The Final Victor

In the middle of the battlefield.

Ryōken panted heavily. That sword strike had pushed him to the absolute limit, his strength and will condensed to the extreme before erupting into that stunning blow beyond his limits.

Ryōken forced himself to his feet. His vision darkened, and he staggered a few steps before managing to steady himself.

He could not help but smile bitterly. This had gotten out of hand.

Minato Namikaze truly deserved his reputation. His talent for ninjutsu was absurdly strong!

Even Ryōken had been amazed by the combined ninjutsu.

Fortunately, Fiora, the Grand Duelist's inherited skill had not let him down. It truly lived up to the name of the Unrivaled Duelist.

It had successfully blocked that terrifying ninjutsu.

However, forcing himself beyond his limits to unleash that attack—and even producing a genuine strand of Sword Qi—had drained most of Ryōken's already limited chakra.

Thankfully, he still had plenty of stamina left. After all, the effect of the Tenacity talent was incredibly powerful. It had thoroughly remade Ryōken's body, and his robust physique granted him decent recovery and endurance.

"But I should have won, right? No matter how strong Minato Namikaze is, he's still young. His chakra should be nearly exhausted too."

"Why isn't this over yet?"

Confused, Ryōken looked around. The dust cloud raised by the clash stretched between him and Minato, leaving him able to see only a hazy figure standing opposite him.

Then Ryōken noticed something strange.

"This is too unnatural. Why is it so quiet?"

"Could it be...?"

At that thought, Ryōken's body trembled. Without hesitation, he gathered his remaining strength and charged toward the other side.

To move faster, he even threw away the longsword in his hand, which was on the verge of breaking.

"So, you finally noticed?"

Everyone grew tense. Their fists clenched, lips pressed tight, and eyes remained unblinking, afraid of missing even a single moment.

For the vast majority of spectators, this battle had been an unprecedented, heart-stopping spectacle.

It had twisted and turned, rising and falling without pause.

Ryōken moved faster and faster. As he pushed himself with all his strength, waves of tearing pain ran through his muscles.

"Still not enough!"

Ryōken roared inwardly, Damn this smoke!

At that moment, the hazy figure in the distance suddenly spoke. Minato Namikaze's calm voice swiftly carried over.

"Ryōken, you are indeed strong. But I've already found the weakness in that move of yours."

"That move cannot withstand consecutive attacks!"

"You've lost!"

By then, the dust stirred up by the ninjutsu was gradually thinning, though it was still not clear enough for Ryōken to activate his skill.

Minato Namikaze tossed a Shuriken into the air and abruptly formed hand seals with both hands.

As the Shuriken flew through the air, it suddenly changed, becoming two afterimages.

Then two became four, and four became eight.

In the blink of an eye, the sky was filled with densely packed Shuriken. Specks of shadow covered the ground as they poured down toward Ryōken like a torrential rainstorm.

The fierce wind scattered the smoke, revealing everything clearly.

And leaving everyone stunned.

"This is the Shadow Shuriken Technique."

"How many C-rank ninjutsu has that been? And there was even a B-rank Shadow Clone!"

"Such astonishing chakra... is he really a student who hasn't even graduated yet?"

Many Jonin were amazed. Some Chunin even flushed red with shame, feeling as though they had lived their entire lives like dogs.

Seeing this, Hiwa Hyuga bit down hard on her lips. Thin streaks of bright red blood seeped out, making them appear even more crimson.

"Is it over? Ryōken is already this strong..."

Her beautiful eyes were filled with deep worry and unwillingness.

"Minato is still the strongest after all!"

Kushina Uzumaki's wildly anxious heart finally settled. She gave a proud snort and turned her gaze toward Hiwa Hyuga, her eyes carrying a hint of provocation.

But Hiwa Hyuga was too busy watching Ryōken anxiously to pay her any attention. Kushina's efforts were like playing music to a cow, making her snort repeatedly in irritation.

"I won't lower myself to your level, I won't lower myself to your level! You little brat, hmph!"

She turned back toward the arena.

In that instant, the smug expression on her little face froze, replaced by shock.

Ryōken's running body suddenly trembled, and his speed abruptly surged. He flashed like a fleeting glimmer, so fast he was nearly invisible, leaving that rain of Shuriken far behind.

He appeared before Minato Namikaze.

The moment the smoke dispersed, Ryōken knew he had won. There was no longer any suspense.

As soon as Minato Namikaze's figure appeared through the dissipating dust, Ryōken locked onto him and activated Fearless Advance, which was nearly level three. With explosive speed comparable to that of an elite Chunin, Minato Namikaze's hastily unleashed Shadow Shuriken Technique could never hit him.

Ryōken looked at Minato Namikaze before him, a faint smile in his eyes. The kunai in his hand was already held against Minato's neck.

The outcome was decided.

The bone-chilling cold at his neck made Minato Namikaze's clear eyes churn violently.

Shock, confusion, disbelief—countless complicated emotions converged before finally turning into bitterness and admiration.

Minato Namikaze looked at Ryōken and gave a bitter smile. His chakra was completely exhausted, and he no longer had any ability to fight back.

Besides, the kunai pressed against his neck did not allow him to resist.

He was too strong. Even in such circumstances, he had managed to break the deadlock.

And that speed, comparable to the Body Flicker Technique—he had unleashed it without even forming hand seals.

A hint of helplessness appeared on Minato Namikaze's face. It was simply too unfair.

Even against a Chunin, he would have had a chance of winning.

Yet Ryōken had countered every move with another, revealing one trump card after another in an endless stream, as though there were no end to them.

Against genjutsu, Ryōken broke free instantly.

When Minato unleashed combined ninjutsu, Ryōken had that powerful, mysterious defensive move.

When he finally found the weakness in that defensive technique, Ryōken somehow had this charging skill that required no hand seals.

"You win."

But Minato Namikaze was not someone who could not accept defeat. After struggling with it for a moment, he directly admitted his loss.

Giving Ryōken a deep look, Minato Namikaze still felt unwilling. He had been just one step away from victory.

Geniuses were all competitive, and he was no exception.

"Ryōken, I'm glad to have fought you. I'll challenge you again in the future. Next time, I'll definitely win!"

"You're welcome anytime."

Ryōken looked at Minato Namikaze and nodded lightly. His emotions were indescribably complicated—excitement, joy—before finally calming down.

This was merely the first hurdle on the path to becoming strong. In the wondrous Naruto World, there were many more powerful ninja waiting for him to challenge.

Besides, this was not Minato Namikaze at his peak.

At this point, he had not even found a combat style that suited him. His extraordinary reflexes had not been properly utilized, and he was instead constrained by powerful ninjutsu.

But judging from his thoughtful expression, he would likely gain some insight from this.

"So, I was the one who helped shape Minato Namikaze's fighting style?"

At that thought, Ryōken did not know whether to laugh or cry, and he put aside the absurd notion.

With Minato Namikaze's admission of defeat,

this twisting, thrilling battle finally came to an end.

The chief examiner took a deep breath, then loudly announced,

"The victor is Ryōken!"

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