[TL/N: New Book -
Anime Group Chat in a Doomsday World!]
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The two sides of the battle soon converged at the center of the arena.
This time, Kankuro had no intention of withdrawing from the competition to conceal his strength, as he had done in the original timeline.
As the heir of the Aburame clan, Shino, though typically silent, was inwardly eager to earn recognition through this battle.
However...
Reality was bound to disappoint him.
Because today's contest wouldn't involve any ordinary ninja techniques...
But Pokémon from another dimension!
"Come forth, Dragalge!"
At Hayate's command, Kankuro stepped forward, swiftly forming a hand seal for a summoning technique. With precision, he manipulated chakra threads to discreetly retrieve a Poké Ball. Smoke erupted from the summoning ritual, revealing the creature he had recently acquired.
In an instant, a bizarre figure materialized in the center of the arena. It was a strange creature with purple, seaweed-like skin, a body shaped like tangled kelp, and a seahorse-like appearance.
"Huh? A summoning beast?"
Shino furrowed his brow, his mind racing.
As a member of Konoha's Aburame clan, he was no stranger to summoning beasts.
Yet, due to chakra limitations, it was rare for ordinary genin to rely on summoning beasts in combat, making this development rather unexpected.
But this was just the beginning!
Kankuro, having summoned Dragalge, refrained from launching an immediate attack. Instead, he glanced toward the referee, Hayate.
With the Sand Village's invasion plan canceled, Hayate had avoided the fate of being killed by Baki, as had happened in the original storyline, and was now officiating the Chunin Exams.
"Referee!"
Kankuro raised his hand and smiled at Hayate.
"My summoning beast might be a bit strong. Is it permissible for it to use its full strength?"
"Ahem..."
Hayate, who was known for his chronic cough, glanced at the floating Dragalge. After a long moment of scrutiny, finding nothing overtly unusual, he finally nodded.
"Since it is a beast you summoned, it is considered part of your strength. You are free to use its full power."
While this might seem unfair—summoning such a powerful ally mid-battle—it was widely understood that summoning techniques required significant chakra.
As a result, even in a one-on-one duel, summoning could be permitted, though few genin had the capacity to wield such techniques effectively.
"That's what I wanted to hear~"
Kankuro's eyes gleamed with excitement as he heard the referee's approval. Without hesitation, he shouted:
"Dragalge! Use a Sludge Bomb!"
"DRA!!!"
The Dragalge, hovering mid-air, responded instantly to Kankuro's command. Purple mist began swirling around it as it formed a dense, mud-like mass infused with toxic energy.
Initially, the crowd dismissed the attack, underestimating the strange summoning beast.
After all, how powerful would a mere genin's summoning beast be?
But as the seconds ticked by, the true scale of the attack became apparent.
The mud-like sphere rapidly expanded, growing to the size of the entire arena within moments.
A dark shadow loomed over the battlefield, blotting out the sun and plunging the area into ominous gloom.
By now, even the most oblivious observers realized the sheer danger they faced.
"Wait, what the... Is this some kind of joke!?"
A jounin, seated in the spectators' section, lowered his book, Icha Icha Paradise, his expression darkening as his eyes fixated on the colossal sphere overhead.
His instincts kicked in, and he stood abruptly, alarmed.
He wasn't alone—every Konoha jonin and ANBU operative present followed suit, their bodies tense and ready to act.
If that enormous sludge ball were to fall, the devastation would be catastrophic.
The entire arena—and perhaps the audience—would be obliterated!
"Is this really a genin's summoning beast?!"
The incredulity rippled through the onlookers.
This was no ordinary summoning beast—this was a creature on par with the tailed beasts themselves!
Without a moment to spare, all the Konoha jonin sprang into action.
From their perspective, this could only be interpreted as a calculated declaration of war against Konoha.
However...
At that very moment, Kankuro, standing beside the summoned Dragalge, calmly spoke:
"Dragalge, be careful not to harm anyone else!"
"Our target is singular!"
"Dra!"
Dragalge emitted a sharp, resonating sound.
It had clearly been well-trained and rehearsed. As though heeding Kankuro's command, it immediately began to compress the massive sludge bomb hovering above. The enormous sphere shrank rapidly, condensing to a diameter of only two or three meters. Then, with precision, it hurled the concentrated projectile directly at Shino.
Even though the sludge bomb's area was reduced to a manageable size, nobody present dared underestimate its potential.
