The battlefield camera shifted to Sakuragi's fight.
The clash between Sakuragi and Chojuro had been intense from the start. Transparent threads darted toward Chojuro from all directions, but he skillfully countered each one with his twin swords and the massive blade Hiramekarei, slicing through them with precision.
Blades clashed and sparks flew. The nearly invisible threads shimmered faintly in the light, and wherever they struck, the air flashed white for a moment—thin slashes appeared across the ground in a crisscross pattern. All of it was from Sakuragi's threads.
But as he watched Chojuro effortlessly slice through them, Sakuragi halted his attack.
Frustrated and grimacing slightly, he felt a sting of regret. His supply of threads was running low. He hadn't started with much to begin with, and Chojuro had cut through a good portion of it without much trouble. What's worse, it didn't even seem to be costing Chojuro much effort.
He'd have to rethink his strategy.
Across from him, Chojuro was sweating heavily, but his eyes remained sharp and locked onto Sakuragi. He held his twin blades and the Hiramekarei confidently. The weapon had already entered its chakra-release state, allowing it to cleave through Sakuragi's reinforced threads without resistance.
Sakuragi might have looked composed on the outside, but he wasn't in good shape.
His chakra reserves were naturally small. Even though he'd made progress in recent years, he still didn't have the stamina of other elite shinobi. Controlling his threads didn't consume much chakra in theory, but using them continuously in high-speed combat like this quickly added up.
Thanks to the threads' stealth and deadly precision, very few had ever lasted long against him.
But this time... it was different.
It was like fate had finally handed him a worthy opponent—someone who could counter his every move.
He clenched his jaw. "Forget it. I'll go straight in!"
Sakugari knew that if this kept up, he'd run out of threads—and chakra—before Chojuro even slowed down.
He raised his hand, and five threads shot out again, whipping through the air with deadly precision.
Chojuro didn't flinch.
He was completely focused now, eyes locked on the threads. He knew how dangerous they were.
Getting caught in even one could mean instant defeat.
Sakuragi's attack, of course, wasn't as simple as it seemed. With his left hand, he expertly manipulated the remaining threads that hadn't yet been cut. His right hand controlled the new ones he had just thrown out.
Both hands moved in perfect sync, unleashing a flurry of threads at Chojuro from every direction.
The silk threads surged like crashing waves, rippling toward Chojuro in a deadly tide.
Chojuro didn't hesitate. Gripping his blade tightly with both hands, he channeled chakra into his weapon and shouted:
"Chaotic Blade Dance!"
In a full 360-degree spin, his blade released a storm of slashes, slicing the incoming threads into pieces. As the blades met the threads, the impact rang out like metal striking wire.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Each clean cut disrupted the rhythm of the thread storm.
Then—right when it seemed Chojuro had gained the upper hand—Sakuragi pulled back.
He had left a thread coiled behind Chojuro on purpose. With a subtle motion of his fingers, he sent it whipping forward, aiming straight for Chojuro's blind spot.
But Chojuro had anticipated it.
He spun and struck behind him in one swift motion.
Clang!
The slash connected hard—but the thread didn't break.
That was exactly what Sakuragi had been waiting for.
He snapped his fingers, and the thin thread transformed. Dozens of strands twisted together into a heavy whip, cracking toward Chojuro like lightning.
Chojuro finally cut through the threads in front of him, then gathered a surge of chakra into his sword.
"Flounder—Full Release: Super Slash!"
A wave of concentrated chakra burst from his blade, a devastating slash meant to end the battle in one blow.
But just before it landed—
Sakuragi clapped his hands together.
"Earth Style: Collapsing Fang!"
The ground beneath Chojuro suddenly burst upward in a sharp, jagged spike. The sudden shift threw off his balance, and his slash veered upward.
His attack missed.
And the heavy whip from Sakuragi was already swinging down toward him.
The thin, nearly invisible whip lashed straight across Chojuro's body.
Thwack!
Blood sprayed through the air as Chojuro was knocked violently backward. He hit the ground hard—and didn't get back up.
He was eliminated.
