On the spectator stands, after the initial exclamations faded, a wave of helpless yet astonished discussion gradually rose: "This is way too tough, isn't it!?
"It's just like the previous match—completely unbreakable! Every attack gets blocked. How are you even supposed to fight that?"
"No wonder they call it absolute defense."
"What a pity. That Konoha kid is so fast, and his tactics are solid, but he just can't break through the defense. He doesn't even get a chance to close in."
"The gap in strength is still obvious. That kunoichi hasn't even moved more than a few steps—she's completely crushing him with chakra and secret techniques."
"Looks like there's no suspense about the championship…"
On the high platform, the Third Kazekage watched the seemingly deadlocked situation in the arena—one that Karura in fact firmly controlled—and his expression grew increasingly composed.
He slightly turned his head and said to the Third Hokage beside him, "Hokage-dono, the young shinobi from your village indeed demonstrates commendable tactical execution and adaptability. His will is admirable as well. However, in the face of an absolute disparity in strength, technique ultimately… appears somewhat powerless."
The Third Hokage continued to smile as he drew on his pipe, his expression unchanged, and replied calmly, "Kazekage-dono speaks truly. However, the outcome is not yet decided. The resilience of the young can sometimes exceed our expectations. Let us keep watching."
On the field, after once again avoiding a sand wave sweeping in from the side, Shinichi abruptly retreated backward, instantly widening the distance between himself and Karura to over fifty meters.
He then stamped his right foot heavily against the ground to steady himself, took a deep breath, and the chakra around his body began to vibrate and boil violently in a unique and ferocious rhythm!
The surrounding air trembled in response. Tiny fragments of stone and grains of sand were swept up by an invisible force field, slowly rotating around him.
This was precisely the prelude to unleashing the Konoha Dragon God!
For the first time, a trace of gravity surfaced between Karura's gentle brows. She had watched Shinichi's previous matches—she recognized this opening stance and clearly remembered the devastating power of that move.
She had assumed that after the fierce battle with his teammate in the previous round, Shinichi's consumption had been too great for him to use this technique again. Unexpectedly…
But this was undoubtedly the move that posed the greatest threat to her. She absolutely could not allow him to complete it smoothly!
No longer holding back, she swiftly brought her hands together, chakra pouring out at full force.
Sand Shower!
The large mass of sand floating around her—on standby at all times—was instantly mobilized. It highly condensed and compressed high in the air, transforming into countless sand bullets, harder than iron, which poured down like a torrential rain toward Shinichi's head and upper-body vital areas!
The speed was extreme, the coverage vast, the intent unmistakable—interrupt his charging and concentration!
However, the invisible shockwave surrounding Shinichi, born from the intense convergence and rotation of chakra, had already begun to take shape.
The sand bullets that shot in only needed to enter the range of the air wave; they were immediately as if they had slammed into an incomparably tough elastic wall. Their trajectories skewed and bogged down one after another, and in the end they were caught up by the rotating airflow and knocked aside, unable to pierce this increasingly powerful energy force field at all!
Karura's gaze tightened. Knowing that long-range interference was already ineffective, she did not hesitate any longer. She suddenly thrust both palms forward and slammed them down onto the ground!
Quicksand Waterfall Flow!
Vast chakra, like ripples, poured into the earth, instantly sweeping across the entire finals arena!
The rock-solid stone floor, before the crowd's disbelieving eyes, actually began to visibly turn to sand with Karura at its center!
The hard rock strata softened and collapsed, becoming flowing sand. In only two or three breaths, the entire broad platform had already become a desert domain of constantly shifting, sinking sand!
Her intent was obvious: use this sand domain, completely under her control, to bind Shinichi's feet from below, interrupt his coming dash and leap—even directly swallow and bury him!
Unfortunately, in the instant before the quicksand spread to him, Shinichi had already finished charging!
This further exposed Karura's lack of combat experience and her lack of precise grasp of timing—she had actually failed to interrupt Shinichi's charge twice in a row.
If she truly possessed combat experience at the level of a jōnin, it would have been very difficult for Shinichi's Konoha Dragon God to be released smoothly.
