightly as she searched her memory, confirming she had no impression of it. "How have I never heard of it? Is it a new ninjutsu developed by some Jonin in your Konoha who is proficient in shape transformation?"
Shinichi shook his head, his tone calm yet certain: "It's normal that senpai hasn't heard of it, because this jutsu hasn't been out for long, and its developer isn't a Jonin in the village... it's me."
"What?!"
Pakura's eyes, which were always calm, widened suddenly in this moment. A clear look of astonishment appeared on her cold face, and even her voice rose slightly:
"You developed this jutsu?!"
"Exactly." Shinichi nodded with certainty, offering no further explanation.
Their conversation wasn't intentionally lowered, echoing clearly over the arena that had just slightly calmed down due to the winner's announcement.
"Are you... are you kidding me?! That terrifying blue ball was invented by that Konoha kid himself?"
"How old is he?! It's one thing for his strength to be so exaggerated, but to create his own ninjutsu? Shouldn't it be said to be a secret technique of Konoha?"
"Developing such a powerful ninjutsu himself? How is that possible! Even for a genius..."
"I remember this Konoha ninja is named Higashino Shinichi, right?"
"What kind of monster has Konoha produced?!"
The sound wave that had just subsided erupted again with even greater momentum! Exclamations, doubts, and frantic discussions instantly drowned the stands.
Countless gazes focused like spotlights on the black-haired boy in the arena, whose figure wasn't tall and who even looked a bit tired, yet appeared incomparably dazzling at this moment.
---
On the high platform, the Third Kazekage looked at the Third Hokage beside him.
"Lord Hokage, is this true?"
As for the Third Hokage, the moment Shinichi admitted it frankly, he was first slightly startled and subconsciously frowned.
Regarding the information of the Rasengan's developer, Konoha had intentionally controlled the extent and heat of this news within the village to protect the young genius and avoid unnecessary trouble that might come from "a tree standing out in the forest."
After Shinichi displayed it at the opening ceremony, the village deliberately limited the spread of the information.
He hadn't expected that Shinichi, a child who usually acted steady, thorough, and quite shrewd, would directly make it public on this occasion and in this manner.
But on second thought, this was, after all, the moment of winning the championship and a victory under the gaze of everyone. It was only human for a young man to be high-spirited and desire broader recognition and praise.
No matter how mature and sensible he acted, he was still just a nine-year-old child.
Since things had come to this, he might as well go with the flow.
Thinking of this, the slight calculation in the Third Hokage's heart dissipated. He waved his hand and said to the Third Kazekage in a tone as if complaining about his own mischievous child:
"Oh, Lord Kazekage, don't even mention it. When I first found out this kid had actually hidden it from everyone and tinkered with such a dangerous ninjutsu in private by himself, I was both shocked and angry. I was so worried I didn't sleep well for days. Sigh, he's really a little fellow who doesn't let one rest easy."
Upon hearing this, the Third Kazekage's face stiffened uncontrollably. He forced a curve on his lips as a response, gave two dry "he-he's," then looked away back to the noisy arena below, speaking no more.