Chapter 7
"Final match! Minato Namikaze versus Uchiha Liuyun!"
Wang Tenggangyi shouted, a trace of excitement in his voice that even he failed to notice.
That was right—the final match was Liuyun against Minato Namikaze.
Now that Liuyun had real strength, he had no intention of playing weak to catch people off guard like the characters in novels.
If he had strength, he should show it. At this point, following the Second Hokage's death, the Senju Clan was gradually declining.
The Uchiha Clan was unquestionably Konoha's foremost great clan.
The more talented he appeared, the more the Uchiha Clan would value him.
At the very least, Liuyun would be safe for the coming year.
With a year's time and the system's help, he was confident he could become strong enough to protect himself.
Liuyun and Minato Namikaze stepped forward one after the other.
The excitement reached a fever pitch.
"Liuyun! You've got this! Beat that sissy up! Get revenge for me!" Kushina clenched her fists, looking thoroughly displeased.
"I never imagined Liuyun was hiding so much strength. He can actually go toe-to-toe with Minato Namikaze!"
Shikaku sighed in amazement, his expression serious.
He knew that what happened at the Ninja Academy today would soon reach every clan in Konoha, and even the Third Hokage's desk.
Today's events were too significant to ignore. After all, the Uchiha Clan had produced another genius!
His old man and the others were probably in for another headache!
"Liuyun! I never thought you'd be my opponent in the final match!"
Minato Namikaze wore a sunny smile, surprise coloring his voice.
Ding! Make your choice, host! 1. Defeat Minato Namikaze and win this tournament. Reward: double your mental energy! 2. Throw the match and lose to Minato Namikaze. Reward: enter the palace as a eunuch. 3. Draw. Reward: none!
I choose option one! Liuyun said inwardly.
He looked up at Minato Namikaze, his tone calm.
"I'm honored too. Actually, I've wanted to test myself against the top student in our class for a long time!"
"Now I finally have the chance."
"Really?" Minato Namikaze laughed brightly. "Isn't 'honored' a bit much?"
Liuyun shook his head without speaking. Naturally, that honor referred to who Minato would become!
Once they finished speaking, the two formed the Seal of Reconciliation to each other.
"Begin!"
At Wang Tenggangyi's shout, both leaped backward.
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Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
As Minato Namikaze retreated, he flicked his right hand, sending three kunai flying in a triangular formation.
"Too slow!"
Liuyun forced himself into a pivot, evading all three kunai.
He flipped his hands, and eight shuriken instantly appeared in his grasp.
He hurled them at Minato Namikaze a short distance away!
For Liuyun, getting to fight the Yellow Flash, the future Fourth Hokage, was an exciting prospect.
And Minato Namikaze was a formidable opponent in his own right!
Even though Liuyun now possessed strength comparable to a chunin's, he remained completely focused, taking this fight with the utmost seriousness.
After all, Minato Namikaze was a civilian ninja who had held the top spot in class ever since enrolling, surpassing the children of every great clan.
Who the hell knew how strong this guy really was? One careless move, and Liuyun could absolutely lose.
Of course, all the kunai and shuriken both Liuyun and Minato Namikaze used were unsharpened.
A hit certainly would not draw blood, but minor injuries were inevitable.
Faced with shuriken coming from every direction, Minato Namikaze remained perfectly calm.
With a flick of his left hand, a kunai appeared in his grasp.
Sparks flew, accompanied by the ringing clash of weapons.
Minato Namikaze knocked aside four of the eight shuriken and twisted sideways to evade the remaining four.
At the very instant he dodged, a blurred figure appeared before him with a rush of air.
Raising his right leg high, Liuyun pivoted on the toes of his left foot. His slender leg cracked through the air as he lashed a vicious kick at Minato Namikaze!
With the system's twofold boost to his physical strength, Liuyun's taijutsu might not have been the best in class, but it definitely ranked near the top.
Surprise flickered in Minato Namikaze's eyes, but his hands moved with incredible speed.
He brought both hands together to block Liuyun's full-power whipping kick.
Thud!
Minato Namikaze's hands trembled slightly. His feet scraped along the ground as the tremendous force sent him reeling backward.
Two drag marks instantly appeared in the dirt.
"Holy shit! Is that really Liuyun? He's actually overpowering Minato in taijutsu!"
Inoichi Yamanaka rubbed his eyes, blurting out the familiar curse in disbelief.
"Look how far Minato was pushed back! It's much farther than Uchiha Yuantong!"
