Youth Showdown Round 2: Might Duy vs. Minato Namikaze

"Nawaki!"

"Brother Nawaki!"

Everyone was shocked. Tsunade used the Body Flicker Technique to reach Nawaki's side, but he had already completely lost consciousness.

Tsunade sensed Nawaki's pulse; it was slightly weak but steady. Her suspended heart eased a little, yet her expression grew increasingly grim.

She snapped her head up, her gaze sweeping coldly toward Jiraiya and Bai Lin, and gritted her teeth: "Damn it! Jiraiya, Bai Lin! Look at the mess you've made!"

The smile on Jiraiya's face froze instantly. He scratched his head and defended himself awkwardly: "Tsunade, you can't blame us for this, right? Nawaki was the one who wanted to participate, and we never expected that Nawaki would..."

Bai Lin raised a hand to cover his face, his heart filled with helplessness.

He hadn't expected this outcome either.

He had clearly put Nawaki through devilish training for so many days, significantly improving his physical fitness, ninjutsu, and reaction speed—he could even trade blows with Chunin-level opponents. How could he not last a single round against Might Duy's Third Gate?

Even knowing Nawaki was no match for Might Duy with the Third Gate open, he had privately estimated that he could at least hold out for a few rounds. How could it have been so fast that there wasn't even room for a reaction?

Everything happened too quickly. Bai Lin hadn't even prepared to intervene. From the moment Might Duy opened the Third Gate and lunged forward, to the upward kick that struck Nawaki, and then to him being sent flying and knocked unconscious, it had been less than two seconds.

Nawaki's boast that "the battle will soon..." was still hanging in the air, and he was already lying on the ground, without even a chance to defend.

Might Duy seemed to realize the problem. He deactivated the Eight Inner Gates and walked up to Tsunade with a look of guilt, bowing deeply: "Lady Tsunade, I'm sorry! It's all my fault!"

He was a straightforward man whose mind was filled with the idea that "giving your all is the greatest respect for an opponent, especially for a genius ninja like Nawaki who has already dealt with Jonin." He hadn't considered that Nawaki was just bragging, nor had he expected that Nawaki wouldn't be able to take a single hit.

Tsunade looked at Might Duy deeply, her eyes complex.

She had misjudged him earlier. This youth in the green bodysuit was clearly just a Genin, yet he could open a forbidden technique like the Eight Inner Gates.

Cultivating this forbidden technique required a powerful physique, and she could see that he had put in more effort in this regard than ordinary people.

"Get up." Tsunade's tone softened slightly. She knew this couldn't be blamed entirely on Might Duy; it was more of an accident and Nawaki's own underestimation of his opponent. "You two continue; I'll help treat Nawaki."

Seeing that Nawaki was only unconscious and not in any life-threatening danger, Bai Lin felt relieved.

He looked at the still-guilty Might Duy and suddenly said: "Duy, there's no need to blame yourself. As it happens, I'm giving you a task: from now on, when there are no field missions, Nawaki's training will be left to you."

Might Duy was stunned, a flash of confusion crossing his eyes. He subconsciously asked: "Boss, what do you mean?"

"By the way, teach the Eight Inner Gates to Nawaki. Like you, he isn't some genius. His ceiling for following the conventional ninja path isn't high, so perhaps he can unleash the power of the Eight Inner Gates."

"Yes!" Might Duy's eyes lit up instantly. The guilt on his face was swept away, replaced by boiling hot blood and excitement.

Finally, there was a like-minded person to practice the Eight Inner Gates with, and it was Lady Tsunade's younger brother at that!

"Please rest assured, Boss! I will definitely do my best to instruct Nawaki!"

Bai Lin nodded slightly and added: "After Nawaki's injuries heal, you must demand strict adherence to your training standards. Every day's physical training must not be missed."

He paused, his tone carrying a hint of ruthlessness: "If Nawaki dares to slack off or fails to meet your requirements, you beat him black and blue every day. No need to hold back; as long as he doesn't die, it's fine. Anyway, with Tsunade here, he won't be left with any hidden injuries."

