MTLNOVEL Chapter 67: Clang! Clang!
The two fighters clashed furiously in the arena, holding nothing back. Their daggers and katana blades aimed unerringly for deadly spots—any misstep could leave a permanent wound.
This kind of battle stunned not only Minato and the other Ninja Academy students but even Shurou, who was also a Genin, and Yan Uchiha, who appeared indifferent to most things.
Even Kushina, known for her boldness, swallowed hard as she asked, "Are they really fighting like this? Why don't the examiners stop them?"
Mikoto answered with a heavy tone, "They must both understand each other's skill level, which is why they're fighting like this… But is it really necessary to go so far?"
Clearly puzzled, she had never seen such a life-or-death struggle before.
"Both the fighters and the examiners are showing respect for ninja. Whether faking a loss or intervening, doing either would be an insult to their dignity…"
Minato said, his bright blue eyes filled with complex emotions. The intensity of this fight was extreme—even he, at his current level, wasn't sure if he could handle or defeat either of them.
More importantly, from the Ninja Academy until now, even during training under his teachers, he'd never experienced such brutal combat.
Compared to their fight, all his previous battles felt like child's play.
The intense duel continued as both fighters gradually slowed down. Clearly, Sarutobi Ao seemed more strained.
In terms of physical strength, there was no way he could surpass Nawaki, and prolonged combat revealed the difference between them.
Because of his weakening stamina, Sarutobi Ao finally made a mistake. Nawaki struck Ao's wrist with the flat side of his blade, sending the dagger flying from his hand.
Even so, Ao still refused to give up. Without hesitation, Nawaki threw aside his katana, and the two men began exchanging blows using Taijutsu.
Blow after blow!
Their proficiency in hand-to-hand combat wasn't that far apart; each managed to land hits on the other. Yet every blow Ao took visibly worsened his sluggish movements.
Again, it came down to physical differences.
Eventually, Ao collapsed onto the ground, completely drained. Though Nawaki hadn't fallen, he too was panting heavily as he stood over Ao.
After such an intense match, everyone in the spectator section looked stunned. However, when the two looked at one another, they both burst into laughter.
Laughter gradually faded. Ao gave a bitter smile and said, "You truly deserve being the top student among our peers. I still can't beat you yet."
Nawaki grinned in return, saying, "You were chasing me closely though—you almost knocked me out. Honestly, I didn't want to lose. The Hokage's path must never stop."
"Tch," Ao spat. Since school days, Nawaki constantly talked about his dream to become Hokage, annoying Ao to the point of near exhaustion just hearing it again.
"What, not satisfied?" Nawaki teased, raising a brow. But honestly, he had no energy left for another round.
Sarutobi Ao naturally refused to be upstaged, but still said, "Of course I'm dissatisfied, but today you won."
Slowly placing his hand on his forehead, he used the last remnants of his chakra to erase the chakra mark himself.
"Rather than having you erase it, I'd prefer to do it myself. Otherwise, it would be too humiliating," Sarutobi Ao remarked.
"You..." Nawaki muttered with a smirk.
As the two stood there, after Sarutobi Ao removed his own chakra mark, several people gathered around each of them.
Minato approached Nawaki first and bent down to help him up.
"Thanks, Minato," Nawaki said. Nearby, Ao's teammate also helped him stand.
"It's nothing," Minato replied with a smile at Nawaki. "Senior Nawaki, that battle was truly spectacular. Both you and Senior Sarutobi are incredibly strong!"
Nawaki smiled slightly and said, "Actually, I was pretty eager to fight you. But bad luck had me cross paths with Sarutobi Ao again. He's no easy opponent."
"On the contrary, I think I was just fortunate. There's no way I could've beaten you straight up," Minato replied with a grin.
Nawaki looked at Minato and said, "Don't play dumb with me. Based on their abilities, those two had no chance of making it this far. The reason they managed to get here is most likely because of you."
He didn't specifically mean to offend Yu Akasaka, Rina Takeuchi, or Satoshi Miyazaki, but given their skill level, they should've been eliminated during the previous test with over ninety-nine percent certainty.
"I met those three guys, Takezou Sakai. I heard they were severely punished by you and that little girl named Kushina. I'd love to see if your speed is really as exaggerated as they described."
Minato stayed silent — apparently Nawaki had known about his actions in the Forest of Death. The realization briefly left him flustered.
Nawaki spoke softly, almost only audible to himself and Minato, while others nearby whispered among themselves, wondering what they were talking about.
Noticing Minato's expression, Nawaki patted his shoulder and glanced toward the indifferent figure on the second floor, then sideways said, "But that kid named Yan Uchiha is also formidable. I even heard about him from the Uchiha patriarch himself. Two unfortunate guys who lost to him crossed paths with me before — they were both genin."
Upon hearing this, Minato's eyes narrowed slightly. Yan Uchiha indeed must be extremely powerful to defeat two genin simultaneously.
"The two of you do share deep enmity too. Didn't you beat him once last year? Today, his attention has entirely focused on you. You'll probably face a tough battle," Nawaki commented. Though he seemed apathetic, he had clearly observed everything.
Minato nodded. Yan Uchiha certainly was a difficult opponent.
"Still looking forward to seeing your performance. Sometimes, I might come to spar with you," Nawaki concluded, and everyone returned to the stands.
With the fierce battle now over, the battlefield bore deep scars from Nawaki's [Earth Release] techniques.
Standing in the arena, Sakumo stepped forward and announced, "Match seven: Kushina Uzumaki versus Inoichi Yamanaka."
"Finally, it's my turn!"
Kushina couldn't wait to begin and jumped straight into the arena. Yet her opponent hadn't appeared.
Sakumo immediately turned his gaze toward a blond boy on the second floor and said, "Inoichi Yamanaka, hurry down and fight."
The blond boy looked really torn at that moment, while Kushina's face had already turned impatient.
Then, he said something completely unexpected.
"Judge, may I forfeit this match?"
...
...
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