Hey guys, here is the new chapter hope you will liked and read thru everything.
I made some changes to the title and synopsis of the fanfic, which I think turned out better than the previous version, as well as how that fanfic cover looks."
Big fights coming and it will be spicy
If we hit 150 PW I post a extra chapter.
Don't forget to leave your power stones along with your comment if you have any ideas or opinions that could help me, as well as a review to continue showing your support.
Enjoy the chapter!
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The roar of the crowd celebrating Gaara's victory still echoed loudly against the stadium walls as the shinobi finished clearing and repairing the battlefield, which had been left in ruins by Deidara's explosions.
In the VIP box, the atmosphere remained dense and heavy. The old Tsuchikage, Ōnoki, hovered a few inches off the ground, muttering his frustration in a deathly silence while clenching his fists behind his back with so much rage that his knuckles were stark white.
Daigo settled comfortably into his Kazekage seat. Possessing a relaxed yet dominant posture, he turned his face slightly to his left, where the Fourth Raikage, A, sat in a wooden chair with his fists resting on his knees and his jaw set in a hard line.
"Tell me something, A," Daigo began in a conversational, unhurried tone that carried with absolute clarity among the leaders of the Five Great Nations. "Why did you decide to attend the final phase of the Chūnin Exams in person, considering that none of the Kumogakure genin managed to qualify for the main tournament?"
The question landed like a direct, sharp strike to the Raikage's immense pride. A clenched his fists against his knees so hard that the veins on his muscular forearms bulged beneath his dark skin, while a spark of Lightning-style chakra threatened to crackle from his shoulders. For several tense seconds he remained silent, desperately trying to contain the anger that threatened to make him explode in front of the assembled Kage and Daimyō.
"Do not mistake yourself or mock me, Kazekage," A replied in a raspy, deep, and heavy voice, gritting his teeth to keep from raising his voice too much. "The boys I sent from Kumo were strong; they possessed rigorous training. I admit I was quite surprised that none of them managed to pass the preliminary elimination rounds. For that very reason, I came to Sunagakure in person: I wanted to see with my own eyes what kind of monsters managed to defeat them and evaluate the true level of competition in these finals."
Daigo could not prevent a subtle, mocking smirk from forming at the corner of his lips as he kept his single pink eye fixed on the arena below. The ego of Kumogakure's leader had clearly taken a devastating blow by being excluded from the grand final, and witnessing his barely contained frustration proved to be a thoroughly entertaining pastime amidst the diplomatic tension.
"I see," Daigo commented with unshakeable composure, adjusting his ceremonial hat on his lap. "In that case, make sure not to blink for even a single second, Raikage. What you are about to see in this arena demonstrates the true potential and strength of the new generation we have forged."
In the center of the battlefield, the Sand's Jonin proctor marched with firm steps toward the central control point. He raised his right arm toward the main announcer booth, and the speaker's voice boomed through the high-powered loudspeakers distributed throughout the vast colosseum.
"Attention to all distinguished spectators and honored authorities!" the announcer's voice proclaimed, echoing off the stone walls. "We will immediately begin the second match of the first round! Representing Sunagakure, Karin Uzumaki against Kimimaro, also of Sunagakure! Will both contenders please descend to the battlefield!"
The chatter among the thousands of spectators grew exponentially in volume. Unlike the first match, which had pitted Sunagakure against Iwagakure in a brutal clash of nations, this matchup put two of the host village's most prominent figures against one another.
From the north tunnel of the stadium emerged Karin. The girl with bright red hair walked with a firm, decisive stride, wearing a light tactical outfit designed to maximize her mobility on the battlefield. Her posture reflected absolute confidence in her shinobi abilities, standing out as an undeniable prodigy in the complex art of Fūinjutsu.
From the south tunnel, Kimimaro advanced with elegance and serenity. His calm face and peaceful green eyes conveyed a profound tranquility. Possessing total mastery over his terrifying Kekkei Genkai, the Shikotsumyaku, Kimimaro moved as the most precise and disciplined combat force of the Sand, maintaining flawless physical condition.