"Bai Lin!"

Hearing this, Tsunade's face darkened. This is my brother, damn it! You've arranged everything for him without even asking for my thoughts?

Bai Lin didn't take her bait. He turned to the crowd and announced loudly: "Alright, second round of the youth duel. The defender is still Might Duy. Who will be the second challenger?"

For a moment, no one stepped forward.

The explosive power Might Duy had just displayed was too astonishing. The speed and strength of the Third Gate far exceeded that of ordinary ninjas, and everyone present knew it.

Except for Uchiha Mikoto, who was the strongest, the others were unlikely to fare well against him.

Kushina clenched her fists and hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she didn't dare to rush forward.

Minato Namikaze smiled and shook his head. Seeing that no one was competing for the stage, he stepped out: "Brother Duy, please go easy on me."

"Good! Minato, my boy! A battle of youth is about getting braver with every fight! I will give it my all and never let your challenge down!" Might Duy stood on the stage, wearing his signature brilliant smile, his eyes burning with passion once again.

Both were old acquaintances from the same Everything Shop and were quite familiar with each other. Facing off now, there was less awkwardness and more of a sense of tacit competition.

"Likewise." Minato Namikaze walked to the other side of the open space, his hands hanging naturally at his sides. "Brother Duy's taijutsu is very powerful, but I won't admit defeat easily either."

Bai Lin walked to the edge of the stage, his gaze sweeping over the two, and announced: "The rules remain the same: stop at the point of contact, and do not injure vital areas."

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

"Challenger Minato Namikaze, defender Might Duy, second round of the youth defense battle, begin!"

Before the words had even faded, Might Duy launched the first attack!

He didn't open the Third Gate immediately like he did against Nawaki, but instead opened the first two gates to test the waters: "The iron fist of youth will not hold back!"

"So fast! So heavy!"

Minato Namikaze reacted extremely quickly. Almost the moment the other party moved his leg, he turned to the side and raised his arms, crossing them to block the side kick.

But the moment they made contact, a powerful force surged through his arms, making his wrists go numb. He couldn't help but take half a step back to stabilize his center of gravity.

Before he could think, Might Duy's attacks followed one after another.

Fists, knees, and elbows struck in turns, each move carrying a fierce gale that almost sealed off all of Minato Namikaze's escape routes.

Might Duy's taijutsu lacked flashy techniques, representing a pure, ultimate fusion of strength and speed.

Bai Lin watched the two spar, slowly shaking his head as he muttered to himself, "Minato Namikaze is still too young."

"He has only just graduated from the Ninja Academy, and aside from the Rasengan I taught him, he has no other ninjutsu to rely on."

"Although his neural reaction speed is fast enough to instantly respond to Might Duy's attacks, his physical constitution is limited. Unless he can drag the fight out until Might Duy's Eight Inner Gates ends, his chances of winning are slim."

Just as Bai Lin had predicted, Minato Namikaze was indeed trapped in a passive position.

Might Duy's speed after opening the first two gates was already on par with his, and the force behind every strike made it difficult to block head-on, forcing him to rely on the Three Body Technique to evade. Even the occasional counterattack he managed to squeeze in was easily parried by Might Duy.

"If the current Minato Namikaze could master the Flying Thunder God, he might still have a chance to win."

Yet, Minato Namikaze had no intention of stalling; instead, he met Might Duy's offensive head-on time and time again, perhaps wishing for a fair and square contest against him.

"Hah!" Seeing that he couldn't secure a victory after a prolonged assault, Might Duy's fighting spirit surged, and he let out a sharp shout, "Eight Inner Gates · Gate of Life! Open!"

The moment the Third Gate opened, a pale blue aura erupted from his body, his speed and strength skyrocketing once more!

His fists moved so fast they left afterimages, the gale force stinging Minato Namikaze's cheeks as his room to maneuver was further compressed.