On the field, Shinichi stomped hard, and the ground that had not yet fully turned to sand suddenly exploded!
Using this immense recoil force, he launched himself into the air, his body beginning to spin at high speed in midair!
Vast, condensed azure chakra erupted with a roar, surging upward!
The air wave encircling his body instantly swelled and solidified. All sand and grit was completely forced away, and at the front end of the spinning gale, the outline of a majestic, ferocious azure dragon head suddenly appeared, letting out a soundless roar!
Konoha Dragon God—returns!
And below, Karura's Quicksand Waterfall Flow had already been completed; the entire desert was boiling under her will.
Facing the massive azure dragon that was diving down from midair, wrapped in destructive momentum, she raised both hands upward in the air, her gaze calm and resolute.
Sand Waterfall Great Burial!
Rumble—rumble—rumble—rumble!!
The entire desert—all the sand transformed and controlled by her chakra—was fully mobilized at this moment!
Like a slumbering yellow ocean completely enraged, an overwhelming sand wave surged upward in reverse. Its scale far surpassed any previous attack, as if it meant to bury the entire sky. Carrying a terrifying might that would inter anything, it met the diving azure Dragon God head-on!
Azure's annihilating gale—against yellow's burying sea!
In the very next instant, without any tricks at all, they collided solidly—straight into each other!
Rumble—rumble—rumble—rumble!!!!
An indescribably terrifying roar exploded outward, like thunder striking from a clear sky!
At the center of the collision, a blinding white light and surging torrents of chaotic energy burst forth. The violent shockwave, mixed with shredded sand, residual chakra flames, and rock pulverized into fine powder, instantly formed a massive gray-yellow dust cloud that rolled and billowed upward. Like a small mushroom cloud, it swelled abruptly, completely swallowing most of the arena's center!
Visibility was entirely obscured; even the barrier walls trembled violently and hummed.
In that instant of blocked sight and chaotic perception—
Whoosh!
A cold streak of steel tore through the dust curtain, shooting out from the heart of the chaos! It was a sharp katana, moving at extreme speed, its tip aimed directly at Karura's position.
Karura's brows drew slightly together, startled but not panicked.
The sand before her had already surged up automatically; the familiar Shield of Sand rapidly solidified, ready to intercept what appeared to be a desperate throwing attack.
The long blade arrived in a flash. Just as it was about to slam heavily into the surface of the newly formed sand shield—
Bang!
A light pop—the sound of smoke bursting!
The speeding katana abruptly transformed into a puff of white smoke. From within the smoke, a black-clad figure flickered out like a phantom—it was Higashino Shinichi!
And in the right palm he thrust forward, a head-sized sphere of azure chakra—spinning wildly and radiating a heart-pounding destructive fluctuation—had already taken shape!
Massive Rasengan!
Not good!
Karura's light-brown eyes contracted sharply. A fierce sense of danger, born of instinct, screamed its warning!
She could feel it—the terrifying penetrating power and destructive force contained within this technique might very well… truly break through her Shield of Sand!
She wanted to retreat, wanted to mobilize more sand to form layered defenses. But the drawback of long years spent in administrative duties, lacking life-and-death combat experience, was laid bare once again at this moment—her body reacted a beat slower than the thought that recognized the danger!
That fatal instant!
Shinichi let out a low shout, supporting the head-sized sphere of violent energy, and slammed it mercilessly onto the Shield of Sand right before him!
Boom!!!
A deafening explosion resounded once more—but it was completely different from the previous clash. The instant the Massive Rasengan made contact with the sand shield, the highly condensed and violently rotating chakra displayed its terrifying penetrating property. The surface of the sturdy shield emitted cracking sounds under unbearable strain. After holding for less than half a second, it was forcibly drilled through and blasted open!
Although the Rasengan's size visibly shrank by a circle during the penetration, and its glow dimmed somewhat, its remaining energy was still violently overwhelming. Like a cannon shell fired from the barrel, it struck solidly against the arms Karura had hastily crossed in front of her chest in defense!
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