"Third stage, individual tournament — BEGIN!"
The bronze gong crashed. A fifty-metre sealing ring rose outside the central tower.
Eight finalists lined the stands; spectators packed: Hokage, Kazekage, daimyō, foreign envoys…
A battlefield of "spectacle" and "politics", and the step Jack must cross — the first public exposure of the rift.I Format: Eight to Four, No LimitsBrutally simple:Single-elimination till four remainSurrender, death, or ring-out = lossNew clause: three consecutive black lights = forced lossJack glanced across the ring — β mask (B-07) lifted a scoreboard:
「Countdown: 6y 356d 02h」
—Reminding: every fight trims his lifespan.II Quarter-Final: Spiral Mirror vs HiramekareiOpponent: Kiri's Ringo (twin swords · Hiramekarei full form)
Arena: mist & water, 90% humidity.Start—Ringo released blades, giant water hammer crashing; Jack's wind suppressed.
Cornered, he debuted "Rift Weave · Reflecting Mirror":3m-high spiral mirror of threads, refracted hammer skyward, firework rainMonitor pillar blacked for the first time! Crowd screamed "Space ninjutsu!"Second black light—Ringo blown out, concedes.Referee: "Winner — Jack!"
Applause, whispers: "Hidden Leaf secret?" "Wind-Lightning mutation?" "…Unknown bloodline?"β clapped, board ticking:
「02 win-rate ↑ Coverage +3%」III System Reward & PenaltyRing-side, Jack hid his panting:Compression pendant overheated, watch skipped 24hOld back wound reopened, blood seeping vestSystem tally: 「Victory: ①DP 150 ②'Rift Reflect' proficiency +20%
Side: consecutive black lights ×2 Final warning 1/3 Coverage +3%」"One more black, I'm forced to lose." He gritted teeth. "Next round must look 'normal'."IV Semi Draw: β vs JackScreen rolled, finalised:Top half: Sasuke vs AkatsuchiBottom half: Jack vs Black-robe β (B-07)Crowd exploded — foreign ninja vs Leaf dark horse! Hokage side-eyed: "Confirm β identity?" ANBU: "Kiri files missing, urgent inquiry sent."North ring-side, β lifted mask corner — golden cracks crawling over cheek: "Sync No. 02, finally — a proper meal." Crack-chains coiled between fingers, hungry snakes.V Semi-Final: Rift vs RiftRing temperature plunged, ground frosted. Gong — both vanished —β flashed behind Jack, chains spearing heart; Threads auto-wove "Spiral Shield", chains refracted, shattered stone pillars!Spectators saw only golden flashes, steel clashing, black scars ripping air — Monitor pillars blacked madly, fourth consecutive!Referee raised hand: "Forced halt! Both halt!" But rift energy exceeded threshold; Four-Purple-Flame Array at ring corners torn open, violet flames mixing gold — crowd panic!VI Forced Seal: Hokage ActsHokage Tsunade flashed in, palm slam: "Seal Art: Strength of a Hundred — Rift Quell!" Emerald chakra rained, suppressing rift waves.β yanked by chains, smiling: "Timing perfect, sample collected." He tossed an "♾️" crystal; it shattered mid-air — scattered rift energy from the battle sucked in, condensing into a fingernail-sized dark-gold grain into β's palm."See you, Warden." β dissolved into crack-light, vanishing before all.VII Result & Rulingβ "identity unknown + energy超标" — judges ruled:Jack advanced to final four (semi victory factual)β "forfeit & flee", listed S-rank wantedRift energy reading zero (taken by β), threat downgradedApplause thundered, uneasy: "What was that?" "Space bloodline?" "How many secrets does Leaf hide?"VIII Epilogue: Did the Countdown Stop?Late night, medical ward. Tsunade's green light mended flesh, not countdown. Jack raised his watch — 「6 years 355 days 23 hours」 —Semi cost another day.But β's words echoed: "Sample collection complete."He opened palm; threads auto-wrote: 「Subject 03 lock-on: signal — Suna Village」At the same moment, over Suna, moonlight was torn by a rift corner — winking at Jack like a countdown — only this time, the hand no longer ticked forward,
but began,
to spin wildly.