As Sakiya's face appeared on the giant screen, the audience erupted into laughter.
"The adjudicator is just a girl?"
"That's unexpected… but kind of cute!"
While the spectators found it amusing, the contestants weren't as entertained—especially those who didn't know Sakiya's true strength.
Among the smaller villages and wandering ninjas, there was a wave of unease.
"The adjudicator… is her?"
"Are we supposed to trust this?"
Even Naruto and Sasuke looked uneasy.
"Ah… it's her," Naruto muttered, already sweating.
Sasuke's eye twitched. "I really hope she doesn't do anything weird…"
To them, Sakiya was the queen of chaos, and when she was involved, things always escalated.
Ino sighed. "I don't know what Tsunade was thinking…"
Meanwhile, Sakiya scratched her head, clearly not remembering what she was supposed to do next.
From her seat, Tsunade clenched her fist.
"That girl! I knew she wasn't paying attention!"
She signaled to Shikaku, who nodded and immediately contacted Yamanaka Inoichi.
Inoichi, already prepared for this, established a mental link with Sakiya.
Inside her mind, his voice rang out:
"Sakiya, focus! You need to send the contestants into the arena now and distribute the equipment!"
Sakiya blinked. "Oh! Right!"
Her expression suddenly sharpened with realization.
Then, without hesitation, she leaped into the air.
With effortless grace, she stepped on a glowing formation mid-air, propelling herself above the gathered contestants.
With a small wave of her hand—
A massive seal formation unfolded in the sky!
From it, a brilliant rain of light poured down over the crowd.
The ninjas gazed up in awe.
As the glowing droplets fell, they realized—each drop contained a badge!
The rain was fast, and each badge dropped precisely above its intended recipient.
Each ninja caught their badge, and the moment they touched it, a light bar flickered to life on its surface.
Floating above them, Sakiya called out, her voice carrying across the stadium:
"Alright, everyone—are you ready?"
The contestants froze.
"Ready?"
Then it hit them.
They were about to be launched into the arena.
The moment the first ninja confirmed his readiness, he shouted:
"Ready!"
As if on cue, others quickly followed.
"Ready!"
"All ready!"
"Good!"
Sakiya spread her arms, her foot lightly stepping on the air as ripples spread beneath her like waves on water. Slowly, she floated higher.
Then, she pressed her hands together and spoke softly.
"Rushing winds, flowing clouds, the storm's embrace... Carry them to their fate!"
As she finished, she extended her arms wide, and in an instant, a massive glowing pattern appeared in the sky. At the same time, an identical formation lit up beneath the gathered contestants.
A gentle breeze swirled within the formation, its touch growing stronger by the second.
The ninjas, sensing the build-up of energy, watched in anticipation.
The audience, along with the contestants, began to see Sakiya in a new light.
"So she's not just some random girl."
"She's actually… kind of impressive."
"Yeah, there's no way they'd give such an important role to someone unqualified."
The wind within the formation picked up speed, growing into powerful currents. Then, suddenly—
Sakiya raised her hand and shouted:
"Go!"
In that instant, the glowing formation erupted with energy!
A powerful whirlwind surged around the contestants, lifting them off the ground.
To the spectators, it looked as if the wind itself had taken them.
High above, the airborne ninjas quickly realized that an invisible force was keeping them steady, allowing them to glide effortlessly toward their destination.
Thousands of figures soaring through the sky—it was a breathtaking sight.
The crowd erupted with excitement.
"Wow! That was amazing!"
"This was worth the ticket price already!"
"Yeah! This is insane!"
In mere moments, the contestants had glided over to their designated drop zone—just outside the Forest of Death.
The contestants scanned their surroundings, their eyes filled with determination.
They all knew the truth—at this moment, everyone was an enemy.
Then, someone made the first move. Shifting his posture, he tucked in his arms and went into a steep dive.
The sight of one competitor taking action triggered a chain reaction. More and more ninjas began adjusting their descent, each with a different strategy in mind.
Some dived straight into crowded areas, eager for an early confrontation.
Others sought safety, steering toward isolated spots to avoid immediate combat.
Naruto, watching the frenzy, grinned at Sasuke.
"Go on, Sasuke!" he shouted before angling himself into a head-first dive.
Sasuke smirked at the challenge.
"Naruto! This time, we'll settle things once and for all! And the winner will be me!"
With that, he followed, diving at full speed.
As Naruto neared the ground, he prepared to use his chakra to slow his fall. But to his surprise, the same invisible force that had guided them through the air cushioned his landing. Instead of crashing down, he drifted gently like a falling leaf.
Naruto blinked in surprise, then chuckled.
"Figures. Sakiya's control over this technique is insane."
He glanced at the horizon, where more contestants were landing, all guided safely by the unseen force.
"And managing this many people at once? That's next level."
Sasuke landed beside him, his usual cold expression in place. But in the back of his mind, he couldn't help but picture the girl responsible for all of this.
"Still a long way to go," he muttered to himself.
Then, both of them locked eyes, their battle spirit flaring.
Boom!
In an instant, Naruto activated his chakra mode, golden energy surging around him. The air around them grew tense.
"Sasuke! Let's finish what we started!"
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
"Not here," he said firmly.
Naruto hesitated. "Huh?"
"This competition is about scoring points," Sasuke reminded him.
Naruto blinked, processing the words.
Sasuke sighed. "You really didn't listen to the rules, did you?"
"To move forward, we need to survive as long as possible," Sasuke explained. "And take down as many opponents as we can. Strategy matters. But for us, raw strength will be enough."
Naruto grinned. "So what's your plan?"
Sasuke glanced toward the battlefield ahead, where smoke and explosions filled the air.
"Simple. Let's see who can take down the most enemies."
Naruto's smile widened. "A competition within a competition, huh? I like it!"
Lightning crackled around Sasuke's body as he activated his chakra.
"Then let's begin."
Boom!
In a flash, two figures—one bathed in golden light, the other crackling with blue lightning—charged into the chaos ahead.