"Nawaki!"
"Brother Nawaki!"
Everyone was shocked. Tsunade used Body Flicker to reach Nawaki's side. He had completely lost consciousness.
Tsunade felt Nawaki's pulse. Its rhythm was faint but steady, and her hanging heart eased a little. Her expression, however, grew even darker.
She abruptly looked up, her icy gaze sweeping over Jiraiya and Bai Lin. Gritting her teeth, she snapped, "Damn it! Jiraiya, Bai Lin! Look what you've done!"
The smile on Jiraiya's face instantly froze. He scratched his head and awkwardly protested, "Tsunade, you can't blame us, can you? Nawaki chose to participate, and besides, we didn't expect him to..."
Bai Lin covered his face with one hand, feeling utterly helpless.
He hadn't expected things to turn out this way either.
He had put Nawaki through days of brutal training. His stamina, ninjutsu, and reaction speed had all improved significantly. He could even trade blows with opponents at Chunin level. So how had he failed to last a single round against Might Duy's Third Gate?
Though Bai Lin knew Nawaki was no match for Might Duy with the Third Gate open, he had privately estimated that Nawaki could hold out for at least a few rounds. How had it happened so fast that Nawaki hadn't even had time to react?
It had all happened too quickly. Bai Lin hadn't even had time to prepare a rescue. From Might Duy opening the Third Gate and leaping into his surprise attack, to his upward kick connecting with Nawaki and sending him flying unconscious, it had taken no more than two seconds.
Nawaki's boast, "The fight will be over soon..." still hung in the air, but he was already lying on the ground, with no chance to defend himself.
Might Duy seemed to realize what he'd done. He canceled the Eight Inner Gates and walked over to Tsunade with a guilty expression, bowing deeply. "Lady Tsunade, I'm sorry! It's all my fault!"
He was a simple-minded man, with his thoughts fixed on one thing: "Giving it your all is how you show respect to your opponent, especially a genius ninja like Nawaki, who has defeated an elite Jonin." It had never occurred to him that Nawaki had been bragging, and he certainly hadn't expected Nawaki to be unable to withstand even one move.
Tsunade gazed deeply at Might Duy, her expression complicated.
She had misjudged him, too. The boy before her, dressed in a green, skin-tight suit, was clearly only a Genin, yet he could open the Eight Inner Gates, a forbidden technique.
Mastering this forbidden technique required a powerful physique. She could tell that he had worked harder than most people ever would to achieve that.
"Get up." Tsunade's tone softened a little. She knew Might Duy wasn't entirely to blame. It was mostly an accident, compounded by Nawaki's own overconfidence. "You can continue. I'll treat Nawaki."
Seeing that Nawaki had only passed out and wasn't in any danger, Bai Lin finally relaxed.
He looked at Might Duy, who was still feeling guilty, and suddenly said, "Duy, there's no need to blame yourself. I've got a job for you. From now on, whenever you're not on a mission, you'll be in charge of Nawaki's training."
Might Duy froze, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes. He asked instinctively, "Boss, you mean...?"
"Teach Nawaki the Eight Inner Gates while you're at it. He's no genius, just like you, and he won't get far following the conventional ninja path. Maybe he can bring out the full power of the Eight Inner Gates."
"Yes!" Might Duy's eyes lit up at once. The guilt on his face vanished, replaced by burning excitement.
At last, he had someone who could train in the Eight Inner Gates alongside him—and it was Lady Tsunade's younger brother!
"Don't worry, Boss! I'll teach Nawaki with everything I've got!"
Bai Lin gave a slight nod, then added, "Once Nawaki's recovered, hold him to the same strict training standards you follow. Don't let him miss a single day of physical training."
He paused, his tone turning stern. "If Nawaki slacks off or fails to meet your standards, beat him black and blue every day. Don't hold back—as long as he doesn't die, it's fine. Tsunade's here, so he won't be left with any lasting injuries."
"Bai Lin!"
Tsunade's face darkened at his words. What the hell? That's my little brother! You've already made all the arrangements for him without even asking what I think?
Bai Lin didn't respond to her. Instead, he turned to the others and called out, "All right, Round Two of the Youth Duel. Might Duy is still the defender. Who'll be the second challenger?"
For a moment, no one stepped forward.
The explosive power Might Duy had just displayed was astonishing. The speed and strength of the Third Gate far surpassed those of an ordinary ninja, and everyone present knew it.
Aside from Uchiha Mikoto, who was the strongest, the others would probably struggle against him.
Kushina clenched her fists and hesitated for a moment, but in the end, she didn't dare step forward.
Minato Namikaze smiled and shook his head. When he saw no one else vying to enter the ring, he stepped forward. "Big Brother Duy, please go easy on me."
"Good! Minato! The spirit of youth means growing stronger with every battle! I'll give it my all and honor your challenge!" Standing in the ring, Might Duy flashed his trademark radiant smile, his passion burning once more.
They were old acquaintances from the same Everything Shop, and knew each other well. Facing off now, there was little awkwardness between them, only a tacit understanding and a hint of friendly rivalry.
"Likewise." Minato Namikaze walked to the other side of the open ground, his hands resting naturally at his sides. "Your Taijutsu is impressive, Big Brother Duy, but I won't give up easily."
Bai Lin walked to the edge of the ring and looked between the two of them. "Same rules. Keep it to a friendly match, and don't strike any vital areas."
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Challenger Minato Namikaze, defender Might Duy! Round Two of the Youth Duel begins!"
Before the words had even faded, Might Duy launched the first attack!
Unlike when he'd faced Nawaki, he didn't immediately open the Third Gate. Instead, he opened two gates to test Minato. "The youthful fist shows no mercy!"
"So fast! So strong!"
Minato Namikaze reacted quickly. The moment Might Duy moved his leg, he turned sideways and raised his arms, crossing them to block the side kick.
But the moment they made contact, a powerful force surged through his arms, numbing his wrists and forcing him to stagger half a step back before he regained his balance.
Before he could think, Might Duy's next attack was already on its way.
Fists, knees, and elbows came in rapid succession. Every blow carried a fierce gust of wind, leaving Minato Namikaze almost no way to dodge.
Might Duy's Taijutsu had no fancy moves. It was simply the perfect combination of strength and speed.
Watching the two fight, Bai Lin slowly shook his head and murmured, "Minato's still too young."
"He's only just graduated from the Ninja Academy. Apart from the Rasengan I taught him, he has no other ninjutsu to use."
"His reflexes are fast enough to react to Might Duy's attacks in an instant, but his physique is still what it is. Unless he can hold out until Might Duy's Eight Inner Gates wear off, his chances of winning are slim."
Just as Bai Lin had said, Minato Namikaze was indeed on the defensive.
With two gates open, Might Duy was already as fast as he was, and the force behind every attack made it difficult to block them head-on. Minato could only rely on the Three Body Technique to dodge. Even when he found time to counterattack, Might Duy easily blocked his moves.
"If Minato Namikaze could learn the Flying Thunder God Technique at this point, he'd still have a chance to win."
But Minato Namikaze had no intention of stalling. Instead, he repeatedly faced Might Duy's attacks head-on. Perhaps he wanted to test himself against Might Duy in a fair fight.
"Hah!" Seeing that his attacks weren't getting through, Might Duy grew even more fired up. He let out a fierce shout. "Eight Inner Gates: Gate of Life! Open!"
The moment the Third Gate opened, pale blue energy erupted around him, sending his speed and strength soaring once more!
His fists moved so fast they seemed to leave afterimages. The wind from his blows stung Minato Namikaze's cheeks, leaving him even less room to dodge.