[TL/N: New Book -
Anime Group Chat in a Doomsday World!]
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Rasa might not fully grasp what Level 85 signifies in this world...
But he knows one thing for sure—his own strength hasn't reached that level.
It's doubtful if he's even at Level 80!
And he, Rasa, is the esteemed Kazekage, the leader of Sand Ninja Village!
From this, it's clear just how terrifyingly powerful Dragalge is.
It's a shame, really. Their mission this time isn't to destroy Konoha, so Dragalge couldn't unleash its full might.
But that's fine.
Sand Ninja Village has already prepared a larger stage for the Pokémon to shine.
Today's battle was merely an introduction, a chance for the Pokémon to make their debut in this world.
The real spectacle is yet to come!
——
As Kankuro and Shino's battle concluded, and the audience witnessed the overwhelming power of Dragalge, those who had initially demanded to see the Uchiha orphan fell silent.
It was clear to them now...
Even if these contestants were considered "rookies" in the ninja world, the scale of their battles could far exceed anyone's expectations.
If another creature as powerful as Dragalge appeared—and, heaven forbid, turned its power on the spectators because of their noise—the consequences would be unthinkable.
In truth, their fear was justified.
Because next up, they would witness another Pokémon no less powerful than Dragalge!
——
The unexpected coma of Hayate forced Konoha to hastily appoint a new referee.
Shiranui Genma, chewing a senbon stick, made his way to the center of the battlefield with a tense expression.
According to a confidential order just received from the Hokage, multiple members of Sand Ninja Village might possess summoning beasts of this magnitude.
In other words...
Genma was likely to face the same fate as Hayate.
"What the hell..."
He cursed internally, trying to suppress his anxiety. This time, he dared not underestimate the Sand Ninja contestants. His attitude toward them was far more cautious, even polite.
All he could do now was silently pray that the next psychic beast summoned wouldn't cause too much chaos.
——
The next group of contestants stepped onto the battlefield.
It was none other than Temari, Kankuro's sister from Sand Ninja Village, and her opponent, Nara Shikamaru from Konoha.
Facing the blonde beauty smiling slyly at him, Shikamaru immediately felt a headache coming on.
As the young heir of the Nara clan, Shikamaru had just received a report from his father, which essentially mirrored the secret order given to Genma.
The message was clear: the Sand Ninja contestants were likely to continue summoning their summoned beasts.
Ordinarily, faced with such a troublesome and dangerous opponent, Shikamaru's first instinct would have been to forfeit the match and avoid unnecessary conflict.
But his father, anticipating this reaction, had come armed with a direct order from the Hokage.
It seemed the Hokage had foreseen Shikamaru's hesitation and mandated his participation in this battle.
The mission?
To uncover more information about the Sand Ninja's psychic beasts and report back to Konoha.
Left with no other choice, Shikamaru resigned himself to the situation.
"Man, this is such a drag," he muttered, exhaling heavily.
To gather intelligence was one thing...
But if the opponent truly possessed a beast as formidable as Dragalge, Shikamaru knew he could end up defeated as quickly as Shino.
With a nod from Shiranui Genma, the match officially began.
Shikamaru decided to abandon any pretense of using advanced tactics. Instead, he pretended to execute the Nara family's signature technique: the Shadow Imitation Jutsu.
Under the blazing sun, a long, black, tentacle-like shadow stretched across the ground, darting toward Temari's shadow.
Temari, however, remained unfazed.
Much like Kankuro earlier, she made a show of forming a summoning seal but stealthily released her Pokémon through a concealed Poké Ball.
"Come out, Noivern!"
"Screeeeech~!!!!!!"
A piercing howl that seemed to reach the depths of the soul echoed across Konoha.
The sound, resembling a shockwave, crashed into Shikamaru's mind repeatedly, forcing him to abandon his jutsu and clutch his ears in agony.
"As expected, what had to happen has finally come!"
Despite the searing pain splitting his head, Shikamaru forced himself to look up. What he saw sent a chill down his spine.
Hovering mid-air in front of Temari was a bat-like creature with massive wings. Its membranes shimmered cyan on the outside and black on the inside, with a hint of purple along the edges. The creature flapped its wings with menacing ease.
There was no doubt—this was Temari's summoned beast.
Around the arena, the well-prepared barrier team quickly activated a colossal chakra shield, encapsulating the battlefield.