Both young Sand genin came to a halt exactly ten meters apart at the center of the arena. Between them, the atmosphere turned heavy due to the immense volume of chakra both were quietly beginning to channel.
Karin looked intently at her fellow villager and friend, offering him a defiant smile as she pushed up her black-framed glasses on her nose with her index finger.
"Listen to me carefully, Kimimaro," Karin said in a clear, firm voice without a trace of hesitation. "I know full well how ridiculously powerful you are in hand-to-hand combat, so I don't want you holding anything back against me just because we're friends or because I'm not as strong in close quarters."
Kimimaro observed her in silence for a second. His features showed neither arrogance nor disdain; instead, he gave a slight, respectful nod of his head, immediately adopting a fighting stance identical to the one Daigo uses.
This caught Minato's eye as he watched, keeping that detail to himself now that he knew Daigo had trained more than one disciple.
"Understood, Karin," Kimimaro replied with calm and deliberate courtesy. "I promise I won't hold back a thing. I will give you a fight at one hundred percent of my capability, worthy of the skill and mastery you possess."
The Jonin supervisor evaluated both fighters for a brief moment, sensing the overwhelming chakra pressure emanating from both young prodigies. With a stern gesture, he raised his right arm perpendicular to the ground and brought it down sharply, slicing through the air with force.
"Begin!"
In a flash, the judge vanished from everyone's sight using the Body Flicker Technique, instantly reappearing atop the perimeter containment wall to oversee the duel.
The moment the judge's hand cut through the air, Kimimaro didn't waste a fraction of a millisecond. He flexed his legs slightly and lunged forward at a overwhelming speed. His figure turned into a white blur that crossed the initial distance in a single breath, seeking to close the gap and engage in a direct, devastating hand-to-hand clash.
However, Karin was not taken by surprise. Having studied her friend's fighting style during their month of training, she had already anticipated this initial rush.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains!" Karin shouted at the top of her lungs.
From Karin's back sprouted four massive chains of blindingly luminous golden chakra. The chains deployed into the air with a thunderous metallic snap, crossing and intertwining in front of her in a fraction of a second to form an impenetrable defensive barrier.
Kimimaro, mid-dash, did not halt his momentum. He thrust his right fist forward, instantly sprouting thick, dense layers of calcified bone over his hand and forearm to strike the golden barrier with all his power.
CLANG!
The impact of Kimimaro's bone fist against the Uzumaki chains produced a metallic echo so sharp and powerful that it reverberated in every corner of the vast colosseum. A brilliant burst of sparks flew from the exact point of contact. Kimimaro felt a deep, jarring vibration travel up his entire arm; the sensation was identical to striking a solid wall of reinforced steel devoid of chakra—an absolute structure impossible to shatter through conventional physical force alone.
'These chains aren't just as dense and rigid as metal; they absorb and disperse the kinetic energy of the impact,' Kimimaro analyzed in the quiet of his mind as he executed a backflip to reset his footing on the track. 'Trying to break through this barrier from the front with direct physical strikes is a waste of energy. To stop the defense, I must target the caster directly.'
Without breaking his rhythm or giving her a second of respite, Kimimaro returned to the offensive with fluid grace. He shifted laterally, dodging with a flawless lean as the first swing of a chain attempted to trap him from the left. With a quick, calculated movement of his free hand, he managed to firmly grasp a link of another golden chain trying to flank him from behind. Using the tension of the Uzumaki chakra itself as leverage, Kimimaro pulled the chain with tremendous force to throw Karin off balance and create an opening in her defensive stance.
Feeling her barrier lose stability and seeing Kimimaro use the chain to propel himself directly toward her to land a decisive blow, Karin reacted with surprising tactical agility.
"Don't think you've got me that easily!" Karin yelled.
