Chapter 84: Perfect Record
Watching the terrain shift below as Kurotsuchi's Earth Release reshaped the arena floor, Ōnoki stroked his chin beard with quiet satisfaction.
His eye was sharp enough to read the situation at a glance — the wind-using girl down there had burned through her last reserves. She was running on empty.
"Heh heh. I'm afraid this one goes to me, Lord Kazekage."
Ōnoki turned to Rasa beside him and twisted the knife with visible relish.
"Against the Tsuchikage's granddaughter, Temari came up a little short."
Rasa's response was flat and even.
"So it seems."
Rasa could read Temari's chakra levels just as well as Ōnoki could. But letting any irritation show would only undermine his dignity as Kazekage.
Ōnoki noted that Rasa hadn't taken the bait and let it go, turning his attention back to the arena where the outcome was already decided.
"Earth Release: Rising Earth Excavation!"
Having used her Lava Release wall to briefly survive the storm of wind blades, and now safely behind the Rock Hardening giant, Kurotsuchi raised her hand and launched another high-tier Earth Release.
The ground beneath them began to shift and swell, rising in great heaves until it resembled the cone of a volcano. Then a cascade of boulders erupted from the peak and came raining down on Temari.
She'd been holding back, actually. With Fire, Water, and Earth nature affinities at her disposal, she could have laced those boulders with flames — she and her father Kitsuchi had used this technique to mow down swaths of White Zetsu in the war. She chose not to.
Not that it mattered. Temari had burned her last drop of chakra on the Dance of the Crescent Moon. Against a barrage of erupting stone, she had nothing left. She scrambled, barely staying ahead of the impacts.
The Rock Hardening giant — carved to pieces by Temari's wind blades, looking like it had lost an argument with a cheese grater — lumbered forward until Kurotsuchi stood before the blond girl.
"Don't underestimate Iwagakure shinobi."
"...That said, you're pretty good. I'll give you that."
Kurotsuchi stood on the giant's head with the light at her back, and smiled — the easy, confident smile of someone who'd already won.
Temari looked up at the dark-haired girl in red. She pressed her lips together and forced the words out.
"...I lost."
The moment Temari said it, Genma Shiranui materialized from somewhere — nobody had seen where he'd been standing — faced the crowd, and announced:
"Winner: Kurotsuchi of Iwagakure."
The applause that broke over the arena was louder than the last match.
Naruto and Neji's fight had been impressive, but it was mostly taijutsu exchanges up close. This one had been a non-stop showcase of techniques from two of the most prestigious young shinobi in their respective villages.
The stands were packed with civilians. They were here for the spectacle, and this match had delivered.
Genma gave the arena a lazy once-over.
"Five-minute break. Earth Release users, fix the floor. Next competitors, get ready."
In the waiting room, Naruto finally untangled himself from Lee and slouched against the wall with a pout.
"Hey, where's Sakura? She still hasn't shown up."
"We're almost at the third match."
He was genuinely starting to worry.
The dark-haired boy beside him was quiet, his expression still. But inwardly, Sasuke could feel something shifting into place.
He'd just watched two real fights — real competitors giving everything they had. He could feel his own will to fight beginning to heat up.
Maybe this was what Kakashi had meant by the "blade."
A blade wasn't a sword.
A sword was a gentleman's weapon. But a blade — a blade existed purely to fight.
It was born to taste the enemy's blood.
Kakashi's father, the White Fang of the Leaf, Sakumo Hatake — he'd carved his legend on the battlefield with a single blade. In his prime, all three of Konoha's Sannin had looked up to him.
Across the room, the red-haired boy seemed to feel Sasuke's rising battle intent. He opened his eyes.
His gaze settled on Sasuke, who had closed his.
Mother...
This one's blood...
It must taste beautiful...
Gaara's killing intent spilled out, naked and uncontrolled. Every person in the room felt it, and every head turned toward him involuntarily.
"What's his deal?"
Naruto frowned at Gaara.
"Letting your killing intent run loose like this in a place like this — you're going to make enemies of everyone here..."
Akatsuchi scratched the back of his head, looking genuinely troubled.
"Ha. So you couldn't wait either."
Sasuke opened his eyes — two tomoe spinning in each — and met Gaara's gaze past the people between them with a cold smile.
Their stares collided in midair like two blades grinding against each other.
"That guy..."
Naruto watched Gaara warily. Something about him felt strangely familiar in a way he couldn't put his finger on.
"It would be better not to start anything here."
A quiet voice drifted from the corner of the room.
Everyone turned. Sitting there — nobody could have said when he'd arrived — was a boy in dark sunglasses.
"...If you want to fight, there's an arena for that."
Shino Aburame adjusted his glasses. The tall collar of his oversized jacket swallowed the lower half of his face.
"And you are...?"
Akatsuchi looked at him, genuinely at a loss.
"..."
"...Forgive me. I'm your opponent. Shino Aburame."
A beat of silence. Then the sunglasses boy spoke, perfectly composed.
"Oh no!"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it — I genuinely forgot you were there."
Akatsuchi's large frame bent in a sincere bow. He was constitutionally incapable of lying, which meant honesty came out even when it probably shouldn't.
Sometimes the truth really was a killing blow.
Shino said nothing. The glasses hid his eyes, and his expression gave nothing away.
"...It's fine."
The tension in the room dropped a notch.
Right on cue, Genma's voice came through the corridor — calling Akatsuchi and Shino Aburame to the arena.
"Looks like we're up."
Akatsuchi scratched his head with an affable grin.
"Mm."
Shino put his hands in his pockets and walked toward the arena entrance. He came face to face with Kurotsuchi heading back the other way.
Kurotsuchi immediately broke into a run.
"Akatsuchi! Do your best!"
"Beat that— wait, who is it again?"
"Doesn't matter, just win!"
She slapped him hard on the shoulder, grinning.
The comment made Shino pause for just a fraction of a second. Then he kept walking.
Sakura was perched on the roof of the spectator stands, working through the rest of her dango, watching Akatsuchi's stone giant get eaten alive by a carpet of insects below.
She looked down at the black sesame seeds on her last skewer.
Slightly off-putting.
"Why are you sitting up here?"
Someone had appeared beside her at some point. She hadn't heard them arrive.
"You're sitting up here too."
Sakura glanced at Kakashi and swallowed the last dango.
"Naruto seems worried about you."
Kakashi looked her over — the green flak jacket, the full kit, everything in place.
Sakura received this information without reaction.
Below, the match reached its conclusion.
Insects swarmed over Akatsuchi and ate through his chakra reserves like termites through wood.
Shino Aburame extended his perfect record to one more win.
(End of Chapter)