But even the barrier couldn't fully contain the Noivern's initial screech, which had caused widespread chaos.
Many spectators clutched their heads in pain, and some even had blood trickling from their ears. The air was filled with groans and cries of discomfort.
"Uh..."
Temari hesitated for a moment, realizing her Pokémon might have overdone it.
After all, Noivern had never acted like this during previous battles.
It seemed the creature had been influenced by Dragalge's earlier grand display. Refusing to be outshone, it had decided to make an extravagant entrance of its own.
"What a feisty little guy," Temari thought with a sigh.
Her gaze shifted back to Shikamaru. She had no time to waste—better to finish the fight quickly and decisively.
She raised a delicate finger, pointing directly at Shikamaru.
"Noivern, use Wind!"
"Screeeeech~!!!"
Perhaps realizing it had caused enough trouble, Noivern's cry this time was noticeably softer.
It flapped its wings and soared higher, casting a disdainful glance at both Shikamaru and the referee, Shiranui Genma, below.
And then...
In an unexpected twist, Noivern shifted its attention away from Shikamaru and turned its focus onto Genma.
Shiranui Genma: ? ? ?
"What's happening!?"
As he stood frozen in confusion, Noivern suddenly flapped its wings with immense force.
In an instant, a strange and overwhelming energy coalesced into a violent storm, barreling straight toward Genma.
Genma's mind raced, overwhelmed by the absurdity of the situation.
"Wait, what!? Why me? I'm just the referee!"
But there was no time to react.
Even though the Wind move was considered basic among many Pokémon techniques, its strength depended entirely on the user.
And when a Pokémon as powerful as the Noivern—on par with Dragalge—used it, even a casual gust could send an ordinary Jounin flying.
What's more...
This time, the Noivern had used one of its skills!
Whoosh~!!!
A powerful hurricane suddenly surged through the battlefield, enveloping the entire competition arena in its grasp.
Although Noivern's original target was Genma, the turbulence from the hurricane rapidly spread across the field, amplified by the barrier created by the sealing team.
After unleashing its skill, Noivern turned its attention to its elegant trainer. It flew back to Temari's side, folding its large wings into a protective circle around her, shielding her completely.
On the battlefield, the ferocious winds tore up layers of ground, leaving the arena in disarray.
Thankfully, Shikamaru had anticipated such an attack. He had taken refuge in the crater created earlier by Dragalge.
Although chunks of dirt and debris rained down on him, he managed to escape unscathed.
Genma, however, wasn't so lucky.
Caught directly in Noivern's wind attack, Genma was flung through the air like a ragdoll. The hurricane plastered him against the barrier for all the spectators to see.
His once composed and handsome face was now distorted under the immense pressure of the winds, making him look more grotesque than gallant.
Had Temari not instructed Noivern to hold back, especially after witnessing the devastation caused by Dragalge, the aftermath would have been even more catastrophic.
Soon, the energy sustaining the hurricane began to wane, and the storm within the barrier came to an abrupt stop.
Thud!
As the wind pressure dissipated, Genma lost his tenuous grip on the barrier and fell.
Fortunately, as a seasoned Jōnin, he regained control mid-air and landed on his feet with a somewhat flashy recovery.
Still, the angry red imprint on his face and the crooked corners of his mouth significantly diminished any impression of dignity he might have hoped to salvage.
"Ahem..."
Regaining his composure, Genma straightened up and scanned the field. To his surprise, Shikamaru, the other combatant, was nowhere to be seen.
Just as confusion crossed his face and he prepared to question Temari, the ground trembled.
The vibrations grew stronger, and moments later, Shikamaru emerged from the earth like a gopher.
Covered in dirt and dust, he clawed his way out of the hole.
"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"
Shikamaru stood up, coughing and spitting out mouthfuls of dirt.
Even though he had sealed his ears and nostrils with chakra before the storm hit, the sheer force of the wind had sent dust and sand flying everywhere, making it impossible to avoid inhaling some.
"Well, do you still want to continue, Pineapple Head?"
A teasing voice called out.
Looking up, Shikamaru saw Temari standing confidently, one hand on her hip and the other resting on the handle of her giant fan. She smirked at him with playful mockery.
"Nope! I'm done! I surrender!"
Shikamaru immediately raised his hands in surrender.
What kind of lunatic would keep fighting after seeing that?
If Noivern's attack had been aimed at him instead of Genma, his frail body would've been obliterated in an instant.