Instead of trying to retract the captured chain, Karin manipulated the three remaining chains like flexible, immensely powerful whips, slamming them violently into the ground. Using the tension of the golden chains like high-resistance springs, Karin launched herself high into the sky, dodging Kimimaro's bone thrust by mere millimeters and gaining considerable distance on the far side of the arena.
While hovering in the air before completing her descent, Karin's hands moved at a breathtaking speed, weaving complex sequences of hand seals to deploy her Fūinjutsu arsenal.
"Mobility Restriction Formula: Phase One!" Karin announced as her feet firmly touched the ground.
Strands of black chakra ink instantly burst from the ground beneath Kimimaro's feet, spreading like spiderwebs to attach to his legs, aiming to slow his movements and neutralize his evasive fighting style.
However, Kimimaro was not about to stand still and let Karin catch him in a Fūinjutsu, knowing full well how often his father, had warned him about how dangerous a master of the sealing arts could be.
Noticing that her slowing seals had only bought her a few seconds of advantage, Karin continued weaving an even longer and more elaborate sequence of seals, preparing a high-level sealing formula specifically designed to completely paralyze her opponent's mobility if she managed to trap him.
Kimimaro observed the rapid movements of Karin's fingers closely and understood the tactical threat immediately.
'She is an impressive specialist in the sealing arts...' Kimimaro thought, narrowing his eyes as he calculated the distance. 'If I allow her to complete that seal formation and set up the terrain to her liking, I'll be completely caught in her trap. I have to end this match right now before she structures a definitive way to defeat me.'
Kimimaro came to a complete stop in the center of the ring. He assumed an upright posture, closed his eyes for a fraction of a second, and inhaled a massive amount of desert air, filling his lungs to the absolute limit while adjusting the flow and frequency of his chakra to a completely different biological rhythm.
"Seven Heavens Breathing: First Phase!" Kimimaro whispered with immense power.
Kimimaro's body underwent an instantaneous physical transformation as he felt the power of the technique take hold. His eyes snapped open, blazing with an intense and wild light, while his vascular speed and muscle capacity multiplied exponentially.
With the massive surge in speed, reflexes, and physical strength provided by mastering the breathing technique, Kimimaro vanished completely from the sight of every spectator in the stands.
'What...? He's too fast! I can't even track him!' Karin thought, her eyes widening in shock as she completely lost visual contact with her opponent.
Before Karin could react, move her hands, or attempt to raise her chains into a full defensive posture, Kimimaro reappeared directly in front of her in the blink of an eye. The terrifying shockwave of air pressure generated by his movement blew away the surrounding smoke and dust in a single blast.
Kimimaro readied a direct, dry, and devastating strike with his right fist aimed at Karin's chest, channeling the overwhelming destructive power of the First Phase of the Seven Heavens Breathing.
Driven by pure survival instinct honed by danger, the young Uzumaki managed to cross her adamantine chains over her torso at the very last possible millisecond to cushion the collision.
BOOM!
The impact of Kimimaro's fist against the barrier of golden chains generated a shockwave visible to the naked eye that swept the stone and dust from the ground in a twenty-meter radius. Although the density of the chakra chains prevented the bone strike from piercing her chest lethally, the raw physical force and tremendous kinetic energy behind the blow could not be completely canceled.
Karin's body flew backward like a projectile launched from a catapult, shooting through the arena air at a frightening speed until she collided violently against the reinforced stone perimeter wall of the stadium.
CRASH!
The thick stone wall shattered massively upon impact, kicking up a dense cloud of dust, dirt, and debris that momentarily buried the young Uzumaki's figure.
The entire colosseum fell into a deathly silence. Spectators held their breath at the ferocity of the exchange. Kimimaro immediately deactivated the Seven Heavens Breathing, exhaling a long, dense puff of air from his mouth as he stared intently at the dust cloud with deep respect and hidden concern for Karin's health, feeling as though he might have gone too far.
In the VIP box, the Kage watched the scene with close attention.
