If You Forfeit, How Am I Supposed to Advance?

At the side of the arena, the referee announced loudly that, due to Maruboshi Kosuke's forfeit, Higashino Shinichi had advanced automatically.

Immediately afterward, the matchups for the next round were announced:

Might Duy VS Sunagakure Genin Samaru!

The intention behind this arrangement was obvious—another battle of attrition.

Even if Might Duy won, the match after that would inevitably be an internal Konoha showdown.

Whether Shinichi or Might Duy advanced, it meant Konoha's competitors would wear themselves down unnecessarily and expend their strength before the finals.

The match began.

Samaru was a typical tactical ninja from Sunagakure. He excelled at using Wind Release Ninjutsu to harass opponents from mid-range, while precisely throwing ninja tools to restrict their movement.

His strategy was clear: never let this Konoha ninja, who looked like he only knew Taijutsu, get close.

Might Duy's attacks were direct and straightforward. He had no ranged techniques, only astonishing speed as he charged straight in, trying to close the distance.

Each step left a shallow mark on the hard stone ground. Samaru's Wind Release: Great Breakthrough and relentless volleys of shuriken were narrowly dodged with Duy's simple yet effective footwork, or knocked aside by his fists and feet, wreathed in Chakra.

For a while, the battle reached a stalemate.

Samaru couldn't seriously injure his opponent with ninjutsu or ninja tools, while Might Duy struggled to break through the dense barrage of mid-range attacks and reach him.

"Konoha Whirlwind!"

Unable to make headway after a prolonged assault, Might Duy shouted and spun around, driving a powerful sweeping kick at Samaru, who had moved in to launch a sneak attack. The kick forced Samaru back, while Duy used the momentum to retreat a few steps.

He panted lightly as he watched his opponent begin forming Hand Seals again, his gaze sharpening.

I can't keep this up... Should I use that? But if I only open the first gate...

The image of young Guy, his face full of anticipation and excitement when he learned Duy would be competing in the Chunin Ninja Exams, flashed clearly through his mind.

...At the very least, I can't stop here! I can't let Guy down!

He took a deep breath. It felt as if something inside him quietly broke free.

"Gate of Opening, Gate of Healing—open!"

Boom!

A powerful surge of Chakra erupted, forming an invisible shockwave that blasted outward from Might Duy in every direction!

His skin flushed slightly red, and wisps of heat rose around him. His presence suddenly intensified.

"Youth, it's time to bloom!"

Before the words had left his mouth, his figure vanished from where he stood.

So fast!

Samaru's pupils contracted. His hands froze in mid-seal. A fist wreathed in blue Chakra filled his entire field of vision.

With the explosive strength and speed granted by opening two gates, Duy focused all his power into that single strike.

Thud!

His fist slammed into Samaru's crossed arms as he tried to block.

The terrifying force shattered Samaru's defensive stance. The remaining momentum lifted him off the ground and sent him flying in an arc. He crashed heavily at the edge of the arena and struggled twice, but couldn't get back up.

The arena fell silent for a moment, then erupted in a noisy wave of discussion. The burst of speed and power had surpassed what many people thought Taijutsu could achieve.

On the elevated platform, the Third Kazekage's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. He turned to the Third Hokage beside him. "Lord Hokage, that Genin from your village just used... something that doesn't seem to be ordinary Taijutsu. That sudden burst of Chakra and speed—was it some kind of special technique?"

The Third Hokage took a puff of his pipe and gave him a kindly smile that was just the right amount of puzzled. "Well... you've got me there, Lord Kazekage. Perhaps he came up with some way to unleash his potential on his own? Young people are always full of unexpected ideas."

He deftly avoided giving a real answer and turned the question aside.

The Third Kazekage's gaze darkened. Knowing he wouldn't get anything out of the Third Hokage, he said no more and turned his attention back to the arena.

The weight that had lifted from his heart when Maruboshi Kosuke withdrew seemed to settle back onto it, just a little.

This Konoha ninja who only knew Taijutsu didn't seem so simple after all.

Below, Might Duy returned to the rest area and accepted the water and towel Shinichi handed him. He silently wiped his face, hesitated for a moment, then ventured, "Shinichi, maybe... I should forfeit the next match too, like Kosuke did? That way, you'll be at full strength when you face your final opponent..."

"Forfeit? Kosuke had his reasons, but you..." Shinichi cut him off. "Duy, don't you always say there's no such thing as giving up in youth?"

You want to forfeit? No way.

If you forfeit, how am I supposed to advance?

He'd invited Might Duy specifically because the Eight Gates, which could turn the tide at a critical moment, would serve as a safeguard.

But there was another important reason: he'd foreseen the possibility that the two of them might meet in the finals.

He planned to face this man, who had taken his belief in Taijutsu to its utmost, in a full-on Taijutsu battle.

The people of Konoha had long since grown accustomed to seeing their great genius perform; their threshold was too high.

But the audience from Sunagakure had no such immunity.

A climactic showdown of pure strength and skill on the finals stage, under the gaze of countless spectators, would be the perfect opportunity to break through the halo that obscured him and make the world recognize his Taijutsu talent anew.

It would be crucial to advancing his [Taijutsu Basics] and even [Natural Strength] Traits.

"But..." Might Duy scratched his head, looking uncertain.

"Rank isn't everything." Shinichi met his eyes and spoke earnestly. "As long as you show your strength, willpower, and character during the matches, the judges will give you a fair assessment. A battle fought with everything you've got is the best proof of your worthiness to become a Chunin."

"Well said!"

Teacher Chen approached with his arms folded. His gaze swept over the two of them from behind his round sunglasses, and he spoke in a booming voice. "The way of Taijutsu is all about charging forward without hesitation! If you're already thinking about backing down and weighing the gains and losses before you've even fought, Duy, your fists will hesitate, and you'll lose your fire. Since Shinichi has this kind of resolve and confidence, you should answer him with all your passion! Show the people of Sunagakure—and everyone else—what kind of fearless, ever-striving spirit our Konoha Taijutsu ninja possess!"

Teacher Chen's words were like a shot of adrenaline. The uncertainty in Might Duy's eyes instantly gave way to familiar fire. He clenched his fists and nodded hard. "I understand! Teacher Chen, Shinichi! Then let's... let our youth bloom in the matches to come!"

"Duy, when we face each other, please use the move you just used to defeat your opponent. Don't hold back." Shinichi looked at Might Duy and repeated his request clearly.

He had his own reasons.

Might Duy's normal strength probably only just reached the threshold of a Chunin.

Shinichi, on the other hand, assessed his own strength as at least Special Jonin level.

There was a considerable gap between them in their basic abilities.

If Might Duy didn't use the Eight Gates, Shinichi could win easily.

But that would run counter to what he had in mind: a "stunning showdown" that could shake the audience's perceptions and redefine his Taijutsu talent.

He needed Might Duy to reveal that strength beyond the ordinary.

Of course, opening a few gates just to put on a show would be enough. Who knew whether the audience would even notice?

As expected, uncertainty returned to Might Duy's face. But when he saw the calm, unwavering resolve in Shinichi's eyes and remembered the encouragement and trust Shinichi had shown him earlier, he hesitated only briefly before nodding firmly and forcing out a single word through clenched teeth:

"Okay!"

He agreed, not only to live up to Shinichi's expectations, but perhaps also to prove to himself and everyone else just how brilliantly the path of Taijutsu he had devoted himself to could shine.