Choza pointed out the crucial detail, his expression somewhat grave.
As a member of the Akimichi Clan, renowned for its taijutsu, he naturally understood that only now was Liuyun displaying his true strength.
"Now this is worth watching! I actually hope Liuyun can beat Minato!"
The two Hyuga brothers walked over, and Hizashi spoke calmly.
Everyone knew why. Minato was a civilian ninja, while Liuyun was an Uchiha.
All the children of Konoha's great clans in this year's intake had been placed in the same class, yet a civilian ninja had consistently held the top spot. It was quite an irony.
On the battlefield!
Liuyun raced like a cheetah, his body blurring. Having landed one blow, he gave Minato Namikaze no chance to prepare a counterattack.
He knew that even a lion used its full strength to hunt a rabbit, let alone a genius like Minato Namikaze.
As Minato Namikaze reeled backward, the look in his eyes changed again as he watched Liuyun.
His initial surprise turned to shock, then deep seriousness.
Clearly, he had not expected Liuyun's taijutsu to be so formidable.
His hands rapidly formed hand seals. Just as Liuyun's fist closed in, Minato Namikaze finally completed them.
Bang!
With an explosive crack, Minato Namikaze's body broke apart, turning into a piece of wood on the spot.
Substitution Technique!
Liuyun was not surprised in the slightest. He sensed a disturbance behind him.
He stamped his left foot hard. Cold surged outward, and flecks of frost gathered, instantly forming a solid wall of ice!
Hard spikes gradually protruded from the ice, creating a barrier that completely shielded Liuyun's back.
Minato Namikaze, who had been attacking, hastily stopped at the sight. Before he could react any further, something else happened.
The ice spread wildly, surging like ocean waves.
Minato Namikaze hurriedly leaped backward several times, putting a safe distance between himself and Liuyun.
The freezing air drove away the surrounding heat, leaving all the other children aside from Minato Namikaze feeling wonderfully refreshed.
"Ice! An Ice Release kekkei genkai? Is Liuyun from the Yuki Clan?" Shikaku's brows knitted tightly.
"What nonsense are you talking about? Liuyun is a genuine Uchiha!"
Uchiha Mikoto immediately corrected him, displeased.
Beside her, the two Hyuga brothers exchanged strange looks.
An Uchiha could use Ice Release! Wasn't the Uchiha Clan famous for its Fire Release?
With the eruption of Liuyun's Ice Release, the crowd grew lively, everyone launching into discussion.
Even Wang Tenggangyi, watching from the sidelines, was utterly astonished.
Whatever the others were saying, neither Liuyun nor Minato Namikaze had time to dwell on it.
Liuyun had already held the upper hand, and revealing his Ice Release only increased his chances of victory.
"An Ice Release kekkei genkai!" Minato Namikaze stared at the ice completely enclosing Liuyun.
A trace of envy flashed across his grave expression.
He gave a bitter laugh. "This guy's taijutsu is no weaker than mine, and he has an Ice Release kekkei genkai. Just how many more tricks is he hiding?"
"But!" Minato Namikaze's young face turned resolute. "I'm not going to lose to you!"
With that, he leaped forcefully into the air!
His hands flicked rapidly, sending a sky full of kunai raining down on Liuyun.
He swiftly formed hand seals and shouted at the approaching surge of cold.
"Wind Release! Great Breakthrough!"
Fierce winds scattered the surrounding cold air. Minato Namikaze became a streak of light, vanishing from everyone's sight in an instant.
It was the Body Flicker Technique!
Crack! Crack!
Ice rose from the frozen ground around Liuyun, forming sharp arrows that shot toward Minato Namikaze.
Some also flew toward the spectators nearby.
Seeing this, Wang Tenggangyi hastily formed hand seals, but just as he was about to unleash his ninjutsu, something happened.
The ice arrows flying toward the spectators suddenly melted into water and splashed onto the ground.
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That perfect control made Wang Tenggangyi's pupils constrict sharply.
Even he could not hope to match such precision.
Uchiha Liuyun... this kid has been hiding far too much!
On the battlefield, Minato Namikaze's expression remained unchanged as he faced the sky full of ice arrows.
His Body Flicker Technique was not only incredibly fast; his reactions were exceptionally nimble as well.
He moved freely through the barrage of ice arrows, blocking with his kunai whenever he could not dodge.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared before Liuyun.
He wore a sunny smile, his voice brimming with confidence.