Minato's Strategy

After a long Taijutsu showdown, Minato and Shimura Miya had finally separated. He panted heavily.

Minato stared at Shimura Miya with an extremely grave expression. This was undoubtedly his most difficult battle yet. He felt that they were evenly matched, and both of them were Wind Release ninja.

It looks like I'll need to think of another way if I want to defeat Shimura Miya... Minato quietly considered his options.

But Shimura Miya clearly had no intention of giving Minato a chance to catch his breath. He knew that Minato was not someone who could be dealt with casually.

However, Shimura Miya was older, and his endurance naturally far surpassed that of second-year Minato. As long as he dragged this out until his opponent ran out of stamina, victory would eventually be his.

So Shimura Miya charged forward again. He would not leave Minato any opportunity. He needed this victory.

After their initial probing, the two clashed once more.

Minato nimbly evaded his opponent's fist, then swiftly lowered his body and drove a fierce punch at Shimura Miya's waist.

Facing the menacing blow, Shimura Miya's expression did not change. He blocked Minato's fist with his right hand, shifted to the side, and simultaneously raised his left leg, slamming his knee into Minato's stomach!

Minato winced in pain. Without pausing in the slightest, Shimura Miya quickly straightened his left leg and followed up with a vicious roundhouse kick that sent Minato flying.

But Minato endured the pain. The instant Shimura Miya's left leg struck him, he grabbed Shimura Miya's ankle with his right hand and used the tremendous impact to lift both of them off the ground.

Bang!

The two grappled on the ground, scraping against one another and gasping for breath before separating again.

Minato rose to his feet and forced Shimura Miya back with a swift roundhouse kick. Shimura Miya rapidly retreated, forming Hand Seals with both hands at the same time.

"Wind Release: Wind Cutter!"

An incomparably sharp Wind Blade formed in his hand before shooting straight at Minato.

Minato immediately pulled a Kunai from his Ninja Pouch, intending to use it to deflect the small Wind Blade.

But how could a Wind Release attack created by wind compressed to the extreme possibly be deflected by a Kunai?

The Kunai only resisted for a moment before being sliced apart. However, this also forcibly changed the trajectory of the Wind Blade that had been aimed at Minato's chest.

The Wind Blade grazed the sleeve over Minato's arm, cutting it open. Blood immediately began to flow.

"Minato!" Nawaki shouted from below.

Uchiha Chen frowned. Minato's response to that attack had been extremely reckless.

What a brute. Far too reckless.

Who used their own Kunai to directly block an opponent's Wind Release? At a time like this, he should have dodged quickly. Or he could have used the Substitution Jutsu, concealed himself, and waited for an opening.

If his opponent followed up with a long-range Shuriken attack, how would Minato be able to dodge?

Sure enough, Shimura Miya was delighted when he saw Minato use a Kunai to directly block Wind Release.

He immediately threw several Shuriken.

After throwing them, Shimura Miya charged straight at Minato.

Uchiha Chen watched Minato with a frown. Based on what he knew of Minato, he would not be so foolish. There had to be another move coming.

Yet Minato, standing on the platform, made no move to block the Shuriken.

With his right hand, Minato directly tossed a Smoke Bomb from his Ninja Pouch.

Instead of dodging the Kunai, he threw a Smoke Bomb?

When the smoke cleared, what remained on the ground was a log pierced by the Shuriken.

"When did he use the Substitution Jutsu?!"

Shimura Miya stopped and stared at the log by his feet in shock.

He warily looked around.

Although he did not know when Minato Namikaze had used the Substitution Jutsu...

He was certain to win this battle.

"Chen, did you see it clearly? When did Minato use the Substitution Jutsu? And what was that Smoke Bomb for?" Nawaki asked doubtfully from below the platform.

Uchiha Chen shook out his Windbreaker and smiled at Nawaki. "Nawaki, you're wrong. That wasn't the Substitution Jutsu. Minato really is a genius."

"Not the Substitution Jutsu?"

Minato's battle IQ truly was high. No wonder he would become the Yellow Flash who made enemies tremble in fear in the future.

"Behind me?" Shimura Miya suddenly turned to look behind him.

But there was still no one there.

Shimura Miya felt that something was wrong. Where exactly had things gone wrong?

"Poof." The log on the ground suddenly turned into Minato.

"Wind Release: Wind Cutter." Minato swiftly formed Hand Seals.

Shimura Miya did not react in time. The Wind Cutter sliced past his hair, cutting away half of his black hair.

Shimura Miya's legs went weak, and he collapsed to the ground.

If Minato's final attack had struck him just now, he would probably have died. Clearly, Minato's final Wind Release had not been aimed at him.

However, he had lost as well.

"Minato Namikaze wins this round," Orochimaru's hoarse voice rang out.

"Minato, are you okay?"

Supporting the staggering Minato, Uchiha Chen asked with concern.

Blood continued to flow from Minato's body. It was from taking Shimura Miya's shuriken.

Minato had deliberately taken that Wind Release attack head-on, then exposed an opening to Shimura Miya.

When Shimura threw his shuriken, he directly took several of them. Then, he threw a Smoke Bomb and used the Transformation Jutsu on himself, turning into a log.

Yet obscured by the smoke, Shimura Miya assumed Minato had used the Substitution Jutsu and let down his guard around the log on the ground.

The plan was simple, but in battle, even the slightest mistake would expose it.

Such a risky move would only be used when one's own strength was lacking.

But battles between ninjas were like this.

How could one say that every opponent would be weaker than oneself? Overlooking any detail could lead to fatal consequences.

"That was too reckless, Minato. Hurry and let Lady Tsunade take a look at you," Uchiha Chen said.

"Ahaha, I'm going, Chen." Having defeated his opponent, Minato seemed to be in quite a good mood.

After all, for Minato, who was still at the Ninja Academy, painstakingly defeating such a powerful opponent was something to be proud of.

At that moment, Orochimaru's voice rang out again.

"The third and final match. This competition is only meant to determine the top three, so the next battle will be the last one."

"Mikoto, do your best." Uchiha Chen patted Mikoto's head.

"Mm, Chen." Mikoto's eyes shone with confidence.

Chen had already told Mikoto everything she needed to know. The rest depended on her own efforts.

Only after Uchiha Mikoto and Aburame Shibi had taken their positions on the arena did Orochimaru speak in his hoarse voice.

"Then, begin!"

Mikoto possessed both Fire and Lightning affinities.

She had already mastered Ninjutsu like Fire Release: Great Fireball, which specialized in wide-area attacks. Against the Aburame Clan's Parasitic Destruction Insect Secret Technique, the advantage of suppression was undoubtedly obvious.

The battle was about to begin.