They all understood one crucial detail...
The mud ball hadn't simply shrunk—it had been compressed!
"Damn it! Barrier Team, deploy a barrier to protect the audience immediately!"
A Konoha jonin shouted orders, his voice ringing with urgency.
In an instant, several ninjas dressed in distinctive cloaks and masks appeared around the arena.
Their concealed faces couldn't hide their anxiety.
The Barrier Team had originally been stationed here as more of a ceremonial precaution, primarily to maintain appearances for the visiting daimyos and dignitaries.
After all, the audience sat dozens of meters away from the battle arena, shielded by tall, reinforced walls.
How could a battle between genin possibly pose a threat to them?
Even in a fight between jonin, such precautions seemed excessive for a space this large.
Yet here they were, cursing their bad luck.
The Barrier Team quickly formed hand seals, suppressing their grumbling thoughts.
Before long, a colossal, circular barrier of chakra enveloped the entire battlefield.
And then—
BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted.
Mud, sand, and shattered debris flew in every direction, hammering against the chakra barrier like a storm of bullets.
The entire structure trembled violently under the impact, its surface flickering and becoming semi-transparent.
Here and there, fragments of debris even managed to pierce through the barrier, escaping into the air.
Thankfully, the barrier's energy absorbed much of the force, ensuring the stray projectiles lost momentum before traveling far.
However...
This placed immense strain on the Barrier Team.
The barrier's strength was directly tied to their chakra, and every impact reverberated back to them.
Each hit on the barrier felt like a direct attack on their bodies.
While the energy of the assault was shared among the team, the sheer volume of debris relentlessly striking the barrier made it nearly impossible to hold up for long.
Soon, blood began to trickle from the corners of the Barrier Team members' mouths.
Yet, amidst the thousands of people present, not a single soul paid attention to them.
At this moment, every neck was craned forward, and every eye was fixated on inside the barrier in stunned silence.
As time passed, the dense cloud of dust within the barrier began to settle.
When the view finally cleared, the aftermath was revealed: a massive crater nearly ten meters in diameter and of unfathomable depth now scarred the center of the arena.
At the edges of the pit, traces of purple sludge clung to the ground, steadily corroding everything it touched.
Not far from the crater lay two figures, battered and bruised, their bodies sprawled on the ground.
These two were none other than the referee, Hayate, and Kankuro's opponent, Shino.
Surrounding them was a morbid sight—a large swath of insect corpses coated in the same corrosive purple sludge.
Hayate's body was hunched protectively over Shino, shielding him from further harm.
The chunin vest on Hayate's back, designed to symbolize a ninja of his rank or higher, bore a gaping hole, exposing the mangled and bloodied flesh beneath.
"Cough…"
Hayate suddenly coughed weakly, his trembling body struggling to rise.
His eyes were hazy, and it was evident he was on the verge of losing consciousness. Yet, with sheer willpower, he forced himself to speak: "The winner... is..."
"Kankuro…"
As soon as the words left his lips, Hayate collapsed, finally succumbing to his injuries.
For a moment, silence hung heavily over the arena. Then, as if breaking free from a spell, the audience erupted into chaos.
"Oh my God! What just happened!?"
"That thing—if it had hit us—would've wiped us all out!"
"Damn it! That brat from the Sand Village—was he really trying to kill us all!?"
"Forget that! How does the Sand Village even have such a powerful summoning beast!? He practically killed the referee and his opponent in a single attack!"
"Wait… wasn't the referee a jonin? Are we really going to let this slide!?"
"Hey, a summoning beast this strong… isn't it on par with a tailed beast!?"
The auditorium buzzed with disbelief, anger, fear, and even awe.
Yet, one fact was indisputable—
Everyone now recognized the terrifying power of Kankuro, or more accurately, the immense strength of his Dragalge.
In the ninja world, summoning beasts are regarded as extensions of a ninja's abilities.
And Kankuro's strength had far exceeded anyone's expectations.
The scene grew increasingly chaotic, with panic rippling through the audience.
Even Kankuro himself stood frozen in shock.
It wasn't fear that paralyzed him but the realization of the sheer magnitude of his summoning beast's power.
Up until now, he had only heard his village elders proclaim that the "Pokémon" granted to him had combat abilities rivaling those of tailed beasts.
But Kankuro had been skeptical—he hadn't truly believed it.
During rehearsals, they had never allowed the Sludge Bomb attack to detonate fully.
