Final night.
Poison fog rolled outward—wave after wave. The safe zone contracted to Island Area C's center: a tiny island surrounded by a circular lake, reed marshes sprawling beyond.
Half an hour. That's all they had left.
When the final fog spread, the safe zone would shrink to a ten-meter circle. Only those inside would advance to Round Three.
Previous tournaments? Ten survivors max.
Current count? More than ten.
On the island-within-an-island, chaos erupted.
The Three-Star fan spun overhead—propeller-fast.
Temari rode it, dozens of smaller iron fans orbiting her like satellites.
Her opponent demanded this level of caution.
Rock Lee stood below, ramrod straight. Grinning. "Nara Temari. Storm Commander. Iron Fan Princess. Your reputation precedes you."
"Against Konoha's Azure Beast?" Temari's smile sharpened. "Those titles won't be enough."
She attacked.
"Wind Release: Manipulated Fan Dance!"
WHOOOOSH.
Iron fans descended—air currents screaming. Each fan could crater the ground.
"YOSH!"
Lee tumbled. Flipped. Dodged. The Nth landing—he drew his inherited nunchaku. Whirled them in a blur.
"Twin Assault Fang: Wild Dance!"
CLANG CLANG CLANG!
Nunchaku met iron. Fans fell—but more followed. The storm intensified.
Nearby, Tenten and Kankurō clashed.
BOOM. BOOM.
Tenten's rocket launcher roared. Crow Mark III—obliterated. Salamander Mark II—shattered.
"Puppeteer without puppets?" Tenten's voice rang out. "You're just a civilian!"
"Puppets?" Kankurō pulled out a scroll. Unfurled it vertically. Two-finger seal. "I'll give you hundreds."
Swish swish swish.
Black shadows poured from the scroll. Swarmed skyward. Red-robed puppet army—blades gleaming.
Tenten's eyes went wide. "Wait—you can only control ten!"
"Ancient history."
Kankurō produced another puppet. Sasori of the Red Sand. Ten chakra threads connected.
Click.
Sasori's chest panel opened. Azure chakra erupted—splitting into hundreds of threads. Each one linked to a puppet overhead.
"You can DO that?!"
Kankurō's fingers danced.
"Red Secret Technique: Performance of a Hundred Puppets—Proxy Performance!"
SWISH.
The army descended. Blades raised. Avalanche of death.
"NOT FAIR!"
Tenten fired rockets. Summoned every weapon she owned. Nothing worked.
She ran.
Clack clack clack clack.
Puppets pursued. Relentless.
Desperate, Tenten spotted Kimimaro in the distance—watching. An idea sparked.
She changed direction. Sprinted toward him.
Tayuya—standing behind Kimimaro—deadpanned. "Leading disaster to our doorstep. Classic."
Kimimaro smiled faintly. "No matter. I was going to act anyway."
He crouched. Palm to earth.
"Shikotsumyaku: Dance of the Seedling Fern!"
CRACK CRACK CRACK.
White bones erupted. Hundreds. Thousands. Blooming like flowers.
Sizzle.
Kimimaro's left eye closed. Reopened—Mangekyō Sharingan. Cloned from Uchiha Shin. Single ability: telekinesis.
CRACK CRACK CRACK.
Ocular power surged. Bones trembled. Ripped free. Pivoted skyward.
Fired.
Puppet army—devastated.
Kimimaro flicked his sleeve. "Enough. Use that technique."
"Understood."
Tayuya's body transformed. Not Cursed Seal Level Two—State Three. Jūgo's level.
She drew her flute.
Kimimaro inserted earplugs.
"Demonic Flute: Phantom Sound Chains."
Haunting melody.
Air rippled. Sound spread across the island.
Almost everyone—affected.
"Ugh—damn it—sound genjutsu!"
Thud. Thud.
Tenten collapsed. Kankurō followed.
Temari plummeted. Struggled with her fan. Created a vacuum—temporary sound barrier.
Temporary.
"Body... can't move..." Lee's voice strained. "Tenten—I have to save her!"
He opened the Sixth Gate.
BOOM.
Green flash. Charging Tayuya. Fists blurring.
"MORNING PEACOCK!"
Flames—fiercer than any machine gun—roared down.
Kimimaro raised his palm. Bones assembled. Massive wall. Blocked everything.
Tap.
But then—
Tenten's last act. Oval object. Ring pulled.
FLASH.
Bright light. Vibrating air. Tayuya's melody—disrupted.
Whoosh.
Ōnoki emerged from stealth. Seals formed. Palm to ground.
"Earth Release: Moving Earth Core!"
RUMBLE.
Ground beneath Tayuya—rose.
Akatsuchi descended from above. Giant rock fist—smashing down.
"Not good—!"
Kimimaro flashed to Tayuya's side. Bone-reinforced arm blocked the fist.
"Hard bones." Akatsuchi's seals blurred. "Then this."
"Earth Release: Super Added-Weight Rock Technique!"
CRACK.
Pressure increased a thousandfold. Kimimaro's bones held—but the ground beneath crumbled.
BOOM. BOOM.
Earth collapsed. Kimimaro sank.
"This is the end."
Ōnoki's hand rose. Dust Release glowed between his palms.
Akatsuchi withdrew.
Ōnoki struck.
"Dust Release: Detachment of the Primitive World Technique!"
Tayuya shoved Kimimaro aside.
Particle beam—through her chest.
Eliminated.
Lee grabbed Tenten. Retreated.
Kimimaro stood. Faced Ōnoki. "Can't let my guard down for a second. By the way—at your age, is Dust Release safe?"
Ōnoki laughed. "Ho ho... After this tournament, I'm retiring. The future belongs to you young people."
Reed marshes. Outside the island.
Three small figures peeked out.
Toneri. Mitsuki. Sarada.
"So that's what veteran Earth-class battles look like..." Sarada breathed.
Mitsuki checked his watch. "Final poison circle's coming. We can't stay here. We need to land."
Sarada raised her hand. "Let me check if anyone else is—"
Toneri stopped her. "Wait. Sensory abilities expose your chakra too. The one who survives longest wins."
Rustle rustle rustle.
Grass beside them stirred.
Hidden Grass ninja. Mediocre skills—but excellent at staying low. He'd made it this far.
Splash splash splash.
He walked across reeds. One step from the trio.
They didn't attack.
Let him pass.
"Perfect. He'll test the waters for us."
The Grass ninja left the marsh. Walked on water. Almost reached the island—
SPLASH.
Water hand shot up. Grabbed his ankle.
Face emerged underwater. Shark-toothed grin.
"Coming all this way... you worked hard."
"Water Release: Hiding in Water Technique!"
SPLASH.
Dragged under. Gone.
SPLASH.
Water bulged. Transformed into a tall, thin figure.
Suigetsu.
"Slept in the water... woke up in the final circle." He stretched. "Lucky me."
Hōzuki Suigetsu—landed.
Toneri, Mitsuki, Sarada stood. Advanced toward the circle.
Whoosh.
Black shadow shot from behind. Connected to Toneri's feet.
His steps—frozen.
Small figure rose from the reeds. Hands maintaining a seal. Confident smile.
"Shadow Possession Technique. Success."
Toneri turned—forced by the shadow.
"Shikadai... didn't expect you here."
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