Reincarnated in Naruto World with a System

Minato, who had just endured a gruelling Taijutsu duel, found himself momentarily separated from Shimura Kura. He was breathing heavily, his chest heaving with each intake of breath. His solemn eyes locked onto Kura's form, reflecting the gravity of the situation. This was, without a doubt, Minato's toughest battle yet. Both were Wind-Style ninja, evenly matched in skill and power.

"If I'm going to defeat Shimura Kura, I'll need to think of something else..." Minato thought, strategizing internally.

However, Kura was relentless. He knew Minato wasn't an opponent to be underestimated and wasn't about to give him the chance to catch his breath. Older and more experienced, Kura's endurance far exceeded that of the young Second Year student. He was determined to outlast Minato and secure his victory through sheer stamina.

Without hesitation, Kura rushed forward, not willing to leave Minato any opening. The two shinobi collided once more. Minato deftly dodged Kura's fist, his body moving fluidly as he aimed a fierce strike at Kura's waist.

Kura's expression remained calm and composed. He parried Minato's fist with his right hand, his body twisting to the side as his left knee shot up, striking Minato's abdomen with force. Minato winced in pain but endured, retaliating swiftly. He grabbed Kura's ankle with his right hand, using the momentum to pull them both to the ground.

Boom!

The two ninja rolled across the ground, entangled in a struggle before they separated, both gasping for breath. Minato sprang to his feet, launching a quick whip kick to force Kura back. Kura retreated, rapidly forming hand seals with both hands.

"Wind-Style: Wind Cutter!"

 A sharp wind blade materialised in Kura's hand, speeding towards Minato. Minato quickly pulled out a kunai from his ninja bag, attempting to block the incoming attack. However, the compressed Wind-Style jutsu was too powerful. The kunai barely resisted before being sliced open. Minato managed to deflect the wind blade, but it grazed his arm, drawing blood.

"Minato!" Nawaki shouted in concern.

 Uchiha Tatsumi frowned, observing the fight. Minato's approach seemed reckless to him. Using a kunai to block a Wind-Style attack was a brash move. He should have dodged or used the Body Substitution Jutsu to evade and look for an opening.

 If Kura launched a long-range shuriken attack now, how would Minato escape?

 Seeing Minato block his Wind-Style jutsu with a kunai, Kura's eyes lit up with opportunity. He immediately hurled several shuriken at Minato and charged forward.

 Tatsumi's frown deepened as he watched Minato. He knew Minato wasn't foolish. There had to be a plan.

 Minato didn't attempt to block the shuriken. Instead, he deftly reached into his ninja bag with his right hand and threw a smoke bomb, enveloping the area in a thick cloud of smoke.

 The battle had only just begun, and Minato wasn't about to let it end without giving it his all.

 Minato didn't avoid the kunai but threw a smoke bomb instead. As the smoke dispersed, what remained on the ground was a log pierced by shuriken. Shimura Kura stopped and stared at the log in shock.

 "When did you use Body Substitution Jutsu!?" Kura exclaimed, his eyes darting around warily. Despite not knowing when Minato executed the substitution, Kura remained confident of his victory.

 In the audience, Nawaki asked suspiciously, "Tatsumi, did you see it? When did Minato use Body Substitution Jutsu? And what was the purpose of that smoke bomb?"

 Uchiha Tatsumi shook his trench coat with a smile and replied, "Nawaki, you're mistaken. That wasn't Body Substitution Jutsu. Minato is truly a genius."

 "Not Body Substitution Jutsu?" Nawaki echoed in confusion.

 Minato's battle IQ was indeed remarkable, earning him the future reputation of the Yellow Flash. Kura, suddenly feeling uneasy, glanced behind him but saw no one.

 Something was wrong, but Kura couldn't pinpoint what it was. The log on the ground suddenly transformed back into Minato.

 "Wind-Style: Wind Cutter!" Minato swiftly formed the necessary hand seals.

 Kura had no time to react. The wind blade sliced through his hair, severing half of his black locks. His legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground, realising how close he had come to losing his life. Although Minato's final attack missed him intentionally, the battle was decided.

 "This match is Namikaze Minato's victory," Orochimaru's hoarse voice declared.

 ---

 "Minato, are you alright?" Uchiha Tatsumi asked with concern, supporting the stumbling Minato.

 Blood flowed from Minato's wounds, courtesy of Kura's shuriken. Minato had deliberately taken the Wind-Style attack to feign weakness and create an opening for Kura. When Kura threw the shuriken, Minato accepted the hits, threw the smoke bomb, and used Transformation Jutsu to turn himself into a log.

 The smoke bomb obscured Kura's vision, making him believe Minato had used Body Substitution Jutsu. This caused Kura to lower his guard towards the log on the ground. It was a simple yet risky strategy, reflecting the essence of ninja battles where even the slightest mistake could be fatal.

 "It's too hard, Minato. Let's go to Lady Tsunade and get you checked," Uchiha Tatsumi suggested.

 "Ha ha ha, I'm fine, Tatsumi," Minato replied, in a good mood despite his injuries. Defeating a strong enemy while still at the Academy was a significant achievement.

 At that moment, Orochimaru's voice rang out again. "The third stage is also the final one. This match is to determine the top three. Next is the last battle."

 "Mikoto, be sure to win," Uchiha Tatsumi said, patting Mikoto's head.

 "I will, Tatsumi," Mikoto replied confidently.

 Tatsumi had already briefed Mikoto, and now it was up to her to do her best. As Uchiha Mikoto and Aburame Shibi stood in the ring, Orochimaru announced in his hoarse voice, "Let the battle begin!"

Mikoto's attributes were a combination of fire and lightning. She had mastered Ninjutsu with wide-range attacks like the Fire-Style: Great Fireball. Against the Aburame Clan's Parasitic Insects Secret Jutsu, her abilities provided a significant advantage.

 The final battle was about to commence.