Now, for the first time, he witnessed its devastating potential.
And the chilling truth hit him like a kunai to the chest...
He held in his hands not just one, but two of these terrifying weapons!
"Hah, it's a relief that Dragalge didn't attack my opponent directly but instead targeted the ground in front of him," Kankuro muttered to himself.
"Otherwise, this could've turned into a huge problem."
Seeing Shino safely shielded by Hayate, Kankuro let out a long sigh of relief.
Before the battle, Sand Ninja Village had already gathered intelligence on Shino.
If the young heir of the Aburame clan were to die at his hands in such an unclear manner…
Even if it happened during a legitimate duel, it would inevitably stir deep resentment from the Aburame clan.
And with Sand Ninja Village urgently needing a period of peace for development, that was a risk they couldn't afford.
Fortunately, it seemed that Shino had only fallen unconscious from the sludge bomb's impact and the poisonous gas, rather than being harmed directly by the explosion itself.
"Good... this is fine," Kankuro thought.
Since the referee had already declared him the winner, Kankuro followed protocol. He discreetly returned the Poké Ball to his pocket and withdrew Dragalge.
Turning away, he headed back to the players' lounge.
But this time...
Every other contestant ahead of him instinctively moved aside, clearing the path for Kankuro and standing silently on either side of the passageway.
A wave of satisfaction surged through him, feeding his vanity.
Meanwhile...
Watching the medical team carry away Hayate and Shino, Hiruzen frowned deeply.
Turning to Rasa, who sat beside him, he asked in a sharp tone:
"Kazekage, care to explain what this means?"
With just a single casual attack, a genin's summoning beast had utterly overwhelmed the jonin-level referee.
A summoning beast of this caliber wasn't just a tool; it was a devastating war asset for Sand Ninja Village.
Common sense dictated that such a creature should be kept hidden until the outbreak of war.
Yet, Rasa had allowed a genin to wield this incredible weapon without prior notice to Konoha.
It was, without question, a direct humiliation to Konoha.
After all, their jonin referee had been effortlessly bested by the summoned beast of a mere genin from Sand Ninja Village.
When word of this spread, it would cast Konoha in an unfavorable light.
However...
Rasa only smiled faintly at Hiruzen's question and replied, "My apologies, Third Hokage."
"I wasn't aware these youngsters would have such remarkable opportunities."
"Opportunities?"
Hiruzen immediately latched onto the key word, his eyes narrowing slightly with a dangerous gleam.
Such a powerful war machine was akin to the tanks of World War I—a life-reaping force on the battlefield.
Having just one was already a problem. But if there were more...
Rasa, seemingly oblivious to Hiruzen's concern, continued as if boasting:
"Indeed. These young ones have been fortunate to contract a type of summoning beast called Pokémon."
"I suspect we'll see them use these Pokémon in future battles as well..."
"So, Third Hokage, I'd recommend you reinforce the barriers around the battlefield."
Though Rasa's tone was mild, he deliberately amplified his words with chakra so they carried across the venue.
Soon, the daimyos of the Land of Fire, the Land of Wind, and even dignitaries from smaller nations seated near the stage caught wind of his statement.
"..."
You crafty fox!
Hiruzen cursed inwardly, recognizing Rasa's deliberate maneuver to stoke tension and unease.
But outwardly, he maintained his composure.
"I understand," he said softly.
Standing tall, Hiruzen used a voice amplification jutsu to address the audience, reassuring them that the battles would not pose any threat to spectators and promising enhanced security measures.
As the host, his commanding presence quickly restored order to the chaotic arena.
Simultaneously, he began issuing orders to the nearby ANBU to summon reinforcements from the Barrier Corps to secure the venue.
Even so, Rasa couldn't help but notice something flicker in Hiruzen's eyes as he gave those commands—something calculating.
It was clear the Third Hokage was already contemplating how to deal with Sand Ninja Village in the future.
Heh.
Rasa chuckled inwardly.
This is only the beginning.
If the Third Hokage learned that Dragalge's previous attack had only used a fifth of its full power...
I wonder how much more nervous he'd become.
After all, this wasn't just any creature.
This was a Level 85 Pokémon, a force to be reckoned with!
[Pokémon: Dragalge]
Type: Poison, Dragon
Ability: Poison Touch (Melee attacks have a chance to poison enemies, continuously sapping their vitality.)
Level: 85
Market Value: 63,000