"So, Daigo, it seems you have more than just one disciple," Minato Namikaze remarked, evaluating Kimimaro's combat style. "His way of fighting, his stance, and even that technique remind me of when we had our encounter in the past."
In response to Minato's observation, Daigo simply nodded without taking his eyes off the battle. "That's right, though Kimimaro isn't just my disciple—he's actually my first son, even if not by blood."
"A Kaguya with that technique, his lineage, and your training sounds like a threat in the future. Are you trying to create another version of yourself for the future, Daigo?" Ōnoki asked, his voice taking on a slightly more serious tone this time.
"Ōnoki, I am a smart man. In the shinobi nations, the peace we currently enjoy will not last forever, and my village and my people need ninjas who can protect them. Why wouldn't I create S-rank ninjas in case that peace comes to an end?" Daigo said, now turning to look at Ōnoki, who met his gaze.
"Sunagakure doesn't view strength the same way the Stone does; we prefer quality over quantity."
"I understand your point, though quality doesn't matter if quantity ends up winning out," Ōnoki replied.
"Of course, I know that. Look at how the Third Raikage fell. But that won't happen to my shinobi," Daigo said, bringing the conversation to an end.
A, listening to the mention of his father's death, simply clenched his fist; he knew better than anyone how that had happened.
Down in the arena, among the rubble of the destroyed wall, the sound of several stones rolling to the ground could be heard. Karin began to stand up slowly, leaning a trembling hand against the broken wall.
Although her adamantine chains had absorbed the vast majority of the lethal impact, the tremendous shock force had left her momentarily winded, with a thin stream of fresh blood trickling from the corner of her lips.
Karin brought her hand to her mouth, wiping away the blood with the sleeve of her tactical suit. She looked at Kimimaro standing in the center of the track, then observed her own hands, which were still shaking from the tremendous effort of containing such an impact, and finally let out a small, bitter yet satisfied smile.
'There's no way I can win this today...' Karin analyzed in the privacy of her thoughts, assessing the situation with flawless maturity. 'His speed under the effect of that technique is simply overwhelming. He'll never give me the time or physical space I need to weave the complex sealing formula required to neutralize him. If I continue this battle out of sheer pride, I'll only take unnecessary physical damage and ruin my chances in the remaining fights.'
Making a highly intelligent and professional decision, Karin raised her right hand clearly and visibly toward the match supervisor.
"I forfeit!" Karin announced in a firm, clear voice that echoed across the entire ring. "The match is completely yours, Kimimaro."
The Jonin proctor reacted immediately, leaping onto the track and raising his right arm toward the victor.
"The winner by explicit forfeiture of the contestant! The victor of the second match of the first round is... Kimimaro of Sunagakure!" the judge declared to the entire colosseum.
The stunned silence that had gripped the stands broke into a thousand pieces as the crowd erupted once more into a thunderous ovation of applause and cheers directed at both Sand fighters, recognizing both Kimimaro's devastating power and the astonishing defensive tactical skill displayed by Karin.
Kimimaro made no gesture of celebration. In a flash of movement, he appeared courteously beside Karin amidst the rubble of the destroyed wall. He extended his arm gently so the young Uzumaki could lean on his shoulder, offering physical support to help her walk steadily off the battlefield.
Karin leaned part of her weight on her friend's shoulder as they walked slowly toward the exit tunnel, smiling at him sideways with gratitude.
"Thanks for not holding back, Kimimaro," Karin murmured under her breath. "Fighting at one hundred percent against someone of your level showed me exactly what weak points I need to fix in my Fūinjutsu."
"You fought masterfully, Karin," Kimimaro replied in his usual serene and respectful voice. "Your chains are a truly formidable defense; if you had managed to complete that seal, the outcome would have been very different."
High up in the VIP box, Daigo watched his son and niece retire together from the battlefield with a broad smile of satisfaction on his face. Seeing that Sunagakure's new generation possessed not only devastating strength, but also tactical maturity and an impeccable sense of camaraderie, was the ultimate proof that his leadership had transformed the Sand into an invincible power.