Higashino Shinichi vs. Might Duy

"Fifth match: Higashino Shinichi vs. Might Duy!"

As the examiner's voice rang out, the two stepped into the center of the arena, standing opposite each other.

"Shinichi!" Might Duy took a deep breath, crossing his arms over his chest, his eyes more serious than ever before. "Let's have a—a blazing, youthful showdown!"

Before the words faded!

Might Duy dropped his arms, his whole body shuddering!

Boom!!!

A violent surge of Chakra erupted from him like a storm, the fine gravel and sand at his feet blasted away in an instant!

His skin flushed an unnatural red, a visible pale green energy haze rising around him, his hair standing on end from the chakra's flow.

Gate of Opening, Gate of Healing, Gate of Life, Gate of Pain—four gates, open at once!

Opening with all four gates from the start—this was his greatest respect for the young man before him, and his way of fulfilling the vow of "youth."

Gasps rippled through the stands. Even ordinary spectators who understood nothing of ninjutsu could feel that sudden, oppressive surge of energy.

On the high platform, the Third Kazekage narrowed his eyes slightly. "Oh? Using a burst secret technique to this degree from the start... It seems this young genius of your village puts quite a bit of pressure on his comrades."

The Third Hokage watched Might Duy, whose aura was now overwhelming, and a flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

He knew of the Eight Gates, but he never expected that this man—so unremarkable in the village, mocked as the "Eternal Genin"—had mastered and wielded it to such a level.

This hidden talent and tenacity—he had indeed overlooked it in the past.

In the arena, facing this pressure head-on, Shinichi's eyes grew utterly calm.

He lowered his center of gravity slightly, making no move to form seals or draw a blade, adopting the purest stance for taijutsu.

"I'm coming, Shinichi! Youth—explode!"

Might Duy's figure blurred.

Fast!

Faster than before, when he fought Samaru!

Almost as the sound arrived, the fist wrapped in pale green energy was already at Shinichi's face.

Shinichi didn't dodge or evade. His right arm swung up like an iron whip, meeting fist with fist!

Boom!

A heavy, dull impact exploded. The ground beneath both of them cracked, and a ring of air burst outward.

"Konoha Whirlwind!"

With the first strike unresolved, Might Duy spun on his momentum, his left leg sweeping like a battle-axe toward Shinichi's midsection.

Shinichi stepped back half a pace, his left knee shooting up to precisely meet the side of the opponent's shin, deflecting the force, while his right hand turned into a palm, flashing like lightning toward Might Duy's exposed ribs from the spin.

Might Duy reacted instantly, turning the sweep into a pivot, his other leg kicking out from midair, straight at Shinichi's wrist.

Slap!

Hand and foot clashed. Both used the force to separate, then collided again in an instant.

"Konoha Gale!"

Might Duy launched another attack, wind howling, the chakra aura around him like a small storm.

Shinichi's footwork was nimble, his body weaving through the barrage of strikes, sometimes blocking with the edge of his palm, sometimes meeting force with his elbow. Every contact produced a solid, heavy sound.

His movements lacked the explosive ferocity of Might Duy's four-gate state, but they were more precise, more efficient—deflecting attacks at the last possible moment and countering in kind.

Bam! Bam! Bam!

The dull thuds of fists and feet meeting came like a relentless downpour. Pure taijutsu combat, yet it carried a heart-pounding intensity and momentum.

Though Shinichi hadn't activated any burst secret technique, the foundation built from years of training and the extra bonuses from various Traits meant he had no fear of going head-to-head with Might Duy in his four-gate state.

"So fast... My eyes can't keep up!"

"Is this really taijutsu? It's like two ninjas firing ninjutsu at each other!"

Gasps rose from the stands. Many spectators strained their eyes, trying to track the two figures that crossed at high speed, bursting with shockwaves with every exchange.

A dozen rounds of high-speed offense and defense passed in the span of a breath. Both had reached a level of taijutsu understanding and execution that many Genin and Chunin could only dream of—clean, sharp moves, precise and ruthless in their power delivery.

After one intense exchange of fists, the recoil made both of them pause slightly.

In that fleeting moment, Shinichi's eyes sharpened. He caught the microsecond of stiffness in Might Duy's frame—old power spent, new power not yet born.

He dropped his body low, narrowly dodging the wind pressure of a heavy punch meant to suppress him, then, like a coiled spring finally released, his right leg whipped up from below like a lightning bolt!

A sharp, simple, devastatingly fast low side kick landed squarely on Might Duy's chest and abdomen.

Thud!

With a heavy sound, Might Duy flew backward as if struck by a giant hammer, his feet carving two deep trenches dozens of meters long into the rocky ground before he finally managed to stop, his chest heaving with churning energy.

Shinichi didn't pursue. He stood still, his breathing still steady, his eyes bright. He called out, "Senior Duy, your strength... it can't be just this, can it?"

Might Duy slowly straightened up, wiped the corner of his mouth, and looked at the young man across from him, whose eyes burned with intensity, clearly holding back. He was silent for a moment.

That feeling of being acknowledged, of being expected, and the longing to fully bloom—finally overwhelmed all his reservations.

A nearly radiant yet utterly serious smile spread across his face.

"You're right... Shinichi."

"Then let me let my youth run wild, just this once!"

"Fifth Gate: Gate of Limit—OPEN!!"

An even more surging tide of green energy erupted skyward, his hair standing on end, and spiderweb-like cracks spread across the ground around him.

But this was not the end.

Under everyone's stunned gaze, Might Duy's Chakra surged to an even more insane height. The color of the green energy wave deepened, faintly tinged with a sharp blue radiance!

"Sixth Gate: Gate of View—OPEN!!!"

Boom—!!!

A terrifying shockwave, several times more powerful than before, exploded outward. Gravel was swept into the air, and the entire arena seemed to tremble faintly.

At this moment, Might Duy was like a war god wrapped in green flames. The oppressive pressure he radiated made it hard for many spectators in the stands to breathe.

"Six Gates..." Teacher Chen adjusted his sunglasses and muttered to himself, his tone heavy.

On the high platform, the Third Kazekage's pupils grew sharp. The Third Hokage's hand holding his pipe paused, and his expression also turned grave.

In the arena, Shinichi felt the overwhelming, almost suffocating aura and gale-force wind rushing at him. His clothes clung tightly to his body, flapping noisily.

But his eyes, in the face of that frenzied energy, shone with startling brilliance.

Good! Good! Good!

This is how it should be!

Let these ignorant Sunagakure country bumpkins see what the world really looks like!

"Senior, it looks like this move puts a heavy burden on you." Shinichi assumed a stance, his voice cutting clearly through the howling energy wind. "In that case, let's settle this quickly! Let me show you my full power too—next move, we decide the winner!"

"Alright! Shinichi, let's decide it all with the next move!"