Sakuragi wiped the sweat and dust from his face. With dirt streaking across his skin, he looked more like a striped alley cat than a warrior.
Still, he looked down at the unconscious Chojuro with a touch of respect in his eyes.
"Man… that was tough. And the next opponent will probably be even tougher."
He sighed and walked forward, his expression tired—but beneath it, a confident smile formed on his dusty, striped face.
"But I'm still going to win."
---
The scene shifted to Sasuke.
He stood calmly, surrounded by unfamiliar shinobi—rogue ninja who had come from distant villages. They were using a strange kind of combination jutsu, unlike anything he'd seen before.
It had a certain… signature to it. A familiarity that bothered him.
Sasuke narrowed his eyes, already losing interest in playing along. His Sharingan spun—three tomoe whirled rapidly in both eyes, then transformed in an instant.
The Mangekyō Sharingan.
Suddenly, purple flames erupted around him, forming the shape of a skeletal rib cage. In mere moments, a towering figure of chakra took shape—Sasuke's Susanoo had fully manifested.
A massive, glowing warrior stood behind him, its form made entirely of pulsing purple chakra.
Sasuke stared at the group with a cold, piercing gaze.
"You're strong," he said. "But I'm on a completely different level."
"It's your misfortune to face me—but at least take comfort in this: it's also the highest honor you'll ever have."
As he spoke, Susanoo reached back, drawing a giant bow. It formed three glowing arrows—each aimed directly at the enemy shinobi.
Sasuke didn't hesitate.
The shinobi from the Hidden Stone Village looked stunned. But deep in their eyes, there was something else—admiration, even a touch of obsession.
"What incredible chakra control… and all physical, too."
Thud.
Three glowing arrows fired from Sasuke's Susanoo, cutting through the air like thunderbolts.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A chain of violent explosions rocked the battlefield. The Hidden Stone shinobi were scattered in the blasts.
Without pause, Sasuke had Susanoo draw again. Another arrow. Another shot.
The remaining enemies tried to run, dodging left and right in a desperate attempt to survive. But that only delayed the inevitable.
Before long, the last of them fell under Susanoo's relentless assault.
Sasuke barely broke a sweat. He had won—clean, fast, and ruthless.
---
Meanwhile, after many intense battles among the top contenders, the sky above the battlefield darkened once again.
Sakiya released another devastating barrage from above—blanket-style bombing across the entire field.
There was no escape.
Most of the remaining fighters, drained of chakra and strength, couldn't hold on any longer. One by one, they were eliminated—including Sakuragi and Kurotsuchi.
Then, the light curtain surrounding the battlefield began to shrink.
This time, it collapsed inward, tightening until it became no bigger than a standard arena. A final ring. No more hiding. No more tricks.
Everyone still standing could see their opponents clearly. There was nowhere to run.
Naruto and Sasuke stood at opposite ends.
Without a word, without hesitation, they moved.
Sasuke's Mangekyō Sharingan flared.
Naruto's Nine-Tails chakra cloak surged.
And in that very instant—
Flash! Boom!
Gold light and crackling lightning collided. The air exploded between them.
Their power was overwhelming. The remaining contestants could do nothing but scramble to avoid the shockwaves.
This fight… wasn't for them.
It was Naruto and Sasuke's stage now.
They clashed again and again—chakra versus blade, speed versus precision.
Sasuke's mastery of swordsmanship, combined with his ninjutsu and ocular powers, gave him a slight edge in form.
But Naruto's raw power and instinct matched it at every turn.
They both knew: this battle wouldn't be decided by skill alone.
Around them, the arena crumbled. Craters split the ground. The air was filled with debris and dust. Every other contestant was gone—eliminated by the sheer force of their fight.
Now, only the two remained.
And with the last of their chakra, they prepared their final techniques.
It was the familiar standoff.
Naruto formed a Rasengan.
Sasuke charged with Chidori.
BOOM!!!
A shockwave tore through the field, so intense it rattled the skies.
When the dust finally settled—both Naruto and Sasuke lay unconscious, side by side.
No victor.
No loser.
This final match… ended in a draw.