As he surveyed the battlefield, Shikamaru noticed that the destruction caused by Dragalge had been completely leveled out by Noivern's hurricane.
The arena, which previously required hours of labor from a dozen earth-type Jōnin to repair, had been flattened in moments—not even by an earth-type move!
Noivern's sheer power was undeniable.
Shikamaru decided it was smarter to step down now. He had already given the Third Hokage plenty to observe. There was no point in pushing his luck any further.
"You're very clever," Temari remarked with a rare smile, her voice carrying an approving tone.
She admired men who knew when to retreat over those who recklessly pursued false notions of pride.
And just like that, with Shikamaru's forfeit, the match concluded swiftly.
Despite its brevity, not a single person in the audience dared to complain about the fight's entertainment value.
The terrifying tornado alone, tearing through the arena inside the barrier, had left an indelible mark on their minds.
...
...
"What a surprise!"
On the high platform, Hiruzen's eyes narrowed slightly as he observed the scene unfolding below.
Turning his head slowly, he glanced at Rasa beside him and remarked,
"The young ninjas of the Sand Village are truly remarkable to have acquired such a powerful summoning beast."
As a seasoned observer, Hiruzen couldn't fully gauge Noivern's limits from its displayed moves.
However, it was clear that the strength of these two summoned beasts far surpassed that of an elite Jōnin. They were powerful enough to stand on par with Kage-level combatants!
And the fact that the Sand Village possessed not one, but two such formidable summoning beasts left Hiruzen deeply contemplative.
Initially, based on Rasa's earlier comments, Hiruzen had speculated that Dragalge might be the only high-tier summoning beast in Sand Village's arsenal.
But now, this assumption was evidently incorrect.
"Ha ha ha ha..."
Rasa's laughter broke the silence, contrasting sharply with Hiruzen's thoughtful demeanor. Watching Noivern astound Konoha once again, Rasa couldn't contain his glee. He slapped his thigh and stood up, laughing heartily.
He couldn't help it.
As Konoha's neighbor, Sand Village had lived under its shadow for far too long.
Now, finally, Rasa felt a moment of vindication—and it was deeply satisfying.
In fact, he'd already made up his mind: once he returned home, he'd have the village's writers document today's events and spread the story far and wide throughout the Sand Village.
He even had a title in mind:
"Three Ninjas of Konoha vs. Three Dragons of The Sand Village!"
This wasn't just about pride—it was about reclaiming morale.
Rasa firmly believed that such a narrative would boost the spirits of Sand Village's residents, inspiring them to work even harder to contribute to the village's growth and prosperity.
After all, there were already grand plans in motion.
Over ten days ago, Sand Village had designated a vast stretch of barren desert, located just east of the village, for a monumental transformation project.
With the help of Pokémon like Landorus—a ground-type Pokémon capable of altering the soil composition—the goal was to turn this arid desert into arable farmland.
Though the resulting soil might not rival Konoha's fertile lands, this effort marked a monumental breakthrough for Sand Village—a leap from nothing to something!
And with Landorus's abilities, there was potential for even more.
Given enough time, Landorus could theoretically transform the entire desert into a lush forest.
Of course, the process would be far more efficient with assistance from water-type Pokémon, which Sand Village was now actively acquiring.
This is why, after successfully trading for three powerful Pokémon comparable to mythical beasts for Temari and her team, Rasa had also procured a large number of Pokémon known as Diglett.
These Pokémon resemble ordinary gophers but have snowy white fur.
Their evolved forms, known as Dugtrio, were a trio of heads emerging from a single body, much like other well-known Pokémon species.
Diglett were particularly suited to desert environments, though they typically thrived in coastal deserts.
But this discrepancy wasn't a major concern.
The Sand Village's desert, while harsh, wasn't devoid of water sources. Although it might not provide the most comfortable habitat for water-type Diglett, it was more than sufficient for their survival.
Rasa had deliberately purchased Diglett of average strength in bulk to ensure a large initial population.
Over the years, this population would reproduce and strengthen their numbers naturally.
When the time came, these Pokémon—capable of both tilling the soil and irrigating it—would become invaluable allies in transforming Sand Village's barren lands into fields brimming with crops.
The vision of a thriving, self-sufficient Sand Village filled Rasa with hope and determination. This was not just a battle to claim the arena's spotlight; it was a step toward revolutionizing the future of his people!