Performance Match (Part One)

Almost the instant the words fell.

Sahara Mizu and Namikaze Minato moved at the same time.

They traced a wide arc around the center of the entire field.

At the same time, their hands reached for their ninja tool bags.

Dozens of shuriken flew like raindrops, spinning at high speed as they suddenly cut through the air and collided fiercely in midair.

Sparks burst from the clashing metal, accompanied by an unbroken chorus of clanging. Ordinary people could see only a black net woven through the air.

Nearly every shuriken had been thrown with astonishing precision toward the same point, instantly displaying the extraordinary throwing skills of both sides.

Amid the fierce ringing of metal, Namikaze Minato remained unmoved, his eyes carefully discerning every detail on the field.

Until, at a certain moment, he seemed to suddenly spot an opening.

The Three-Pronged Kunai that had been resting in his palm for so long shot forth like an arrow loosed from a bow.

The moment the Three-Pronged Kunai flew out, Sahara Mizu, who had been circling the field in a running evasive stance, immediately sensed the danger. His forward-leaning posture twisted sideways, and he bent low laterally, his entire body drifting several meters with the tremendous inertia of his speed as smoke rose beneath his feet.

His right hand held a kunai in a reverse grip.

Clang!

The Three-Pronged Kunai that had shot through the center of the shuriken net was easily knocked aside, spinning up into the air.

The next second, a golden streak crossed through the mass of shuriken faster than the kunai itself. The spinning, leaping figure caught the Three-Pronged Kunai in midair, then swung down viciously with the momentum of his charge.

Clang—!

The two young figures stood one above and one below. The instant the kunai and three-pronged blade collided, a shower of sparks erupted.

Though he was below, Sahara Mizu had assumed his stance first. With only an instant of force dispersal and a crouch, he steadily received the blow and swept his arm across.

Namikaze Minato twisted at the waist, using the force of their clash to leap half a step away, then suddenly lunged forward. An incomparably swift straight punch shot for Sahara Mizu's throat, while his footing remained somewhat short and tight, his knees slightly bent as though he were ready to duck at any moment.

This was also a common sequence in Konoha Style Taijutsu: first, use a series of close-range strikes to break open the situation, then use the two sweeping kicks of the Leaf Whirlwind, one high and one low, to disrupt the opponent's balance. If the enemy failed to block them, all that remained were a few strikes aimed at vital points to swiftly take their life.

Instead of retreating, Sahara Mizu advanced. Before Namikaze Minato could lower his body, he had already closed to within three feet. He raised his left elbow to deflect the straight punch, while the kunai in his reverse-gripped right hand stabbed and twisted, locking up the Three-Pronged Kunai thrust toward him. At the same time, he swiftly lifted his leg to knock aside Minato's knee strike.

With all his attacks neutralized, Namikaze Minato was shaken inwardly, yet his mind remained calm. He immediately retreated half a step, preparing to regroup.

Yet in that split second, Sahara Mizu's figure suddenly vanished from his sight.

Before he could react, his arms had already risen before him in response to instinctive danger.

The next moment, Sahara Mizu, his body lowered, drove his raised foot heavily forward.

Bang.

At such close range, the crushing body check sent his entire shoulder and body forward like a mountain, smashing viciously into Namikaze Minato's arms raised before his chest with a dull thud.

Under that enormous force, Namikaze Minato slid three or four meters backward. Though he had formed a defensive stance in that flash of time, he nearly lost his breath.

On the second-floor platform, Uchiha Gensai watched Sahara Mizu's string of movements and instinctively glanced at Hyuga Munenobu beside him, asking in puzzlement:

"Close-range technique, Gentle Fist Style?"

As one of Konoha's foremost experts, Uchiha Gensai could be called exceptionally well-informed.

For such refined Taijutsu techniques that relied heavily on short, explosive bursts of force, none were more proficient than the Hyuga Clan, renowned for the Gentle Fist.

"No."

Hyuga Munenobu shook his head calmly. "He has only borrowed the body movements. He has not used chakra techniques to support them."

"Still, to unleash such force through physical ability alone..."

"He is truly an outstanding young man."

It was not only the heads of the Uchiha and Hyuga Clans. Although some of those present were already old and no longer as strong as they once were, having lived from the Warring States Period until today, they still had their discernment.

Even those who had initially looked down on the match could not help but grow more serious.

Just as they knew, this was an exhibition match.

From the most basic ninja tool throws to their Taijutsu duel, Sahara Mizu and Namikaze Minato were gradually displaying comprehensive talents far beyond ordinary people.

"Haa—"

After letting out a long breath, Namikaze Minato lowered his arms and stared directly at Sahara Mizu, whose breathing had not been disturbed in the slightest. His expression grew ever more serious.

If, before the battle began, he had still harbored some unrealistic doubts about the breadth of Sahara Mizu's abilities, then at this moment, Namikaze Minato truly regarded him as a formidable enemy whose raw strength was at least ten percent greater than his own.

Yet that immense pressure bearing down on him only made his mind more excited, more exhilarated, racing faster and faster.

So I still have so far to go!

Since I can't gain the advantage in Taijutsu, then...

Thoughts surged through Namikaze Minato's mind like a rushing current. His eyes rapidly scanned every detail of the field as he suddenly hurled a string of shuriken toward Sahara Mizu.

Taking advantage of that brief opening, he formed hand seals.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

"Fire Release: Great Flame Bullet!"

In an instant, fire oil refined from a large amount of chakra merged with flames in his mouth. When he suddenly exhaled it, it became a thin stream, then rapidly spread through the air using oxygen as fuel.

Empowered by these multiple enhancements, the violent flames instantly soared past a thousand degrees. Wild, raging fireballs scattered in every direction.

At the same time, the Shadow Clone beside him formed the final Dragon hand seal.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

With a roar, wind fed the flames.

The fire that had already been blazing wildly with the aid of fuel suddenly surged. Its originally limited range of spread multiplied several times over, completely surrounding Sahara Mizu within a radius of dozens of meters.

Yet Sahara Mizu, standing before the flames, still remained utterly unhurried as he steadily formed the final hand seal.

"Water Release: Exploding Water Collision Wave."

Seeing this, Uchiha Gensai, himself a master of Fire Release, instinctively shook his head. "It's useless."

"Jiraiya's Oil Release is the perfect counter to the principle of water overcoming fire."

"Wait. This scale?!"

Almost the instant that thought arose, everyone present could not help widening their eyes.

The water flowing from Sahara Mizu's mouth was as endless as that of the Second Generation in his day.

Though he stood in a place without water, he forcibly sprayed out a lake across the broad field, completely swallowing the large-scale Fire Release that had spread dozens of meters around him.

Even Hatake Sakumo, who was responsible for judging and intervening, had to stand sideways against the wall, narrowing his eyes as he watched the scene.

The tremendous volume of water completely engulfed that exquisitely combined Wind-Fire-Oil Release, then surged back with terrifying impact to swallow Namikaze Minato, who stood in place.

Sahara Mizu stood atop the towering waves.

However, Namikaze Minato, who had been standing still to perform the ninjutsu, suddenly smiled at him.

Poof, poof.

The two figures that had originally stood there simultaneously exploded into clouds of smoke.

At that instant, Sahara Mizu seemed to realize something. He immediately twisted around.

Among the dozen or so shuriken that had been thrown into the air earlier, one had somehow burst into smoke and taken Namikaze Minato's form.

He spun and slashed downward.

That's all for today!

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