"Begin!"
At Pakura's sharp command, she leapt back from the ring—this time not remaining at the edge to watch as before.
That, too, was a decision made by the three Kage.
No interference in the finals.
In other words, the proctors had been stripped of all authority to intervene.
Life or death—would now be left to fate.
The proposal had come from Ōnoki.
Sarutobi Hiruzen had opposed it at first, but after Mitokado Homura and Koharu Utatane's quiet persuasion, he reluctantly agreed.
Of course, Ōnoki had sweetened the deal with a few concessions—those two elders weren't foolish enough to agree for free.
Would this decision disadvantage Uchiha Shien?
Please. Before you say that, maybe take a look at his surname.
Uchiha.
For the elders, that alone was an original sin.
Before, they'd refrained from suppressing him out of respect for the Will of Fire. But now that it benefited the village, abandoning him was only natural.
"Gantetsu!"
"Uchiha Shien!"
The two finalists stepped into the arena, locking eyes.
They both knew—this was their last opponent.
Because this battle would not only decide the victor, but also life and death.
With no proctor overseeing the match, that wasn't a hint—it was an announcement.
"Didn't expect to face you in the final," Gantetsu said, his voice low, eyes gleaming.
"But that makes it even more interesting."
Gone was the solid, steady man from before. What replaced him was the look of a predator.
Something's wrong.
Shien's brow furrowed.
His instincts screamed danger, his muscles tensed—like a bare-handed man staring down a wild beast.
"What's going on with you…?"
He couldn't help asking, because Gantetsu felt utterly different from before.
Riiip!
Gantetsu tore his shirt open—not to show off, but because his metallic, gleaming body had bulked up several sizes, stretching the fabric to the limit.
"My Steel Release bloodline limit strengthens and hardens my body like metal," he said evenly.
"Unfortunately, awakening it means I won't live long. But before I die, I'll make the ninja world remember that Iwagakure has geniuses too—no less than Konoha's."
He didn't even answer Shien's question directly, just explained his own condition calmly and firmly.
He'd already accepted death.
For Iwagakure, long mocked for lacking geniuses, this was his chance to wash away that shame.
Steel Release, a bloodline limit?
Even Shien was dumbstruck.
And he wasn't alone—the entire arena buzzed in confusion.
No one had ever heard of such a kekkei genkai before. But judging by his fights, they could roughly guess its traits—
Enhanced regeneration, boosted Earth Release, and inhuman durability.
They had thought that was just his natural talent. Now they knew—it was a bloodline power.
In the shinobi world, a bloodline limit was the ultimate cheat. Ordinary ninja were worlds apart from those born with special blood.
Just look at the Cloud Village—how they'd always coveted the Hyuga clan's Byakugan.
No one had ever heard of Iwagakure possessing a kekkei genkai. Yet here one was.
And the fatal flaw explained why it had never become famous.
If awakening it meant death, how could it ever spread?
He must have awakened it during the Forest of Death—on the brink of dying— which was why he'd survived those mortal wounds and grown so much stronger since.
Now, even Hiruzen and Konoha's higher-ups finally understood why Ōnoki had insisted that the proctors not interfere.
He was planning to let Gantetsu, in his final blaze of life, take Uchiha Shien down with him.
They'd wanted to eliminate Kakashi earlier but failed—so taking out one Konoha prodigy was still a win.
And since the target bore the name Uchiha, the Konoha council saw no reason to stop it.
On the battlefield—
Shien's hands blurred through seals: Boar–Dog–Rooster…
Two seconds flat.
"Summoning Jutsu!"
His right palm slammed into the ground.
If Taiyi was here, no bloodline trick in the world could stop him.
Having a powerful summoning beast was the best confidence booster of all.
BOOM!
A burst of white smoke exploded outward.
SWOOSH!
And then—a pair of massive black wings, tipped with golden light, ripped through the smoke.
"It's huge…"
"That's his summon beast!"
"Incredible—look at that size!"
The crowd erupted.
During the Forest of Death, none of them had seen Taiyi in action—this was the first time most spectators laid eyes on the colossal creature.
The excitement was explosive.
But before Shien could capitalize on it—
SWISH!
Gantetsu unrolled a scroll and began forming seals.
Shien's heart sank.
"No way…"
He realized instantly what was happening.
Everyone knew he had a contract beast. It wasn't exactly a secret—and if Uchiha Mei had strategized properly, she would've found a countermeasure.
"Earth Release: Giant Rock Seal!"
As Gantetsu finished his seals, the ground under Taiyi's claws suddenly sank inward—massive slabs of stone erupted and folded in, closing over the depression.
BOOM!
In moments, the pit sealed shut, burying Taiyi completely.
Shien wasn't worried about Taiyi's safety—at most, it would just delay him for a while. The beast wouldn't be hurt.
But it meant he'd have to face Gantetsu alone for now.
"Your turn."
Gantetsu popped a soldier pill into his mouth and spoke with grim determination.
Shien hadn't been able to interrupt the sealing in time. The formation zone was right between them—if he'd charged ahead, he might've been trapped too. He'd barely dodged back in time, but that gave the enemy the window they needed.
Throwing kunai or senbon? Pointless.
That steel body had already proven itself in his fight with Kakashi—completely immune to blades and blunt strikes alike, like his Earth Spear Technique was permanently active.
Even upper-rank jonin would find that annoying to deal with—let alone a mid-rank ninja like Shien.
"Fire Style: Flame Cloak!"
Shien didn't waste a second.
With the Blazing Fist amplifying the technique, its power now rivaled an A-rank ninjutsu—enough to threaten even a steel-skinned monster.
The opponent had his bloodline "cheat"—Shien had his money-powered one.
It was still an even fight.
But one thing irritated him—he couldn't rely on ranged attacks anymore.
That kind of defensive power completely nullified long-range bombardment. Even if he poured out every last drop of chakra, it wouldn't break through.
Before Shien could close in, Gantetsu made his move.
"Earth Release: Added-Weight Rock Technique!"
A jonin-level B-rank jutsu—executed swiftly and flawlessly.
A technique with multiple effects: it could create heavy rock pressure zones to slow opponents, or amplify its user's own gravity to boost striking power.
It wasn't just strong—it was versatile.
For a typical jonin, B-rank jutsu were trump cards. Only a handful of elite jonin could even touch A-rank.
For Gantetsu to wield one so naturally meant his strength already rivaled the upper ranks.
That's the might of a bloodline limit— before awakening, and after— they were two completely different beings.
And Shien now faced that monstrous power head-on— in a battle where only one of them would walk away.
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