The sky rumbled. All active Ninjutsu froze in the air, and then disappeared, thus draining the building once more. Projectiles and weapons would fall to the ground as if they suddenly weighed a ton, but the effect was temporary and they would soon lighten. The reasoning behind this event was soon clear: the judge, a middle-aged man with a thin goatee, stepped out of nowhere and cleared his throat.

"The time limit has been reached," he spoke loudly. "Neither dummy has been hit, but a winner must be decided."

His eyes glazed over for a moment before he delivered the ruling:

"It was a close match, but the gentleman from the Sand will be advancing to the next round."

With this, he disappeared once more. The two Shinobi were free to return to the waiting area for rest, recuperation, a hot meal, and healing if they needed it.