Duel (1)

"What?"

Yueshu was stunned, failing to grasp what Minato Namikaze had just said.

"I said, I intend to graduate early."

Minato Namikaze was very serious, his gentle face set with firm resolve.

"What on earth suddenly got into you?"

Yueshu scratched his head, completely unable to make sense of the situation.

A month had passed since Yueshu chatted with Tsunade over dinner, and everything remained much the same. Yueshu, Minato Namikaze, and Kushina's small circle stayed intact, though Mikoto Uchiha had been pulled into the group by Kushina, turning their trio into a slightly larger quartet.

Given the current state of Konoha, there should have been a fairly long period of peace ahead, yet Minato Namikaze had suddenly come to Yueshu to announce his desire to graduate early.

"It's nothing much. I just feel I've learned everything the school can teach me. At this rate, I'll never be able to defeat you, so to become stronger, I've decided to graduate early."

Minato Namikaze looked at Yueshu with such earnestness that Yueshu felt a bit uncomfortable.

Is this my fault? Yueshu chided himself.

In the original story, Minato Namikaze did indeed graduate early, but he was ten years old then. Now, Minato Namikaze was only a little over eight—at least a year ahead of the original timeline.

"Are you sure about this?"

Yueshu sighed. He didn't like to interfere much with other people's decisions; he had always believed that people chose their own paths, and it wasn't his place to judge whether they were right or wrong.

"Yes. I'm going to find the teacher in a moment."

Minato Namikaze nodded.

"Alright. I respect your choice. Good luck."

Yueshu gently patted Minato Namikaze on the shoulder.

"Before that, I need a favor from you."

"Oh? What is it?"

Yueshu was curious, but his face fell the very next second.

"Before I leave school, let's have one last duel!"

"Huh?"

Yueshu looked at the determined Minato Namikaze and immediately wanted to bury his face in his hands.

What a disaster!

"You guy, are you that certain you can pass the early graduation exam?"

"Yes!"

"That was an answer without a shred of hesitation."

Yueshu looked at Minato Namikaze, his own gaze turning slightly more serious.

"Fine. I'll duel you one more time!"

And just like that, with Yueshu's response, the duel between Yueshu and Minato Namikaze was set.

It would take place tomorrow, as the school happened to have a practical training session scheduled, and by custom, the two of them would inevitably be paired together.

What bothered Yueshu most, however, wasn't the duel, but the butterfly effect.

By inserting himself into the story, the future of the Hokage world would certainly not unfold as it originally did. Now, the impact was manifesting: Minato Namikaze was graduating more than a year earlier than in the original work. There was no doubt this was a massive change.

Minato Namikaze, hailed as the Yellow Flash, was the purest genius in the ninja world. Without any "cheats," his raw talent was unmatched. With such a genius graduating early, his growth would undoubtedly accelerate, leading to the birth of a Fourth Hokage even stronger than the one in the original story. When the time came for the Nine-Tails Incident or the Third Ninja War, would Team Kakashi be able to avoid their fated deaths because the Fourth Hokage was more powerful?

If that happened, the plans of Madara Uchiha and Black Zetsu would go awry. Would the plot of the series even exist anymore?

After thinking for a while, Yueshu shook his head and pushed these thoughts to the back of his mind.

He wasn't someone looking to conquer or save the world, so why worry so much? Living his life as it was would be enough.

Having cleared his head, Yueshu returned to his daily routine.

After class, the two best friends, Kushina and Mikoto Uchiha, both ran over to find Yueshu. The news of Minato Namikaze's early graduation had reached their ears as well.

Or rather, the news had already spread; it seemed the entire Ninja Academy was buzzing with it.

"What is Minato thinking? He's only been in school for a year, and he's graduating already?"

Kushina was somewhat shocked, unable to fathom why Minato Namikaze would suddenly want to graduate early.

"Who knows? He is a genius, after all."

Yueshu remarked, causing Kushina to suddenly freeze.

"A genius, huh?"

Kushina muttered to herself, her voice so soft that Yueshu didn't hear it, though Mikoto Uchiha, standing nearby, did.

After that, Kushina and Mikoto didn't chat much more with Yueshu. Soon, the next class began, and they returned to their seats. However, Kushina seemed distracted, and Mikoto followed suit, casting glances at Kushina and Yueshu several times.

Although Yueshu found it a bit strange, he didn't think too much of it.

Time passed quickly, and the day drew to a close. Kushina and Mikoto left for home together, while Minato Namikaze came over to say goodbye to Yueshu.

"Tomorrow, I will definitely defeat you!"

Minato Namikaze threw down the gauntlet, and for once, Tsuki felt a surge of adrenaline.

"I won't lose either."

With that, Tsuki and Minato exchanged a smile before heading off toward their respective homes.

A butterfly flaps its wings, fluttering and fluttering; perhaps, somewhere, it might even stir up a typhoon.

The next day, Konoha Village was bustling with excitement, for a duel was set to take place between the village's two most famous geniuses: Minato Namikaze and Himeshima Tsuki.

Beyond that, Minato also intended to graduate early.

The location was the Ninja Academy training ground, which was already crowded with onlookers—ninjas and civilians alike—all gathered to watch the duel between Minato and Tsuki.

In the aftermath of the Second Great Ninja War, Konoha boasted two breathtaking geniuses whom the people called the Twin Stars of Konoha—Minato Namikaze and Tsuki.

And now, the Twin Stars of Konoha were dueling to see whose brilliance would shine the brightest.

"Minato Namikaze, Himeshima Tsuki, step forward."

As the teacher's voice rang out, the scene erupted into a buzz of activity.

"Perform the Seal of Confrontation."

Tsuki and Minato locked eyes, both of them burning with fighting spirit.

To Tsuki, Minato was his only male friend, and his combat prowess was truly impressive; at the very least, aside from Tsuki, there was likely no other student in the Ninja Academy who could defeat him.

"Don't hold back."

Minato and Tsuki performed the Seal of Confrontation as he spoke.

"Rest assured."

Tsuki's reply made Minato smile.

"Both sides, prepare."

After finishing the Seal of Confrontation, Tsuki and Minato both stepped back a distance, their duel about to begin.

A gentle breeze brushed past, and the previously noisy scene suddenly fell silent.

This was no ordinary sparring match; it was a genuine duel, a battle where both sides would give it their all!

The air was still, and both Tsuki and Minato could hear the rapid beating of each other's hearts.

"Begin!"

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"